I know I seldom think about what goes into putting on an event like a race and sometimes I believe we all could benefit by "walking a mile" in the promoter's shoes. I am certain I'll leave stuff out but here we go...

Although the pay off didn't shut down until midnight and after the drive home, the shower and bed felt good when I was able to hit the pillow by 1:30. To be awakened by a noisey alarm clock after what felt like more of a nap is not the way to begin my Sunday morning but I know the sooner I get to cleaning up and working the track, the sooner I can get back home to the wife and family. The wind was brutal lst night and the reminder hits me in the face pulling onto the property. It looks like the debris has traveled to the outter most edges of the property so the wind must have continued through the night. Man it would be nice if there was a way to better contain this mess or if the patrons would help out a bit by throwing their trash in the cans we provide - oh well... The dust was bad enough that we are going to have to power wash the stands as well to get this place looking suitable again. Hopefully we can get this mess cleaned up and I can have the track run in by early afternoon to go home and spend some time with the family. Monday its back to the grind at work.

Monday night after a full day I think a few loads of water on the track are necessary. The wind is still blowing and the weather man is saying there is only a 50% chance of rain this week every day but the weather for Saturday looks great!

Tuesday no rain yet so back to the track to apply more water. Recipts are in and we had a decent crowd last week almost 1200 adults. The wife says we finally made some money after losing a bit the first two nights and breaking even two weeks ago. Good thing as we have only 12 shows left this season and the early rain out didn't help. That 5000.00 per month payment on this place is brutal especially when it has to sit idle for 5 months of the year.

Wednesday my job sucks. I should have been a weather man why has it still not rained? Back to the track for more watering. Now the front they say has stalled and there is a 30% chance of rain on Saturday.

Thursday - time to order buns and meat. What to do??? Rained today but now they are saying 50% chance of rain Saturday. We really don't have the room for a bunch of meat and buns in the freezer and damn I hate the taste of a frozen then thawed out bun. Well the weather man has been wrong before and optimistically there is a 50% chance of sunny skies on Saturday - bring on the meat!

Friday - 70% chance of showers tonight but they are saying we will either get a half inch of rain or 3 inches depending on how quickly the cells move through. How much water can I put on this track now? I dont want the fans to sit through a dust bowl but I also dont want to rain the thing out on my own or worse yet get cars torn up with knee deep ruts. I'll just put one load on...

Saturday - Man is it beautiful here. Not a cloud in the sky but rain chances are now 80% for this afternoon and 50% for this evening. How many people will take the chance on us tonignt? I probably wouldn't if I were in their shoes. Rain in every surrounding county but not a drop here. The wife has been cussed and accused of lying a dozen times by people calling in wanting to know about the weather here. God please just bring me a downpour to make the decision for us. 5 oclock now and we have almost enough cars for features in two of the three divisions. But the grandstands are empty. I quit looking while driving the tractor around this place because I know there arent ebnough asses in the stands to cover my diesel fuel I burning right now, let alone the time on the equipment this week or fuel costs associated there as well. We have had all of our concession help, security and track help here since 3 so a rain out now still costs me but not as much as this purse will. Please let it rain. 9pm and all but one feature completed. Man what great races too bad nobody was here to see it. Internet will be burning up with my terrible car count and people will be wondering whats up with that. Look at the bright side, payoff wont take long tonight. 11pm and I spoke too soon. There was a mix up with a lap car in the street stock feature and the guy that was paid for third actually was a lap down. He left with the extra cash and now we have to reprint all the checks and make the difference up by paying everyone one place better. What else??? Midnight now and as I go to turn off the lights I notice three bulbs that need replaced on the track lights and someone told me two of the toilets are backed up in the women's restrooms - probably tampons again. Before all goes dark I look at the grounds and am amazed at just how much trash there is for such a small crowd. Oh well I deal with it in the morning... Just then all hell breaks loose and we are drenched on our way to the car. Gotta love this business!

Crew members turn. I worked in an assembly plant for the one of big 3. I'd get up at 4:10am and drive 37.5 miles one way to work as my job was transfered from my home plant. I worked 9 to 10 hours a day on an assembly line rated at 65 jobs an hour. Jobs I did were installing transmissions, or A/C Compressors, Serpentine Fan Belts, all in less than a minute. At the end of my shift I would go straight to my friends garage to work on the race car. Using hand wrenches as we don't have any air tools, bead locks were rough. My family would meet me there sometimes so we could have dinner together, we did this many times. I would take naps during my breaks at work as I was only getting around 4hrs sleep at night. Come race day we would climb into the Suburban and tussle with my buddies dog for part of the back seat (she thought it was all hers). Off we went with the tool chest rattling away behind me so sleep was hard to come by. My feet cooking on the floor board with headers and turbo mufflers adding to the noise and heat. The A/C had taken a dive long ago so it's 4-70 air, 4 windows open at 70 mph. Coming home from a race and half as sleep when the clutch fan locks up and scares the daylights out of you. Or some drunk who want to prove he can drive a race car. Getting home with the sun coming up sometimes. Using vacation time so I can go racing for 2 days. Pushing the car by hand cause we didn't have an ATV, right turns were horrible. It was tough on us too especially when you drive 3 hours to a race and it's cancelled. Getting run over by an agressive driver in the B when you are both in a transfer spot and nobody is near you. Or the driver stuck it in the wall during time trials resulting in another sleepless week. Been there it's not an easy sport is it.

