Here we go again... Where are Ohio riders?

I graduated from College and yes student loans are are a HUGE burden, but many companies require higher education just to get an interview. The cost of school does bring an end to new bikes and gear for a few years when tough decisions need to be made in the first year or two after graduation.

College or any type of career training (or even an actual job if we're fortunate) cuts into riding and racing, including Loretta's.

I need my job to support my moto addiction with money and insurance. Then I ride and try not to get hurt so I can keep working. It's pretty messed up if you think about it :)
 
BriarcliffMx said:
I don't like golf, but If i could sign up, and pay 20 bucks to race the carts around 18 holes, I would be in. Especially if I could spend an hour or two in the clubhouse before I tee off
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Apparently you need to go golfing with my group Jeremy. That's a pretty typical day of golf where I'm from.
 
How about a Pitracer people golf outing. This would be a bad idea I'm sure, but fun. I still have my modified water balloon launcher that mounts on a cart from the last scramble I went to. :) no, I wasn't there long. :(
 
As far as the original question, "where are all the riders" . Zack decided late in the game this year that he wanted to try for lorreta's in super mini. I have little doubt in my mind that if we wanted to "play the game" running all over, he would be in there without much trouble, based on his results at Sunday creek. Bottom line is he wants to hit it hard for schoolboy 1 & 2 for next year and he will be more than ready. The year after that if he wants to he should be ready for B down there and I will be eligible for +40 so that might be interesting. That is the long term plan as of now but as we all know things don't always go as planned.
 
dmx153 said:
I'm already in semi retirement, when you turn 40 I'm done! hahaha.
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I think he either has turned 40 or he's getting real close......so whatcha gonna do with your retirement?

Besides, you don't have to worry, Jason took the season off....he is semi retired too.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
I don't like golf, but If i could sign up, and pay 20 bucks to race the carts around 18 holes, I would be in. Especially if I could spend an hour or two in the clubhouse before I tee off
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I've seen the outcome of that first hand. Ends up with a 4-wheeled cart being transformed into a 3-wheeled cart with about 5 holes to go.
 
dmx153 said:
I'm already in semi retirement, when you turn 40 I'm done! hahaha.
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Now that I find hard to believe! Dave, youll never be retired. You will be running MX153 classes till you croke, and everytime someone doesnt hit those corners right, youll be gearing up and busting out bike to show them how its done.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
I think he either has turned 40 or he's getting real close......so whatcha gonna do with your retirement?

Besides, you don't have to worry, Jason took the season off....he is semi retired too.
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We are starting an addition on the barn next month so most of my time, money and energy has been used for that instead of riding. Once we get that underway and going I'll be able to ride more. I have yet to get behind a gate this year and it's driving me nuts! Thanks for the props Corey!
 
Michael said:
I'm looking at being $60,000-$75,000 in debt after going to school at Akron for one year, then going to Houston for the rest of my education. That's including room and board(for Houston) and the outrageous out of state tuition. No where near $100,000.
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60-75k is entirely too much for a degree. Wait ten years, wages will still go down, less jobs will be available, but tuition will still be on the rise. The only way I could say 60-75k is worth a degree is if you have some PHD. All the new resident doctors I talk are 200,000-400,000 in debt. They start at 230,000 a year after they are hired as STAFF. In residency they only get paid about 40,000. None of them can pay their loans on that. They're all deferred and climbing interest. Our youth is getting screwed. Doctors that are retiring averaged about 10k-25k in debt 30 years ago for the same education....something is seriously wrong today.

After playing the college game I would of rather taken my loan debt and attempted to fire up a business. But now i get to deal with congress raising interest rates so we can pay for the idiots that are irresponsible with loans that aren't paying them back. With all the cost cutting talk in todays big business it seems as working for a living is for suckers. You might be able to get by but it seems like nobody is going to be able to get ahead unless you just take that risk and bite the block and start a business....

