did you ever not enjoy a car event?

[msc66]

There's a historic 1/8 mile track in north GA that has what it calls an old time drag meet and show. I've always wanted to go so today I made the hour drive in the Buick by myself, (couldn't get anyone to go with me). They bill the event as a chance to see old gassers, altereds and "kool hotrods" run on the strip so I thought it would be fun to check out the cars and make a few passes myself.

Well there were two restored gassers there that made slow exhibition passes and the rest was the usual cruise night fare. As for the racing it was the same drag cars I could see there every week end. Very few if any of the street driven hotrods and musclecars made passes. Lots of lawn chair racing though :

It also didn't help that on the 2 passes I did get to make I was paired with 2 balls out race cars. I find this somewhat un-nerving and difficult to concentrate. I also found that my car is still breaking up badly over 4000 rpms.

The last of my bitching is over the 2 hrs it took for me to make the hour drive home because of construction traffic. Maybe I just build these things up too much in my head. I love my car but anymore its very hit and miss with the car events for me.

Anyone else?

[fahrenschnell]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

When I go the Drag strip I usually enjoy myself, but have had a few times (always when I was alone) that I did not have the best time. I find that having someone to enjoy it with is the key.

Lately though I have been attending GREAT events, and have met some of the best guys in the hobby. I highly recommend getting out to a LSR event soon. The Maxton mile is more fun than you can shake a stick at. Great people, great cars (And they run the HELL out of them), and great beverages ;D.

Seth

[Gary 351C]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

I don't think I have ever NOT enjoyed a car event, although, some are better than others. The one I probably like the most is the Monterey Historic Auto races at Laguna Seca. If your into vintage Road Race stuff it can't be beat! My favorite's are the old Formula One cars and the old Trans Am cars. Another cool part is you can spend hours walking the paddock area and get right up close to everything.

[JOES66FURY]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

No matter how great the event the heat here in Arizona can ruin the outing...makes it miserable and it drains you within hours....

The other thing is when the douche bag owners that are to damn good to talk to you or aknowledge your complimnt to them, if you ask them who did the stripes or anthing else, its like askin for their SSN# ....

[RyanWalker]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?


I hear ya. I think we all dig this genre of hot rodding so much, that we build our hopes up to much from time to time. We"ll go to a car show/cruise/whatever/ that we expect to see a decent turnout of DECENT cars and end up seeing too much billet, major modifacation violation's, too much lawn chairing and not enough HOT RODS. I can go on.
Anyone else?
[/quote]

[Bamfster]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

That's why I mainly go to the test n tune nights at our local track, I am able to get as many passes in as i want normally and there isn't that super competitive aura.

[DanStokes]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

What Seth said. I gave up drag racing after I found Maxton, for the reasons stated above. Great folks, interesting cars, great venue, fairly inexpensive. And, I should mention, GREAT Volunteers!

Dan

[olbuddybob]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

Only when I am stuck in traffic is it a bad car event.

[yellomalibu]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

One of the main reasons I haven't raced my car in about 2 1/2 years is because of not enjoying it.
It was Super Chevy in Gainesville, Oct '05. Every year, for the past ten years, the event has gotten smaller and more pitiful. Couple that with the fact that my new 14:1 engine overpowered my suspension, causing my car to be almost as slow as it was with the 11:1 motor, and terribly inconsistent. Lots of money spent for a three day weekend of racing, no round wins ... nothing great to look at in the half filled show car area = not enjoying the car event.

I'm in the process of slowing my car back down. I recently put a new 10" converter in it that only stalls around 4100rpm, will soon swap the domed pistons with flat tops, and swap the ported bow-ties with my old AFR's, making the engine the same as it was before I went and ruined the "race car".
Going rounds, and winning money is sooooo much more fun than trying to go fast and not winning.

Who knows, this converter may make my car faster than it was. The cam is a 250/260 @ .050 with 600/625 lift, in a 406 small block... not really that big.

[SpeedJunkee's Carbs]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

In the past I thought it was no fun unless you have someone to share it with, but then I found out that the show is only as good as you make, I like talkin and meeting new people, and sometime having someone with you can stop that from happening.....

[tiresmoke!]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

Well, had to really think about this one.....

The annual World Of Wheels show doesn't do much for me anymore. There's a few interesting pieces there, but is more or less an indoor Lawn Chair Grand Prix(yawn).

At least with the saturday Night cruise at the Suds, there's cars cruising past in a somewhat steady procession...plus you know for certain that these cars are driven.

Not a car-centric event, but still a "motorsport"...Monster Jam. It's like the WWE of the organized racing/motorsport world... :......one that I'll never waste money on ever again.

[SpeedJunkee's Carbs]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

Well, had to really think about this one.....

The annual World Of Wheels show doesn't do much for me anymore. There's a few interesting pieces there, but is more or less an indoor Lawn Chair Grand Prix(yawn).

At least with the saturday Night cruise at the Suds, there's cars cruising past in a somewhat steady procession...plus you know for certain that these cars are driven.

Not a car-centric event, but still a "motorsport"...Monster Jam. It's like the WWE of the organized racing/motorsport world... :......one that I'll never waste money on ever again.

That reminds me of the monster jam show in Atlanta, the quads was fight on the track then when the got in the back one guy said "you almost hit me man", I fell down laughing. I was there working for a guy that was racing a stadium truck..

[Dans 83]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

This question brought back horrible memories... No matter how lame a show or race is nothing will suck the wind out of you like an expierience that Dave and Chad and the rest of the people at the Lemons Race are going through. My thoughts are with everyone involved!

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

at least 50% of auto events suck
which is why you bring beer

[msc66]

Re: did you ever not enjoy a car event?

Ah, beer. That's a tough one though when you have to drive an hour or so home. I guess I think back to all the great times back in the day and expect things to be the same now.

The YearOne Experience is next weekend and I don't know if I want to spend the gas, entry fee, food ect not to mention a whole day of my time. Maybe if I actually had some friends with cars that wanted to go along...