Drag Illustrated Issue 153, February 2020 | Page 45
D.I. COLUMNIST
The Real Deal
T
with Tommy D'Aprile
he new year is upon us and
it didn’t take too much time
for racing to gear right back up.
Actually, here in Florida, rac-
ing goes on year-round with the winter
months being supreme in terms of the
nicest weather in the country.
As a kid, I can remember racing
every week and even earning a seven-
year perfect attendance award. Now I
look back and say, “What was I think-
ing?” Any amount of money I won was
quickly dumped back into the race pro-
gram. The issue was winning $2,000
and then turning around and spending
$4,000. People, the drug called racing
is real and if you don’t get a handle on your spending you might end
up broke and your racing ventures cut short. It took many years but
I finally realized there is a word called balance, and when put into
practice, it yields a much better life.
The problem is trying to be disciplined enough to have balance.
Many will say things like “I don’t need balance, I’ve got it all figured
out.” Well, I hope so for your sake, but the truth is we all need bal-
ance in our life. I enjoy racing and hope to continue to do it for a
long time, but without structure and discipline in what we spend, we
could be done in less than a year or even half a year for that matter.
How many of you have seen the big-time racer who wins every-
thing and seems to have endless sponsorship and money? Have you
also heard the saying, “What goes up must come down?” There are
people huge in our sport that will be done sooner than they think.
Remember, there are no guarantees in our sport. You can be very
successful for a time, then struggle to win races. All hot streaks come
to an end as well. The racer with the best winning percentage still
has a losing record, so the odds of you always winning are slim to
none. Here is where discipline and balance can help you.
As we start the 2020 race season, we have to budget very carefully
as to know what races we can afford to run. Without major sponsor-
ship, you must be careful to budget correctly. Yes, we could run a
multitude of races, but at what cost? At the end of the season, we
could be broke and put so much time into racing that not only our
finances, but our home life is in trouble. Balancing the race schedule
could be the best thing you could do for your family and finances.
So, here’s what you do. First, put together a plan of how many
races you would like to run and see if you can afford to run them.
Be honest with yourself here. Don’t count on your wins to carry you
through, otherwise there is added stress on your performance.
Second, plan time away from the races. Yes, you heard me right!
Plan weekends with your family, and say even if a big race comes up
you’re not going to go. Guys and girls, you need to make a stand and
put racing on notice that it will not control your life. Most of you are
not paid professionals that have to be at every race.
Third, stick to the plan. Decide to stick to what you and your fam-
ily decide. This shows respect to your family and your value of com-
mitments. The racing drug pulls people everywhere in a split second
and can take your life over in a heartbeat.
Fourth, save money after a win. Decide that you will save a certain
percentage of your winnings. I know some people who do this and
they always have extra funds for racing.
Racing can be an amazing time with friends and family, but it can
also be a terrible, out-of-control drug that can destroy your family
and finances. Discipline and balance in this sport can make it fun for
years and years, but carelessness can bring on big trouble. As always,
the choice is yours to make.
Email Tommy at
tommyd@dragillustrated.com
February 2020
Performance
Under Pressure!
From ET Bracket Cars To Top
Fuel Dragsters, ARP Has The
Right Fasteners For The Job
The requirements for
containing combustion
pressure in an 11,000
horsepower nitro-burning
Hemi like in 2019 NHRA
World Champion Steve
Torrence’s Capco Top Fuel car
are substantially higher than
for a normally aspirated
gas-burner.
So that’s why ARP
offers critical engine
fasteners in four
different alloys that range
from 200,000 to 280,000 psi
nominal tensile strength.
With over 5,000 fastener
kits, ARP has something for
virtually every application
and budget. From engines to
drivelines and suspensions,
rely on ARP for race-winning
reliability. Check out the
website, or request a
free printed copy of
the catalog. And if you
don’t see what you need,
chances are ARP can make
it. Call 800-826-3045 for
personalized tech assistance.
www.arp-bolts.com
DragIllustrated.com
800-826-3045
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