There are so many factors that are at play with racing. Guys my age (mid-30s) are in the midst of starting to raise young children and find that there aren't enough hours in the day to be a good parent and have a hobby as involved as this. The other guys in my age range that race are mostly there when they can be, and aren't in the hunt to actually hit as many races as they can but more to just enjoy old bikes. The guys that can dedicate the time and money are the ones that are heading toward retirement soon or have already left work behind. It's hard to compete with a guy that can build a bike however he wants, take all the time off he needs, and not worry about the cost of gas and entry fees. I have poured significant money into building good bikes, and that's still only part of the equation. The majority of races are 12 hours/700 miles from my house, with only a few less than that away, making it more difficult to make the time. That's part of it, making it a priority in your life, which I have done, but many others choose not to. Fortunately, there are still a number of hotly contested classes each year that require regular turnout from each rider if they hope to win a championship. The fact is that modern bikes of 20 years ago are still worlds easier to maintain and get reliable power from than bikes 40+ years old, making them fast-growing classes. AHRMA has over 50 classes, which need to be on track for practice and races both Saturday and Sunday, which makes for a very tight fit. Time is marching on, and more modern bikes seems to also mean less vintage. The next 5-10 years may see an even greater reduction in vintage racing, which is the complete opposite of what I hope happens. End rant.