But starting a business ain't easy either! Who knows, hopefully I'll figure it out one day!
 
nitrofish said:
The 80s and early 90s money was a plenty, at least for our family. Times were better and it wasn't as scary to spend the extra cash. Everything factors in today, not just gas and racing expenditures. Insurances are not as good, property taxes are through the roof, job stability isn't what it used to be. Just wait, electricity is gonna be a luxury here soon. For those that race already and have everything it's not too big a deal if your careful. A newbie to the sport, ouch. Having an 8 year old racing we are approached very often about how to get into the sport. Run down that list of things needed and watch their smile turn to disappointment. I remember in 90 we had a run of bad luck, repeated blown motors and misc. breakage. Dad came to me and said "here's the deal, we can make a go of it or we can go to college." At the age of 18 I made the smartest decision of my life. Now it's hard not to think about how much I could already have saved for my son's college future. 200 dollars a pop for local races, not counting anything to do with the bike or gear. 800 bucks a pop for a national. I don't even keep track of what I got in his machine or parts to keep it going. If we didn't have the sponsors we have. I don't know that we could do it. I dread the day that I give Jack the choice. I just pray that he makes the same one I did. If he doesn't, he's kicked out! :)
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You also had pensions and weren't having to put 10%-25% or more of your paycheck into a 401K either.

And as another posted earlier there were more suburban communities or rural areas and farms where there were a lot of kids that rode in makeshift tracks, and backyards, fields and creeks.
 
Pensions! Exactly! There is no pension for me. It's a 3% match to whatever I put in my 401k. Those are basically a thing of the past. Health insurance used to be provided as part of the job, but we are paying for that as well. I'm not saying we are entitled to all of this, but man was it easier on the working guy when he didn't have to pay towards health insurance and knew he was getting a pension after 30 years of loyalty. I just cringe at thinking when I'll lose it all when the market crashes. Even bonds aren't safe......
 
I won't beat the "it's too expensive to race" drum, enough on here covering that already, but if a person puts together a spreadsheet of "ALL" of their living expenses, they quickly discover that they are worse than broke and shouldn't be doing ther sport at all.

401K's
Health Insurance Copay, and for some ...supplemental (accident) insurance.
High gas costs
Automobiles are rediculously overpriced now, (Balooned)
Housing became and is still Ballooned
$100 a month or more cell phone bills (which blow my mind)
Cable, satellite and direct TV bills ($100 a month or more for many)
Credit card bills?

and on, and on, and on........... A lot of which you didn't have in the 70's & 80's.

A friend and old co-worker of mine raced when he was a kid up through teenage years. As a family in the mid to late 80's they pushed hard in the sport and he made it to Lorrettas, and won his class. (one of the schoolboy class's I believe). Made the sports page in our local paper and everything. After that and when he turned like 17 or 18, his father pulled the plug and quit supporting it. The son knew he couldn'd do it and to this day he still isn't back into it. Bad knees and surgeries played a factor as well. but he is now older and has a son, and I don't think he even has his son in the sport. Kind of sad. Never really understood how one could just walk away from it like that.
 
NQ1965 said:
I won't beat the "it's too expensive to race" drum, enough on here covering that already, but if a person puts together a spreadsheet of "ALL" of their living expenses, they quickly discover that they are worse than broke and shouldn't be doing ther sport at all.

401K's
Health Insurance Copay, and for some ...supplemental (accident) insurance.
High gas costs
Automobiles are rediculously overpriced now, (Balooned)
Housing became and is still Ballooned
$100 a month or more cell phone bills (which blow my mind)
Cable, satellite and direct TV bills ($100 a month or more for many)
Credit card bills?

and on, and on, and on........... A lot of which you didn't have in the 70's & 80's.

