I’ve always said I will race as long as I feel competitive and I am having fun. 64

My helmet expired last year. I didn't get a new one. I'm going on 77 and just can't function like I used to. It's harder to get in and out of the race truck and I;m not as sharp as I used to be. I turned over the driving to my son and the maintenance. but I still get stuck with the bills. LOL.
I can have just as much fun watching him and my friends race. Miss it? Yeah but I'm a realist.

Floyd
I think you did the right thing and I hope to do the same.when I get too tired for it maybe I can still stay involved with a team or have someone drive mine.which of course means footing the bills lol

47 yrs of racing!

Why quit ....... when, you're still having fun .. have met lots of friends (and still meeting new ones) .. are still competitive .. and can still afford it!

Dave

62 and still going

When I feel I am not safe to myself or other person in the lanes .Will be 65 next year I tell people I enjoy the track time If they have buy backs I am going to3rd round .

This is kind of a sad topic in a way.My Mom has been racing basically since I was born.I am 53.

She still competes in Stock Eliminator at age 75,but this might be the last year if she competes at all.

My dad just had a swing out roll bar put in the car,as it was getting too hard to even step over the roll bar and get into the car.

There is no "magical" age to hang it up,but everyone will be a day older tomorrow than they were today.


Race while you physically and mentally can.

Time waits for no one.

i quit driving in 2014 (health issues) and put a young fellow, Chris Cadle, in the car; we had three successful years with Chris winning a lot of IHRA events and a few cash bracket races.....

unfortunately i got diagnosed with level 4 prostate and bone cancer in mid '17... been battling it ever since...
cancer is a *****.

jenavet i'm 70 years old; started going to the races at 14 and driving at 16; love the sport, competition and their are no better folks than drag racing folks

.....i will race until health or desire makes me quit!

once i kick this "cancer thing" i'm back in the car for a few test passes and plan on going t/d racing if i can find a young talented driver!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!

quote:

Originally posted by BarneyB:
I’ve always said I will race as long as I feel competitive and I am having fun. 64

Oh heck. If you include the requirement that I feel competitive, I'd have had to leave decades ago. Take care. Tom Worthington

Took up slot car drag racing. Now I race in air conditioned comfort.

I try and stay Health. Every morning I walk a 1/2 mile, then run a 1/4 mile followed by another 1/2 mile walk an the last leg a 1/4mile run. It’s been 13 months since the last radiation treatment for cancer so getting back in shape has been a struggle. When I can no longer keep up with that regiment, or feel that I am endangering the other Racer, I will give it up. I love racing, other than my Family, it has been the passion of my life.

I will be 78 in a couple of months, only Ferny is older than me and he’s still truckin’ along, I can’t let that old clogger outdo me!

Bob

Well, I'm 67 and still hammering away at it. I hope I'm not one of those guys Boucher Jr. is talking about. I think I still do a pretty good job of driving the car, need to cut down on the red lights a bit. My top end driving is actually getting better.

Need to get off here and get out in the shop and get busy. Few more parts from Summit and I'll be thrashing again. Too many irons in the fire. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by Cashflow:
Well, I'm 67 and still hammering away at it. I hope I'm not one of those guys Boucher Jr. is talking about.

I'll line up against you any day of the week Cash, not that i'd want to. While I may have sounded a little cold blooded its not something that applys to me, boucher's dont get too old to drive. Pops is currently the world record holder for years lived at 55 though so we'll see. You never know...

Airline pilots are required to be tested in simulators every 6 months going through various emergencey situations. Obviously the technology is still too expensive, but thats what we need regardless of age.

Mike English quit racing something like 20 years ago. That tells you how old he really is! My guess 101!

65 and still love it. Keep racing as long as I can afford it. 41 years now. Just had my best year of racing at 65 so just starting I guess. Thanks for listening.

I think about this a lot, just can't bring myself to sell out for pennies on a dollar. My farm and pivot business has ramped up and I just can't get away like I used to. Probably just park and run the local stuff when I decide I'm done. JB

quote:

Originally posted by RPROGAS:
I try and stay Health. Every morning I walk a 1/2 mile, then run a 1/4 mile followed by another 1/2 mile walk an the last leg a 1/4mile run. It’s been 13 months since the last radiation treatment for cancer so getting back in shape has been a struggle.

That’s great recovery news Bob!! I hope you can keep the exercise regiment going. Never give up!!

quote:

Originally posted by RPROGAS:
I try and stay Health. Every morning I walk a 1/2 mile, then run a 1/4 mile followed by another 1/2 mile walk an the last leg a 1/4mile run. It’s been 13 months since the last radiation treatment for cancer so getting back in shape has been a struggle. When I can no longer keep up with that regiment, or feel that I am endangering the other Racer, I will give it up. I love racing, other than my Family, it has been the passion of my life.

I will be 78 in a couple of months, only Ferny is older than me and he’s still truckin’ along, I can’t let that old clogger outdo me!

Bob

Radiation and chemo, what an f-ing combo!

That being said, when I had my battle with cancer, I slowed my car down to 10.00 for my safety and my fellow racers safety, didn't see the need to go faster.

It was one of the best racing years of my life. Struggled to stay awake during the day, I was doing chemo at the track. I could hit the tree so darn consistently (footbraking) that it was incredible! I had two major issues though, staging, because I couldn't feel the bottom of my left foot, and top end driving, again, I would not really use the brakes by the stripe, just whomped it. I wanted to be safe.

I had a good friend and my wife help me every weekend. They cooled the car down, filled it with fuel, and had it ready for me all the time. I was always double entered (ran in two different classes) and sometime triple entered! Middle of summer I am freezing my knads off due to the chemo, kept the 5 layer suit on the entire day to try and stay warm.

So, if you still feel comfy in the car, do it. If you are doubting yourself, slow it down. If still unsure, let someone else drive.

Mike, I know what you mean, going 220mph in T/D has to be handled very carefully!

dang mike that's incredible story.I bet continuing on with your life and the racing helped you get through that rough time.

quote:

Originally posted by Boucher Jr:
At any given race anywhere across the country, more than half the field is in cars they shouldnt be in driving over their head just oblivious to their own lack of talent and common sense. How are they supposed to know when to quit driving if they never should have been in the first place? Point is, drag racing is the only motorsport in existance that requires money and no skill to get behind the wheel and racetracks need some sort of a way to verify the talent matches the et it shouldnt be up to the driver to decide what he feels like or wants to be driving. Connie Kalitta cant be everywhere at once he's not god.

That's a whole different topic, and not age related. I'm not speaking about anyone personally on this board, but years ago the vast majority of people racing had a mechanical background. They mostly built their own cars (from stuff out of a junk yard) They new how the stuff on their cars worked, and had the common sense that comes from having a mechanical background. These days way to many people who haven't even changed their own oil spend $$$$$ and buy a super fast car. What's even worse is when someone with no mechanical ability actually tries to work on their own car. (Assemble the $$$$ stuff they've bought) This results in drivers with no....common sense doing dumb stuff in cars. It also results in stuff "falling off" of cars. This results in new rules, which drive the cost of racing up even higher.

Regarding age, if you want to go race, go race. A 105 year old racer who's lost a step of 2 due to age is still safer than some of the bankers and lawyers who spend $$$$$$$$$ on super fast cars when they've never even driven anything faster than their Prius or Mini Cooper.