Division 3, Why Stanton Michigan???

Why does NHRA hold a points meet in Stanton Mi. The track is short, narrow and still has steel guardrails. It's dangerous. Michigan has 2 other tracks which are considerably better. Martin, michigan's track is new and was a former NHRA track. Milan, Michigan although not as good as Martin is still far better than Stanton. Is it going to take someone being hurt or killed before NHRA looks at this problem? Have any of you been to this track? What is your opinion on it?

 

D1 has some shitholes as well.

 

ch3:

Sounds like you are describing Sacramento.

 

I think every alcohol car that was at Stanton last year damn near wrecked. The place has absolutley no business holding a divisional meet with alcohol cars.

 

Didn't Stanton host national events when it was an IHRA sanctioned track? Didn't TF and TAFC run at those national events? If so, why is it an issue now for TAD or TAFC?

While not passing judgment on the facility, there's no point in bringing up Milan and Martin as neither is NHRA sanctioned. Milan is a longtime IHRA track and Martin just switched (as did Byron in Illinois). BTW, I heard a lot of complaints about the IHRA event Milan hosted as the concrete launch pad didn't even span the width of the lane at the starting line.

 

YES THEY DID IN 1998 THE "PRETTY PINK" T/F DRAGSTER RAN 4.69.

 

I can assure you nobody ran 4.69 anywhere in Michigan in 1998. I can also assure you nobody is safe running under 6 seconds at Stanton. What can be done to get NHRA to realize this?

 

Stanton has had match races with T/F cars in the past. Shirley and Bruce Litton squared off in 2002, but I don't think either was overly enthusiastic about doing so. I was standing on the starting line when they launched and I don't recall any 4.69's.

 

yes IHRA did run a national event there and it was a shithole then too. very narrow and bumpy track, real short shutoff and armco guardrails,sounds like a palace to me.

 

As others have pointed out, Stanton is not the only track with a short shutdown area and Armco barriers that hosts a NHRA divisional event. So why single it out?

The speeds that AFDs are reaching was raised on this board as an issue with some tracks that host divisional events. Stanton is probably one of them, but certainly not the only one.

Perhaps the NHRA does need to look at the quality of all the tracks that host divisional events. It would probably be a good idea. But then what?

The reason why a facility like Stanton hosts a divisional event is that the NHRA wants to spread them geographically around the division. They want one in Michigan. Martin used to host the event, but when it and Stanton swapped sanctioning bodies, the event swapped locations too.

Rather than just complain about Stanton, what track would you propose as an alternative? Keep in mind that it has to be an NHRA sanctioned facility, so that leave Milan and Martin out.

 

We ran 5.85 at Stanton with our roots car in 2001 and it was scariest pass I've ever seen us make. Sorry, but that place sucks.

Rocky, I'll put in a vote for St.Louis.

 

St. Louis

No way should alcohol cars be at Stanton

 

Delmar, DE can be added to the list. Better used for Sand Drags than Alcohol Cars.

 

Im sure if you asked the racers...they would rather go to Indy, Columbus and Joliet twice each than to Stanton, Edgewater and Bowling green...all shitholes. We get no crowd anyway so why not race at decent facilities.

 

Two races at Joliet would work for me. At least it wouldn't be at Great Lakes Dragaway.

Tony, never been to Stanton. How does it compare to the Union Grove or Byron?

 

Division 1 took Delmar, DE off the schedule next year, because it sucked so bad.

 

One way to get places like this off the divisonal list if for all the T/AD TF/FC and fast comp car to just not show up. We race the Jegs Super Quick race and they have some pretty crappy tracks for us to run on were just 1/8 mile but with some of the track you have a pretty hard time shuting down at 155.mph. So what we have done is just not race at those track out drive is worth more to us them a little money

Lanny

 

Although Stanton does draw a nice crowd so would either Milan or Martin. I know neither is NHRA sanctioned but why doesn't NHRA change that. Is it a money issue? Why would they let IHRA have the best track in Michigan, (Martin) and let the best racers in the nation deal with this shithole. Oh, I forgot, we're talking about NHRA, they don't give a shit about sportsman racing even if they do run 280, (nice job Gunderson, that kicks ass!)

 

The biggest problem with Union Grove is the short shutdown area and the track past the concrete is a little rough, also the double-armco needs to go. The pro pits have been repaved and they've done some landscaping on the grass areas. They've got the Musco lighting now too. The starting line has always been pretty good there.

Byron is to short and there isn't enough pit space. Also Ron Leek doesn't appear to be interested in alky cars anymore.

So I would say neither are what TAD/TAFC racers are looking for, but I would take the Grove over Stanton.

[ December 06, 2003, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: T.Smith ]

 

Also Union Grove was one of the few division races that would have good crowds.