hey well im 13 years old almost 14 and ive always wanted 2 race 4-wheelers but lately in the last 2 months i've been wanting 2 race more and more and now in the last 2 months thats all i wanna do i mean football is my life i mean ive played that ever since i could walk but i would really like ur advice to help me convince him or explain 2 him the way i feel so he won't think im lting 2 let me do it i mean i don't really wanna play football any more but i would really appreciate ur help

 

You need to realize that racing quads is a big investment of time and money, with plenty of risk of getting injured. It may very well be something your parents are not willing to let you do for a myriad of reasons. However, you can strenfthen your position by doing a few things. First, be patient and don't hound them constantly. Chances are they heard you the first 27 times and are well aware of your desire. Second, make school a priority. If you are an A student, congrats and keep it up. Otherwise you need to work on upping your grades. Show responsiblity by keeping your room clean, doing whatever chores your parents assign you without complaint, and being responsible with your money and possessions. Show some initiative by anticipating jobs around the house and completing them BEFORE your parents ask you to do something. Come up with a plan as to how you can help out with racing expenses. If you currently have an atv, what condition is it in? Racers are usually meticulous at keeping their quad clean and maintained. Is your quad clean and maintained right now? Good luck, but you also need to be prepared for the fact that your parents may not be able or willing to support your racing aspirations

 

I totally agree with Scooter. As a father of two young racers (15 and 10) my investment has been double because both race and are very compentative....Not to mention my oldest races both a blaster and Z434 now and both are very moded (see my page for picts).

1 - I TOTALLY agree with making school first and formost.... No grades,no racing. Period! I recently kept my sons out of the series opener due to grades... I didn't race that weekend either (vet class). I don't care if they had a 2.0... They have a higher standard to maintain under my roof.... D's & F's are not accepted. Homework needs to be done every night and I get progress reports every 2 weeks. Not to mention - my kids are still kids.... They still play sports in school. Our life is centered around our sons with racing a 'fun' thing to do. I know way to many other family's whose lives are centered around racing only... And they are not the funnest people to hang around with.

2 - Parents put out the cash. Kids put out the effort. Their rooms are to be kept clean, thier laundry done, and trash in the kitchen thrown out after dinner. They earn their allowances with their chores (feed and pick up after our 3 dogs and cut the grass). They know if it's not done w/out me asking they don't get their weekly allowance. My 15 year old started when he was 12 that he wanted a job... well... thus began his chores... a normal boss won't put up with having to ask him 2x to do something... Just trying to get them use to responcibility.

3 - After they race/ride it's their responcibility to clean their quads/bikes... I told them to treat their 'toyz' as they would their girlfriends. They start the process to change the oil/plugs/air filters/tires and I ususally finish if not walk them through it but they're right there with me.... My oldest is to the point where he can pretty much change the rings on his blaster now w/out my help (but I still do it anyway).... They both know that the quads are very expensive toys and if they don't maintain them it will cost more $$ to repair them. Not to mention they'd be w/out them unless they maintained properly. Hardly any of their friends have these kind of toys so they know they are very lucky. Not to mention, when their friends are over while we're working on the quads/bikes I usually hear how lucky they are that not only do they have what they do, but also that their dad is doing something with them like that...

4 - Just because you say you want to race doesn't mean you're ready to race... I'm not trying to talk down to you but safety should be #1 when you're on the quad at all times. Not just for your sake but for the sake of the other kid(s) next to you on the track. It's no fun spending the night in the hospital. Is your quad race ready? Some orgs require you to have nerf bars, kill switches, proper tires for the type of racing you're doing. On top of the quad, are you race ready? Do you know how to ride it/control it properly? Practice makes perfect... My boys rode for about a year before we even steped on a track.... not to mention they learn something everytime they hit the track... You should know how to start a hole shot properly and take off straight. You should learn how to take a turn, know how to go into a turn properly, holding your line in a turn, know to lean into a turn, how to use your throttle to break your rear tires free to turn., how to feather the clutch/breaks. There's much more to racing them just going ***** out unlike what some people may say. As my son's were told by Dana Creech at Glen Helen last year "if was easy dude everyone would be doing it"... That is the truth.

5 - It's not cheap.. During racing you break stuff... It's just going to happen. Hopefully it's not body parts. That's why #4 above is so important. Not to mention race fuel costs around $12-15 per gallon. You may not be using it but if you plan on going to a high compression piston you're most likely going to have to eventually. It's a comitment that not only you have to make but your parents as well because they will mre then likely support your new hobby. The rewards are plenty, trust me, but I have to be honest with you. Its' not easy. And if you think sponsors are easy to get... yeah right. They all start out buy giving you a discount on their products which will still cost $$ to get anyway. Sure, you'll get stickers/posters then move up to shirts and hats. But nothing comes for free... You have to win first alot in order to get their attention. We've been down the sponsor road already.... make sure your parents read the letters and contracts completly. Some sponsors have issues with you using one of their competitors parts on your quad at the same time... no kidding...so read carefully...

All in all, keep in mind that you are getting into racing because it is fun. Don't give up football because that's all you want to do now... You're a kid... Kids play sports... Racing is a sport but don't get into this mind frame that racing is life... trust me it's not... Chances are your parents won't want to hear that. Keep that in mind at all times. Tell your parents that it would be a good thing to get into racing as a family thing to do together. Do your parents also ride with you? If so, show them you're responsible enough to race by showing proper use of the quad while they are riding or around you while you're on the quad.

And busting a wheelie infront of them won't get you any points...

Sorry if I may sound like I'm trying to scare you off because all you wanted to do was race... I'm just trying to be honest with you to what comes with racing.... The most rewarding thing about racing wasn't the trophies at all... it was actually the fun times I've had in the garage bonding with my son's while working on the quads... That time alone was worth every penny....

 

Those are some excellent points there to consider countryboy. I agree with what both said, school is 1st and foremost.

 

hey yes i do have a 4-wheeler but its a utility 4-wheeler and i don't plan on racin it

 

what type is it? and first off why dont you trya local hare scramble or a local mx race or something? get a taste of what its likein the real world.i am just repeating what a good racer at a gncc race told me.its a lot diffrent then just going fast on a trail you have like 30 other guys who all are trying to pass YOU!

and you want them to buy you a sport quad?why dont you just enter your utility?i have seen classes for those?

 

Racing atvs is very time consuming and exspensive.To be a good racer you need to be out riding everyday,and you need a good job because i guarantee that once you start racing you will need alot of stuff.But yes racing is great but if your parents are probably afraid of you getting hurt.