Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Let me see if I understand. A business has set their regular business hours at xxAM-xxPM... They plan to have their business ready for operation at those times. Lights on, AC/Heat on, shelves stocked, sales associates in place to field questions, cashier's ready for checkout, etc. Now a bunch of customers, with their own agenda for showing up outside of those posted hours, are mad at the business because they weren't ready for business when the customer showed up early..........Really????
I was in Phoenix, and the stacking and parking went smoothly, until someone tried to jump the line, knowing they weren't supposed to be there but didn't want to have to do what everyone else did, and had to be turned around to go to the end.
Dan Foley
SC4698

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

The early stacking issues have been at every race so far,and I suspect the problems will not go away so the decision makers should adapt and endorse early stacking for their paying customers. The racers are wanting to park early and will not be a go in and come out type of customer yet , Dan your example is good but not applicable to the early stacking issues

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Please explain one more time how his example is not applicable. How is it that a race track is different from any other business? Are they not allowed to have set day and hours that they are open? Just because somebody can be there early they shouldn't have to change their business hours to make them happy. If you want to go early and hang out in Vegas I would have to assume there is a KOA or some other camp ground around town.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

I could care less either way but honestly there is so much room at "The Strip" it wouldn't matter if they were stacking a week early. The difference for business is people travel for months per year to give their money to the tracks and sanctioning bodies and maybe they just want a LITTLE cooperation. Example, we have been going to Bristol for 10 years racing Jr Dragsters with my kids and last year we showed up 5 days before the gates opened (we were second in line) to bomb around town for the week and camp in stacking, and as usual we were welcomed by track staff with open arms and good times, and that is why we cant wait to get on the road to some of these great events to see our race friends and our NHRA friends. All they are looking for is parking, no red carpet, no served lunch, just parking.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

You would think so but we were un-able to find a campground that would accommodate a motorhome and trailer. Very frustrating when the track has many acres of un-used empty lots. Best thing we did was stay at a campground near the lake (Hoover Dam) in 2015 and will do that again, if there is a next time. I think it was about an hour from Vegas and it was a VERY nice pull through campround. If racing at Vegas hadn't been good for me both times I was there I probably wouldn't go back even though we love the twice daily air shows.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

All of the stacking dates and rules have come about because racers local to the event, get in line so early and leave their rigs so that the other racers are at the end of the parking line. While this does not matter at places like Las Vegas, it does matter at some race tracks. I applaud NHRA for setting a schedule ahead of time so EVERYONE has a fair chance at better parking without having to take off an extra week of work. Some tracks still don't follow the parking number/date schedule. Like Denver. Last year I pulled into the track 5 minutes after the opening time for stacking. I was still #77 in line. Denver is a track that it does matter. The cars ahead of me had been there for 2 days, w/o getting the #100 penalty.
Dan

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

sounds ok but my opinion some of the Local racers who support the race track all year around should have the option of being first in line ,

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

The last time I was at Denver I was told if I did not like their parking program not to come back and I did not. Have not been there since and that was 2008 or 2009.
They always let the locals in and are they parked both at the national and division events when the gates open for everyone else.
I do not have a problem with the locals getting preference however, the locals also block all the paved spots for their out of town friends who are not even there.
Las Vegas does not have any bad pit spots even for the very late arrivals however, they have acres of empty lots and still do not want early arrivals. This makes absolutely no sense. I think most can agree with that.
The rush at 7:00 AM is just nuts and has been the last 2 or 3 races. I have been there at 7:00 AM for each race and it is just nuts. It completely blocks the roads into the facility and the Petro for 10 to 20 minutes.
Voltdr I do not know what time you arrived at Phoenix but my friends who were there at 7:00 AM and did not describe it as you did. They called it the Land Rush once again this year.
That is the only reason I did not go back to Phoenix for 2017. I was in the mess in 2016 and said never again and after the Track Manager in 2016 told me the same thing the Denver manager did as if I did not like the way they ran the stacking not to come back so I did not. I understand he is no longer at the Phoenix track I still skipped the race. I vote with my money and attendance.
Just My 2 Cents
Rick Cates

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Dan, there is an unwritten rule when posting in this forum...Please don't use AGENDA and stock/Superstock in the same sentence....LOL.....

