A question from a newbie to newbies!

[Once A Ford]

This is directed mostly to the newcomers to the desert off road racing community, but I'd love input from anybody:

Is there a website that provides helpful, practical information about how to be physically involved in the sport if you are a newcomer? (If you want to participate in some way, not just be a fan.)

I know there are a lot of truly great websites (GFB!!!), and I frequent them (Hello! me again! ), but the thrust of most seem to be video feeds, news, classifieds, and forums. The forums seem to be the most useful place for Newbies because this is where people swap know-how (because people are just cool like that…hi cool people ) and that is awesome. But I'm curious why I haven't found a website that consolidates useful information for quick reference in one place. For example, say you want to know the main differences between the classes of vehicles that enter certain races. You can read the rule books, yes...but what if you didn't want to spend the entire weekend reading every detail, you just wanted the short version to get a general idea, with the option to read all the details of the class(es) you're interested in later? I haven't found anything like that.

My guess would probably be that most people interested in racing end up hanging out in person with more experienced owners/racers, so a website for newbies isn't needed…?

But just out of curiosity, If there isn't such a website, would you want there to be?

And if there isn't, where do you get your info, how-to's, what-for's, and why's? (I mean, of course, if there is anywhere besides this cool forum!) An online place? A magazine? A person?

What would make such a website good and why? Like, what information is useful to you, that would be helpful if it were online, in one place? (Info from more than one racing organization?)

What would be the most important aspect of the website design? (Mine would be "easy to use and simple to find stuff" but I'm curious what yours would be.)

….and in case you're wondering why the game of 20 questions…If it weren't so dang long I may as well make this my new handle:
Newbie Bitten by the Baja Bug but in Grad School so Writing Dissertation on Desert Off Road Racing Because…Well Who Wouldn't Wanna???

It's a challenge to learn more about this community from so far away, because in person works so much better, but so worth it! (Live for my visits home to SoCal!) In the meantime, I make as many school projects as possible into excuses to learn/talk about desert off-road racing. The current project is designing a mock-up of a website for Newbies like us! (Who said grad school had to be a snore?? )

As always, thanks in advance for the fun and helpful conversations!

[Rmc]

Almost everything I've learned process wise is from looking over the shoulders of master fabricators. I used to push the broom in a shop and was thrown into assembly disassembly and assisted in repair and prep of the race vehicles. So actual seat time and chasing in the desert I've never done. While the richey drivers were out smashing up the race cars we were still working on other cars getting stuff ready for the next event. The company I worked for did score, bitd, corr ( currently wsorr or torq series stuff) we prepped each type of race car constantly due to short course being a summer sport and desert( trophy trucks, support vehicles, class 1400 and class 10) being a winter sport. I had a lot more to do with the short course side. We had 2 pro-2 and 2 pro4 trucks. After that endeavor I worked at a custom hot rod builder as a machinist but agian spent many hours looking over the shoulders of master builders, each had their own area of expertise. As far as a website I dunno, I only search the classifieds in other places,this is the only site i flap my gums at. I prefer here over all others due to the creativity of these guys and clear constant out of the box thinking for problem solutions. Great group at gfb.

[Once A Ford]

Almost everything I've learned process wise is from looking over the shoulders of master fabricators. I used to push the broom in a shop and was thrown into assembly disassembly and assisted in repair and prep of the race vehicles. So actual seat time and chasing in the desert I've never done. While the richey drivers were out smashing up the race cars we were still working on other cars getting stuff ready for the next event. The company I worked for did score, bitd, corr ( currently wsorr or torq series stuff) we prepped each type of race car constantly due to short course being a summer sport and desert( trophy trucks, support vehicles, class 1400 and class 10) being a winter sport. I had a lot more to do with the short course side. We had 2 pro-2 and 2 pro4 trucks. After that endeavor I worked at a custom hot rod builder as a machinist but agian spent many hours looking over the shoulders of master builders, each had their own area of expertise. As far as a website I dunno, I only search the classifieds in other places,this is the only site i flap my gums at. I prefer here over all others due to the creativity of these guys and clear constant out of the box thinking for problem solutions. Great group at gfb.

Thanks much for your reply. Your words brought back memories for me of my own time pushing a broom, watching, hoping, waiting for my chance to turn a wrench. When it did come, it left all too quickly, though it left me with an itch to go back and what I guess I'd call a maintainer's mindset: I don't understand why anyone would want to drive something they didn't build or rebuild. Although a newcomer to this community, I sense a deep appreciation and pride in those hands that get greasy in the building of their own dreams--and the dreams of others. That value system is at least half the reason I'm here.

If you don't mind talking about it, I'm curious...how did you come to push that "broom of destiny," so to speak? Was it just a job and then you got interested in the vehicles, or did you push the broom in hopes of getting into this work? Why did you stay? What do you love about it? Bet you've seen a lot of change over the years! Man with all that experience with so many different kinds of vehicles and learning from master builders, you must have accumulated so much know-how. That's so neat. And I'm a (little more than a) tad jealous...there is something pretty awe-striking about having the chance to "look over the shoulders of master builders," as you say so well. For now I'm stuck with a computer keyboard, but I'm hoping my time will still come.

If you feel like reminiscing, I'm all ears....

[Rmc]

A friend of mine got a job as this race teams crew chief, come to find out his new shop was one block off my normal way home so i stopped by a few times (40's in hand)to bs with him on the way home and share a beer. one day the race teams general manager said " you come over her to bs or work?" Ill work I said and he told me to follow him to the office. So he had me sign something and said " congratulations you are now employed, you make your own hours, finish your beer and get to work". It was the strangest way I ever got a job.
( reguarding your other comment) Keep in mind I am far from a master at anything, I just watched the masters. I'm still trying to teach myself to duplicate the skills I saw in action and in my opinion I have a very long way to go. Every job I do I look at as practice, with each weld you learn a bit more. The world is full of talented people and never forget there's no such thing as someone who shines at all aspects. Just do the best you can at anything you try to accomplish and your good to go. Try to Never let your ego do the talking. Enjoy the process as well as the result, the process is what it's all about.

[Rmc]

Forgot to say, easiest way to get involved is be there for events, make friends start chasing and volunteering for support vehicle work. That or find a place to push a broom I guess. Just keep mingling,doors open once in a while. Be the guy who was in the right place at the right time when opportunity knocks. Keep in mind racing is a thankless profession. Glory is not why most are involved. Little to no pay is the average going rate lol

[ESHALLBETTER]

Check out this link, it's a good place to start!

http://www.desertrides.com/reference/

[ChaseTruck754]

damn. Haven't been on there in too long... Funny to see I'm still a mod over there

[ESHALLBETTER]

damn. Haven't been on there in too long... Funny to see I'm still a mod over there

Of course, you're a buggy dork right?

[Rmc]

As soon as I saw the link I remembered that spot. I haven't seen that one in a long time either.

[ChaseTruck754]

damn. Haven't been on there in too long... Funny to see I'm still a mod over there

Of course, you're a buggy dork right?

Oh yeah!

That place went the way of the buggy dork and I have pretty much zero interest or knowledge there (lots of VW based stuff) so it was hard to take the time to sign on and flip through a bunch of stuff I could care less about. I'd get so excited when a tuck post came up every month or 2... Making my way over here was the nail in the coffin for time over there.