[GNC Rick]

To whom it may concern,

I've been a member of this site off and on for more than 10 years. I've been dealing with some personal problems as of late, like the last 2 years lol. Anyway, I can't believe the lack of interest , member involvement and general lack of activity or traffic on this site. Where did everyone go ? Is there another forum I don't know about. I'm greatly disappointed by this development and if anyone can shed some light on the subject, I would appreciate it. Thanks...

[JimMueller]

I think it's part of the natural course of things. For the regulars, people's lives and interests change. Many of the regulars from when I first joined have seemed to disappear... Nape, Jon, Sean, Sam, Randy, and Mitch come to mind, and a certain mouse of ill repute. For me, most of my car is now built except for gremlins due to age, so I have less questions to ask but I do try to catch up at least once a week. I wish it would be easier for me to travel to meet the remaining regulars before we thin out even further.

Those just getting into the car scene are more likely to look for support on social media resources such as Facebook than traditional web forums, just like people migrated from dial-up BBS's, Fidonet, and Gopher to the internet to look for information. I personally despise the social media groups as the same crap gets regurgitated over and over... there isn't a history or a search engine.

Off the top of my head I only know one person here who has a Camaro newer than a 2002, and I don't know what specific value this forum would offer to owners of the later platforms. The forum isn't really advertised, and I understand there are extra steps to become a member due to prior challenges. As such, membership still has its privileges. I will still dig through threads from the early 2000's looking for information posted by JonA, for example.

[nape]

...Many of the regulars from when I first joined have seemed to disappear... Nape, Jon, Sean, Sam, Randy, and Mitch come to mind, and a certain mouse of ill repute.

Yeah, just a lot less time available these days. Since the "old days", I've got married, bought a house, got a dog, had two boys (well, my wife did (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ). I was still racing, just less than before. Still have the American Iron car, still fast. I finally got started putting my CMC car together spring 2018. It's probably 30% complete. I ran 4 events last year then work got busy in August and stayed that way through the end of the year.

Then, this spring, we bought a fixer-upper house with enough room for me to build a shop in the back. While fixing it up, found MASSIVE termite damage. Kitchen and bath remodel turned into a complete gut and a bunch of ship-in-a-bottle type wall replacement.

So, my life has been work, work on the house, and family 7 days a week since March. No racing this year and the house is probably going to eat the shop fund and it'll probably be almost summer next year before it's move-in ready. Don't worry though, work has got crazy busy again and I've been 5/10s to 6/12s (might go 7/12s (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) ), 80-120 miles away for about the last 8 weeks. Make hay while the sun shines, I'll sleep when I'm dead, etc.

My uncle passed away last year, but something he told me when I first started doing HPDE still rings true about racing, and this board: "Take time off if you have to. It (racing) might be different than when you left, but it'll always be there."