[david mitchell]

As I get older I wonder if racing is really worth the cost. The last five seasons have been more pain than pleasure. Wheldon,Wilson, Leffler, Clauson, Steele,and on and on and on.Every Sunday morning wondering whether you are going to see RIP someone.As you age you realize these guys are regular people like us with tremendous skills.They don't exist in a vaccum with no families and friends.It is their choice whether to participate, but is it really worth it unless you are fortuanate enough to be making a great living at it.I think of the families when a tragedy occurs, not so much the driver. He chose to be a race car driver, the families did not.Something to ponder next time a tragedy occurs.

[Tony74]

If you haven't strapped in before you don't know how worth it is.

[Mattmac05]

Originally Posted by Tony74 If you haven't strapped in before you don't know how worth it is.

100% right!!!

[Stevensville Mike]

Originally Posted by david mitchell ....Wheldon,Wilson, Leffler, Clauson, Steele,and on and on and on.

I just hope the sanctioning bodies and drivers all learn something from this and things can be improved safety-wise to help the next driver who gets in a similar accident. There is always room to learn, adapt, and improve when it comes to safety.

[Backitin]

Well worth it.
I was never worried about myself, Its kinda scary watching my son compete. I wouldn't want to be involved in anything else the risk is a part of the overall thrill. Some day the way its going everything will be remote control with fpv and everyone can be a racer.
When I was a kid deaths were far more numerous just not as documented. I honestly believe that if the risks involved today are still too much to deal with as a fan or racer go do something else.
I lost 3 friends to work accidents in the last couple years are we supposed to stop being roofers, loggers ect. because of the same reasoning as the original post ?

[hairracer44]

It is all in perspective, today's racing is way safer than it was in era's gone by. It is man vs machine and all of us that get in a racecar know the cost. I remember hearing stories from my Grandpa from the late 50's and early 60's when he worked on sprint cars and champ cars. He said " We would go to a race on Sunday and a funeral on Wednesday on many weeks." So again it is all in perspective and to be honest with the availability and technology of safety equipment it is actually pretty amazing how safe you can make a car. It is risk vs reward, put yourself in the best equipment you can buy and control your risk the best you can. It is racing it is and always will be dangerous!

Again you have to remember that each crash is different and the forces, angle speed etc all play a role in what happens and the outcome on a crash. We have all seen bad ones that a guy walks away from and ones that don't look so bad and a guy is beat up pretty bad.

So for me yes it is worth it and until I feel otherwise I will continue to go have fun and get my fix.

David Hair

[Gregg]

I'm not at all trying to mitigate the sorrow that the deaths of these drivers have had recently, but I will throw this out there:

In 1966, it was the first full year I watched USAC sprint cars and branched out and watched several other forms of racing as well. It was a brutal year. In that year We lost Ron Lux, we lost Don Branson and Dick Atkins in the same accident, tragedy at the 12 hours of Sebring, Indy 500 racer Walt Hansgen in a test crash and Jimmy Davies, Jud Larson & Red Reigel died on the very same day due to racing accidents. I'm sure I missed some.

Racing is indeed safer than it was 50 years ago, however when we lose a driver it hurts badly; possibly even worse than it did back then.

I've been a race fan nearly all my life but never raced. I guess the only advice I can give from my perspective is don't weigh your decision to race lightly.

[darnall]

I can completely sympathize with the thoughts and feelings DavidMitchell is struggling with today... I am sure each and every one of us has seen, heard of or lived through a racing tragedy that took one of our friends family or heroes before we wanted them to leave and triggered similar doubt about this lifestyle we love...if not I wonder what fills the spot in your chest where most of us have hearts.

As a fan of the sport its easy to doubt. Fans drive the supply of races scheduled, purses paid, sponsor interest, souvenir sales, quality of facilities and countless other details.. no fans pretty much means no racing so we have to have em and the majority of us absolutely love em all...but with the utmost respect I have to tell you that at the fan level you will never understand it as we see it through our eyes and feel it in our souls.

The friends and family of a racer come next. Being surrounded by the desire and passion a racer has for the sport for any amount of time not only shows how badly we need to do it, but will often make our spouses, children, parents and friends think that no matter what the best they can ever expect is to play second fiddle to racing. None of us would ever, if given the clear cut choice, decide to choose racing over keeping a relationship with our children or wife, but our actions and focus sure make it look like we would pick racing over them any and every time. They still can't understand how we see it and feel it, but if they truly love us they can tell how consuming it is to us and would say ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT 99% of the time.

