STAY BEHIND THE WHEEL
Many race drivers retire too soon. Some not soon enough. A lot depends on level of racing, expense and sponsors. And of course desire. No matter. Stay behind the wheel long as possible. This advice can also be used as a metaphor.
My shrink friend Chris Holley back a few years told me, “Jim, whether it is a seven mile an hour garden tractor or a 200 mph race car, you are happiest behind the wheel.” It dawned on me later as I recalled his words. The man was correct.
How do you know when to give up your seat? That question could be different for all. A football player example would be comparing Broadway Joe Namath with Tom Brady.
The smart way to hang up the driver fire suit or football equipment etc. is when you are on top of the game. And importantly, affordability comes into play both ways. Can you afford to still drive or play ball or cannot afford not to?
Which brings my ramblings to my own situation. I never had major dollars behind me. But even after I retired from Pro mod competition and sold my contemporary ride, From 2000 to 2012 ,I still could book my old Pro Stock from the 80s for vintage match races , that ironically paid pretty well. So I booked a couple to 4 a year to supplement our income.
So it goes. I hung it up for good in 2012. There were too many problems. Like forgetting to plug in the cooling fan for two outings. Not realizing new batteries were needed. My foot slipping off throttle pedal Etc. My car Zeke and I were tired. WE both needed to be refreshed. Or retire.
I always say, “Everything ends”. It may not end the way you wanted. But it ends. My ending sucked. I went one booking too long. It still haunts me.
Some racers I admire for quitting fairly young and on top are Jackie Stewart, Ron Colson, Bob Olson. Those that stayed with it are Arnie Beswick, John Force, Wayne Torkelson, Bill Neri, Animal Jim. Etc.
When Folks call my time drag racing as a professional a “HOBBY” that riles me up. It may have been a hobby for some. For me and Linda it was far from a hobby. Linda was my team manager and she kept tract of the money and we made a living drag racing. The Animal Jim Racing program was a serious business.
We made some money with Animal Jim memorabilia. Selling Animal Jim T shirts, hats ,hat pins, sweat shirts etc. Linda even hand made wild graphic sweat shirts with her own label. “ANIMAL WEAR”.
We also had the Lacon ( little home town) hands on First National Bank boasting live tellers and staff in our corner. That started about 1989. We needed to update.
But we needed cash. Linda went to the Lacon bank with a stack of future match race contracts and several magazines featuring Animal Jim. The bank stepped right up and loaned us whatever we needed from then on. As long as we paid interest the bank would renew our loans annually. And we always paid back the loans. After every successful outing, Linda would keep the cash we needed and take the rest to pay on the bank loans .
Linda and I were a team. Several times we jumped off the cliff of opportunity hoping to grow financial wings on the way down. Somehow we always did.
I often wonder what it would have been like to have a major full ride. Our race crew was mostly volunteers, which we much appreciated. But there were a few times it was just Linda and I, and sometimes only me. I recall an Oct. race in Canada in 1981. Linda was teaching school of course I went alone. I recruited a couple fans to help.
Now at 82 I make a few close to home cruises with my 64 R code Galaxie ;with my son in law Doug Fennell’s help. For farther ones I use my 2005 GTO. It has now become a classic due partly to it’s rarity.
My Linda Lou loved all racing . But not car shows and cruises. A current post on Face Book shows my now late Linda Lou in the passenger seat of our 64 Galaxie as we are leaving the cruise at the Oglesby ,Il root beer stand. A rare picture indeed. That picture was 5 years ago.
Any way getting back to the topic of my rambling, heed Dr. Holley’s observation. Stay behind the wheel long as possible. Even if it is a 7 mph mower.
Oct 2023 Animal Stories. By Animal Jim Feure
Epilog:
For those not informed, my precious Linda Lou went to school teacher heaven Aug. 24, 2023. Linda was 81 and taught school right to the end. In fact right after she died the funeral director was our home. The phone rang. It was a local school wanting to hire Linda as a sub. She commanded a Job even after she died! In the haunting lyrics of Frank Sinatra, My angel eyes are gone.
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