How did you become a fan or racer? Tell your story

[PDANK Racing]

I was thinking about this today and am interested in hearing other peoples stories about how they got into shortcourse. To start it off, I'll tell mine.

I've pretty much lived in green bay my whole life except for a short stint in Camarillo in the early 90's. I remember starting to hear other kids talk about the brush runs when I was in middle school, shortly after moving back from CA. One of my first memories of Crandon is seeing a snowmobile race as we drove past sometime during the late 80's. During high school some kids would talk about going up to the brush runs, but I never got an actual explanation of what it was. I figured it was mud drags or something like that. It wasn't really advertised that well, or maybe I was too busy thinking about poontang to notice. Fast forward to 2005, one of my good friends starts asking me to come with him. But since the races we're always on a holiday weekend, I would have other plans. Finally, after a few years of trying to get me to go, he comes up with a foolproof idea. Calls me up one day, and says,"I found a race truck." Me, instead of hanging up the phone like i should of, I got sucked into the racing abyss. He emailed me the link to an enduro truck on racing junk for $600.
Which contained this picture
Attachment 117301
We ended up paying $300 for the truck minus a engine and some other misc. parts. The reason he had a foolproof plan is because I am an adrenaline junkie and the only thing I've ever wanted to do is race. My dad used to race back in the day, and we spent a lot of time watching racing at circle tracks and on TV. Circle track wasn't exciting enough for me, and since I really only watched for the crashes(who doesn't), I wasn't really interested in getting behind the wheel. I've always liked road course and rally, but had no clue how to get into that.

So its friday of Memorial weekend 2008, spent thursday night awake double checking everything on the truck. Pull up to Crandon, look at the track and am thinking Holy $h/t, what did I get myself into? So to ease the tension, we raged it until about 4am, which might not have been the best idea seeing our race was at 10:30am. But it was worth it, we had a blast. Next morning, I wake up to the smell of race gas, and motors roaring. Which IMO, is the best thing to wake up to, well, a close 2nd to my daughter's smile.
I probably would have been anxious, but the BAC took care of that. Mind you, at this point I had only seen a couple shortcourse races on youtube, and had only driven the truck on the street in front of my shop. Lined up for the race, green flag dropped, and I let everybody get far enough in front of me, and stayed out of their way. I didn't care about position, just wanted to stay on the lead lap, and not break down. Ended up getting passed by the lead truck near the end of the race. Finished 11th out of 18 and every lap was a blast. And I wasn't even racing yet. Since that flag dropped, I have been hooked. It is now a full blown addiction. It's hard to describe the feeling while you race. Only the race matters, nothing else. Girl problems, money problems, ** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!**** ¡Ay, caramba!** boss, whatever, all that doesn't exist while I'm on the track. It's like meditating in a 4000 lb timebomb while taking a dirt shower.

Made the remaining races for the season and ended up 9th in points. Spent all my money, blew the motor up on the last race, frame and front end were twisted into scrapmetal, but I had the best summer of my life. I could have finished last in points and it still would have been awesome. All I could think about at that point was getting another truck together, no matter what. Best mistake I ever made.


Please share your story, whether short or long, I'd really like to hear it.
Thanks for listening,

Pete
PDANK Racing

[SPONSOR]

Membership in the largest desert racing community has its advantages - Participate in Forum Discussions - Send and Receive Private Messages - Maintain Public Photo Albums - Access to Groups - User Profile in our Social Network - Increased Access to more Sub Forums - Reduced Online Advertisements Join our community today

[9five9]

My dad was a circle track racer. I grew up hanging out in that scene. when I got older, I really grew bored of roundy round. I watched monster trucks on TV all the time, and one day, there was a MTEG race on tv In a monster truck slot. I was mad at first, but realized it was worth watching, and from there forward, I was hooked. Some people follow football, baseball, basketball, etc..... I follow short course racing. I wish I was in a location where I could be more than just a fan, but right now that's all I can be.

[speedfun]

My dad brought home a dozen ¼ midgets in 1964 when I was 6yrs old. I raced 3 times a week till1969, in 1967-68 Bobby and Terry labonte and I raced the ¼ midget grand nationals in Huntsville Alabama it was all fun till I was 11yrs old and my folks split up, dad went MIA- from 12yrs old everything I have raced I had to build or buy old junk to go race, I raced moto-cross and jet skis till my 20s and then My first off road race was in Tampa 1983? Bought a car from Butch Peterson it was called a rabbit racing car, a total copy of a funco built by a guy named Bob Hair in Georgia. Curt Leduc was there in that 9 thousand pound jeep he used to race. First time on the track first jump Curt comes flying by me like a Sherman tank just fell out of the sky landing next to me I swear I could feel the ground shake.
I was hooked ---
30 years later-----Many series so much fun ---- so much fun still to come------
FORDA //Tampa I-54 raceway// SODA // In the late 80s Glen Helen// MTEG /// CORR Crandon/// SCORE Riverside races///, corona//, ascot// TORC// and now LOORRS.
73 broken bones later -- tomorrow is a new day. And I’m working all day on my Pro buggy to make the next race.
Life is good

[Ziggy]

Saw a picture of a 73 chevelle, 6ft off the ground over the old "Rancho" jump in a dirt magazine in Crandon and I was hooked.
Had a truck the next season.

