it is offical

[Boneman]

Its a generational thing. When guys like Jerry and I think of a racer who has "worked hard for it", we remember when that meant working a job every day, followed by long nights at the shop filled with fabricating, repairing and rebuilding. And it meant weekends at the track toiling in the sun, and not racing simulators in the air conditioned stacker while the paid mechanics did the work.

The way the game is played has changed. There are still racers who do it the old way, but they will be stuck at the hobby level. Can you name anyone who has worked their way to the top in recent years? I can't.

[linda]

no wonder people stay away from posting, i just personally wanted to say good luck to a great guy that comes from a great family who has worked hard at a job, on the race car and has raced his way from rookie truck, pro truck, late model and supers and has been marketing himself for a few years. these boys do work, his younger brother spent the first day of spring break mowing fields for 10 hours, what did other kids do, sleep till noon then play video games? sorry, i guess i wont share info on here.
Good Luck Ross!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Racefan99]

Its a generational thing. When guys like Jerry and I think of a racer who has "worked hard for it", we remember when that meant working a job every day, followed by long nights at the shop filled with fabricating, repairing and rebuilding. And it meant weekends at the track toiling in the sun, and not racing simulators in the air conditioned stacker while the paid mechanics did the work.

The way the game is played has changed. There are still racers who do it the old way, but they will be stuck at the hobby level. Can you name anyone who has worked their way to the top in recent years? I can't.

Well said.

We all know the reality of today's Nascar, and I wish Ross and his family the best of luck. I've seen him race many times, and I was cheering for him when he ran so well at O'Reilly Park last year. I only object to people posting on this thread saying this ride was "deserved" or "earned" through hard work. That's putting a little extra jam on the bread, to say the least, and a slam on those young drivers who don't have the family connections or resources to get them to the next level.

There are many drivers who have sacrificed everything they owned, and have won far, far more on the track, who will never get the opportunity, because their families didn't own a business that could take their racing to the next level. Troy Decaire and Doug Moff are two that come to mind. Both have won, and won, and won (multiple divisions, multiple tracks, multiple states). In Doug's case, his father died while he was still in high school. His family wasn't wealthy. In his early racing days, Doug would often come to the track alone (no crew). Despite these challenges, he overcame it with an incredible passion, and hard work. Troy gave up everything he knew to move to the Midwest a few years ago, with only a few dollars in his pocket. Yes, his father helped get him started, but Troy has sacrificied heavily, and still does, trying to make it.

I think that's what Jerry and others are saying, nothing more.

[ScottyMac]

Every Ride in NASCAR takes Money...BIG money!

So I'm not sure what the big deal is. Who in the world thinks someone who lives in Florida can just build a race team from scratch and try and be competetive? It's just more cost effective to rent a good ride, which Dotter's is, if you want to start a career in NASCAR, unless you have about $15 million laying around, and have access to a wind tunnel and about 25 crew members and some engineers, a shop in Charlotte, a seven post shaker rig, hauler and some office personnel, etc. that is.
Every ride is available if you have enough money to pay for it.....if you have the money, some team will find a position for you, it's that simple. No one from Dotter's, or any team that rents race cars, is EVER gonna pay someone to drive for them.....They eat and pay their bills from drivers wanting to rent THEIR ride.
I say good luck Ross, and make the most of it. It's an uphill battle, I don't care who you are.....unless you are Paul Menard, who will NEVER lose his ride. Make the best of each and every minute while you are there. And remember, it's not just about what you do on the track, it's your attitude and personality that can really take you to the next level. Sell yourself, your team, your crew and your sponsors. Sell, sell, sell!

[flvideo]

I will say I may have been a little harsh on Binner but in my mind he deserved it. He took a positive post that linda put up to congratulate a young man , that in my mind has paid his dues, And Binner turned it into an opputunity to blast Nascar or what ever. How do you think that young man would feel if he read that post? I don't care if that ride is a ride for hire or not. How many on here can say they raced on the high banks of Daytona. Man thats holy in our sport. As Scotty said how many have the millions to field a team in Nascar. I guess I am a little senistive to Ross because I have seen him race on many venues and he has talent. He has worked hard to be where he is and it irks me when anybody trys to take away from that. Jerry is certainly entitled to his opinion but where he expressed it is the problem. Have a nice day! Bob...

