And to continue my original post, I respect that people want to win and feel competitve. But if you feel you have to spend more time and money than you're comfortable with to be competitive, consider re-evaluating your priorities in this hobby. Personally, I race because I enjoy the challenge and competition. Not because I want to be the best in my class/track (though I try to move up the ranks). When I start being too competitive and serious about it, it becomes like work and is less fun. I guess I just want people to think about the fun/seriousness ratio for themselves. It is something everyone has to figure out for themselves, as we all look for different things in this hobby.
I just worry the focus of TC racers is too much on what we spend instead of what we can do with what we have. And I'm concerned that too many of the people who debate these issues on the internet are solely interested in their own opinion, and not finding a mutually benificial solution.