Racing friends,

I need your help. I have a serious choice to make and who better to ask than the few people on this planet that would actually understand. See I’m from this large open country above you called “Canadia” as Grant likes to call it, where at one point a whole lot was going on due to the oil sands (massive amounts of oil). Unfortunately the price of oil is dropping faster than Obama's approval rating, which essentially caused a recession in my country and our currency to weaken. I don’t doubt things will eventually get better but at the moment it’s looking grim, for example when I started racing in Indy in 2014 $100 CDN was $105 USD, now $100 CDN is $58 USD and it continues to get worse. This is making life for me very difficult, mostly because I’m completely and totally obsessed with Sprints and Midgets and have spent virtually all my money in the past two years as well as some of the banks money attempting to go racing. With oval nationals being my 79th race since I started in 2013, I feel like I’m just starting to become not horrible, and I’d really like to see where I end up after a full season of racing (50-60 shows).

Sadly when I bring this issue up with my fellow Canadian friends and family, the general consensus is to pack up my stuff and move back home to make money, which is logical and financially the obvious choice. BUT it’s not their fault, 95% of them don’t fully understand because they’ve never visited this magical place deemed “the racing capital of the world”. A place where typical chit chat consists of who just won and who’s racing for who, a place where race cars are on restaurant walls or on display randomly through out the city, a place where you step out of your house in the morning and can tell whether you’ll be richening or fattening up your motor later that night, a place where you can get rained out at 2 different tracks in one night and still have a chance to make it to another (tried it), a place where family Sundays are spent at possibly the greatest track on earth, a place where the weekends don’t start until Monday if they exist at all, a place that breeds champions and where legends are born, a place that I can only dream to call home one day. So to all the real race fans, mechanics and drivers out there, I ask you this, what should I do Option A, or Option B?

Option A
Play it safe: Continue to work during a recession, race part time again, slowly progress as a driver, pay off debt, save money, plan for next year, and be responsible.

Option B
Roll the dice: Work as much as possible until race season, quit my job, move to Indy, take a shot at ROTY with USAC, race as much as I can until I inevitably run out of money, then try and go back to work.


Thanks for your time,
Lee Dakus #75

yolo!

Well I will give you my 2 cents for what it's worth. A sprint car driver by nature is a risk taker. So I would guess your heart tells you to stay, race, and let the chips fall where they may. I am a chicken, I love racing but just to scared to do it myself. So for me it would be easy play it safe, go home and make money. But I am not you. You only have a few times in you life when you can be selfish, this is one of them. As far as I know you don't have a wife or children to worry about or for them to worry about you. Don't live with regret. Life is just to short not to get the most out of it. In 20 years are you going to still be thinking what could have been if you had stayed? This sort of thing can follow you your entire life. Don't know if that help just some friendly advice. Jason

Bankruptcy is temporary fun is forever! I love hearing that you're passionate about the sport, and living here. The preceding quote isn't necessarily good advice but fitting. Best of luck with whatever you decide!

Easy choice ... B!!!

Roll the dice it may be your only chance don't waste it.

I remember racing at Angola and Baer field speedways for a 2 day show with the USA modified series on August 23rd 2005. That was the weekend hurricane Katrina hit and the price of gas was going way up.I came home after that weekend and sold all my racing stuff and started paying attention to were the country was heading. When i raced i did it all with my own money. I concentrated on paying off all my debt after selling all the racing stuff The destruction of this great country has been on a downhill spiral since 911. The last 7 years have been a disaster for our economy and anyone thinking it hasn't is completely clueless. There has never been a country in debt 20 trillion that has survived. We are at a tiping point that will make the great depression look like a carnival ride. If I was you I would spend a little more time thinking about what would happen if a terrorist attacks our power grid our the government comes for your guns. Your family might be happier if you Play it Safe.

Lee, think about your future and I am not talking just next year and the racing season. I have taken years off on several occasions throughout my 23 year sprint car career. It's always going to be there to come back to in some form. Hell who would have thought I would ever drive a silver crown car again let alone drive for Steve and Carla. Work, make the money you can, pay your debts and race when you can. Let racing be fun and not a drain on you and your wallet at the moment. Get to a place where you are in a "Position of FU" if you don't know what I am talking about look up John Goodman in the movie the Gambler. Good luck in your decision and make the best one for you not what we advise cause if we were all brilliant we wouldn't be here giving our opinions.

As long as you are asking the questions if you SHOULD race or anything to do with it, DO IT. It's just as hard when you no longer ask yourself those questions anymore...

I can't take your dooms day prophecy seriously until you are willing to take off your mask and make up with Pops. You shouldn't have run off and left Speed,Spridel and Chim-Chim like that.