[apexonephoto]

I am a little more of an optimist and more patient then a lot of people, although a lot of the complaining on this board is just that, useless, selfish and unnecessary. For some perspective of what it takes for me to see non wing racing here is the rundown:
- A $80 5 year passport (US passports are $40 and good for ten years?) for me to enter the US
- $9.50 round trip toll to cross into the US
- Waiting a customs to pass into another country (sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 1+ hour(s))
- A trip through the roughest Detroit area roads (by far the worst of any major city I have been to)
- A mid afternoon weekend drive at 3:00 with all the other vacationers, and people returning home from work
- 1 1/2 hours drive before I reach the north east corner of Indiana
- The ever present slowdowns on I-69 south that I always hit
- The option of travelling south on I-75 through the heavily radar enforced state of Ohio
- $1.70/minute phone calls to call home (Canada is notorious for bad cell phone rates), I bought a US phone to call home, but I don't have twitter, IOW or email when I am travelling (yes I can live without it)
- returning to the border, and waiting in traffic with many Michigan and Ohio under 21 year olds going drinking in Canada (our drinking age is 19), if I get out of a US track at 9:30 and make it back to the border at midnight.

There could be several positive and negative variables in there that alter this, but this is the usual. In some countries people are arrested or shot at the border, just trying to get food, money or medicine. I have been to 15 races in the US this season already, and plan several more. I could move to the US and become an American citizen, find a new hobby or just sit around and type about how bad it is, and that I am never going to another race again. I wouldn't trade any of this as I know we have it so good in North America and I should appreciate it should it all come to an end. As fans trying to bring in new fans, we can't force racing on anyone. Many people wouldn't do what we do to race, and just the same it's not too easy to get any of us out of racing.

My home track (South Buxton Raceway) is where I spend every Saturday from May to the end of August. We start at 7:00 and end at approx. 10:30-11:00. 4 classes of cars with a 1/2 hour intermission. Some days we run late, some days we run 5 classes. Most of our locals complain of a short season more so then the hours on any given night. On Fridays I try to travel to as many different tracks within a few hours of my home.

For those of you who work at 5:00 am, and can work at 6:00 it's obvious to go in at the later hour. I know switching a job, or having a job in these times is not so easy to change. Since you should be finished work at 1:30 or 2:30, take a nap. I went to college and worked full time, partied even harder, and while I was younger then it was chaotic and I did what I had to do. I am fortunate in having a 5 day 40 hour a week job. I do what I have to do now as well. If it means (with my employer's blessing) going in 1 hour earlier all week so I can leave early on a Friday to drive through rush hour traffic in another city, it's what I do. It works very well for my lifestyle.

Start times on Friday have to cater to racers who work late and fans who work Saturday morning. I have been in many of these situations and left before an A-main started, I got over it. I know I am not the average fan, I get to the track 3 hours before the races start and stay a 1/2 hour after the races are over. I have an addiction, it could be a problem that alters my view of the real world. I go to races alone, so nobody needs to stop on the road, and nobody needs to leave earlier then I determine. I have met many great people during track prep/intermission, and until you build your own track or start your own series there isn't much you can do. Bill is right sleep is for dead people, think about shoveling snow this weekend instead of going to the track. Kids grow up and still remember the race track, I went from birth until 12 years old, stopped for 15 years and have went for the last 4 years as much as possible. I bring my daughter when I can, and will plan more races that I can bring her. Everyone's situation is different, and we all have to make the most of it.

When I have non race fan relatives or friends visit the racetrack, they always seem to leave at about 9:30, which is always the street stock feature and the first race after intermission. They don't like racing, I don't know many of those people. I am Canadian, and I have probably watched a 4 cylinder heat race that lasted longer than the total amount of time I have spent watching hockey in my entire life. I love cars and racing, do not care for other forms of sport. They don't try to recruit me to watch football or UFC, as my time not at a track is devoted to my family, my website or reading IOW.