phoenix crash
is it true that a super gas car crashed today a phoenix?? in the left lane???
|
Re: phoenix crash
That's what I heard. I got a call from the track and the guy was on a license pass and went on his lid and then barell rolled. I heard stock could get down the track but not super gas or super comp.
|
Re: phoenix crash
Alright we all know there are questions about Firebird's track. We know it isn't a perfect surface and I for one would usually be the last one to stand up for this race track in an argument, but I gotta sick my head out here and say everyone is blowing this way out of proportion...
We've had 4 accidents. 2 pro stock car who have little to no downforce at high speeds toward the end of the track. 1 was a super gas car running super street with a driver that was 18 and had only been in a big car for 2 weekends. Everyone that watched that particular car the entire weekend said he never went straight and drove the car way to far, he had plenty of time to lift and never would have put it in the wall if he would have just lifted. The last one was a car at least capable of running super comp (AT LEAST) It was the first pass on the car and the guy driving was trying to license in a short wheelbase car. So not only was it his first pass in something that short that was that fast but it was the first pass on the car..any chance the suspension wasn't set right??? again on this pass it was a said he got out of shape and stayed in it way too long before putting it on the lid... How many cars were lost at Pomona and Bradenton? I am in no way saying that this is the safest track in the country. I have complained about Firebird for the past 3 years and nothing has been done. I'm not glad 4 people had to lose their car for the problem to become significant enough to do something about, BUT I think the track is safe enough to run a race on and I believe with the weather that we had to contend with last weekend there isn't but a handful of tracks that could have had a moderately successful event. Here's to having a safe race this weekend and hoping that Mike Rice makes a smart decision if in fact the track just doesn't react properly to the cars tomorrow morning! BH |
Re: phoenix crash
damn im jealous, you guys are racing and i'll be shoveling snow till april .
|
Re: phoenix crash
more snow next wednesday frank!!! snowmobiles don't sound so bad at Atco in April now....they maybe the only thing getting down the track
|
Re: phoenix crash
....
|
Re: phoenix crash
thats the right idea!!!
|
Re: phoenix crash
BH, Do you see what is going on with Firebird today?
From Drag Race Central. CHANDLER, Ariz. - NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals - 12:15p.m. update: After several days of delays for rain and track incidents last weekend, we are once again in an extended delay for track conditions. The NHRA track crew has been working on the track since about 11:00am this morning to remedy mid-track to finish line issues. The planned Stock; Super Street; and Super Stock qualifying and time trials were already completed and several Super Comp pairs had completed their runs before the dragging and spraying began. The current plan is to do a full track wash, then a regular pre-race track preparation. Once completed, round one of Stock Eliminator will be attempted. The balance of today's schedule will be adjusted once the racing begins. The current estimates for the delay is about two hours, plus or minus. The balance of Super Comp racers, who were patiently waiting to get their Time Trial, have been sent back to the pits. In addition, the planned Super Gas and Top Dragster time trial/qualifying for this weekends LODRS Division Seven opener will be rescheduled to later today or after the completion of the National Event eliminations. With weather predictions for a wet Sunday, this has the makings of a long weekend! Why does it take a week to nothing and then finally decide to work on the racing surface. Maybe a backhoe would be better. Dan |
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
Hope it gets fixed permanently before more people damage their rides, get seriously hurt or die. |
Re: phoenix crash
I said it last week Ill say it again, if ANYONE CRASHES AT PHEONIX THIS WEEKEND ITS NOT THE TRACKS FAULT.....it's you fault for being there knowing what you were racing on.
|
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
|
Re: phoenix crash
Then, dump that venue.....there are plenty of good tracks around the western/southwestern US that would love to host a NHRA event of this magnitude
The problem is there are no QUALITY tracks capable of holding a National event in the southwest besides Vegas. |
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
|
Re: phoenix crash
Vegas has 2 nationals now, you want them to have 3? There are no other tracks to host a nat on the west coast and support a pro car. This is where it all started and we have very little left.
