Since having to sell out my HO stuff a few months ago I've been slowly recovering some of my financial security and pursuing 1/32 scale racing to a small degree. Most of my racing has been through invitations to other events, and this weekend I finally got a taste of some real large scale promoting and events. But this morning it made me realize that it will be years before I'm in a position to once again become a racing promoter in my currently selected scale.

With HO setting up a decent track took just one half of my old two car garage. I had a nice one mile scale 4 lane, and a 1/4 mile oval, and a drag strip at one time. About a year ago when I joined this forum it had been narrowed down to just an oval but I was beginning to do bodies and other things in HO. My last series I was able to promote was a nice 12 race HO open wheel series, and then the rug was pulled out. Financially and emotionally.

But now that I'm getting more and more involved in 1/32nd scale I've been struggling to learn what I can so that I can launch my own series. Yesterday I learned that without a $3000 track and enough room to make a decent sized layout that isn't going to happen. And after breakfast this morning with some of the old friends I talked to the night before I realized that I am just a racer now. But one that is valued enough to be "signed" to a team now.

Starting in November I will be driving for Garrison Audi Gulf/Brocade Racing, which will now be called GM/Audi Gulf Racing. I will be building a new A4 DTM in the familiar Gulf paint as well as either a Carrera R10 or an SCX R8, also in Gulf paint. Patto's decals are on the way, the cars will be ordered this week. Up for sale are my TVR's and my F360, both of which I carved a bit of a reputation with in this scale. For the next 5 months at least I'll be behind the "rings" of the German race team.

For now I've put my track plans on hold, except to set up a test track to tune my Audi's. Eventually I'll have two DTM's and two prototypes, in the familiar light blue and orange. But my days as a racing promoter, barring hitting the lottery, are pretty much over. Now, I'm just a driver. What a relief.

I don't think you need to stop having the idea to promote. you do a great job at setting thigns up, and as you learn about this class of car you'll learn how to do things differently than those you're racing with now. Mark Garrison is a great racer but he is going to bleed you dry painting the cars and building things for him. Once you get a series under your belt go it alone or find another rookie to run with. I also don't think you need 160' of 4 lane to make a series. There are enough grass roots guys willing to run on 2 lane, 50' tracks with 12' main straights as long as the program is good. Run what you want to, not what people tell you to run.

Hey Pete!

(Guess I should have read up here before posting in the other post, but, oh well, finally found the details. - HA!)

It's always good to hear when people find themselves or find where they are supposed to be in a hobby, work, career, and life. When you hit the groove it just clicks and makes sense. Sounds like you are enjoying things and that's what matters, especially if you think its a relief to be a racer and not a promoter right now. Anything that seems like "work" does not sound like you are having fun or on the right track. As Martin says, don't give up on the idea, but at the same time, make sure you are still passionately having fun at promoting before investing time, way before money.

And yes, as Martin states, there are always plenty of grass roots guys with home tracks that are willing to bring their portions of tracks together to create a racing series. Rotating from garage to garage or house to house doesn't matter so much to those individuals as they are just looking for the same thing that we find at the "static" tracks - friends to race with in this hobby we enjoy. So definitely don't be too concerned about the size - if all you have is a 12' oval, its better than nothing.

Have fun!
PD2:thumbsup:

The grass roots guys care more for scoring and the program than they do the tracks. I have about 50' of track now, more than I have room to lay out. With the weather turning cold and wet in the next couple of weeks local racing indoors will take the place of the RC racing at the local hobby shop. My track will be set up around Thanksgiving with an electronic lap counter and timer, and the program from my HO series will be used.