Car Show / Race Track Etiquette, Unspoken Rules

You should have said " No, But your old lady got cut in it."

 

x2. Just because I'm a woman it does not mean that the car I'm driving is my boyfriend's/husband's/father's/brother's/grandfather's or uncle's.

Otherwise, basic rules of respect should apply, whether at shows or on the road.

Very simple rules for living, in my book:

If it isn't yours, please don't touch it.

If you want respect, show it.

Unless your opinion is solicited, it isn't necessary to give it.

 

What always annoys me are the following questions (not just at car shows!)

1. How much do you have in it?
2. How much is it worth?

I always say no clue and no clue. Who cares about those things if it is not for sale? I build it to love, not to make money.

If it has a for sale sign on it, then you can ask "how much?" Otherwise, it is noydb.

 

What I hate is the guy who thinks he has to show every one how fast their car is by doing a burnout between the rows of cars at a show. Was very disappointed to see this happen in the Holiday Inn parking lot at last years HAMB Drags.

 

I have a few from the track that I hear every year, and not from the same people. "I thought it would be Faster" these people come in a Honda or something small and dont even have a race car. "My buddy has this My buddy has that, My buddy runs 7's with his stock Corvette..yada yada yada" yet there buddy is not at the track or has ever been. This is my favorite but not that I am against it but always a good one, this is when I have the Falcon at the track "does that have a Chevy in it?

One thing that bothers me is the guy who shows up at the track with his 9 second car and brings nothing with him to support his racing i.e. spare nuts, bolts, spark plugs, tools or even gas. There is a guy at are local track that does this every year so the last time he came over I told him there was a Auto Zone and Home Depot about 5 miles away, I will help anybody but when you bring nothing time after time it gets old.

I am sure there is more.

Jon

 

I usually don't bring my car to enter it, I usually drive it there and then check out others. I have always taught my daughter to respect anyone else's property period. I also use the show to teach my wife and kid about what a flathead is and what year and make the cars are.

 

A big floor jack and that thing rolls perfectly over to a "No Parking" zone... ready to get towed away!

One thing that really pissed me off was when a "Drunk" rested his foot on top of my Zoomies and started standing on them.. as he was pushing down on them with his feet he said that "them things can break off because of road vibration"!

I told him that they've been fine for twenty thousand miles of rough road and the only reason they'd break off is because of buttheads like him that stand on them!

Plus and I had to remind him again to get his damn feet off my pipes!

 

Photo needed...........

Drinking and fighting are OK but not at a car show.....

 

bicycle riders at car shows
drunks at races
drunks at car shows
people that want to lean on my cars at show with their bag ass
women and their charm braclets or 3.5 gallon purse at car shows


I was proud when someone asked for our spring rates-air pressures or gear ratio's at the track and hell yes we offered it up. most of the time it helped them from being a rollin chicane....

did I say drunks at the races or car shows?

 

Lets not forget the Dude that cleans His car thru the whole show and sprays crap that the air takes everywhere! Or the ones with the BIG SPeakers that plays it so loud You can't get near enough to see the car!

 

Goddamn chains that are key holders or attached to wallets.

Please !!!!!!!!!!!

Usually used by the husky crowd.

Oldmics

 

I totally agree about the racer who shows up with no supplies, especially fuel!! I'll be the first to loan tools or supplies to a racer in need but at least try to be prepared when you come to the track.

My biggest pet peeve is when I'm thrashing on the car between rounds and someone wants to chit-chat, preventing me from getting my work done. Again, just common courtesy. When I'm running around like a mad man checking tires, filling fuel, adjusting the set up, etc., I don't have time to talk about anything - maybe later.

 

x2 on the drinking and fighting,it's fine with me just NOT at car shows.Alot of the people that drink at shows/drags can't hold their liquor so my 2 cents is they just shouldn't start.oh yeah and either way,old or young,car show or not, disrespect gets disrespect back.

let the "dad" lectures begin......

