Having substantial money also allows us to have a better looking girlfriend or wife (or both). Rich old ugly guys can do very well in this regard. Poor old ugly guys, however, are just out of luck.

Having money allows us to go to Hawaii every year if we want to, or to go on that ski trip to Aspen or Heavenly Valley, and to have a nice car to cruise around in (while keeping an eye out for that better looking girlfriend.)

Having money is also important if we like to go drag racing. Unless drag racing is a profession with you, and drag racing is the way you earn your living, having substantial money (sometimes erroneously referred to as "disposable income") is as essential as having oil in the pan.

I don’t need to tell any of you that building and maintaining a drag car and going drag racing is expensive. Always has been and always will be. But, having said that, I am now going to make a personal, unsolicited and "politically incorrect" statement.

Money is ruining sportsman drag racing.

In my opinion, big payouts and big money events have screwed up our sport. Many sportsman racers are now making decisions as to where to race based solely on how much money is up for grabs. We have now created a group of participants that are thinking more like accountants than racers. "Bottom line" or "return on investment" are not terms that sportsman drag racers should be using.

These terms relate to money, not drag racing. Here is the bottom line - if it isn’t fun to do, don’t do it. Here is my take on "return on investment." There is no return on investment. If you can’t afford to go drag racing, don’t do it. You won’t make money in sportsman drag racing for the most part, unless you have a ton of money to start with.

When I take my annual two-week summer vacation at Lake Tahoe, it costs money. But, what the hell, I have a good time up there, relaxing and so forth. I see old friends, hang out at the beach, do a little boating and hike around in the forest. I never think of this experience from the standpoint of getting a "return on investment." I do it for two reasons. First, I can afford it, and second, I enjoy it.

That’s the way that sportsman drag racing should be.

If money is your primary goal, my advice is to either get into professional drag racing (find a sponsor to pick up the tab on your car and pay you a salary) or get a better paying job.