Am a bit distraught after yesterday's race meet. Was last race of the points chase for the first half, having missed a few when I destroyed my 331 engine, was not in contention anyway. Over 75 Pro/noE cars show up for the $1000 purse, running 1000ft, I beat a 68 Camaro by forcing him to drive it out the back door and breakout. Second round is another 68 that runs 7:40's, I dial the Fairmont at 9:63 with my 302 against the Cheby 408. Got him covered at the 1/8th but the big block is coming fast so I keep my foot in it and breakout by .003, he runs two over his dial. Pay the 20.00 buy back and go for it, worst light has been a .557 but when the wheel is spun I draw my youngest son in his 84 stang running one of my old 302's also. He is tied for 11th place in points so I tell him that I might red light and let him have the win. He says nothing but changes his dial to match mine,9:61. This was ticking me off because of the fact that he had been running 65's and just wanted to make this a grudge match race seeing who could get the better light. In a earlier post I explained how we matched once before and I kicked his butt for which he verbally chastised me for not letting him win. Well now the red light idea is history and I am going to go for it, I hit a 44 light and he sleeps with a .609, life is good for me. At 1/8th my parental judgement enters the brain waves and I say's "oh hell" let him have it and maybe he can keep going and finish high in the top ten. I pedal the gas and let him by. Back in the pits I am now mad at myself for doing it and tell him thats the first and last time he gets a free one from me, after all I am 64 and he is 20, he should be giving any freebies to me. Anyway he goes all the way to quarter finals and dials one too soft and breaks out by another .003 like I did. Racing is fun but winning is the reward for 50+ yrs of it and I am now mad at myself for the give away. Mavman's alcohol conversion was eractic in the windsor powered 75 Mav and he won a couple rounds but the consistency was not there later on. Something is wrong with the fuel flow, was running 6:40's in the 1/8th but then went to hell in a hand basket. Will get it right before next meet. Still don't know if you guys would have done the same for your kids if the situation arose? Hate losing but still proud when they win, oh well life is not easy sometimes.
Dave it's just hard to say until your faced with the situation, there will come a time when I have to go up against my oldest. I think he would be disappointed in me if I "let" him win. Nothing gives a kid more satisfaction knowing that he beat his old man fair and square and nothing makes a Dad prouder than him doing it. I think if I did let him win I surely wouldn't tell him. So when the time comes that I look across the line and see him and he looks at me he knows his Dad is fixing to give it all he has and if he wins a pat on the back and a "well done" goes farther than "I let you win". Friendly competition between a Father and a Son is a good thing, it only serves to strengthen that bond.
gotta agree with riporter. even if it was a championship on the line. it wouldn't mean as much unless he won it fair & square. (or at least thought he had?) isn't being a parent great. sometimes we have to bite the bullet. by the way after an .018 and a .035 light on sat night i went red by .005 to go out in the 3rd round. my buddy pitted nrxt to me in another maverick won his class.
I woulda made him run for it....but then again, I'm the brother. With that .609 he was toast before he even got 5 feet against my lights yesterday...though if I ever get the consistency that everyone promises with the toilet/alky it'll be deadly. 2 .509's 1 .503..and a couple of throwaways. I like it
from the time chris was small he got to win. if we ran across the yard, racing him on his tricycle or anything else we competed in. now he is 17 and the line has moved up. if he wins at anything we do it is because "he" won. he wants to run my mav. heads up. i just remind him that i am the mechanic on both cars so a win want happen... guess what... now he does his on work so i can't mess up anything. i think he is subing out some of the tuning work.(m.a.v.) at least he has learned to go to the best .he learned that from me, that's where i go...frank...
yeah that is a tough one. hmmmmm I have one that is 11 and one 5. When they compete against dad now,,,,,,they always win. Now when the time comes and its race time at the track, who knows. I think they would want my "A" game. I do not think they would want me to let them win.....in the same turn I would not want them to let me win. If they beat me....they beat me, that just gives me the chance to say "you had a good teacher!" if I beat them, that gives me the chance to say "I taught you everything you know, not everything I know". Situation would dictate throwing a race.....if you are in the points hunt and I am not. Maybe I let you win after I "tree" you real good....which is what Old Guy did. I guess I will "feel your pain" at some point in my life......part of me is looking forward to it(Lining up against one of my kids would have to be a very cool feeling) and part of me is not (what if the little FART beats me?) Great read as always Dave, Thanks. p.s. You got him!
Thanks for all the input guys, guess I should maybe explain a little more on the subject. Back in 91 when we first built the Maverick, the youngest boy was 7 and went to all the races with us. Todd was driving and I was engine builder/crew chief, Dave Jr. was the pit crew/go-for guy. Over the following years, we as a team, and driving abilities of "The Mavman", won numerous rounds and top ten point series, along with several runner-up and finally track championship along with some very high dollar pay-offs. One I remember most was on fathers day a few years back, when the 2000.00 purse was won by Mavman and I could not have been prouder. When Jr. got a little older he showed some great skill at riding dirt bikes and four wheelers, so when the beginners driving permit came around, he showed some sense of driving knowlege on the street. Decided to give im a try at drag racing, built the 78 Fairmont together and using a mild 302, took him to tnt one night. Told the track owner to allow us a single run in case he screwed up. I had run it a time or two before and turned in some high ten numbers. I gave Jr. some pointers and sent him to the line, he looked as if he had been doing it all along, ran the same ET as I had, straight as an arrow. Started racing the next week and at 15yrs old, finished 7th in the points. Fall came and deer season was his choice so he gave the seat up to me. Big Mistake!, I was back and he never got to race in compitition again, in the Fairmont. ATV races etc. he won, and finally decided to build his own car, the 84 Stang he traded his 66 F100 for. Used a spare 302 I had and we were all back as a team with three racers, you might say. Each of us trying to win and keep our reputation as such, up to our expectations. The Mavmans recent rebuilding and extensive upgrading, put him a bit behind in this years schedule of points races. I also had some bad luck blowing the 331 right off the bat, so the legacy was left up to Jr. to try and make the top ten. Struggling with some tuning problems and his lack of funds, he out drove most of the compitition with skill and a lot of "Luck". Anyway that team spirit was part of my decision to lift on him and let the lad have the win. Actually I feel I still won as far as the team effort goes, plus he got his days expenses back too. Kind of like Waltrip pushing Dale Jr. to a win at one of the Nascar races. Would not have even entered my mind to purposely lose if the situation had been different. He has beaten me fairly many times and won a bunch of other races on his own. The old days are gone and with the caliber of racers out there now, limited budget racing, sometimes requires some different strategy's. Having fun and doing things you enjoy together with family and friends is priority one. I will run up against him and Mavman again and try to kick butt, but also weigh the situation at hand. In fact, I would do the same for any of our racing friends who needed the boost to get in the points or such, unless I was in the hunt. I have had my day in the winners circles, so it is nice to see others get there too, (had more days in the losers line as well). End of story till next time. Being a dad is the hardest job on earth, always wondering if you are doing the right thing, but would not trade it for nuthin.
