cutting back on racing

[Mike McKnight]

Well hopefully none of you drive a diesel for your daily driver. I have been driving back and forth to my morning radio job which is about 36 miles round trip. But when I get home I park it and ride my bicycle back and forth to my office which is about 3 miles away. Mainly because it costs me about $250 to fill my 09 Chevy HD Diesel. I bought it because I tow a lot for fishing up in the mountains and towing the race trailer and I have replaced several transmissions in my previous gas trucks. And stupid me replaced the stock 26 gallon fuel tank with a 55 gallon long range tank. I'm rethinking that now as diesel went up again here this morning to $4.79 a gallon. That combined with the wife driving a Suburban is killing me. So racing is going to be short lived this year unless things change soon and the Nationals are out of the question even though they are going to be So Cal which is only 6 hours away this time. We are even rethinking our annual fishing trip to Wyoming this year. I wonder how many boats I can fit into a Prius?

 

[dr gary turner]

Could the price of gas affect gas boat racing???????? They are so big that if one runs three or more a trailer is almost manditory. Last weekend I carried 7 nito boats to test last weekend in my F150, 20,40, sport40, 60, 101, twin hydro, and an f mono plus equipment. Years ago we would have about 4 or 5 of us in a van and carried one or two boats a piece with equipment in a rented trailer. We had just as good of time. I remember the same group went to Oxford for the Internats and instead of a trailer we pulled a camper and stayed in a camp ground and watched the Canadian Geese come in every night and cooked in the camp grounds. Do I want to go back to those days? I don't think so. BUT, We may have to double up to share expenses until we get somebody that will drill for our OWN resources and not be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO depedent on the world market to get our oil which we will need for years to come despite development of batteries, fuel cells and etc. We may also have to change the format of races going to more OPEN racing in order to have enough boats to race and make it interesting similair to the Original Indy Unlimited. 100 boats and 100 drivers racing 5 rounds, BTW if you won or placed in the top three you had something, Instead of 10 drivers racing 100 boats with 3 rounds and 3 boats in a heat. Just some MUSEING. DOC

 

[Kevin Krogness]

Well hopefully none of you drive a diesel for your daily driver. I have been driving back and forth to my morning radio job which is about 36 miles round trip. But when I get home I park it and ride my bicycle back and forth to my office which is about 3 miles away. Mainly because it costs me about $250 to fill my 09 Chevy HD Diesel. I bought it because I tow a lot for fishing up in the mountains and towing the race trailer and I have replaced several transmissions in my previous gas trucks. And stupid me replaced the stock 26 gallon fuel tank with a 55 gallon long range tank. I'm rethinking that now as diesel went up again here this morning to $4.79 a gallon. That combined with the wife driving a Suburban is killing me. So racing is going to be short lived this year unless things change soon and the Nationals are out of the question even though they are going to be So Cal which is only 6 hours away this time. We are even rethinking our annual fishing trip to Wyoming this year. I wonder how many boats I can fit into a Prius?

I got rid of my diesel problem Miss the truck so bad... Diesel here is only 25 cents more but we swaped the truck for a car that gets 30mpg vs. 20!!!! Man I want that truck back...... Oh and the wife was nice enough to give me her Focus.......

 

[R.J.West]

back in 1999 i bought my first SUV, a mercury mountaineer with a 5.0 V8. its a gas guzzler but back then fuel prices werent that much over a buck a gallon. my mother on the other hand thought i was silly to get a gas guzzler. recently she goes out and buys a fully loaded BMW telling me how great it is on gas until...... BMW's have to use super unleaded and now she calls me up recently to tell me that it cost her $97.50 to fill up that BMW. :lol:

I still have the Mountaineer, however my fill up costs are about half of what Ma paid, but lucky me my job is a 10 min walk from the house.

 

[Tom Foley]

I think people have to wake up and take a long hard look at what their driving.

A perfect example earlier this year I asked my wife to keep track of what it was costing her to drive her P.O.S. Chrysler Minivan to work , after about a months time she told me what it was costing us and she was some what surprised.

I then explained to her that she could get rid of the van and with the money saved in fuel cost pay for a nice new car ( yes a smaller car).

