Please Read- Thoughts from a racer... more on the serious side.

[CDaleChick]

If you don't read my race reports or post much or just scan over them, this is the one to read. If you don't understand about why I race or why I do what I do then read. It makes you think, it makes you understand, and it also makes you not take me for granted. Here is a article I read about a fellow racer:

READ THIS ARTICLE BEFORE GOING ON

Now you wonder why I race...and why this guy raced. Simple... we love to do it. We love it with all of our hearts. Enough to lay our life down for the thing we love to do the most. Not many people who play regular sports or do "normal everyday things" can truly say they lay their life on the line every single time they do whatever it is they do. Some call us motocross racers crazy and reckless. No, we just have a STRONG passion about the sport. We want to see it grow. We strive everyday to be the best we actually can be. We wreck, we break bones, we go broke, we cry, we laugh, we make lifelong friends, we feel on top of the world, we love the adrenaline, we think we are the best no matter what, we believe in ourself, we help others, we stick together. WE LOVE IT.

My parents wonder every single day how their 20 year old daughter can be a crazy motocross racer. How instead of going out, I stay at home so I can get rest the night before a race. They wonder why I do it. They wonder why I save every penny I ever see just to have enough to pay my entry fees. They don't understand. They like most others, just see the danger. Why not race? Well...Why not live? If I didn't race, I would go through life without truly living. When you do the thing you are the most passionate about, you are truly living. Brandon Bracken truly lived, just like me and several of you racers out there.

A lot of you all know that I had a very serious wreck a couple of months ago. I broke my foot in 8 places. I had to go to specialist and I am still limping around barely getting by. Guess what? As soon as I can, I will be back on the track tearing it up. Will I go easy? No..why should I cheat myself? Why should I stop doing the thing I love to do just to conform to what others think I should do. "Whats best for me." Well for your info everyone, whats best for me is to love what I do.

So you are probably still thinking I am crazy because here is this article about this guy that got killed racing a quad. Well, to be honest with you... he died happy. He died doing the thing he loved. If I go out in the same form, I will die happy. Be happy for me. Don't be scared for me. Be happy that I found the thing I love to do. Everytime I wreck or go to the ER and walk out- just think you have more time to spend with me, more time to hear me talk about how broke I am because my "darn quad is too expensive."

We racers don't like to hear how we are "stupid wreckless crazy idiots" just running around out there on some "dirt track." We don't need to hear it. We need moral support from friends and family. We need people to be proud of us. We know the risks of racing, we know the consequences it can cause us. We are adults and can make our decisions. We don't need you to tell us to quit. We don't need you to tell us it is too expensive or a waste of time. What we do need for you to do is show up and watch us at times, come hang out in the garage when we stay up all hours of the night working on our "expensive quads." Instead of saying we are stupid, say we are athletes.

Yeah, so we don't get money out of it. It prevents you from going to school or work. It takes all of your time away. You get hurt then you drop classes or lose your job. It's ok, I don't need the lectures. I don't need to hear it. I know what I am doing. I am doing the thing I love.

Yes accidents do happen, yes we can't always control what happens. I picked a dangerous sport. It is what drives me to want to live life to the fullest extent. The seconds I am out at the track have got to be the best I ever spend. Be proud of me. Love what I do instead of going against it. Why try to get me to quit? It's the thing that makes life worth living for. Don't take that away from me.

So, before you people keep going on and thinking badly us us "hooligan MX racers"..... Well we are just doing what we love to do just like everyone else out there in the world. Is that so bad? Think about it.

Anyways...there is some serious stuff for you guys to ponder on during work! Just thought I would share something with you all other than my normal posts.

[DMAC10]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I can't agree with you more.


I'm 45 years young and love to race MX or GNCC. My wife says I'm to old, but I'm still out there. Am I as fast as I once was? NO:mad:

But I'm still having fun on the track or in the woods. Its a sport that you must participate in to understand why we do it. There's no money or glory in it, so are we crazy, in some manner YES, but its something we love.

The friends and memories will last forever.

Good luck on your rehab and enjoy life while you can:usa :head:

[cannondale27]

You got it girl:clap: Racing is much more than racing.Whether on track or trail those that dont do it could never understand.I personally am looking forward to retirement from my job so I can run a whole series again.

[CDaleChick]

like a few months ago my father told me i was too old to be having fun. He said I should be working and going to school only and thats it. That its time for me to not have anymore fun, and he was being dead serious. Im only 20 yrs old!

[badvox]

:clap:

[kdeal]

Did you show your parents the article and what you wrote in this forum above? I think the words you wrote may help them understand your drive and desire. Good luck, and get well soon.

:clap:

[Happyboy]

very well said. :clap:

[haydug]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

That is NICE! I am printing this to show my wife, wonder if she will understand?

[dalewannbe]

This accident happened 25 minutes away from my house. I would see Brandon's name is my AMA magazine a lot and he was an up and comer. I've never been to the track because I've heard it not quad friendly. Well back to context of this post.

I'll be racing again this weekend after cracking my frame in 3 spots last weekend. Initially I thought is was an omen to end this racing season. But for most the reasons you stated, I'll be racing this Sunday.

Good post cdalechick.

[cdalemx301]

I don't think that could have put any better. It describes every racer perfectly. There is no better way to live life IMO. Racing is a way of life for many people and so many people just don't understand that. I am putting a link to this thread in my profile.