Move to Indiana

Larryoracing · 12/8/10, 9:01 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fhUjct-VgM

Either have I, but if I didn't know any better I would of thought I was in Indiana. Found this video from our local videographer where in California the CRA USAC 410 non-wing sprint cars ran the 1/2 mile.
I wonder how many 1/2 mile tracks are in Indiana? The picture above were from some sprints cars at Calistoga, Ca a while back.

Sincerely,

Larry Otani

P.S. Here is another video from a track that use to be just a couple of miles from my house. Ascot Speedway, Gardena, Ca. 1/2 mile very, very sticky clay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VViDK...ayer_embedded#!

San Jose, CA Supermodifieds, 1960 - 1970.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ6Wk3FCvKM

1963 Langhorne Speedway USAC Indy race - PART 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nYUF...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAcSv...ayer_embedded#!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvzFhnZznZ0

SlideJob Jones · 12/8/10, 2:46 PM

First don't ever let ANYONE tell you that you can't achieve your dreams! It's your path to superstardom that is a little clouded.

Second, I feel you're pretty delusional about how this works. You're "willing to accept" a midget ride as a stepping stone? I think your sense of supply vs. demand is quite a bit off. From us who know and have done it, stop discounting school....make it your top priority. The rest will fall in place.

As an owner....the phrase "don't tell me what you're going to do, show me what you've done" comes to mind. Go to school, WORK and put a car together. If it takes a couple years to get it done, then so be it....use that time to work on a crew for others and build on your knowledge to be best prepared for when you buckle up.

While I've never hired a driver....as an owner I'd NEVER consider someone who has done nothing in the division who just really wants to do it, and says he will be great. Who I WOULD consider hiring is someone who busts their balls to be out there, and looks good in the car....someone who has made the sacrifices on their own to be out there, and displays their talent on their own dime. It's a long road there, trust me I know.

Lastly, don't push your way early through highschool for this. Enjoy the times you are in. You will regret it in the future.

hoosierdaddy · 12/8/10, 4:07 PM

Dalton, I'm not here to tell you what to do or not to do. Do whatever it takes to fulfill your dreams, but remember that no matter your age, you can STILL race! My story to share(simplified). I raced karts from age 11 to 16. During this period I gave up playing football and all other forms of sports to concentrate on racing cuz that's what I wanted to do. @ 17 I was racing winged 360's. I continued running 360's until I 22-23 and just couldn't afford it anymore.(I'm 29 now) We sold everything! I'm still around it most every week and have helped a few young drivers starting out in sprints over the years whether it was wrenching or coaching and have enjoyed it. Regretfully though, I wish I could have my teenage years back cuz we were always an under funded family racing team that just could never get over the hump. I wish i could have played football with all my friends and tried to help them in the state playoffs all those years, BECAUSE....when it was all said and done I could have started racing sprints After high school and still had as much fun. Just make sure you always do the right thing that you are most passionate about....Good luck to you with whatever comes your way!

TQ29m · 12/8/10, 4:31 PM

I'll have to admit, I have been following this thread, since it started, and have kept my 2 cents to myself, but I've got to add them now. First of all, you're 16, you have a full life ahead of you, hopefully, and you will have plenty of time to make lots of mistakes, before you realize what your place in life will be. With today's economy, I wouldn't rule out the fact, that you will have time for an important education, during this downturn in the economy, and maybe by the time you get your diploma, things will be going along better, never gets better, or even as good, we've already seen the best, in my opinion, I feel like I was blessed, to be born when I was, I've got to see, and experience, both ends of the spectrum, the good, as well as the bad, 2 wars, how many "police actions", how much unrest in the world, the Great Depression, the high inflation, the high wages, the chance to be wealthy by working hard, I'm afraid those days are history, and they don't even teach it in school anymore, what you see now, is probably gonna be it for a long time to come, this may be as good as it gets, and racing for a living, as a profession, especially without at least an engineering degree, I don't think so, look how much of our American product is produced across the ocean, in foreign countries, do they actually need to invest in someone to drive a race car, to advertise their product? I don't think so, look at nascar, Indycar, they need sponsors, they don't need drivers, they need drivers with sponsors. I know you'll do what you want to do, but later in life, don't think you didn't get some good advice right here. Good luck! Bob

SlideJob Jones · 12/9/10, 1:57 AM

I guess I relate since when I was 16, I was positive that I could kick some SERIOUS ass if someone would have just given me the shot. I had no transferable experience, money, support or anything other than DESIRE. Desire and a dollar will get you a krispy kreme donut.