[carolwicks]

Linda!!!!

PLEASE dont stop posting. Your post was a good one. Why would you let any negativity win. thats why we lose things. because we have to have more courage to do what we KNOW is right. PLEASE continue to post whatever news you have that shines a bright light on the sport you love. People are going to disagree and they have that right.
alot gets lost in transition on the message boards. in reality Jerry is right. Racing is about $$$$$$...the ones with the most money of their own, or sponsorship, will climb the ladder!!! its a fact. and why would we be angry at someone who is fortunate enough to have some money. The Ross family have a huge business they have worked very hard at. They can spend their profits any way they want! Jerry just has a blunt way of saying things. he doesnt even know Ross so it was not a personal attack although i think he could have started a new post on his subject. You did right to promote Ross. DO NOT BACK OFF!!! i know you are tougher than that! you work so hard to bring us racing news and that is what JACK SMITH wanted to happen on this board...! Thats what most of us want! Hang in there!!!
Carol

[Bobby Diehl]

Everyone has their reason.

Linda I think its GREAT when you put something on here. You love the Sport and those who you come close too. Please don't let anyone controll what you love. Keep up the good stuff at PGS and keep on keeping us all up to date on our SPORT and its people!!!!

[cake]

Its a generational thing. When guys like Jerry and I think of a racer who has "worked hard for it", we remember when that meant working a job every day, followed by long nights at the shop filled with fabricating, repairing and rebuilding. And it meant weekends at the track toiling in the sun, and not racing simulators in the air conditioned stacker while the paid mechanics did the work.

The way the game is played has changed. There are still racers who do it the old way, but they will be stuck at the hobby level. Can you name anyone who has worked their way to the top in recent years? I can't.

Jon Wes Townley.

[Frasson118]

A couple who have made it all on their own, strictly with talent, are:

Carl Edwards
Kyle Busch
Kurt Busch
Jeff Gordon
Tony Stewart
Denny Hamlin
Ricky Stenhouse
Kasey Kahne
Marcos Ambrose
Ryan Newman

Jimmie Johnson
David Reutimann

Shall I continue.... There are more.

The point is, there are several who got to NASCAR strictly on talent. Not family
money, not bringing in their own sponsor.... guys that stood out as outstanding talent in whatever they happened to be driving. The guys who car owners look at and say "I want that guy for OUR team, before someone else gets him". Right now, Kyle Larson is that guy. His folks didn't buy his rides... car owners called HIM to say "drive my car this week"

It's kind of an easy blanket statement to say that none of the top guys get there without phat rich parents or a sponsor in pocket. Simply not true, although it does happen a LOT more than I'd like it to.

Outstanding accomplishments on short tracks can still get you there, but it sure ain't easy. Chase Elliot and Ross Kenseth are 2 guys I think kind of cross-over. These kids both have obvious connections, but there talents behind the wheel will get them to the top, not actually because of who their father is. They each win a ton of races, in different divisions, in several different states, against different talent on each stop they make. These two SHOULD get there, strictly on the talents they have.

Personally, I really respect the guys who can say "Roush called, and I'm going to NASCAR" ... at least a little more than the ones who say "Dad wrote the check... I'm going to NASCAR".

Again..... not a Chastain bash, just a different ballgame. Either you pay to play, or you GET paid to play.

[ScottyMac]

Notice a Trend?

Kahne's father was a successful sprint car driver and owned a very large lumber company which financed Kasey’s sprint car team that led to his Spint Cup success.

Steinhouse’s dad is an engine builder/tuner and owner of DynoTech Performance Race Engines.

Tom Busch was s a mechanic and later worked as a salesman for the Dwarf Car Company, Inc based in Pheonix, Arizona., of which Tom Busch is a 1993 champion Dwarf car driver.

