Progress in Technology: Dirt Late Model Auto Racing

I am not as mechanically challenged as my lovely bride would have people believe. Modern technology has taken some things to the point where the average person just cannot do the work.

Personal case in point, here is the story:

I have been riding motorcycles since not long after I could walk upright. Well, not quite so early, however you get the drift.

In 1981 my next door neighbor in what I affectionately call, “The Hood” bought a brand new 750cc Yamaha Virago. I had to have one, so I traded in the 650cc three cylinder I had bought from my brother, after our Uncle Lyle had owned it, and it was so.

In 1986 it was time to move up – I bought a brand new Yamaha Venture Royale which I still own today and it has nearly 100,000 miles on it. It has carried me safely to California, as far east as Ohio,

Fast forward to earlier this year – Polaris announced they were discontinuing product of Victory motorcycles. I had heard good things about Victorys. I quickly did some checking and found lots of happy owners of the bike I wanted, a Cross Country Tour. One of only two blue ones I could find in the country.

I have ridden a lot of motorcycles in my days. This one is special, it loves the road and couldn’t be more fun.

Poker runs are great fun for bikers and are generally for good causes. I was on one recently, when well over a hundred miles from home the Victory’s “service engine light” appears on the dash. Open the trusty manual and it says to get it to the dealer…NOW! On Saturday afternoon. In the middle of rural South Dakota.

I did get it to the nearest dealer – in Fargo. Where they have to plug my motorcycle into a computer to diagnose the problem!

Now I will confess to being fairly race car ignorant. I had never heard of something called an enduro race with cars (although I had owned an Enduro motorcycle as a kid). Same with Dirt Late Model cars, which I never heard of until I read about the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (https://www.floracing.com/article/58985-it-s-time-to-fix-the-national-dirt-late-model-hall-of-fame#.WWvv64TyuN0).

It was not the vehicles which so much interested me, as it was the author’s view of the existing museum: “There are some neat cars in there, but the building is a pole barn and the picture displays look like an elementary photo project at the county fair.”

While the ancient building is a “pole barn” it has been serviceable to an organization on a budget. I’d put forth a post frame building be considered as an upgrade option. It is my firm belief this could prove to be aesthetically pleasing with innumerable options for siding and roof choices, as well as architectural features. In the end a new post frame building can look just like any other low rise building, at a savings of time and money.

Plus, qualified 501(c)3 charitable organizations receive a 10 per cent discount on a new Hansen Pole Building. In effect, we do it without a bottom line profit.

The great thing about post frame buildings is the average person who can and will read instructions will construct for themselves a building far nicer than they can ever pay to have built.

So much easier than my new motorcycle.