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

1. the "land Rush" does not have to happened in most tracks early stacking should be done as a service to their customers and there is room to stack early
2. In some tracks the real issue is the lack of national event pit spaces and being clean
3.Long time ago I seem to recall some issues being raised about the amount of Pros racing and that changed needed to be made. No one listened This change was not made now there is not full fields
4. Just maybe a business did not listen to the needs, desires etc. to accommodate their customers Money so now there is no more customers, of course all knows lots of issues are responsible for the lack of Business in these classes.
5. this what is going to happen to Stock and Super Stock .unless businesses pay attention to their needs and desires. Less race cars because of racers tired of the “hassles whatever they maybe, real or perceived
6.The age factor of racers retiring is approaching very fast is another reason customers should be taking care to replace the ones leaving .
I could go on and on but everyone gets my point about having early stacking in a organized,safe way I am done posting about this LOL:D

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

I was getting in the lineup with everyone one else at 7:00AM.
The local police were helping to coordinate where to put all the trailers
until everyone could get into the holding area w/o blocking the highways.
I believe that most of the complaints come from people not getting things
done the way that benefits them. There's that Agenda
word again. You can't please all the people EVER!!!!
Just get over it, or try to figure out a way to circumvent
The system and be part of the problem.
We could always go back to the old days where when you
pulled in the gate, your were parked in the next spot... no questions
no discussions.
Dan

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

The March Meet at Bakersfield, CA is the biggest nostalgia race in the country. They easily attract more cars and rigs than they can handle. To circumvent this we are assigned a parking spot when our entry is received. If you have friends you want to park with send your entries in together. You will be pitted together. This year I wasn't able to get there till Thursday afternoon. My pre-assigned pit spot was waiting for me.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Dave Danish was the GM at Tucson and for the Points meet if you entered early you got a pit spot with Your name on it it was really cool talk about Customer Oriented. There are a lot of greatt tracks that understand the needs desires of their customers .One of the Best there is in talking care of racers is" RedMan" .he has the ability to understand a racer ,he knows the racers and can take a grouchy racer and make them content with any pit spot at every drag strip he worked, can't wait for him to get out of the Penalty box and back on the circuit . He should be at every national event track in the Country , He seems to have a talent that is rare these days and that is a Genuine Concern for The racer Needs regardless of who they are:o Heck he even made me happy cause I am a pit" Snob" LOL

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Maybe someone can explain this to me.
What is the point of opening the gate at 7 am at Vegas, thereby causing a traffic jam from those coming out of the truck stop, and blocking a major roadway and exit ramp during commuter time on a weekday,....then having you sit there for 4-5 hours until they actually start the parking, after lunch?

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

There is enough room in the lot by pit entrance to park every rig in the world if they park in an orderly manor.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

WEDNESDAY - March 29, 2017
Sportsman Stacking 7:00 AM
Sponsor Midway & Racer Hospitality Parking
Professional Race Teams Pit Parking

THURSDAY - March 30, 2017
Racer Pit Parking (all categories)
Racer Registration (all categories)

FRIDAY - March 31, 2017
Racer Registration (all categories)
Sportsman Qualifying 8:00 AM
Top Alcohol Qualifying Session 12:45 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session (PSC) 2:00 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (FC-TF) 2:30 PM
Top Alcohol Qualifying Session 3:30 PM
Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Session 4:15 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session (PSC) 4:30 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (FC-TF) 5:00 PM
Jet Dragsters 6:00 PM
Secure Track 6:15 PM

SATURDAY, April 1, 2017
Sportsman Eliminations 8:00 AM
Top Alcohol Qualifying Session 11:30 AM
Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Session 12:45 PM
K&N Pro Stock Horsepower Challenge Driver Intro 1:00 PM
K&N Pro Stock Horsepower Challenge - Round 1 1:30 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session 1:40 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (TF-FC) 2:00 PM
Top Alcohol Eliminations - Round 1 3:00 PM
Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Session 3:45 PM
K&N Pro Stock Horsepower Challenge - Round 2 4:00 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session 4:05 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (TF) 4:30 PM
K&N Pro Stock Horsepower Challenge - Finals 5:00 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (FC) 5:05 PM
Sportsman Eliminations 5:45 PM
Secure Track 7:00 PM

