D . I . COLUMNIST The Real Deal with Tommy D ' Aprile
I can still remember the first time I went to a dragstrip . The sights , the smells , the noise , and excitement . I truly believe I was hooked from that moment on . When we started racing , our first truck and trailer were modest to say the least . We had a singleaxle pickup with a 16-foot open trailer . Racing was fun , but all of the attention going down the highway was pretty cool too . People got to see your car . Enclosed trailers were seldom seen unless you were a pro . As the years went by , we slowly advanced our race program with faster cars and bigger trailers and trucks , but there was something special about our first car , truck , and trailer .
Recently I came across a photo of our first racing setup and was amazed not only to find that picture , but to look at where we are now compared to then . I started to realize some things that have changed my perspective a little . Let me explain .
Back then , you were not financing . If you couldn ’ t afford it , you couldn ’ t have it . It was that simple . Today , if you can ’ t afford it , you can just finance it for 20 years . With the growth of financing , anything seems affordable now . I can remember when you hardly saw an enclosed trailer , but now our regular bracket races look like a John Force spectacle of trucks and trailers . The bigger the better seems to be the way we are going , and although from the outside it looks impressive , from inside , the truth is most racers are in financial loan agreements that will take them years and thousands in financing to get out from under .
I am not an expert , but rather a victim myself of falling into the trap of bigger and more is better . With a 90-foot rig that is , in my opinion , one of the nicest rigs in the country , I find myself looking at it now and asking why ? Why would I put myself in that financial position ?
What I have come to learn is that I , like most of us , can ’ t afford it . We can make the payments , but at what cost in the long run ? Credit cards and financing things with wheels has left over 75 percent of our population living paycheck to paycheck with no emergency fund available to them . Another thing : they are all stressed out ! I am only using racing as an example because most of us can relate to spending more than we should on the addictive sport we love .
Most of you know the story of Donnie Hagar pulling into one of the biggest bracket races of the year with a modest truck and open trailer , sleeping in a tent , and then winning the race . I loved that story . When I look back at my open trailer , it just reminded me of how simple wasn ’ t such a bad thing , and also how the grip of comparisons and wanting more has added a lot of unnecessary additional stress in my life . The truth is , I would buy things I could not afford to impress people I didn ’ t know or even like . Sound familiar ?
I don ’ t care what anyone thinks anymore ; I just want to live within my means , and that in itself will change your life for the better . I have put my big rig up for sale and I ’ m downsizing . Financing fun is not fun , and before you know it , you can be in serious trouble financially . I urge you to take a step back and see if what you are doing is within your budget , and if not , make some changes so you ’ re not stressed out about money . Not just in racing , but in all areas of your life .
Stress is a major killer in this country , and I promise the banks and lenders don ’ t care about you or your health . They will make it seem like you can afford anything even if you ’ re broke . Be truthful with yourself and make some changes . Less financial burden and stress can add years to your life . As always , the choice is yours to make . DI
Email Tommy at tommyd @ dragillustrated . com
May / June 2024
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