Why I am OK with missing a few races a year these days........

Hope all of you can see this. Let me know if you can't.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=728500623876962

The link is to a vid of a homerun my 8 year old hit last Sat. In the park no error homer. Not the first by any means, but one I got on video (phone turned wrong, I know...)
The fence is 220ft (field is for older girls) and she hit a grounder that almost got that far going through the grass (I guess 200ft plus). It just missed the pitching machine (if it hits it, it's an automatic single).
This was the first machine pitch tournament her team has played. They were still getting used to the different trajectory the ball takes from a machine vs. being pitched by a coach. I only got this one on video, but she pretty much hit like this all day (4 games). They won all games by 10 or more points.
I just can't stand missing their games as I know this time will be gone all to soon.

I can't see the video...but that is awesome. You know I understand and feel the exact same way. I never would have thought about how much fun it is to watch my kids compete before I had kids.

This year Jaycie moves up to school team sports in volleyball and basketball, but still playing club soccer also. She also plans to run track, is a cheerleader, in band and may even play golf if she can fit into her schedule.

And Kenzie will be trying out for high school soccer this year.

If you do not have children you could not understand this concept. I enjoyed watching Jay play Football more than playing it myself. It is all over way too soon. You will wake up one day and she will be gone. As soon as they get a drivers license you have lost them. This is the main reason I don't mind splitting time in the race car with Jay. I would rather drive than watch but I get real enjoyment just watching Jay race. Oh and you still worry about them even when they are in their 30's.


JJ

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Originally Posted by ShadowBolt

If you do not have children you could not understand this concept. I enjoyed watching Jay play Football more than playing it myself. It is all over way too soon. You will wake up one day and she will be gone. As soon as they get a drivers license you have lost them. This is the main reason I don't mind splitting time in the race car with Jay. I would rather drive than watch but I get real enjoyment just watching Jay race. Oh and you still worry about them even when they are in their 30's. JJ

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My goal is to get the kids into racing and eventually run enduros with them... Everyone gets seat time and we all get to learn to pull together as a team. I hope that I'm still loving this hobby in 25-30 years when my kiddos are as old as I am.

That's cool Glenn-I'm jealous. Jerry is right-I have seen this with my stepdaughter-now she is 16 and has become a ghost. I also envy Jerry's setup with Jay-at times I wish my Dad would be out there but unless I drag race he isn't going to have the interest. So I dream about being like Jerry and racing with my son-of course I don't dream about being slow and old like Jerry!!
I think it's better if they have an activity or sport that they can focus on which keeps them busy and hopefully involves the entire family somehow. It's my opinion that kids care about you being there and home when they are 16 and under. They aren't going to care what you are doing when they are in college. So take advantage of the window as you only have about 8 years left-you will still be young enough to race by then-just look at Randy! I know when I missed ECR last year taking my daughter camping I realized that there is no way I would pick the track over a weekend like that with her. Though, I came back from Hallett talking about trying to get the whole family up there somehow. That was until my wife heard about waterski's, rope, and a 4 wheeler heading to the pond. Guess I'll do some cheatin bastard wakeboarding this weekend to get ready for next year.

Being with your children, is no greater feeling. It goes by too quick. So enjoy them while they still think you are cool. When they turn 16 (15 for girls), aliens enter their bodies, and you become uncool. Then at 25, they return to normal.
Enjoy the time you have with them, then come back and race with Jerry and I in the 60+ group.
You will realize that you are not as good as you once were, but are now good once as you ever was.
Excellent hit and homer. That girl can run.

I am excited about our first son being born in October. I plan to cut back on racing for a little while and spend some family time at home. His whole nursery is all car stuff though haha. I found a cool corvette bed for when he gets a little older. Hopefully he'll like cars as much as I did growing up, then he'll get to race with dad and grandpa even though he'll be in his 70's haha.

Congrats SF (Aaron). You'll be a great dad. My first granddaughter is due in November. So let's see, she will learn to drive when I am, er, 72. Oh yeah, I can make that happen. Hopefully I won't be racing electric cars or wheelchairs. Go ahead Bryan, say it.

You guys are speaking the truth.Word.

BTW.. Kenzie is taking Drivers Ed right now. Holy Cow is it scary trying to instruct her how to drive. Never in the years of instructing race car drivers going 120-150mph was I as afraid as I am in the car with her going 20mph. :eek:

We are looking for her a first car... needs to be a 1 ton truck, but I guess we will settle for a civic, cobalt, corolla....etc.

My youngest Jaycie is only 12, but she is already hounding me to get her a Miata.

