Avoiding Enthusiast Burnout

[BLINGMW]

I have yet to run into a "child" once out of the rookie series. Everyone seems to take it moderately to very seriously. And even racing in the rookie series, I rarely had a problem. I'm a very casual player and still spend hours before any given race just practicing, qualifying, setting up the car, and I think most people do that or more. Now circle track may be a different story....

I might not have anything worthwhile to add to the real discussion, but obviously putting everything you have into the sport is likely to result in an extreme. Either burn-out, crash, run out money, get injured, or.... great success! To me, I realized years ago that racing doesn't require talent, it requires money. SOME have both, but very very few come through the ranks on talent alone. So you either have to be rich, or work your ass off and put it all into the sport. I decided I wasn't interested enough to make many sacrifices for it. And since I don't play, I probably won't win the lottery.

I wish go-kart racing was much more popular, I think I'd be more interested in that. Low barriers to entry, low risk, and as long as you just like to race and don't really have to win, then low commitment and money. Honestly, iRacing and the occasional kart enduro may be enough for me.

My perspective may be different than some because I seem to have an atypical response to speed and thrill. And I'm not very competitive. You may have noticed by the cars and bikes I'm happy to track, I'm not an adrenaline junkie. I'm happy to be THE slowest guy. Not that that does anyone else any good, (though I think I could name a few others in the club that probably identify with me) but maybe my only piece of "advice" is that if you keep the costs low, find something that leaves room for other things in life, appreciate the sport from a technical aspect, or enjoy just working on the car, or enjoy the camaraderie, and look for satisfaction in the honing of your skills, then burnout is less likely. But, so is success. :dunno:

[ScottyB]

I'm happy to be THE slowest guy.

ironically, you're probably one of the consistently fastest people i know in both sim racing and karting :lol:

[G.Irish]

Honestly I don't think being competitive is what ruins it for people. Because if you were a competitive guy and all you had to do was show up at the track and drive, there'd be little problem. Now, if you're a competitive person who flips out when you don't win, then yeah, maybe at some point you'll come to the end of your rope.

But if you're competitive, and you have to put in a ton of effort to get out and race, it's probably going to get old. Especially if you're at the edge of your budget. Even if you're winning that takes a lot out of you. If you're not winning it's even worse.

However, if you wanna become a professional, you have to have that drive to push through no matter what. Unfortunately, if you don't have enough money to succeed, all the drive in the world may not be enough. And that's assuming you have the talent.

[G.Irish]

I also decided a few weeks back to put everything on hold. I was planning on doing a cage during May and possibly go racing, but id rather just take my time. Its a real job to tune suspension and gather data acquisition with tire temps/pressures/timing/video feedback...plus have fun at the track with friends of which I get very little. Maybe racing next year..maybe just another year of TT. I think if I went racing alone id burn myself out. Some people can do it, I just dont think I can with how competitive my nature is.

Back when we started MM, one of the ideas was that we could pool our resources so that we could do things we wouldn't be able to do on our own as students. We never got to the point where we got a club track car or race car (perhaps this was a good thing). But now we definitely have enough people that could potentially help out as 'crew' at events for people racing.

Even if you just had someone help with loading/unloading, getting gas, checking tire temps/pressures, and handling the tires that could take a load off during the weekend. Maybe pay student crew with free hotel, food, and lap dances at Vixen's.

Barring that, even just having people you know that can help out could make things a lot less stressful.

[Apoc]

Even if you just had someone help with loading/unloading, getting gas, checking tire temps/pressures, and handling the tires that could take a load off during the weekend.

This helps a good bit. A lot of the guys who are fast have crew. Some would say they're fast because they have money and because they have money they can afford crew, but there's a lot to be said for being fresh in the car. When you're under the car banging away or slinging tires all weekend, it gets old after a few years.

(Anyone wanna crew @ NJMP in two weeks? )

[D_Eclipse9916]

I also decided a few weeks back to put everything on hold. I was planning on doing a cage during May and possibly go racing, but id rather just take my time. Its a real job to tune suspension and gather data acquisition with tire temps/pressures/timing/video feedback...plus have fun at the track with friends of which I get very little. Maybe racing next year..maybe just another year of TT. I think if I went racing alone id burn myself out. Some people can do it, I just dont think I can with how competitive my nature is.

Back when we started MM, one of the ideas was that we could pool our resources so that we could do things we wouldn't be able to do on our own as students. We never got to the point where we got a club track car or race car (perhaps this was a good thing). But now we definitely have enough people that could potentially help out as 'crew' at events for people racing.

Even if you just had someone help with loading/unloading, getting gas, checking tire temps/pressures, and handling the tires that could take a load off during the weekend. Maybe pay student crew with free hotel, food, and lap dances at Vixen's.

Barring that, even just having people you know that can help out could make things a lot less stressful.

Yeah ill hopefully be recruiting some friends to help crew. I simply cannot afford to pay for a "crew's" hotel, food and lap dances, especially at this level. Right now im bribing with co-drives of my car at autocrosses and floorspace at a hotel. The big thing is the weather has sucked lately so getting people out there is kind of a pain.

So far I have a few people who are starting to get together more frequently in terms of helping prep each other's cars, maybe that will turn into help.