A friend and old co-worker of mine raced when he was a kid up through teenage years. As a family in the mid to late 80's they pushed hard in the sport and he made it to Lorrettas, and won his class. (one of the schoolboy class's I believe). Made the sports page in our local paper and everything. After that and when he turned like 17 or 18, his father pulled the plug and quit supporting it. The son knew he couldn'd do it and to this day he still isn't back into it. Bad knees and surgeries played a factor as well. but he is now older and has a son, and I don't think he even has his son in the sport. Kind of sad. Never really understood how one could just walk away from it like that.
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Ok, I got your point but the facts don't support the "More bills now" comment. Yes you may have more (by count) bills but remember one HUGE thing. In 1990 the average interest rate for a 30yr mortgage was 10.54% and the average cost of a median home was $101,100 which makes your monthly payment $1033.14. Today the average median home value is $158,100 at an interest rate of 3.13% which is $842.38.... SO, your cell phone internet and extra insurance cost are actually FREE. Those are fact folks, cant dispute them, unless your a democrat... They would blame Reagan, Bush or Tom Cruse... I digress.

As far as walking away, I don't think anyone that gets in deep ever really walks away. I have not been on the gate since 2000 (not counting vintage racing) and here I am, still looking at chat boards and going to races just to watch.
I have two older sons 20 and 17 and neither one really "wanted" to race. They just did not have it. My youngest son is 5 (Yes I know, Big age difference, Wow never heard that one before... ) and he is nuts about riding and will soon be racing.
Think riding your bike is expensive. Ride your old lady to long and tell me how cheap having kids are...
Lesson learned?
 
ck1racerx said:
I have two older sons 20 and 17..... My youngest son is 5 (Yes I know, Big age difference, Wow never heard that one before... ) and he is nuts about riding and will soon be racing.
Think riding your bike is expensive. Ride your old lady to long and tell me how cheap having kids are...
Lesson learned?
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Lesson learned???? Evidently after 12 years you forgot and popped another one!!! Should have kept on riding / racing / watching and you wouldn't have a 5 year old to get you sucked back into the sport now full force as a Mini DAD! Next thing you know, you'll have 4 Cobra's, followed by 2 more KTM 50's, and then a heard of 65's to get junior going in those small classes, and driving around the country to get him on big tracks to get ready for Loretta Lynns!
 
RocketRobin said:
Lesson learned???? Evidently after 12 years you forgot and popped another one!!! Should have kept on riding / racing / watching and you wouldn't have a 5 year old to get you sucked back into the sport now full force as a Mini DAD! Next thing you know, you'll have 4 Cobra's, followed by 2 more KTM 50's, and then a heard of 65's to get junior going in those small classes, and driving around the country to get him on big tracks to get ready for Loretta Lynns!
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Too Late. Already have a PW50 and a Polini 50 setting in the garage. Yeah I went a little nuts when this son said we wants to ride. And he will try for lorettas but not until he can wax everyone in this state. (Why try to go if you cant win at your local track? Never could figure that one out).
 
that is kinda my point, internet, cell phone, cable and a third play car. were luxuries that you would choose between having cable and a cell phone or racing as a hobby.
Sooo many things like eating dinner out and other things that were a luxury. now it is part of the overhead. Like being FAT. it is now a illness or syndrome or something.


1foxracing said:
Tell me what was the cost of your cell phone & internet service in 1990? How about medical insurance in 1990 compared to today? All of these little things add up to real cash at the end of the month.
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PW50 class even has the "hot shot" PW's that are running WD40 in the cases to let them spin faster! I forget who the PW50 guru is, but those that have done it, know who the "guy" is that makes them sing, even though they are "stock". But it's a real class that regular kids can ride and still have fun in. Don't forget your QT50 rear end if you go to a hilly place for more bottom end and less top.

But the 4-6 year old Junior Stock 1 class is filled with kids that are really good riders....... and if you don't come from that class into the 7 -8 year old Stock 2 class, you almost don't have a chance. Better to miss the PW50 class and head right for the Stock 1 class if you want your kid running Loretta's on a consistent basis. 4 or 5 year old in the PW50 class, 6 year old Stock 1 class, 7 -8 year old Stock 2 class, 8 year olds better already be riding the snot out of a 65 too, since at 9 you have only 65cc Stock 7-9 class or 65cc Mod 7- 11 class (full of older kids), then 65 Stock 10-11, or 85cc Junior 7-11 (but 7 year olds are hard pressed to fit on any 85 bike let alone ride one at Loretta Lynn's pace).
 
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