Mechanical Bull or Drugstore Pony?

It amazes me the lack of "smarts" used when entering a particular division at the race track. Most of the time, the racers are young, mom and dad are the ones putting out the entry fee. Mom and dad are the ones thinking if it costs the same for Pro as it does Am and we can get "rich" in the Pro division, let's put little Ricky in that class.

Just because you can drink a Red Bull doesn't mean you can ride one. Wake up people. There is a difference between Pro and Am, that's why they have both divisions.

If little Ricky can't drive a car yet, should he even consider being put in with the fast class? Ask yourself a few questions before entering Pro...

• Do I own an AMA or ATVA card?
• Have I done any promotion for myself, the track or the series in the past month?
• When I go to the parts desk at my local Honda shop, do I automatically get the "racers discount" without even filling out a request?

Depending on how you answer those questions, should direct you to the right pay window. Maybe just think about this, how many years of racing does little Ricky have under his boots?

The first time I entered the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, it required a race resume and an application to race 5 months before the race date. Invitation to play was not automatic. You had to qualify before you were allowed to appear. Maybe some local tracks should consider their liability beyond the waiver.

During the 2007 Baja 1000, a helicopter carrying a crew covering the race and specifically one team, crashed when the landing gear tangled in power lines. Two passengers were killed, two were injured. The plot thickened overnight, when the two that died were stolen from the morgue by a gang of bandits (or is it banditos?). Long story short, druglords were involved and the gunfight was nasty. At first, the report was that the race promoter, Sal Fish, was going to be held responsible for the civilian deaths that occurred.

Now that last part has nothing to do with which class to enter but I wanted to say something to track responsibility. Want a good clean race, watch what you do at the entry window. Observe what's going on and if needed, make a suggestion to the responsible person on whether to ride the Mechanical Bull or the Drugstore Pony. It's not the same class.