17 replies to this topic

[LarryKing]

I'm sure all you married fellows are justifiably proud of your wife. How many of them have helped you remove and replace the engine in your SM? Props to Squirrel for all her help this weekend - and I'm not just talking tool caddy - she was turning wrenches and wrestling the engine in place right along with me.

[Jim Drago]

That is awesome! 

[Bench Racer]

Squirrel is a keeper. Sharing and caring and all the other good stuff.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

_{I would add that i will gladly thank my wife for always helping me when needed gettign ready for a race, but also for never wrenching on my car, yet always being willing to support my sickness called auto racing...}

[Todd Tagget]

This thread is worthless without pics!!

[Tom Sager]

I've always said that there are 3 levels of spousal (or girlfriend/boyfriend) support.

 

Level 0 = "No way are you racing".  "You must be crazy, You have kids, Forget it".  This is the vast majority of the US population.  

Level 1 = You get the green flag to participate but don't expect your significant other to be there or help much or show much interest.  This is what most racers have.

Level 2 =  What Moose has.  This is rare from what I've seen.  A spouse that helps, wants to there and is genuinely interested in the results is hard to come by.  

 

My wife is interested a long as...

 

The temperature is above 70 degrees and the chance of rain in near zero.

She thinks I have a chance to do well.

It's not more than a 3 hour drive to the track

The hotel is nice

She's not missing some other important social event with the non-racing neighbors

[Qik Nip]

Like Moose I am truly blessed. With one exception my wife / crewchief has been at every race for ten straight years. She puts up with (and often cooks for) my looney racing friends, mans the radio, keeps me straight and even kicks me in the mental butt if I start whining about tires goiung away in the middle of a race. That said, she's never shown up in the garage to help with the wrenching, so Moose has me! Rick

[Jim Creighton]

You are missing the top level, a wife who also races. My wife, Toni, who many know as SEDiv licensing Admin, a Steward and past Runoffs Tech Chief raced her HP car from 1971 through 1998 making 18 Runoffs appearances and has a bunch of Division Championships. She actually raced for 4 years before I got my license. It meant that we had drivers suits, new helmets, billet crankshafts, etc, under the Christmas tree and rather than all that mussy stuff for Valentines Day, she always got a new set of Goodyears slicks.

 

Not sure what level you put that at, but it sure was a blast. And we are still living the dream! Already been to three races in 2013 and it's only Feb 11th.

[LarryKing]

Wife races too - that's why I encourage her to help - so she has some "skin in the game", so to speak.

[Michael Novak]

Mine as well- races and helps and sends the checks for visa....

Fyi. A diff is too heavy for most. She did save the diff on the way down and her finger took the brunt of it when it and the ppt frame hit the floor.

[Danny Steyn]

Here's to our awesome wives - they seldom get the full respect they deserve. So thrilled that Kim loves the racing. If she has a commitment and cannot attend she is bummed out for weeks. 

[Jim Drago]

 

My wife is interested a long as...

 

The temperature is above 70 degrees and the chance of rain in near zero.

She thinks I have a chance to do well.

It's not more than a 3 hour drive to the track

The hotel is nice

She's not missing some other important social event with the non-racing neighbors

 

 

Ill add.. 

It has to be a nice track and or nice area... No way my wife is coming back to Topeka, never was brave enough to bring her to Hallett

Other wives or girlfriends is a big plus

Good restaurants and wine

And of course, regardless of how busy you are, I better make time for her, and she is one of the easy ones  

[Bench Racer]

I have at the race track observed Mrs. Steyn and Mrs. Drago and they are both very easy on the eyes.

[Blake Thompson]

I'm sure all you married fellows are justifiably proud of your wife. How many of them have helped you remove and replace the engine in your SM? Props to Squirrel for all her help this weekend - and I'm not just talking tool caddy - she was turning wrenches and wrestling the engine in place right along with me.

 

 

 

Mine won the wheel to wheel driver of the year this year

 

She's quick.

 

 

[Blake Thompson]

 

 

 

lol, you definitely did well for a "junkyard dog!"

[DES4]

I'm sure all you married fellows are justifiably proud of your wife. How many of them have helped you remove and replace the engine in your SM? Props to Squirrel for all her help this weekend - and I'm not just talking tool caddy - she was turning wrenches and wrestling the engine in place right along with me.

 

 

 

 

After reading your post to my wife, she reminded my of how she cleaned/degreased a Cleveland for me that I was going to put in my old Fairlane 20+ years ago, and added she's ready to help with the SM; that was a truly great inspirational story...!

[Joe (dad) Jordan]

Love it Squirrel...I knew I married the right girl when during the Old Speedvision Cup 24 hour of Mosport in 1996, I got out of the Miata I was driving and looked for my wife, found her in the paddock with a grinder grinding down metal under the car to fix a ripped sway bar mount on our second car.  The other crew guys had gone up to pit my car She had it ready to be welded when they came back after the stop that was around 1AM.  They Got the car back together and I had the best 4 hours of driving in my life with Charles Espenalaub in the now fixed car chasing me around while I coached him from the cockpit from 4AM to 8AM. The other drivers in that second car all left figuring the car could not be fixed,,,,they got to the track after a leisurely breakfast, showed up just in time as Espenlaub almost ran out of legal time to drive the car!  Also David Delgenio drove that 24 hours solo. He pitted for slices of pizza and back on the track.....those were the daze!

 

Now my wifew takes her vacation every November to go to Baja and work one of the JCR/Honda pits not on my encouragement she is a motorcycle girl!

[LarryKing]

Biker chicks rock.


PS: My wife's French manicure was perfect for cleaning the old RTV out of the flywheel bolt holes.