As a driver..not somebody who tries it a few times cause it looks fun.. but one of us who had our eye on strapping in since we were old enough to walk.. who grabbed every steering wheel in reach every possible chance... who will work on someones garage rotted outdated relic night and day for a month for the opportunity to take it to the track one night.. for us it's always absolutely worth any and everything it takes, every sacrifice it requires, every dollar it costs, and any hurt that comes with it.

Whether it's a driver who never heard of the most recent racing victim, somebody who knew him through his reputation, or somebody who grew up and spent their entire career going wheel to wheel with him and developed a close friendship doesn't matter... we are going to be back in a car the next night, next weekend, or next time theres a car available and a racetrack open...until one day we wake up, look around, and realize it's gone.... the desire, the drive, the need and obsession dilutes and disappears... or at a minimum falls far enough down the priority list that it isn't worth it anymore...then and only then does it become NOT WORTH IT to us, and 99% of the time it was completely internal and not swayed by a loss of life in the sport.

I am not going to speak for other drivers, but my take on the risk is this... of course I don't want to end up being killed in a racecar in the near or distant future. I don't want people to think I BET IF HE COULD HAVE CHOSEN HE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO GO THAT WAY... what a copout load of horsecrap that statement is...

First of all... it would be pretty stinkin egotistical for me to think that I had any kind of power that would allow me to outsmart my creators plan for me. When my job here is finished it's finished. My decision to stay out of the car and hide in the safety and security of my house only means that on the day my calendar ends I'm going to end up choking on a french fry or slipping in the shower, and as the lights are going out I'm going to want to kick myself for turning down the last opportunity I was offered. I have no doubt that I have the power to make decisions that affect my quality of life, my reputation, my health and mental well being, etc but no way can I extend the number of days I will get to wake up again and make those choices.

The thing that scares me the most about being killed in a racecar isn't about me, it's about racing... why would any of us ever want to be involved in a tragedy that hurt the sport we love so much in any way...

maybe some fans...especially some kids are there when it happens and it sticks with them to the point that they quit being race fans...or have issues later on due to witnessing that..

maybe the local or national media takes the story and inaccurately reports and twists the details around bad enough that it damages the reputation of my local track or series.. tracks are already struggling enough.. any added economic obstacle or bad press may be the tipping point of it opening again or becoming a strip mall..

Maybe some law firm pesters and pokes at my family long enough to convince my wife that somebody is at fault.. or convinces my son that pure negligence is what kept me from seeing him graduate college or have a child.. regardless of the judgement or settlement 5 years later any lawsuit starts hurting the sport the minute it gets filed.

As my mid 40s rapidly transitions to me being in my 50s I am loosing friends and family members more and more often every year...of all the funerals ive attended, all the crappy late night phone calls or sad early morning facebook posts... not once have I thought "Well I sure am glad he died like that instead of _____" or "It's too bad ____ didn't kill him instead"..

Being from Missouri the driver loss that still hurts the most is Jesse Hockett. I got so used to seeing him at some track almost every weekend.... used to love coming to work Monday morn and telling my dad what car Hockett drove with what series in whichever state/country that weekend and how many times he won... there has never been a more versatile guy who mashed the funbutton harder or longer than Hockett... red headed freckle face kid in his mid 20s with over 100 wins in his pocket and hundreds more to come....... lost to electrocution as he was getting ready to head to Terre Haute then swing back across the midwest into kansas to win 3 out of 5 races he ran across the memorial day holiday. Matters not if it happened in a sprintcar, on the highway, in the trailer or on the couch....he's gone and can't come back... and 7 years later I still think it sucks on a daily basis.

Is it worth it???

Yes Mr Mitchell to me it is....completely... until the day it isn't. Then I'll be finished.

Nobody can answer the question if it's worth it to you except you. If the pleasure you receive from it outweighs the pain it can cause you... or if any amount of pleasure helps you deal with the pain that is guaranteed in this life regardless of what activity or random event causes it I hope you also decide its worth it. I'd hate to think that my calendar running out made anybody question their desire to go buy a ticket or log into IOW the next week...

One more thing... you can be one of the racers I described without being a driver...

Jack Hockett hasn't raced in quite a few years... nor has Tim Clauson.. but those 2 guys, guys who have every reason to never wear a plastic pit pass bracelet again.. those guys make me feel like my passion is nothing more than a phase or a neat new pass time..like Sudoku or knitting..man those guys are racers like no other

[david mitchell]

This is without question the most thought out and heartfelt post ever put on this forum.That is all that needs to be said.