 

LOUD VOCAL CRITIQUE'S

at least walk further away before quietly voicing your strong opinion ..

at Minn's back to the 50's event 10,000+ cars make some folk unaware who is listening... and HOW HURTFUL ANY UNEDUCATED OR SEEMINGLY COMICAL?COMMENT CAN BE ..

Trouble is we all do it sometimes..LOOK AT THAT!... wrong wheels, wrong tire size, its a bad paint ,color, application , prep, bad welds ..... and so on ... turns out that only a few out of many thousands at the bttf's show do their car like some one else likes ...

I wish I had a recording of the people walking by at this show, bits and pieces all jumbled into one days worth ,proving all the previous comments in this thread , some amplified by lost cell phone dufus's,elitist snobbery ,total disregaurd for fellow car owners and thier families and thier cars

gosh seem as though we are not of the same species let alone same love of automobiles ..

 

yea if i would have been in the street not in the car show I would have got my ass handed to me but i would have got one punch off

 

Very true!

 

Especially since those critics usually have no idea what they are talking about. I always find it annoying the people who want to point out the things "wrong" on your car.

I use the smaller custom bumper on my ragtop instead of the fairlane one and I get comments all the time. I like the smaller bumper more! Is that a crime?

 

How about when at a cruise in , car show etc. little kids climb up on my chrome header side pipes to look inside my t-bucket. What irks me is their parents are standing there watching them do it. Side pipes get hot I have a few marks on the back of my legs to prove it.

 

This thread looks like it's gotten all the grumpy fart knockers that like to bitch and dramatize to vocalize their discontent. If all this stuff really bothers you, please just skip the show and stay home. All the bitching, snobery, and childish attitudes from the 50-60 year old participants is one of the main reasons I don't go to the cruise ins. If I do go, I park on the side and walk through and leave. The ride to and fro is the enjoyment for me. Then back to the shop to work on my stuff or hang with the family. Ya'll have fun.

Nice upholstery in that bucket!!!!

oh, and I agree there shouldn't be any swearing or touching cars and the absence of other things that are rude, but I think 99 percent of the public know this and it's more the exception than the norm. It's the people that bring cars to shows and are furious or annoyed before they even arrive that someone is going to ask them a stupid question or touch their car that really bother me.

 

I learned this from a track photog years ago... still rings true. Never turn you back on a race car! Gary

 

I have been in and going to car shows for 20yrs. You never touch anything... you look with your eyes. Anytime I am bending over someones ride to get a better look or picture I am holding any loose clothing back with my hand so NOTHING touches the car. Kids can be the worst, but its the parent fault not the kids.

 

Can't listen to another suggester, and the I used to have stories.

 

I can clearly remember the field goal attempt my dad did with my backside when I did something like that... never did it again AND learned a new repsect for other people's property with one swift kick

 

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Steve

 

My dog is also better behaved than the people at shows. We use her to train other dogs in fact. If I want too get close to a car, the girlfriends stands with her to prevent her from possibly trying to get to close to what I am interested in (the car).
I don't like shows because of the miserable pricks that fill them. Why is everyone so offended by people with dogs if they are disciplined? I'm no reptile fan, but why are some of you getting pissed off at a person walking around with their pet snake that couldn't possibly hurt your car? Lighten up.

As usual, I'll keep my dog, and myself, out of your boring shows. We'll be somewhere else having fun, and chasing pussy -cats.

 

TUCK your goddamn WALLET CHAIN into your pocket if you're going to be walking close to people's cars!!

Get your damn kid OFF the skateboard or bike in the show area!!!

That and people who get all butt-hurt when they don't win a trophy.

I will let people sit in my car, touch it, whatever. It's not that nice that I get all nervous about it, but have some goddamn respect!!

 

x2 on the chain

 

I hate it when someone starts tapping on it with a fingernail, or tugging on the wheel openings of my '55 gasser. I always say, " Yea, it's steel... where's your car ? " they always walk away....LOSERS !

 

I agree with most of the comments.

My biggest is people leaning on my car. I don't even like people I know leaning on my car.
just because you are talking with your buddies between cars does not make mine a stool.