How Far is Too Far
 

Taking the question from the Burg thread, I thought it’s a fair question. The criteria is a race with a start time of 7pm, and you’re driving home afterwards. For my friends Oppweld and Yeleyfan76, the answer is probably there’s no place too far, but for us mortals, we have parameters. Thanks

For me it’s pretty much anything goes if it’s something I want to see. Another factor for me is do I have anything I want to do the following day. If the answer is yes then I’ll ride home after the race and I’ve done that 3 times this summer from Knoxville which is 562 miles. If no I may camp out at the track but I’ve gotten to where I’ll just come home anyway because if I stay it essentially chews up the whole weekend.
I’m in SW Ohio & tracks like Haubstadt, Attica, Fremont are all in the 180-220 mile range and wouldn’t consider staying the nite after a race.
I always travel by motorcycle unless someone is going with me which is rare.
Heck a few weeks ago on a Sunday I rode out to Knoxville because they were having a car show at the track. Left at 4a & was home at 11:20p.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

Well considering Im in the same situation as Ron. About a hour and a half. Family member may need help. Ron also has been riding a lot with friends. Some no longer with us .

I alone say about three to four hours for a event. Maybe a couple days for small trips. If I was free to do so. And have all my life.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

Everybody’s situation is different of course. We have all done the crazy(fun) things needed to attend a show and return home. Pops always said on work/school nites if you can’t get up the next day for them you aren’t going. Lots of midweek trips to southern Delaware 3hrs each way were tough. Syracuse Ny up and back on a Sunday for the BBM finale were long days. No matter what the events or parameters of travel were we have all done it. If you still can that’s great, if life has thrown curveballs to you that sux. No need to air your personal issues for why you can’t do what you once did. Let’s just read about whatever fun(crazy) trips people can make. BTW 55 you drove ur butt off out east this year for the Storm. Almost did them all, maybe next year you stay for Kutztown to prep for ISW at IMS. �� There is a good brewery in town as well. Got ya covered.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

From Stevensville, Kokomo is two hours to the south, Butler is two hours to the east, and I-96 is two hours to the northeast. The drive there is not the point. It is the drive home. I always thought driving at night was easier for there are headlights and you can pretty much see who is around you on the road. Not to mention less traffic. Now with the 'new' cable cheese grater guardrails dividing the median on the interstates, the lights coming at you flicker. Prior to, a flicker meant something was in between you and them - like a deer, so you were on guard. Now it feels like a crapshoot at night sometimes.

Hartford is always a 30 minute "treat". :)

But as I get older I realize my problem is my night vision. I have a harder time focusing and dialing in ahead of me. Of course my eye doctor has told me cataracts surgery is in the crosshairs, so that should help down the line.

Two hours/110-120 miles has pretty much been my limit these days. I'll get back in the saddle down the line, but for now the days/nights past of Owendale, Beaver Dam, Knoxville, Eldora, Lincoln Park, & Terre Haute are on hold.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

Same with me, Mike. I used to drive two hours one way to Kokomo every Sunday when it was a weekly track and drive home afterwards. Now that Kokomo is a special event track those days are gone.
I did drive home after the Klash last Friday, but it was not something I would do on a regular basis as this coyote is not as frisky as he was once was!:3::3:

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

Being 61 it's starting to get shorter. But if I have a couple of friends along 7 hours. We did it last week at Terre Haute. We are from the Green Bay area, FYI we did go to Fairbury IL on Friday.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

As I get older, and I'm catching corner 3, I usually go by time I'm gonna get home. If it's 2-3 am, OK, but if it's gonna be later than that I'm probably out. More often I'm leaving before all the features are done. Kokomo is a little over 3 hours for me, and when the Klash sprint main was done, I was headed home. The Hut on a Sunday night was out because I have to work the next day. Special show, 2-3 hours. Weekly show I'm not driving more than an hour.

These are interesting race fan comments, which I'm sure we never thought we'd limit our driving to and from races. Hitting 68, I'm somewhat more careful now driving home late at night. Twice I drove home from the Chili Bowl overnight, to catch the Colts playoff games on Sunday, the day after. That made no sense. Seems like my latest one-day drives have been from Indy to Fairgrounds Nashville Speedway to the All American 400 to close out the season. One of those years they had both 300 and 100 lap races, making for a long Sun night ride home. And losing an hour. Years ago, I remember standing next to a friend back at a Sunday night Eldora USAC sprint car show, after the Indy 500. He told me his wife asked him why he was doing that double, and he told her because he still could back then. Sadly, I don't see him too much at out-of-town races anymore. Father time has a way of catching up to even us die-hard fans. 🏁

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

Ive done both those drives. I remember getting home about 9:30(I had DO and Eleanor Vogler to help keep me awake during the trip home) and I thought I could sneak a few hours sleep before the Colts playoff game against the Chargers. I woke up during the second game to find the Colts had lost :15:

When I am on the road announcing a night race, I usually set the limit of 250 or less and I am driving home. That is with one exception, the Mohave Valley Raceway in Arizona. It is about 231 miles. If I have someone with me, I drive home from there. Alone, no way. 140 miles of that trip is through the desert. With the exception of a couple rest stops and two or three gas stations, there is nothing and that includes lights. Great desert landscapes in the daylight, but on a moonless night, it is like driving in a dark tunnel. Not the place to be driving if you are tired. I announced the USAC/CRA there this past Saturday, got about four hours sleep at the hotel and left for home at 4:45 AM. Still drove about halfway through it in the dark but being rested, it was fine. If I have someone with me after a race there, I make that drive, but never alone. These days in California where I live ( about 35 miles east of Los Angeles) there are only three oval tracks within 100 miles of my home. Perris, Irwindale and the Orange Show Speedway.

25 years ago my weekly routine was:

FRIDAY - Drive from St Louis to Gas City (5 hours one way). Stay over in Indy.
SATURDAY – 16th Street or Putnamville. Sometimes both! Then drive back to St Louis (3-4 hours). I was often home by 3-4am.
SUNDAY – Get up and drive to Haubstadt (2.5 hours). See the show there then drive home (2.5 hours). Get a few hours sleep and back to work Monday morning fresh as a daisy.

I loved every minute of it, but I just can’t do that anymore. These days, I’m perfectly content on going to one, maybe two, special shows per month. That’s it. If I have to drive more than couple hours, I’ll splurge for a hotel.

Lawrenceburg is seven plus hours round trip.
I never stay over.
I’m 85 and drive by myself. That’s why I said it was too far.
I once drove the 5 hours plus to Eldora
Saw the 4 Crown and drove back to Evansville. Earlene was with me. We got home at after 7:00am
Since she’s in rehab in a nursing home I’m not about to make the trip to Lawrenceburg by myself.

Only if I have a race car to drive, and that's not likely anymore, at 87.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

God Bless you Ron, you don't have to explain yourself to anybody.

Re: How Far is Too Far
 

Had a 4 hr. drive home this year for the longest and that really is too much. The 2-2.5 hr is a better sweet spot for max time or look to tie in a hotel these days. When possible, I like to hit the pits after the races so the shorter drive allows for that also. Always sad at end of the racing season but may still have Montpelier in the crosshairs for 1 more.

That's amazing Ron. I want to meet you someday next year. I wanna be like you! Keep it up,...you're an inspiration!