---------- Post added at 02:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 PM ----------

Crew members turn. I worked in an assembly plant for the one of big 3. I'd get up at 4:10am and drive 37.5 miles one way to work as my job was transfered from my home plant. I worked 9 to 10 hours a day on an assembly line rated at 65 jobs an hour. Jobs I did were installing transmissions, or A/C Compressors, Serpentine Fan Belts, all in less than a minute. At the end of my shift I would go straight to my friends garage to work on the race car. Using hand wrenches as we don't have any air tools, bead locks were rough. My family would meet me there sometimes so we could have dinner together, we did this many times. I would take naps during my breaks at work as I was only getting around 4hrs sleep at night. Come race day we would climb into the Suburban and tussle with my buddies dog for part of the back seat (she thought it was all hers). Off we went with the tool chest rattling away behind me so sleep was hard to come by. My feet cooking on the floor board with headers and turbo mufflers adding to the noise and heat. The A/C had taken a dive long ago so it's 4-70 air, 4 windows open at 70 mph. Coming home from a race and half as sleep when the clutch fan locks up and scares the daylights out of you. Or some drunk who want to prove he can drive a race car. Getting home with the sun coming up sometimes. Using vacation time so I can go racing for 2 days. Pushing the car by hand cause we didn't have an ATV, right turns were horrible. It was tough on us too especially when you drive 3 hours to a race and it's cancelled. Getting run over by an agressive driver in the B when you are both in a transfer spot and nobody is near you. Or the driver stuck it in the wall during time trials resulting in another sleepless week. Been there it's not an easy sport is it.

Good stories, i have been on both side of these stories. and i can say you left out some details.
You get to spend alot of time with family and friends, after the long days and nights are over you get to have a drink and reflect back on the good stories of the day. And the best part is waking up the next day and realizing your still alive and get to enjoy another day. Sure the work is hard and endless, but in the end we do it because we love it.
I could write a really big book about the negatives, but i spend most of my time on the positives, life is way to short to harp on the negatives.
Enjoy your week and hopefully we will see you all Saturday, oh yeah!! bring the softball team or baseball team in uniform and they all get in free!!
Thanks, Dave Rudisell

Well dave it seems every week your letting a group of people in free to try to make some new fans. Us old fans really appreciate your efforts. Hopefully it works...........

"I have seen on IOW different threads with "a week in the life" of drivers, owners, crew members, etc. I figured I may as well enlighten some on the life of a racing family. Yes, I know we aren't the first to do this racing thing full time, and I definitely know I'm not the first wife and mother to endure what it takes to make this life work, but that's exactly why I fell compelled to share a little peek of what goes on in my family."


This thread has had me thinking for months since it was started. I have been wanting to start a blog, but figured it would just turn into race updates for Jerry...but it's about me.
So this is my blog. Every opinion spoken on this blog is ONLY mine, I hate that I have to clarify this, but there are people that will hold MY OPINIONS against Jerry or his car owners...so DON'T. I'm a free thinking woman knowledgeable about racing, so this is me and my CRAZY racing life!

Yes I'm opinionated....and no i don't want to start conversations on here because of my blog, if you have questions email me Or come see me at a track near you, i'll be around! Other than that, the blog is just a fun place for me to let it all out!

http://www.usacwife.blogspot.com/

Just read it before off to work. Nice job, Amy. Folks bash my employer all the time and I try not to take it personally, because they cannot have any clue what it's like. Guess the same goes for all in the racing community.

I'd add more but it's time to sort and deliver mail. 389 more days and whoever wants it can have it. I'll be at a race track, notebook in one hand a cheeseburger in the other, rotting for all those guys who give it all for all race fans.

Those are awesome pics,Thanks for sharing

Racing is a very time comsuming...often unrewarding sport to be apart of. From the parts chaser to the mechanic,owner,driver,promotor,fan and family; it can be and often is very frustrating.

When my mom and dad had a midget that was driven and co-owned by Bob Wente Sr.; the men would get to eat sandwiches on the way to the track and after the race when they had the purse money; my mom and Pat (Wente) would then eat.

That was a way of life and they didn't think anything about it.

That is/was part of the bond that racers have/had. Everyone sacrifices to be there.

As far as USAC goes; I agree that they take some undue bashing; but that has been brought on by years and years of plain ol' mismanagement. There is no way the WoO and ASCS should be light years ahead of where USAC is.

Fan, former team member view?

As a fan I have many many choices and its a good thing, I don't think concern about a count or track is unwarranted especially when it could and I've been to plenty less than ten car races (Many were still good races but one heat race and a feature that was about totally the same and same results as the heat) but just the fact the features done before the sun sets is a time value feeling,

Former Teamer view. Full time job, work on the car, sleep when ya can. Best times are the couple hours before the race visiting with closest friends and fiercest enemy's on the track. I never really paid attention to the stands, fans much. Id look up every now and then to see how full they were but the car was the only concern. Would miss most of the other classes unless they ran after our feature. Actually miss most of the racing in your race following your car
Bad nights on the track were load up and start working again. Good nights were followed by early am breakfast at a truck stop or Dennys .

You really do notice the fans if your in victory lane with your winning car and driver and are thankful for them and everything your experiencing.

Won 9 of 16 features with the two cars I helped with in 88. In 89 we built two new cars and got one win. This was Bomber class at Florence. In 90 -91 I helped a LM team but only at the track as travel to owners was way to far.

GREAT times and I even got to drive a couple heats because of it. Thats the only pay I ever received and it was more than enough. I cherish that to this day.

Racing, Fan View, Best bang for the buck
Racing, teamer view, DAMN THIS IS EXPENSIVE!

I spent time reading the racers wife blog and I was unimpressed, I guess I will stick to reading IOW for my information. I do respect Coons Jr. driving ability, but the blog I don't like. JMO. Everyone has there own situations and life to balance. Happy Racing.