I remember in highschool my uncle asking me if I were going to play football the next year. I replied nope...gonna work and make some money for toys! He replied "you have the rest of your life to work, you never get a chance to do these things again." Oh, how wise he ended up being. Don't give up these opportunities kiddo, you WILL live to regret it.

Previously being in the same shoes as you are now, it took me until the age of 35 to be able to get into a full blown sprint car. I don't regret a thing about it, and in hindsight when I was 16 and "just needed a shot", I likely would have just torn up a lot of crap.

One of my friends is a great kart driver. He's won a bunch, and I even let him take laps after the races at Waynesfield one night...he did exceptionally well for a first timer. He REALLY wants to drive, but I wont even consider it. Why? He hasn't worked for it. "show me what you've done....."

Follow your dreams, but don't sell out your childhood to chase a likely unobtainable goal.

Hawker · 12/9/10, 4:38 AM

I have no degree...Went to tech school and got my DOT/FAA Airframe and Powerplant license to work on aircraft. I leave for Iraq a week from Saturday to maintain aircraft for the USAF. I work there for 90 days, then come home on R&R for 30 days. The pay is well into the 6 figures with all expenses paid. A couple of years of that and then come back home and work in the Indy area which has a lot of aviation work, pull down about $50k to $60k a year and you could build you a nice operation.

Larryoracing · 12/9/10, 7:07 AM

Well Dalton,

If you are still here. I know what you are going to do. And you have a backup plan. Possibly your mom will support you when you go back to school in Indiana, getting that IT degree. I know you want to be where the action is and I'm sure Indiana is the place to be. Even I would love to go/live in Indiana, but I think I would miss the city here in Los Angeles, Ca. And for my own personal reasons I will get to go racing, jump in a sprint car once in a while and possibly go see my hero, which is Tim Kaeding running the Beef Packers/Roth Racing #83 winged sprinter in Northern, Ca. I might even get lucky and see Tim take the wing off and give some of those non-wingers a run for thier money...lol!

So in reality I would much rather support those California racers who go back east and try to show those Indianaian's a thing or two...lol! There is a lot of great racers back east and they have a great history. That is undeniable.

If you were interested the ("A & P"/airframe and power) is what most technicians have when they start out building satellites at Boeing. I think that is a two year program and the US Airforce is not a bad choice, but you could die. It's up to you?

Personally I would tell any young man, get some type of degree in the medical field. Become a nurse (yes men are nurses too) or a lab technician related to the hospital/medical business/field. People are dying left and right and there will always be job for them in the short term. That's my advice...lol! That's the field I would enter if I was a young man now and I would get a B.S.

You will also always find a job fixing computers, but I don't know how much you will make. I'm guessing not much, for all the reason TQ29 mentioned.

You only live once and you made your choice and you even have a job. That is more than some people have. I wish I was young again, but I would make a lot of the wrong decisions.

For the field I'm in now, which Boeing calls a Mechanical Laision Engineer, I should have a B.S. degree in mehcanical engineering, but it is not needed. To get the job I have now, you need a B.S. in Mechanical engineering. They generally won't give it to you unless their are some pretty special circumstances. I don't have a B.S. in engineering and it took me 25 years to get the job I wanted 25 years ago. I finally got the job I have always wanted, but the chances are almost next to none for anybody coming off the streets with no degree and especially without and engineering degree to get the job I have.

Sincerely,

Larry Otani

Here is an in car video of Sammy in the "A" main thursday night qualifier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Do0Jbid5c

Hawker · 12/9/10, 1:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larryoracing

If you were interested the ("A & P"/airframe and power) is what most technicians have when they start out building satellites at Boeing. I think that is a two year program and the US Airforce is not a bad choice, but you could die. It's up to youhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Do0Jbid5c

You can get through the A&P course in as little as 21 months.

