Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

One more day until the Washinton race, and they only show 23 SS cars entered?
What in the world's going on??

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Seattle??????? Can't get there from here.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

I would guess it has something to do with the pits. They suck for stock and super stock at this race, way far away. I know a few people not going because of that. but it you want to race bad enough you will do whatever it takes. Atleast thats the way i look at it.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Man if that was an IHRA race everyone would be on here telling whats wrong with IHRA.
Chip

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

The Sportsman pits definitely suck. If you're "lucky", you get to pit far away, under the trees in the dirt & grass. If you're not lucky, you have to pit really far away, down on the narrow road course where you not only can't see anything, you can't hear them call you to the lanes. You have to listen to the tower's fuzzy FM transmitter. :mad:

For what it's worth, when I go to watch the nationals, I put a lot of mileage on my shoes, and check out ALL the sportsman racers.

'By-Run'
NHRA ET 6201
"Always be a good sport at the drags...
offer to help your competitor O-U-T!"

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Well parking kind of sucks for some of us. Right Ryan? ;-) It was amazing how fast some of us got in there today. They started moving us in before noon! and I was parked and unhooked before 1 PM! Still lots of confusion though; some of us are on the road course some at the top end of the track and some drove right into the bowl and parked with no questions! I fortunately got a half decent spot right behind the tower.
I feel sorry for some poor sod and wonder how parking went after I left as a result of his misfortune. Some guy with a huge motor home and a large stacker was trying to turn his rig around at the top end of the road course and broke the hitch off the motor home with the trailer straddling the road course. His weekend is not off to a good start!

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

That crossed my mind also. :D

The sportsman pit parking issues would keep me away also. I didn't know NHRA held national events at facilities like that.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

It’s the only facility in division 6 big enough to hold a national event. Years ago it was great for the sportsman racer but the amount of space the Pro’s now take compared to then has probably doubled. Nitro Alley, US Army display and recruiting center etc. These are big parts of the spectator program now and take a lot of space. All the Sportsman are now showing up with larger and larger equipment also.
This year by the time everyone is parked I don’t think it will be near as bad as previous years with the lower car count.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Some of the other tracks are not much better for pitting. Been to Denver pitted along way away. Never been to Sonama but here you are also far away. I think you get treated the same no matter which track you go to. If you are nice to the people helping you pit and not pissing and moning you get better service and treated better its all in the attitudeyou aproach them with how helpful they will be.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Remember pitting at the very very far end at Firebird in Chandler, AZ. Long walk to the starting line.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

I always thought it odd that the cars that get towed to the head of staging (TF,F/C,Pro Stock, TA/D&FC,and Comp) all get to pit closest to the lanes, and the cars that must drive up, are pitted out in the boondocks.Last year at the Northwest Nationals, I was pitted on the road race circuit, near the very end of the track, well past the dragstrips last turnoff. It was a good 1/2 mile+ drive from my pit spot to the staging lanes. As mentioned, you can`t hear anything from the PA system, although NHRA did have people riding by on scooters, honking their horns and calling out the classes as they were needed. Certainly no need to warm up in the pits! One saving grace about being pitted that far away, you didn`t have to dodge slow walking, oblivious spectators meandering in the middle of the road, unlike the "real" pits on the other side of the "PRO`s" circus area. There it almost seems to be a game for 'fans" of the Nitro cars to deliberatly hold up the movement of the lower classed cars that drive to the lanes.
But, as Bill mentoned, unfortunately there is no other track in Div.6 that has enough room for a National event. With the recent trend to huge motorhomes and trailers, many tracks have trouble finding adequate parking for the LODRS divisional races.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Any new ford cobra jet mustangs(AA/SA) entered?Thanks

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Now that Spokane is up and running will the National event be held there?

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

No, you just have to not bitch about everything and treat them with respect. They don't make much money doing that, and we would have no place to play without them.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Just treat them like an other racer offer the water, adult beverage, food there is always plenty at the track. These guys usually just eat track food, do to the long hours they work allot longer than we race. You don't have to kiss there ***, you don't have to be mean to them they are just like us they love this sport.

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

Finally some clear insightful thinking!

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

There's more cars in Comp than S/S!
I wonder if this has ever happened before?

Re: Only 23 Super Stockers entered??
 

I've got a couple of pit parking stories from that event. One year (I think it was the 1st year in 1988), I got to the event late (like Friday mid-day), and they put me in the pro pits in a spot where someone had broken and left. I was pitted next to Shirley Muldowney, with me in my little '73 Blazer tow rig pulling a small flatbed. It came in handy, because I go to the races alone, and I went a bunch of rounds that year.

Another year I was out in the boonies. After my first time run I was driving along the dirt path which was theoretically our pit road. All of a sudden - "WHAMMM!!!", the car came to a sudden stop. I hit a rock sticking out of the dirt, and broke my Powerglide clean around the bellhousing. As a testament to the TCI deep pan, it survived and is still on the car to this day. I had already broken my other transmission the prior week in Sonoma. I pulled the trans and drove over to Brad Hadman's shop (never met him before but many people said he would take care of me). He welded that case back together, and charged me a price that probably didn't cover the argon usage. I made it back out and went a number of rounds that year too.

Thought about going up there to watch this year (just got my S/G car back together this week), I'll stay home and watch it on TV instead.

Regards,