Why is it that when someoine retires from club racine everybody forgets him? Even if he was forced into it against what he wanted to do. Just looking for what everybody has to say.
Sorry fastone, the king is dead;LONG LIVE THE KING! Why'd you leave? Will you be around the circuit? One answer might be out of sight out of mind.
The reason is simple. In 5 years of racing I've seen it very clearly. Our sport has a very rapid turnover of participants. Going into my sixth year, I'm a member of the "Old Guard" now. Most of the guys at the track are only in their second or third year, and may not stay as long as I have. Anyone who retired seven years ago never existed for me, and guys who retired two years ago don't exist for many of my friends. Sucks, but there it is.
Your racing fame may be fleeting and recalled only among those you competed with, but you can endure by seeking a position as an official. We are always looking for ex or retired racers.
I agree with Kris.I have been doing this for six years now and have seen so many people come and go.I think the main reason for the come and go crowd is the new racers on the scene fast relize how much money they are spending.Unless you win a couple of #1 plates you will not really stand out or be remembered.
Here in the MW region I can think of people I raced with in the middle/late 90's that either had the #1 plate (Ken Krebs and Ron Foye) or set a track record (Scott Dietrich), yet not too many people know who they are.
You can even look at someone like Mick Doohan who was at the top of GP racing only a few years ago (for how many years?), yet I am constantly amazed at how many people don't know who he is.
I was talking to Jamie James at RA last year. He said very few fans today know who he is.
But if you're Dale Earhardt...
But Dale never retired...
Who stays involved?
Tom Mason put a Superbike on the front row of an AMA National Superbike event. How many people know that?
Press problems are usually a big thing.
People still know Freddie Spencer, but wasn't Bob Starr working under Honda then just pounding the press with Freddie and the CB900F?
Doohan might not have the following here, but you can well bet that the actual fans in other countries recognize him and what he did.
When Ed Key returned to motorcycle racing, I knew who he was...but others didn't.
Certainly, when I returned to regularly racing at Blackhawk in 1999, people didn't know who I was. I never spent much time at Blackhawk when I lived in the Milwaukee area because when I moved to the area, I was doing AMA Pro stuff and then racing AHRMA events Nationally for bike owners.
What's too bad is that racers that were pretty involved just go away...They don't seek out anyone to help, even if it's just with knowledge...but then again, do any riders seek that? If they did, my schools for racers should be full all the time.
And as for #1 plate holders...
At the banquet this January, I though it was funny that Kevin Elliott recognized other former number one plate holders, but he forgot about mine...
Doesn't help a whole lot with sponsorship anyway. I had good help for a real effort into AMA racing before I had a #1 plate.
I valued my #11 ranking in the 1993 AMA National 750 Supersport Series championship almost as much as my #1 plate...I was riding a 600... ;D
Speaking of retiring Dave :o