Larry, you can die sitting in the stands at a race....It's all a numbers game...

Dalton Dietrich · 12/12/10, 11:54 AM

agreed hawker.

I helped out a local sprint car driver here in pa this past season (family friend) and enjoyed it ALMOST as much as driving. If I do make the move...i would be perfectly happy wrenching on a car for a while till I can get my own program up and going.

12/8/10, 9:01 AM	#71 Re: Move to Indiana
Larryoracing Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 380	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fhUjct-VgM Either have I, but if I didn't know any better I would of thought I was in Indiana. Found this video from our local videographer where in California the CRA USAC 410 non-wing sprint cars ran the 1/2 mile. I wonder how many 1/2 mile tracks are in Indiana? The picture above were from some sprints cars at Calistoga, Ca a while back. Sincerely, Larry Otani P.S. Here is another video from a track that use to be just a couple of miles from my house. Ascot Speedway, Gardena, Ca. 1/2 mile very, very sticky clay. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VViDK...ayer_embedded#! San Jose, CA Supermodifieds, 1960 - 1970. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ6Wk3FCvKM 1963 Langhorne Speedway USAC Indy race - PART 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nYUF...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAcSv...ayer_embedded#! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvzFhnZznZ0 _________________________________________________ Last edited by Larryoracing; 12/10/10 at 11:57 AM.

12/8/10, 4:31 PM	#74 Re: Move to Indiana
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,240	I'll have to admit, I have been following this thread, since it started, and have kept my 2 cents to myself, but I've got to add them now. First of all, you're 16, you have a full life ahead of you, hopefully, and you will have plenty of time to make lots of mistakes, before you realize what your place in life will be. With today's economy, I wouldn't rule out the fact, that you will have time for an important education, during this downturn in the economy, and maybe by the time you get your diploma, things will be going along better, never gets better, or even as good, we've already seen the best, in my opinion, I feel like I was blessed, to be born when I was, I've got to see, and experience, both ends of the spectrum, the good, as well as the bad, 2 wars, how many "police actions", how much unrest in the world, the Great Depression, the high inflation, the high wages, the chance to be wealthy by working hard, I'm afraid those days are history, and they don't even teach it in school anymore, what you see now, is probably gonna be it for a long time to come, this may be as good as it gets, and racing for a living, as a profession, especially without at least an engineering degree, I don't think so, look how much of our American product is produced across the ocean, in foreign countries, do they actually need to invest in someone to drive a race car, to advertise their product? I don't think so, look at nascar, Indycar, they need sponsors, they don't need drivers, they need drivers with sponsors. I know you'll do what you want to do, but later in life, don't think you didn't get some good advice right here. Good luck! Bob __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

12/9/10, 1:57 AM	#75 Re: Move to Indiana
SlideJob Jones Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 30	I guess I relate since when I was 16, I was positive that I could kick some SERIOUS ass if someone would have just given me the shot. I had no transferable experience, money, support or anything other than DESIRE. Desire and a dollar will get you a krispy kreme donut. I remember in highschool my uncle asking me if I were going to play football the next year. I replied nope...gonna work and make some money for toys! He replied "you have the rest of your life to work, you never get a chance to do these things again." Oh, how wise he ended up being. Don't give up these opportunities kiddo, you WILL live to regret it. Previously being in the same shoes as you are now, it took me until the age of 35 to be able to get into a full blown sprint car. I don't regret a thing about it, and in hindsight when I was 16 and "just needed a shot", I likely would have just torn up a lot of crap. One of my friends is a great kart driver. He's won a bunch, and I even let him take laps after the races at Waynesfield one night...he did exceptionally well for a first timer. He REALLY wants to drive, but I wont even consider it. Why? He hasn't worked for it. "show me what you've done....." Follow your dreams, but don't sell out your childhood to chase a likely unobtainable goal. _________________________________________________ Last edited by SlideJob Jones; 12/9/10 at 1:59 AM.