Marcos' father Ross Ambrose, along with Ralph Firman Sr, co-founded Formula Ford chassis builder Van Diemen.

Most the drivers you mentioned were, or are drivers for 4 owners in the Cup series. Other than those extremely well funded teams, there aren't many, or any, who can field competitive programs in NASCAR. I hope kids across the country aren't waiting for the phone to ring from these guys without some type of solid racing connection.

I will say that both Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards did work very hard for their sucess without much help at all, eventhough Edwards cousin is Kenny Schrader who also helped with connections. Passing out homemade business cards at race tacks, then hitching a ride back home is hard core!

[MW68SS]

I hope Ross does impress and wish him the best of luck but Jerry is right in that you really can't say he earned this ride based on hard work and talent alone. If the ride had not been bought for him this Saturday his big plans would have been to win the 50 lap truck race at PGS. Not at all against Ross or his family for being able to afford it just it is irritating when it comes across like he did something special to earn it. I think part of the issue is what they went thru to get there, have they really paid there dues? Ross is what 20 years old or so just how many dues has he paid to get this ride. Just how dirty and greasy do these kids get now a days? Do there parents ever sit around and juggle bills to be able to buy tires for the weekend. Its dealing with things like that are what working hard and paying your dues is really all about.
I think if the post had said "Congrats on the ride Ross and good luck" then it wouldn't have hit Jerry so wrong and opened up this whole can.
Once again I wish Ross the best of luck and hope it works for him.

[Frasson118]

Scotty... I wasn't saying these guys don't have some bucks, and helped their kid get started. I was saying that not one of them was handed either a Truck, Busch or Cup ride by their parents money. Each was plucked out of lower divisions by car owners that saw the talents these guys had in the lower ranks.

I lot of comments had the "hasn't happened in 20 years" opinion, and I was merely pointing out that being an outstanding Short Track racer, still CAN get you to the top. Maybe with this chance, Ross will run impressively enough that some of the top owners in one of the top 3 series WILL take notice, and give the kid a shot at being a paid-professional race driver. Many times, the owners and crew chiefs "see something" in a particular driver that their results havent yet shown.

I followed Jimmie Johnsons path from ASA to Busch and on to Cup. I think he only had 1 win in each series before he was "noticed' by both Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick. I thought the guy was a no-talent hack that got lucky a few times. I couldn't have been more wrong, and they couldn't have been more right.

Exposure in front of the "right" people is invaluable............!

[UREZ2PASS]

So a family puts their son through medical school and in the end he becomes a doctor. Since he did not pay his dues by bagging groceries at night and paying his own way through school, would any of you be thinking less of him. When it comes to racing, I think there is a touch of jealousy by many because they did not have parents that could or would fund their racing career. We can't choose our parents can we. Ross is lucky enough to have parents that are able to support him in his racing ventures. I bet he appreciates his parents assistance and they are proud of their son. Good luck to them ! I wish I had parents like that !

[fred23]

This is NASCAR racing today........no way around it.......the days of even the big teams paying out big bucks to kids to develop in latemodels and ARCA etc are pretty much over.......yes, I know there are a couple but it is not like a few years back,,,,,,,the extra money has dried up.......

IF any of us had the money, we could stroll in to Dotter or whoever has a rent a ride team and go racing.......

Don't blame the kid for getting the chance and hopefully doing well......when opportunity knocks.......kick in the door!

[Winger]

So a family puts their son through medical school and in the end he becomes a doctor. Since he did not pay his dues by bagging groceries at night and paying his own way through school, would any of you be thinking less of him. When it comes to racing, I think there is a touch of jealousy by many because they did not have parents that could or would fund their racing career. We can't choose our parents can we. Ross is lucky enough to have parents that are able to support him in his racing ventures. I bet he appreciates his parents assistance and they are proud of their son. Good luck to them ! I wish I had parents like that !

I think a more accurate comparison would be having the kids parents make a large contribution to the university so the kid does not have to attend all the classes but he still ends up with the same diploma as the kids that did.