LKS,
You're in luck. The SCCA is running their national championship races - heretofore referred to as the Runoffs - this coming weekend, Oct. 13,14 & 15, at Heartland Park in Topeka. The best racing will be the GT and Production races. There are 23 races run over the weekend and the winner is the national champion of their particular class. Great racing and atmosphere, you can wander all over the paddock and check out the racecars and talk to the racers. This is the first of three years for the Runoffs at HRP. Rain or shine, they will be racing.

Life is great - got my first two wins last weekend at IRP, and my son is home for two weeks today from Iraq! God is great.

Good news about your son. Hope you all have a fun time together.

Probably won't make it to Topeka for the races. I'll be up there the following weekend it seems, so can't justify the additional trip. Oh well, maybe next year.

It is great having the Runoffs in Kansas for a few years.

Wow, and you guys like autoracing too?
I `ve had the chance to attend 2 Cart Races so far, 1995 Molson Indy Toronto, Where I got Emo Fittipaldy to scratch his name on my prog , which I still have.
And last July I took my Family to Edmonton for the Grand Prix. Took My 3 year old to see some of the cascar(Canadian stock car)event and scout out my seats. The main event I watched with my 8 year old while my wife was very happy to let us indulge in our Motorhead weekend.I let her go to BNL concerts while i stay with the kids.
I live 10 minutes away from our local track and I am flirting with the idea of putting together some type of a racing machine to tiker on with my boys.

Pat

Pat,
I've been a gearhead since the day I was born. Raised in Indianapolis (Mecca of Motorsports) and went to my first 500 in '65, have been to 32 of them since. Made it to one Brickyard 400 - boring, wrong type of track for stockcars - and three of the F1 races there.

I started racing go-karts at the tender age of 45, raced them for a couple of years and sold that equipment then bought my current racecar. I race in the SCCA's Improved Touring class which allows minor engine tweaks and a number of suspension modifications. I raced six times last year and hope to race double that in '07. Karting is relatively inexpensive so you might consider starting there. Kids as young as five can compete in karting, which makes it a good starting point. A lot of the racers you know about got started in karting.

A wise sage in racing once gave the following morsel of wisdom. "How do you make a small fortune in racing? Start with a large one." Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go? You can go have a lot of fun racing on a modest budget with the right attitude and realistic expectations. I know guys who buy the latest, greatest gofast widget/whatnot and still are midpack runners and always will be. One other piece of advice - Don't cheat, ever. It isn't worth it as you are more than likely going to be racing for a $3 plastic trophy for awhile. If you cheat, what satisfaction is derived in victory knowing your racer isn't legal? Your competitors will know it also. Beat 'em fair and square, it's a lot more satisfying.

I've blathered long enough. Do your homework, talk to folks who race, and if you get into the sport - enjoy it.