[PDenbigh]

I look at it as a fun/work ratio. When I was building the XR, I was pretty much or completely single, and it was my only real hobby.. and I was having a great time building it, too. When prepping the car turned from fun into work, that ratio plummeted and I burnt out.

Then I started working for NASA, which gave me a ton of free track time, but really make the weekend tough. If nothing went wrong, I was still pressed to get out on track. If something did break, my weekend was done.

Then there was the 4 hours of loading/unloading.

Then I got married. And had a kid. Not that those are bad things, but they do affect your priority list.

I was about to quit completely last year. I was going to put the XR in dry storage, sell the trailer, and pursue other things. (The thought still crosses my mind actually. I'm very burnt out.)

BUT, during the November Summit event (HPDE and TT only), I gave it one more shot. I got the car ready (Thanks for the help DJ) and I had a good friend crew for me. This guy was serious. He crews for Busch teams and runs his own shop by day. So, he came with scales, stopwatches, tire temp gauges, IR thermometers, tools, supplies, etc. All I had to do was get to the car and drive. He'd go to various parts of the track and watch, make some setup changes, rinse, and repeat. The car had never handled that well!

Also, it was the second most fun I've ever had at the track. Stress was gone. Though I only drove one day (Saturday), I did 8 sessions! AND, I drove the car back onto the trailer in one piece. It was great. (The most fun day was with Chad Dalton in his AI Mustang at Watkins Glen, where we both got black flagged for "Scaring the corner workers and racing during a track day")

For me, it's about energy level. The fewer distractions I have in my life, the more likely I am going to have the energy to invest into tracking my car. Right now, I have a ton of distractions, and I just don't have the energy reserves to drive.

Interesting topic G - thanks for bringing it up. I've enjoyed the other perspectives I've seen.

[Feersty]

I never started racing because I didn't want to spend the money and didn't have the mechanical skills to fix things, but now with a wife, house, job, my weekends are used doing chores and other boring stuff. I am losing the car enthusiast passion as well, and just seem to be interested in other things, and damn people only care about lifted pickups down here.

[CaptainHenreh]

Thanks for the input, Feersty.

[Steve85]

Find an on track "NEMESIS!!!".

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPfxtJ8SQgk&feature=player_embedded">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPfxtJ8SQgk&feature=player_embedded</a><!-- m -->

For realz though, I cross posted this to another forum of roadrace/autoxers...

Great response that mirrors a lot of what's been said here:

"The number one goal for me is to always make it fun."
I agree with Shortthrow on this one.

I am 70 and have had a comp license since 1971. I race for FUN. In order to accomplish this goal, I focus on:
1) Focus on the social aspects of the race weekend, so that even if the driving or car is not perfect, I still have a fun weekend.
2) Focus on having an adequately prepped racecar BEFORE arriving at the track so that I can concentrate on the driving aspects while at the track.
3) My only goals at the track are to A) Finish, B) Not finish last, and C) Drive the car back on the trailer in the same shape that we drove it off of the trailer.

[Scott]

Find an on track "NEMESIS!!!".


Great response that mirrors a lot of what's been said here:

"The number one goal for me is to always make it fun."
I agree with Shortthrow on this one.

I am 70 and have had a comp license since 1971. I race for FUN. In order to accomplish this goal, I focus on:
1) Focus on the social aspects of the race weekend, so that even if the driving or car is not perfect, I still have a fun weekend.
2) Focus on having an adequately prepped racecar BEFORE arriving at the track so that I can concentrate on the driving aspects while at the track.
3) My only goals at the track are to A) Finish, B) Not finish last, and C) Drive the car back on the trailer in the same shape that we drove it off of the trailer.

These 3 reasons are exactly what I strive for. I'm not the fastest, but I try to improve on my driving every weekend, have the car ready before hand and not have to thrash on the car, and drive it back onto the trailer Sunday afternoon. My car has been ready since last weekend for Summit Point this weekend and the truck as been packed since Tuesday. All I have to do is put the car on the trailer and leave.

[Kaan]

but we all must win... even at HPDE

some of us old folks have been kicking around the idea of bringing back the lunch time bbq for the MMers...

[Jake]

but we all must win... even at HPDE

some of us old folks have been kicking around the idea of bringing back the lunch time bbq for the MMers...

David L won the last Hyperdrive. And I finished a close second.

What is this "lunch BBQ" you speak of?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kaan]

widow makers and burgers and stuff... the apartment wont let me keep a grill... but i'm looking into how to work around all this.

[Jake]

widow makers and burgers and stuff... the apartment wont let me keep a grill... but i'm looking into how to work around all this.

Oh hell yes. Make it happen UncaKaan!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kaan]

count on VIR and not this summit event. also, tell me where you are paddocked... that might help!

[JustinG]

I need to purchase one of those hitch mounted grills.......hmmmmmm

[Jewels]

I need to purchase one of those hitch mounted grills.......hmmmmmm

That would be super handy. But yes, we are trying to work out something because lets admit it, the track food sucks.

[CaptainHenreh]

If kaan gets charcoal I'll pick up a small grill tomorrow.

[Kaan]

rexy... you guys have a cooler over there? because i can sure as hell go to wegmans in the middle of the day... when its not saturday or sunday