At first she didn't believe it but after some more thinking and number crunching she started to realise how much money we were wasting having one person driving to work in such a large gas sucking vehicle.

Well she now has a very nice new Honda sitting in the driveway and the car is being paid for on the savings of the fuel alone.

She is now going from filling up once a week to every two weeks at almost half the cost and she is thrilled.

Tim K

Lots of good changes for you guys ..can't work for me unfortunately as I have to be ready to haul and tow most all of the time . I thought i could do the second car deal but with insurance and initial outlay i'd be dead before it worked out !!

 

[dwilfong]

I think people have to wake up and take a long hard look at what their driving.

A perfect example earlier this year I asked my wife to keep track of what it was costing her to drive her P.O.S. Chrysler Minivan to work , after about a months time she told me what it was costing us and she was some what surprised.

I then explained to her that she could get rid of the van and with the money saved in fuel cost pay for a nice new car ( yes a smaller car).

At first she didn't believe it but after some more thinking and number crunching she started to realise how much money we were wasting having one person driving to work in such a large gas sucking vehicle.

Well she now has a very nice new Honda sitting in the driveway and the car is being paid for on the savings of the fuel alone.

She is now going from filling up once a week to every two weeks at almost half the cost and she is thrilled.

Tim K

Lots of good changes for you guys ..can't work for me unfortunately as I have to be ready to haul and tow most all of the time . I thought i could do the second car deal but with insurance and initial outlay i'd be dead before it worked out !!

Tom should have got the Trailblazer SS like I have. will tow any thing with 400HP and the mileage is good also 20+ on the highway and 14 with a boat in tow.

Doesn't jump in and out of lockup or over drive when you tow ether.

Heck only cost $28000 new.

David

 

[Tim Kish]

I think people have to wake up and take a long hard look at what their driving.

A perfect example earlier this year I asked my wife to keep track of what it was costing her to drive her P.O.S. Chrysler Minivan to work , after about a months time she told me what it was costing us and she was some what surprised.

I then explained to her that she could get rid of the van and with the money saved in fuel cost pay for a nice new car ( yes a smaller car).

At first she didn't believe it but after some more thinking and number crunching she started to realise how much money we were wasting having one person driving to work in such a large gas sucking vehicle.

Well she now has a very nice new Honda sitting in the driveway and the car is being paid for on the savings of the fuel alone.

She is now going from filling up once a week to every two weeks at almost half the cost and she is thrilled.

Tim K

Lots of good changes for you guys ..can't work for me unfortunately as I have to be ready to haul and tow most all of the time . I thought i could do the second car deal but with insurance and initial outlay i'd be dead before it worked out !!

Definately not for everyone but there are options for most if you try hard enough LOL.

Interesting thing diesel is about ten cents a litre cheaper than gas in my area .

Tim K

 

[Al Hobbs]

This weekend I am racing in Calgary, Alberta. It is 360 miles from my house. Next weekend I am racing in Henderson, Nevada, about 1000 miles from my house.

I'm taking five boats in my pickup to Alberta. I've loaded a table, chairs, tools, etc.

I'll take only two, maybe three boats to Nevada in my car. No table, chairs, etc. My friends who live closer will provide me with a table, chair and other necessities.

I'd like to take five boats to Nevada, but they just won't fit in my car. I'm taking the car because it gets good mileage.

We just have to adjust until things are better.

Al Hobbs

 

[Blackout]

This weekend I am racing in Calgary, Alberta. It is 360 miles from my house. Next weekend I am racing in Henderson, Nevada, about 1000 miles from my house.

I'm taking five boats in my pickup to Alberta. I've loaded a table, chairs, tools, etc.

I'll take only two, maybe three boats to Nevada in my car. No table, chairs, etc. My friends who live closer will provide me with a table, chair and other necessities.

I'd like to take five boats to Nevada, but they just won't fit in my car. I'm taking the car because it gets good mileage.

We just have to adjust until things are better.

Al Hobbs

Al, are you driving by yourself? If so, take out your passenger seat. It should give you room for another boat.