SUNDAY - April 2, 2017
Sportsman Eliminations 10:00 AM
Pre-Race Ceremonies 11:00 AM
Nitro Eliminations - Round 1 12:00 PM
Pro Stock Eliminations - Round 1 1:00 PM
Top Alcohol Eliminations - Round 2 1:30 PM
Top Fuel Harley Eliminations - Round 1 2:15 PM
Nitro Eliminations - Round 2 2:30 PM
Pro Stock Eliminations - Round 2 3:00 PM
Top Alcohol Eliminations - Semi-Finals 3:15 PM
Top Fuel Harley Eliminations - Semi-Finals 3:45 PM
Sportsman Eliminations - Semi-Finals 4:00 PM
Nitro Eliminations - Semi-Finals 4:15 PM
Pro Stock Eliminations - Semi-Finals 4:33 PM
Top Alcohol Eliminations - Finals 4:40 PM
Top Fuel Harley Eliminations - Finals 4:45 PM
Sportsman Eliminations - Finals 4:50 PM
Pro Stock Eliminations - Finals 5:30 PM
Nitro Eliminations - Finals 5:37 PM
Secure Event 5:45 PM
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Schedule subject to change
March 31-April 2
2017
rev 23-Jan- 17

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Okay I usually don't get into theses discussions, LVMS yes is a large facility and the Strip is just one part of it. We have more property rentals in a month than most Motorsports properties have in a year. The lot where sportsman stack is being rented this week by a municipality for driver training, this is just a sample of what will be going on around the property for the next week.
We have had early stack areas before in the past that has led to people taking gates off their hinges so they could get into other area and trash strewn about the stack area.
If say we did start stack 2 days earlier than posted, some would want it to be 4 days earlier. So where do draw the line and say this is the date you can start. So we stay with NHRA set date which is 24+ hours before parking starts.
As for the roads at 7:00 am, last fall all rigs were off the roads and on our property in 12 minutes. All aour neighbors know what is happing and dont have a problem with it as most have built or moved in this area because of the speedway and the amount of business we create for them.
For those coming to town early the Canery casino on Craig rd has a large truck parking lot to the west of the casino and has no problems with race rigs parking there. They know you will come in and gamble and or eat some. There are other off the strip casinos that have this too.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Hi Jeff, this was not our experience after you told us to go there last fall. We got there one afternoon and spent the night there but early the next morning they came and ran us off. They said we had to be registered guests of the motel to stay there. We then found a spot at the Petro station across the road from your facility. They ran us off there an hour or so after we parked. They told us that we could park in their overflow lot that was south across the street. It's one of the dirtiest and roughest lots I've ever been in. We stayed there until we could stack. Other than that our 2 Vegas racing experiences have been great.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

I haven't been to Vegas in about 5 years, but the last few times I went there this happened to me also. They used to let you stay there pretty much as long as you wanted to. Then they started telling me I had to be a registered guest or I had to leave. They said it was OK to stay one night though. So I would go to the Flying J or park on the industrial road behind the casino for a night and then return to the casino the next day and stay another night. Then the old man at the Flying J started coming out in the morning telling me I can't park there either. I guess you have to go to a casino that has an RV park on the grounds and pay for a space or go park in the desert off the highway somewhere.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

Excellent point, Jeff. You can't make everybody happy.

Re: Stacking for Vegas
 

There is dirt parking at the next exit up, where the old road meets I -15. Plenty of big 18's to keep you company. No facilities.
There is a similar deal right at the ramp on the the other side of the freeway at the track exit.
You could just ease under the bridge at 6:52, and add another dimension to the cluster f. on the other side. Don't worry though. It will be all over at 7:04. (12 minutes)