PHOTO: RICK BELDEN
D.I. COLUMNIST
The Real Deal with Tommy D'Aprile
Well, it has
certainly
been a crazy
year thus far
in the racing world – races
cancelled or put on hold,
no spectators, sponsor
losses and just plain uncertainty.
So much of my
schedule each year consists
of traveling to different
racetracks across the
country. I seldom get time
to visit my home track in
Bradenton, Florida, and
that got me thinking
about some things that
are really important.
After talking with many
teams about schedule and
travel in this 2020 season
I found most were dejected
and frustrated that
they couldn’t race and
complained about everything
they could think of.
What I realized out of these conversations was that most of us are
missing the point. Many of us did not start racing at national event
levels. As for myself, I started locally running the quarter-mile strip
at 12 seconds. I do believe stock minivans can run that fast these
days. But seriously, we had amazing times with our open trailer and
group of local friends.
Then the big time hits. Faster cars, sponsors, big rigs and even
bigger payments on all of the equipment needed. Travel expenses
for one race today equal what we spent a whole year on our car back
in the day.
So now that many big-time events have been cancelled, it’ a perfect
time for all of us to get back to our roots. Many of our local tracks
are still open and need our support more than ever. I’m not saying
you have to bring your 200-foot-long rig to these events, but just get
in your daily driver and enter the street class. If not, just hang out
and watch.
Guys and girls, don’t ever forget where you came from. I promise
you will have fun, and at the end of the race you can just drive home.
No awning to put away, no parts clean-up and no stress. You see, I
have found that no matter what level I am racing at, I am going to
have fun and have a good time. That’s the key, to be able to enjoy the
races no matter what.
Just because you can’t run 3 seconds and 200 mph does not mean
all the fun is over. Drive your street car down the track and just look
around. You might be on track for like 30 seconds but you may notice
things you haven’t before.
And guess what? In a regular bracket race, there are no limitations
to what we can race. Most of our fast bracket dragsters on a regular
night are running 4.60s, so my plan is at an upcoming bracket night
to bring the Top Dragster. Dial 3.80 and have some fun and hopefully
freak some people out. Why not, right?
This is the whole point of my column. Allowing the cancellations
of the big races just opens the door to having some local track fun.
So take whatever you’ve got and just go. Bring friends or make new
ones. The love of the sport is still in you, and even if you have to dig
deep to find it, I am sure it will be worth it. As always, the choice is
yours to make.
Email Tommy at
tommyd@dragillustrated.com
August 2020
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