 

[Tom Foley]

Another thing I think about while looking for the Micro car or Minivan to haul boats and airplanes is CRASH SURVIVABILITY ! Pay me now .......or really pay later !! Vans also allow you to put large quantities of stuff inside safely unlike pickups . While I was getting 1100.00 worth of tires put on my van today I drove an Isuzu pickup around for a bit to kill time . Nice , but too small and no room . I should mention though that while the E-350 Van - V - 10 does not get stellar mileage, it's the best type vehicle I have ever owned (had 3 so far ) . In 232.000 miles on this one ,..3 sets of tires , 1 alt . 1 - ECM relay , 1 - turn signal switch , 1 set plugs . SAME hoses , radiator , waterpump , fuel pump, Serp. belt ....the list goes on . I used to spend half my life working on my cars ...no more !

 

[JeremyEdge]

I here ya Tom E-250 is what I drive 209,000 miles and going.

 

[Chris Wood]

so what do you do when you cannot fit into any of these cars?

i couldn't get into a trail blazer if i tried. heck the new f-250 trucks and chevy trucks my knee'***** the bottom of the steering wheel.. so a PRIUS or a ESCORT is out of the loop for me.

I can't shrink either.

lol

looks like i am just screwed all around

 

[misshydro]

so what do you do when you cannot fit into any of these cars?

i couldn't get into a trail blazer if i tried. heck the new f-250 trucks and chevy trucks my knee'***** the bottom of the steering wheel.. so a PRIUS or a ESCORT is out of the loop for me.

I can't shrink either.

lol

looks like i am just screwed all around

ever heard of roof or truck racks? or pull a small trailor

 

[RaceCraftBearings]

so what do you do when you cannot fit into any of these cars?

i couldn't get into a trail blazer if i tried. heck the new f-250 trucks and chevy trucks my knee'***** the bottom of the steering wheel.. so a PRIUS or a ESCORT is out of the loop for me.

I can't shrink either.

lol

looks like i am just screwed all around

ever heard of roof or truck racks? or pull a small trailor

Nessa what are you suggesting that big ole Chris strap himself to a roof rack and drive from there? He is stating that he is to big to even get into the vehicles he listed.

I can only guess that you can read text messages better than full word messages. :lol:

 

[misshydro]

so what do you do when you cannot fit into any of these cars?

i couldn't get into a trail blazer if i tried. heck the new f-250 trucks and chevy trucks my knee'***** the bottom of the steering wheel.. so a PRIUS or a ESCORT is out of the loop for me.

I can't shrink either.

lol

looks like i am just screwed all around

ever heard of roof or truck racks? or pull a small trailor

Nessa what are you suggesting that big ole Chris strap himself to a roof rack and drive from there? He is stating that he is to big to even get into the vehicles he listed.

I can only guess that you can read text messages better than full word messages. :lol:

I dont think he's that big...Well he can get a rear wheel drive car like a caddy

 

[Kevin Krogness]

I had to take the seat out of my wifes old escort and drill some new holes to be comfortable!!!! Now I have her Focus and looking to do the same thing!!!! I want my truck back....

 

[Chris Wood]

roger that.

most cars and trucks are shrinking.. i am no small fry even if i was SMALLER i would have a hard time getting in and out of them.. new trucks like the f-150 f-250 and silverado's i cannot do.. the wheel hits my legs.. i could just see trying to explain to the cop why i was in the crash.. WELL HAD TO STEER WITH MY KNEE'S lol

I just don't know what i would do if i was FORCED to buy a tree hugger special. guess i would do like high tower in police academy and rip out the front seat and sit in the back.

lol

 

[SayMikey]

When you talk about cant get in or out of the car,all I can think about is my ex wife being pregnant and driving the vette easy in NOT coming out. She had to roll out on the ground.

 

[LarryConrad]

roger that.

most cars and trucks are shrinking.. i am no small fry even if i was SMALLER i would have a hard time getting in and out of them.. new trucks like the f-150 f-250 and silverado's i cannot do.. the wheel hits my legs.. i could just see trying to explain to the cop why i was in the crash.. WELL HAD TO STEER WITH MY KNEE'S lol

I just don't know what i would do if i was FORCED to buy a tree hugger special. guess i would do like high tower in police academy and rip out the front seat and sit in the back.

lol

I just remembered the look on your face when I told you to jump in my SRT-4 and take it for a spin.

 

[Chris Wood]

lol SPIN WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WORD OF THE DAY IN THAT THING!!!