Sacramento NHRA Division 7 event

Any one know who is going to be showing up at the divisional event this weekend in Sacramento, CA? Don Hudson should be there cause it is close to home.

 

we're on the way there today.

 

I will be out there all weekend, hope to meet and talk with the TAD/TAFC teams. Maybe get some insight to stepping up to a TAD. Hope to be on the line racing in a TAD ASAP!! If it is God's will, I will be.

 

Where are all the TAFC's? 7 showed at the NHRA Division 7 event in Sacramento compaired to 12 TAD's. Looked like we were only going to have 5 at one point.

 

Just my opinion:

The Sacramento division race should be moved to California Speedway in Fontana as soon as possible.

The lack of TA/FC's (and comp, too) in Sacramento is due to the racers voting for a change of venue by their absence. Read the reporting round by round in TA/FC and the description of the runs and you'll understand why.

The last time I raced there, my car smoked the tires at 1/2 track where the clutch finally locked up. I stayed with it until it crossed the center line and almost took out Ron August.

Wooden posts with armco guardrailing, promises of upgrades that never happen, lighting sucks, a bump so big that it broke the Weaver's A-arm off the frame a few years back...that's what I remember. And I haven't heard from anyone how "things have changed".

The last time I raced their, we arrived very early. I was told to park my rig across from the concession stand in the gravel and dirt. The entire paved section in the pits was still completely open. I told the guy parking me that I chose to get there early so I could park in the paved area because we (like everyone else in alcohol) need to service the bottom end and gravel and dirt isn't my idea of fun. I was told by the individual in the golf cart that my options were to either park where I was told to park or take my rig out the front gate and leave. I stayed, but that same weekend, right behind me, Hans Kuesel stuck his funny car into the wall in a horrible fireball as it slid on it's side. I still see "Inside Edition" and shows like that using footage of Hans' crash. Then a few years later the WOZ put it in one of the ditches along the track where it nearly burned to the ground.

So, my choice is to stay out that front gate he talked about. I won't name any names, but let's just say that the feeling is mutual among other racers. It costs a lot of money to race these things and we need to choose where we're going wisely.

[ May 02, 2004, 04:37 PM: Message edited by: Randy G. ]

 

Yeah, I do agree with you, the track does suck. Even in the lower classes there are issues. I agree that the event need to be moved, but if you send it to Fontana that leaves Sonoma as the only Nor Cal show. There has been talk for quite some years of a new facility going in up in Marysville. Who knows when or if that is going to happen. The owner of Sacramneto Raceway needs to invest some money into the track if he hopes to keep a Divisional Event track.

BTW: I hear rumors of a Divisional in Salt Lake City, UT... Any one know anything?

 

NHRA better do something for Salt Lake before IHRA makes a concerted offort to get Boise and Salt Lake into the IHRA fold.

 

Unfortunately, the concerns of Randy and others were justified. Sacramento claims another victim.

[ May 02, 2004, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: Lawren Jones ]

 

I'm sorry, but to race in Sac just to have another Northern California race doesn't make sense. I'd rather have a root canal. Go to Meford, it's only a few miles above the Oregon/California border.

Salt Lake City used to be on the list for division 7 LODRS events. We ran there in 1999 and runner-up'd. The only issue there is altitude. It's a very nice facility.

 

Lawren- I don't know Mr Drake- hope he is OK, and I feel for his loss of race car! Randy's prophecy was sadly correct.

 

Guys...There is no way you would ever find us back in Sacramento, never ever never again...the fire was the last straw...I could go into a plethora of bad experiences such as Randys'...but I'll just leave it at that...the place sucks...couldn't resist

 

When I posted, it hadn't happened yet. I didn't predict it, but all I can say is it happened. The car was the former Ken Head machine. Earlier this week, Dennis Taylor had a conversation with Mike Drake before the event about why he wasn't going and it was for that very reason. He also told him to be very carefull. Dennis was on his way back from Las Vegas this afternoon and called me about Drake's crash. He was very upset over this happening.