12/8/10, 4:07 PM	#73 Re: Move to Indiana
hoosierdaddy Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 116	Dalton, I'm not here to tell you what to do or not to do. Do whatever it takes to fulfill your dreams, but remember that no matter your age, you can STILL race! My story to share(simplified). I raced karts from age 11 to 16. During this period I gave up playing football and all other forms of sports to concentrate on racing cuz that's what I wanted to do. @ 17 I was racing winged 360's. I continued running 360's until I 22-23 and just couldn't afford it anymore.(I'm 29 now) We sold everything! I'm still around it most every week and have helped a few young drivers starting out in sprints over the years whether it was wrenching or coaching and have enjoyed it. Regretfully though, I wish I could have my teenage years back cuz we were always an under funded family racing team that just could never get over the hump. I wish i could have played football with all my friends and tried to help them in the state playoffs all those years, BECAUSE....when it was all said and done I could have started racing sprints After high school and still had as much fun. Just make sure you always do the right thing that you are most passionate about....Good luck to you with whatever comes your way!

12/9/10, 4:38 AM	#76 Re: Move to Indiana
Hawker Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 349	I have no degree...Went to tech school and got my DOT/FAA Airframe and Powerplant license to work on aircraft. I leave for Iraq a week from Saturday to maintain aircraft for the USAF. I work there for 90 days, then come home on R&R for 30 days. The pay is well into the 6 figures with all expenses paid. A couple of years of that and then come back home and work in the Indy area which has a lot of aviation work, pull down about $50k to $60k a year and you could build you a nice operation.

12/9/10, 7:07 AM	#77 Re: Move to Indiana
Larryoracing Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 380	Well Dalton, If you are still here. I know what you are going to do. And you have a backup plan. Possibly your mom will support you when you go back to school in Indiana, getting that IT degree. I know you want to be where the action is and I'm sure Indiana is the place to be. Even I would love to go/live in Indiana, but I think I would miss the city here in Los Angeles, Ca. And for my own personal reasons I will get to go racing, jump in a sprint car once in a while and possibly go see my hero, which is Tim Kaeding running the Beef Packers/Roth Racing #83 winged sprinter in Northern, Ca. I might even get lucky and see Tim take the wing off and give some of those non-wingers a run for thier money...lol! So in reality I would much rather support those California racers who go back east and try to show those Indianaian's a thing or two...lol! There is a lot of great racers back east and they have a great history. That is undeniable. If you were interested the ("A & P"/airframe and power) is what most technicians have when they start out building satellites at Boeing. I think that is a two year program and the US Airforce is not a bad choice, but you could die. It's up to you? Personally I would tell any young man, get some type of degree in the medical field. Become a nurse (yes men are nurses too) or a lab technician related to the hospital/medical business/field. People are dying left and right and there will always be job for them in the short term. That's my advice...lol! That's the field I would enter if I was a young man now and I would get a B.S. You will also always find a job fixing computers, but I don't know how much you will make. I'm guessing not much, for all the reason TQ29 mentioned. You only live once and you made your choice and you even have a job. That is more than some people have. I wish I was young again, but I would make a lot of the wrong decisions. For the field I'm in now, which Boeing calls a Mechanical Laision Engineer, I should have a B.S. degree in mehcanical engineering, but it is not needed. To get the job I have now, you need a B.S. in Mechanical engineering. They generally won't give it to you unless their are some pretty special circumstances. I don't have a B.S. in engineering and it took me 25 years to get the job I wanted 25 years ago. I finally got the job I have always wanted, but the chances are almost next to none for anybody coming off the streets with no degree and especially without and engineering degree to get the job I have. Sincerely, Larry Otani Here is an in car video of Sammy in the "A" main thursday night qualifier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Do0Jbid5c

12/12/10, 11:54 AM	#79 Re: Move to Indiana
Dalton Dietrich Member Race Count This Year: 55 Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 208	agreed hawker. I helped out a local sprint car driver here in pa this past season (family friend) and enjoyed it ALMOST as much as driving. If I do make the move...i would be perfectly happy wrenching on a car for a while till I can get my own program up and going.