Did a few posts already, but I am new...

[SD26]

Hi, I'm new to the forum.

My name is Dave, and I live in Wisconsin.

Where to start? I guess how I got to the forum. In ways, I'm irritated by my path. The length really, and that is my responsibility. I've been involved in motorcycle racing for a really, really long time. So, it's kept me out of some "normal" employment. I am very lucky in that I have a very supportive family life.

Basically, I sold of part of my business to another racer. While looking for work lately, which has been kind of a slow process, I decided that I needed to read Atlas Shrugged.

As my story goes, it was probably nine or ten years that I was told by a fiercely independent business man that I should read it. It was more like I was asked if I read it, and he rolled his eyes and said I should read it. Just too many things happening like racing, kids, and other life events that kept me away from reading much of anything beyond industry magazines. Got it from the library, and I still have yet to finish it. Had to turn it in, so I bought a copy. I guess it all is pretty simple to me. I get it. I'm no expert, but I recognize the direction of Rand's philosophy.

It hasn't found a job for me, but it has allowed me to take another evaluation of what I've done and what I'd like to do.

I'm looking forward to finishing the book and listening to what others say on the board.

[John McVey]

Hi, I'm new to the forum.

My name is Dave, and I live in Wisconsin.

Dave? Dave's not here. G'day Dave, welcome to the forum!

I guess it all is pretty simple to me. I get it. I'm no expert, but I recognize the direction of Rand's philosophy.

Cool! The bulk is perfectly straight forward, yes, and doesn't require expert knowledge. All it requires is honest reasoning and a bit of effort. Then, when you're up for it, go for the hard stuff.

I'm looking forward to finishing the book and listening to what others say on the board.

Enjoy! There's a cool search function here, too, so you can dive right in and see what has already been asked and answered instead of waiting ages for people to reply. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask away!

JJM

[SD26]

Dave? Dave's not here. G'day Dave, welcome to the forum!

Cool! The bulk is perfectly straight forward, yes, and doesn't require expert knowledge. All it requires is honest reasoning and a bit of effort. Then, when you're up for it, go for the hard stuff.

Enjoy! There's a cool search function here, too, so you can dive right in and see what has already been asked and answered instead of waiting ages for people to reply. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask away!

JJM

Agreed. It is pretty straight forward. My minor in college was Philosophy. So, throwing books against the floor with some was a regular occurance. LOL! I wanted to double major, but I just wanted out...to go racing...

Thanks for the welcome, John!

[Zip]

Welcome Dave. Don't worry, it took a lot of us a long time to find our way here.

[softwareNerd]

Welcome to OO.net!

[JMeganSnow]

I wanted to double major, but I just wanted out...to go racing...

You make it sound like there's something wrong with that! Do what you love, man. That's what it's all about.

What is it you love about racing, btw?

[K-Mac]

Hi, Dave, and welcome to the forum!

[SD26]

You make it sound like there's something wrong with that! Do what you love, man. That's what it's all about.

What is it you love about racing, btw?

Racing is a competition. A struggle. It's not fair, and sometimes it's about personal victories because of machinery, genetics, age, etc.

[JMeganSnow]

Racing is a competition. A struggle. It's not fair, and sometimes it's about personal victories because of machinery, genetics, age, etc.

Yeah, but you could say that about a lot of things. Why racing in particular?

[FeatherFall]

Racing is a competition. A struggle. It's not fair, and sometimes it's about personal victories because of machinery, genetics, age, etc.

That's a refreshing but unexpected answer. Some might have read your reply and thought the question was, "Why did you leave racing?"

Anyway, Hi, Dave. I live in Wisconsin, too. It's nice to see somebody from around here on the forum.

[SD26]

Yeah, but you could say that about a lot of things. Why racing in particular?

True, true.

I think racing was something that didn't come easy to me. It was hard from the start. Actually, it was intimidating. I race motorcycles on road courses. There's the physical speed and then the actual risk when you do hit the ground. Yes, you come prepared, but it's certainly different from a lot of things that one can do. After my first race weekend, I was literally sick to my stomach. And I had to decide right there if I wanted to continue on. Over twenty years later, I'm still here.

It's multifaceted too. One starts at one level. You move up based on some kind of arbitrary levels of achievement. You can do that by just winning outright, or doing it a little slower gaining a bit more knowledge. A deep set of pockets will allow one to throw away bikes end over end and learn from mistakes. I really had to watch more of what I did so I could continue. I raced in national championship event regularly for some time. I pulled back away from that because of cost commitments, started a school, and I actively raced vintage motorcycles for some individuals. The vintage bikes were somewhat irritating at times because of the handling issues that they had. We did really well, and I retained a lot of memories of what the bikes did. That retention was more valuable later as I would begin to understand why those things happened. I could actually make changes to overcome some of those issues on those bikes.

I think when you line up on a grid, things are a little more like one might like it to be. Everyone is trying to get the same piece of real estate, based on the time one might have or might not put into the bike in gadgetry, a rider, or the knowledge of past bikes in just knowing better how to generate leverage to make putting down fast laps easier. Sure, there might be a pretty talented IT guy with a lot of disposable income to throw at a bike, but that often isn't a very good regular replacement for knowledge and so on.

A good friend of mine from the national championship stuff was capable enough to race motorcycles to pay for his car racing career. I asked him, "Hey, which is more fun: cars or bikes." He was doing the Busch NASCAR Northeast stuff. He said in his dry Boston accent, "Cars." I looked away, and nodded slowly. Then he added, "But bikes are more exhilarating. There's nothing like trying to hold the throttle wide open in sixth gear into the "Gravity Cavity" with the bike shaking and wobbling underneath you." I agreed. The next year, I had to qualify in the damp on non rain tires in Minnesota. That's just not a feeling that makes you comfortable as there is a lot of additional risk that can put you down. The track in Minnesota was fast. Anyway, Turn Two is a very flat, fast corner. It's 120MPH with you knee on the ground in the dry. The wet meant that we were going to go slower as we had to: no traction. I went out immediately during the session to try and put down some times quickly before it got worse. In the end, you're in control. Things are very focused and finite. You might move your head a particular way to try and help the bike hook up a bit better. Each time I went into turn two the front tire would loose traction and try to fold under to crash, but I'd open up the throttle which would pick that up and get the rear tire spinning. It's not spinning completely sideways like a car spinning around in a snow covered parking lot, but it's enough that the speed of the tire is faster than your ground speed and you're steering the bike around a little differently as a result. I was able to do that lap after lap. Qualified pretty well, and it was a nice kind of "controlled terror"...LOL!

Few things seem to be as satisfying. I've worked at a few different places. Some good some bad. Many have been opportunities of "underemployment" to allow me the opportunities to continue racing. I taught a school for fifteen years too. In August, I decided that the business wasn't worth my time because of some of the political issues with individuals and groups. There were others that devalued the market also. A multi time world champion had a school up until this year, and he skipped town on his sponsor, Honda, his instructors and so on. Potentially for similar reasons, the devaluation of the market and so on.

Racing is just that one kind of constant to me. I'm looking for a job currently to fill the time right now. Something where I can potentially place some value into someone else's business. We'll see. I'm kind of picky. LOL!

That's a refreshing but unexpected answer. Some might have read your reply and thought the question was, "Why did you leave racing?"

Anyway, Hi, Dave. I live in Wisconsin, too. It's nice to see somebody from around here on the forum.

LOL! Yeah, I suppose that there are lots of reasons to leave it.