[T.O.Dillinder]

WARNING THIS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF A READ.

My Grandfather use to race with the Thunder Valley Motorcycle Club in the 40's and 50's. The formats were primarily oval, hill climb, and trail.
My Father in the 60's drag raced at Union Grove (WI) and Byron (IL), and in the 70's he raced short track at Rockford (IL) Speedway. However My father would always make the yearly trip for the June Sprints at Road America.
Myself, I did karts in the 80's, AMA Motorcycles (Road Racing) and AutoX in the early 90's. Even earned a Comp Liscence that I ended up not using.
There is a whole list of people that have helped in some form or another along the way. I would have to say the biggeset and closest names that have been Dave Watson, Ray Irwin, and Gerre Payvis. As mentioned there have been others that have given support such as John Eberhardt, Bob Denton, Steve Butzen, Rick and Jill Peters, and Phil Daus.
I just wanted to thank these people for their assistance, advice, and friendship.
what I love about road racing is economics, seat time, and the variety of makes and models that are involved.
Economics:
If you were to fiqure what it cost for every minute you are in the seat, road racing comes out being cheaper than circle track and drag racing combined.
Seat time:
20 to 30 minute practice session, 20 to 30 minute qualifing session, and a 30 minute race each Friday and Saturday.
Your HPDE has 20 to 30 minute sessions, and that is usually three sesions per day for each group.
road racing provides tons of seat time.
Different makes and models:
No matter what kind of racing you do, we all have one common factor. They love of the automobile.
A road racing event is like a car show with the added benefit to see those cars perform.
Sorry for the length, but now you know a little about me.
So, what got you hooked?

This post has been edited by T.O.Dillinder: Nov 18 2007, 04:47 PM

[Racerdad916]

My roots are in drag racing, I was at the drag strip for the first time with dad at 3 years old. I will NEVER forget the sound of the Modified Production Vettes leaving the starting line in the late '60s and early '70s. 331 CID, 8500 rpm and an 80lbs flywheel makes an awesome sound!!! Raced BMX, karts in the back yard, anything that was W2W, but drag racing always took my attention away from driving fast in the corners. I found my way to an AX event in the early 80's, had so much fun that I built my '71 Cutlass to go fast and turn with any Vette, but the four wheel, non-power DRUM brakes always seemed to limit my ability to turn in with them. Fast forward to this year. Bought a Third Gen Camaro with the idea of making it everything my Cutlass was, but with brakes that didn't fade after the first corner(my buddy said brakes were over-rated anyway...). Raced BMX again for 6 years, loved the W2W competition(crashing sucked) but I always wanted to go fast and turn in a car. A few spectator trips to Mid-Ohio this year cemented the choice to build the car for AX and track days. My 16 year old son is really loving AX, he made several laps in Trackbird's Tragcially Teal with me behind the wheel, then with Kevin driving, and is hooked for life. I think all the laps in the turned up Miata helped too.....
I am a Road Racer for life......