WORKING ON THE ROAD - DRAG RACING

Today's blog by my buddy Nick Russell, publisher of the Gypsy Journal, and best selling author, prompted me to share our experiences of workamping during the last 12 years.  He talks about working on the road, lists some resources regarding potential workamping jobs, and shares some insight into combining RV travel with working.  You can access Nick's blog via a link on this page, farther down on the right.

When we walked away from our Harley-Davidson Dealership in June of 2001, we didn't work that summer.  Instead, we drove our motor home to Alaska, and really got hooked on the magnificence of the last frontier.  Since that first year of retirement, we have spent 5 additional summers in Alaska.

During the winter of 2001/2002, after returning from Alaska, we partnered with Harley-Davidson Inc. and a company out of Indianapolis called Sportservice, who had the license from Harley, to sell Screaming Eagle merchandise within the H-D Dealer network.  In that same time frame, a decision was made by Harley, to get out of a years long, unsuccessful attempt at road racing.  They never won a race, and only came in second one time.  A transition from road racing to drag racing had been in the works for awhile, and part of that effort included a merchandise trailer that would feature H-D Screaming Eagle, Vance & Hines Pro Stock Drag Race Team apparel at the drag races.  During a winter visit to Las Vegas, we met one of the owners of Sportservice (Co. is now called MainGate), and agreed to pull their merchandise trailer to most of the National Hot Rod Ass'n (NHRA) championship drag races around the country with our motor home.

Back then, we were guaranteed $1,800 per race, and were able to dry camp at each race track during the week long time frame required for set up, and the actual race days when we sold merchandise.  This job had been advertised in Workamper.com., and is still a MainGate enterprise.  We were responsible for our expenses, but because we were self employed, independent contractors, they were all deductible on our taxes.    We traveled all over the country for 2 race seasons, which began in February, and ended in November.   In each of those 2 years, our gross income from this venture was a little under $40,000, and our total travel to all of the race tracks was about 25,000 miles each year.  Considering expenses, and wear and tear on the motor home, my guess is that it was about a break even venture.  As one who enjoys motor sports, being at the race tracks, experiencing the sounds, smells, and all that goes with being part of the NHRA traveling road show, was as they say - for me, priceless!

When our second season came to a close, we were exploring other opportunities, and decided to work the summer of 2004 in Skagway Alaska.  I'll save that story for tomorrow's blog.

Today is business day 3, since I dropped off the RV shade cover building permit application with the county.  They have 5 business days to respond to the app, and no word yet.