The bad thing about armco is that is just sucks the car into it whenever you hit it. The force of the car takes out one post at a time like you're hitting a series of telephone poles. I made a love connection with the wall at 195 mph at Sears Point about 7 years ago (which has all concrete guardrailing). All it did was bend a wheel, fold up the header and scratch the paint off the body. Concrete walls push you back out on the track without ratcheting your car apart. I can guarantee you that if it had been armco my results would have a lot worse.

I'm glad to hear Mike is OK, but that's a new team that certainly didn't deserve all this. And in order to run National Events, we are expected to endure holes like Sac. Choose your events wisely.

[ May 02, 2004, 10:57 PM: Message edited by: Randy G. ]

 

I had a feeling this might happen to somebody. Mike Drake and Jack Burr are dear friends of mine, and I hate to see this happen to anyone.

The thing that makes me so upset is NHRA mandates that our cars have certain safety items too long to mention, but when it comes to race tracks why can't there be a certain standard? I have had it with running inferior race tracks! I will NEVER race at a place with armco gaurdwalls again!

Don't get me wrong, Im not blaming the track for what happend to Mike Drake, but it contributes to the problem significantly.

Were all big boys here, and we all make our own desisions. Mike and I had this conversation last week. He knew why I was not going, as was anybody who would listen to me.

I hope Mike is fine as was reported, but we don't need to lose another race team this way. Just my 2 cents. DT

 

Has anyone tried approaching NHRA about the horrible track conditions at Sacramento? I know I haven't. If everyone stops showing up to the track without making it known why, nothing will ever change. We need to voice our opinions to the right people and make sure they hear.

 

They know why. We have talked with the last 3 Division Directors about this. DT

 

I can't believe people still put up with that place. My very last time there was 1989 running Roger Primm's car for his licence. One run left to go, full run to the lights, and at 1200 feet, they SHUT the lights off including that swell little light bulb at the end that you are supposed to aim at. Every driver in the place wanted to sign Roger's ticket as he came back in one piece.

We have a brand new 1/8th mile track here at the Borona Indian Reservation, put together by two guys with almost no budget, and they were able to come up with used K rail and a lot of labor, but they got it done.

 

Bob:

Barona has a great golf course. I played it the weekend it opened. I see the ads on TV for the casino and the hotel looks great now that it's finished.

Maybe the problem is someone not wanting to put any money in Sac because of the development that's taking place around the track. Could there be a possibilty that it may get dozed over some day? I've been hearing this for at least 10 years.

I vote for two points races at Infinion like they have two at Woodburn if Fontana isn't ready.

How hot was it in San Diego today?

[ May 03, 2004, 12:03 PM: Message edited by: Randy G. ]

 

Careful boys.............I spoke my mind just as you are about Boise and thier piece of crap track and aramco gaurd rails a few years back . I was black balled and drawn into a huge battle pitting the track owners against myself over a racers rights to express our concerns over unsafe track conditions, etc....The NHRA sided with the track and that was that. I was told I had to appoligise to the track owners in order to go onto thier property....( can you see me doing that?) It took another year and a half and several more crashes for NHRA to pull the plug on the TA classes. I raced Sacramento once....last year....that was enough!

Mitch

 

MITCH- I could very well be wrong, but I understood that Boise did not want Alky (incl A/FD) cars at their points meet due to costs and were accomidated by switching the Alky portion to Race City in Calgary- I understand that Boise would prefer to pay the Nostalgia Top Fuel cars as they were cheaper for a 2 out of 3 match race vs. 2 full fields of Alky f/c's and dragsters. Just what I heard thru the grapevine so I could well be incorrect.

[ May 03, 2004, 01:51 PM: Message edited by: was R4K ]

 

You are indeed wrong....Sorry. Even when we were running there they were booking wheel standers, Jets, fuel alterds, etc....at the points meet. It was all about the New family thinking we should run there for points and screw the saktey issues. They are asses in my opinion and care more about the $ than they do our saftey. Thats my opinion and trust me I sacrifised a brand new car there in 1997....a coplete loss. I earned my stripes to speak my mind.....in my opinion anyway.