Its so much tougher to teach someone that isn't a stranger to you initially I've found. Yikes. Gotta be super scary when it's one of your chillins.

I didn't make the commitment to race untill my kids were grown and Amber was out of softball. Then I made the mistake of adding them to the team (just kidding). There is no way I could have expected them to stand by and watch, besides once they start to drive they always know a better way to do it.

You guys wanting to get family involved in racing is a cool idea...in theory. However, in REALITY, having more than one race car is a NIGHTMARE unless you don't have a day job. Trust me, just have one car and share it....much fewer headaches!

P.S.....anyone need a lemons car?! LOL!

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Originally Posted by AI#97

You guys wanting to get family involved in racing is a cool idea...in theory. However, in REALITY, having more than one race car is a NIGHTMARE unless you don't have a day job. Trust me, just have one car and share it....much fewer headaches!

P.S.....anyone need a lemons car?! LOL!

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Just as I have thought and the reason Jay and I share the 55.


JJ

We have been doing this as a family ever since a friend took us to a go kart race when Jack was 5. We both raced karts and did one race in cars together. I would not trade one moment of the time or money spent doing this for anything. I feel pretty fortunate to have a 19yr old that still likes hanging out with his mom and dad and appreciates everything we do so that we can go racing.

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Originally Posted by AllZWay

Holy Cow is it scary trying to instruct her how to drive. Never in the years of instructing race car drivers going 120-150mph was I as afraid as I am in the car with her going 20mph.

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Becca has her pemit already and we're putting in the driving and parking practice time. It's funny to me that her mom has more issues driving with her than I do. I love having the kids do ABS stops in a parking lot from about 45-50mph.

At my house it's more likely that she would get in the race car before the boy child. In fact, she reminds me relatively often that I need to get the Firebird "parts car" on the road so she can learn how to drive a stick.

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Originally Posted by Fbody383

Becca has her pemit already and we're putting in the driving and parking practice time. It's funny to me that her mom has more issues driving with her than I do. I love having the kids do ABS stops in a parking lot from about 45-50mph.

At my house it's more likely that she would get in the race car before the boy child. In fact, she reminds me relatively often that I need to get the Firebird "parts car" on the road so she can learn how to drive a stick.

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Yep.. My youngest is the one that wants to go racing now. That is why she has chosen a Miata as her car when she gets old enough.. thinking once she learns to drive it, then she can go racing.

Having raced a Miata for 12 yrs I would highly recommend you not drive one on the street as they are practically tin cans. If someone gets in a wreck in one without a cage in it, it won't be pretty. On the other hand if you plan on just using it as a racecar get a 99-04. Stay away from the 90-97 as they are turds and not competitive at all.

Ha, maybe that's why I suck in my 92.

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Originally Posted by AllZWay

:eek:

We are looking for her a first car... needs to be a 1 ton truck, but I guess we will settle for a civic, cobalt, corolla....etc.

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in the etc. I assume includes a 1970 Satellite or Galaxy ;)

Actually we nudged Kyri and my daughter Chelsea towards Cobalts for their first cars. +30mpg (Kyri 31, Chelsea 34) and those cars proved tough and reliable. Wish they still made those cars...other than the stupid ignition switch recall I have seen nothing wrong with then in 6+ years.

This is part of the reason my new car build is agonizingly slow. I feel guilty when I work on it away from the kids and also don't want to miss time with them. I have two boys, 15 and 11. We've had two great road trip summer vacations in the last two years and everybody "survived". They are both great kids. With my older son, William, we have spent time scuba diving, building stuff and welding in the garage, working on his first car, driver training, he flies gliders, does really good stop-action animation and plays the tuba. My younger son Sam is a bit of a couch potato but is really starting to get into cars, swap meets and will likely help me with the assembly of the new race car. They are both doing great in school and we constantly get compliments from the adults they come in contact with. Sometimes we are confused by that but have been told that kids act differently toward their parents than they do to the rest of the world. The teen demon has infiltrated the older one to some degree. Someone told me this week that nature puts the "annoying" in teenagers so you will have an easier time letting them go, probably true. I figure my contribution to the world is to be a good person, be a good example to those around me, and raise my kids to the best of my ability.

:D

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Originally Posted by Rob Liebbe

Someone told me this week that nature puts the "annoying" in teenagers so you will have an easier time letting them go, probably true.

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It's not even been a year since Kyri moved to Ohio - we've seen him four times since including a surprise visit a couple months ago and the 2014 road trip we just finished last week, meeting up with him and Bob for a week...can't say it's getting any easier letting him go....probably 'cause he was only a little "annoying".