[450grl]

I got into racing MX on quads on a whim in 2001 (unlike most of you, I didn't come from any kind of a racing background....unless getting a ton of speeding tickets in college counts?). After some early bumps and bruises, I actually wound up being pretty darn fast, and loved the thrill of MX. Jason and I were invited out to our first CORR race in 2007. I had seen it once or twice on TV, but until you see it in person, it's just not the same. Chula Vista, the Quarry, was my very first short-course watching experience. I was hooked.

We talked about building a short-course UTV all the way home, and soon I was racing Superstock with Luke Johnson - haha! I remember when they would throw the mandatory caution for the UTV class, I was still pedal to the metal the whole time trying to just catch up with my little stock motor before they threw the green again! 2008 was my first full season, and that's when we decided to throw me into the Pro UTV class...we stripped down my Super Stock chassis and turned it into the Rhino that I would eventually win my Championship in last year. We punched my motor out to a 720, and my first Pro race out, I lost the front diff in practice, but still started the race in 2-wheel drive.....I had a big lead right from the start, until one of my remaining two axles snapped in half, and that was the end of my first Pro UTV race. But it was enough......

[handmethemic]

I could rather easily write a 5,000 word story, but I don't want to get too long winded... here's the basics.

• 1970: My Pa raced in the original Brush Run 101 (tangent here: during the race his car's gas tank fell out and he strapped it into the backseat with a coil of barbed wire he found and continued--and finished--the race). He raced until 1980 (I believe).
• 1983-84: Five guys decided it was time to move the racetrack to its current location at the old family farm. My Pa was one of those five, and he mortgaged his home at the time so he could chip in for the land.
• November 1987: I was born. In June 1988 I attended my first race at Crandon--haven't missed one since.
• 1999: I started helping out in the sound tower at Crandon: first as a "gopher" then running the soundboards and eventually music.
• 2005: I announced my first race when Jay Schaefer handed me the microphone (see where I get my name from?) before the Governor's Cup race and said, "here, you're announcing this."

When people ask how I got involved I often say that I had no choice--which is essentially true. It's also been said that I was born in Turn One at Crandon--I can't confirm or deny that.

[pdailey]

1980's. LA Coliseum. Mickey Thompson.

[TORC_spotter_870]

My Dad built a couple motors for people in SODA (Scott Douglas, Ed/George Schultz). My first race I was 5 years old and it was Fall Crandon 1997. I could never forget it. Went on and off to a few close races (Crandon, Bark River).

Then when I turned 10 in 2002, I started going to all the races with my Dad(still doing motors for Douglas). From 2002 to 2005 I didn't miss a single CORR race.

Haven't missed a midwest race since 2008 Oshkosh. Now I help teams out and I can't imagine life without off road racing.

[bob380sx]

I have no idea; I think I was born this way.

[DailyPedal]

My dad was an old racer and ran the lakes and drags in California in the 50s and 60s. He stopped racing when I came along but we went to watch anything that moved-lakes, hill climbs, MX, sand drags, mud bogs, Nascar, drags, planes and boats...everything-he was a fan and I am a fan of motorsports...but we never had enough time or money to be directly involved. When I was 16, friends told me about off road races out in the So Cal deserts. It was the late 70s and things were just picking up. This was it and no fee to spectate so I was going. Plus all were welcome and there was always someone looking for a few helping hands. I became instamtly hooked and loved being involved with teams. A local VW shop had a 5-1600 car parked out front and I stopped by to drool on it. The co owners offered me a ride to Baja in exchange for help with the prep. I jumped head first into it despite the crusty/crazy car painter partner...
20+years and many tales later...that same crusty/crazy and now completely crotchety car painter became the tech director of the brand new CORR Series. I made a call to see if he needed any help and I was swept into the vortex that is shortcourse...I feel very lucky to have met some great people and personalities during the CORR days and now with the Lucas Series and wouldn't want to be anywhere else...my crazy family...gotta love ya...