[Jerry Spencer]

Originally Posted by Gene Franckowiak Well, Indy owners took racing from being a businessman's hobby to being a businessman's second business.......in the end we all get what we go looking for. Over the years, the owners grew and grew their teams and went from pick up teams to full time paid teams, from mechanics to engineers, from a pit crewman to a car specialists, from a shop behind the house to a 40,000 sq. ft. bulding.......from affordable owned engines to expensive leased engines, from hiring the truly talented drivers to hiring the truly well financed drivers or a driver with a gimmick that could produce $$$$. 95% of the Indy car teams are operating on other people's money and derive their racing budget, payroll, and personal income from others......so, my opinion is that if you do not your own personal wealth to race with, being a Indy car owner is a very unsecure profession...........its hard to feel sorry for them because they new the rules and the risks when they decided to do it. ........somewhere there is a guy who invested his life savings to open a business and he worked very hard but failed and lost everythnig. Indy owners are just American businessmen taking the same risks as non-racers. Sometimes, we have to put our dreams to bed and go face the real world. They should feel blessed that they got to work at a job they loved for as long as they did......some people never enjoy the jobs they are forced to do.

Very well said my friend.

Jerry #66j