|
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
|
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
He does NOT own the land and the Indian tribe that owns the land wants him GONE ! Finding other land for a strip and getting thru all the red tap would be very expensive. He's between a "rock & a hard place"...........sad for the racers in that area. |
Re: phoenix crash
John, Think I read in a previous post somewhere here that Charlie and a partner are negotiating a deal to take over a track in Wash., maybe? Someone said the native Americans want to re-locate Firebird 5 mi. away from where it is now? Build it, put a casino next to it, "And they will come".:DWJ
|
Re: phoenix crash
Lets see if i understand this the track is unsafe to race on the poeple that own the land want it gone and the renter of the track either can't afford to fix it or will not so you say we must just race on it anyway and take our chances, well that's just stupid if it's not safe for any car it's not safe for all cars period, if it's not fixed then there is no choise but to race somewhere else, the argument that it's the only track in this area doesn't work. If one car or anybody is hurt because of track conditions then that is to many, if you can't afford to travel to pomona or vegas or sonoma then maybe you should race brackets or combo's at speedworld.
|
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
BTW, I am of NO relation, just unfortunately have the same name. |
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
|
Re: phoenix crash
I would suggest that the track being on leased land shouldn't be an excuse for not updating the facility. The land that is home to Heartland Park Topeka is owned by the city of Topeka and leased to the track owner. That fact hasn't been cause for stagnation on improvements or allowing the facility to deteriorate.
I've read statements here and elsewhere claiming the tribe that owns the land under Firebird wants the track gone. If that is true, all they'd have to do is not renew the lease at its renewal date. If the lease renewal date is only one or two years away, and the track owner knows for certain that the lease will not be renewed by the land owner, that would explain a reluctance to invest very much money in the facility by the track owner. However, I suspect the lease is long term, and rumors are being used as excuses. |
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
|
Re: phoenix crash
Quote:
Your right but wrong again. I agree but you were there 7 days ago and the track was crap, pro stockers crashing, super street cars crashing, guy complaining about lifting at the 1000' mark. Is a 350. entry worth crashing a car. If you knew going in there were major track problems in the left lane, and you crashed in the left lane WHY WERE YOU THERE TO BEGIN WITH TO PUT YOURSELF IN THAT POSITION. I guess its worth taking a chance over a 350 entry vs crashing a car........dont think so. |
Re: phoenix crash
Wet weather and cold track temperatures have not helped matters at Firebird over the past couple of weeks for sure, but from what people are saying, the track really needs a re-grade and re-pave.....May not get done if his lease isn't re-newed. Just too bad 2 large events had to get fouled up because of it....Early 2010 inclement weather is taking its toll across the country, so we may see a few more big events screwed before the good weather arrives....WJ
|
Re: phoenix crash
That's too bad,that is great spot for a drag strip and Phoenix certainly has the population base for national event racing. Leasing from the Indians is what killed Beeline dragway that and Rick Lynch
|
Re: phoenix crash
Yes the tribe has a lease agreement with Charlie Allen but I CAN SEE NO REASON THE TRIBE WOULD WANT THE TRACK GONE! Maybe I'm wrong but Firebird has to be a major draw for the casino, both with participants and spectators. And the Firebird billboard and proximity to I-10 makes it eye candy which brings people to the casino. A racer friend went to the casino yesterday and it was packed, including the restaurants and he noticed a LOT of racer t-shirts. And I'm sure casino management notices the same thing.
Also....don't forget, track prep is NHRA's responsibility on national events. Aside from that, I think the weather has a huge impact on these issues. As I stated before, we've had over a years worth of rain here in the first 2 months of the year! |
Re: phoenix crash
Track prep is the key.
I have friends who live in the Phoenix area and will not race there. In 2007 I raced the National in SG and was #1 qualifier 9.901 at 160+MPH with a new car. I lost 3rd round and loaded the car and waited for the next weeks Division race. I took the car out and in 3 time trials and first round the best et was 10.9 something due to the car getting loose when it came off the stop. I thought the car was broken. I tried everything I could think of and never made a full pass down the track. A few weeks later I went to Tuscon to the Division race there and the car was flawless and I made 4 rounds there. That same year there was discussions of not having a National there if things were not upgraded. I think over that year is when they added the shutdown area paving out into the desert and additional return road. Since then I have not seen any changes. I did not go out west this year due to scheduling and family issues. This is the first time I have missed the early races since retirement in 2001. However I am not disappointed I skipped it this year. Just My 2 Cents |
Re: phoenix crash
Rain is no reason for a track to be a piece of ****. I've been at Maple Grove and Englishtown where it has rained hard for two days straight and when it quit we raced with no issues. It comes down to the condition of the track surface and the way it is prepped. If there is lack of maintenance at the track, the track is bad. If there is skimping of the traction compound, like at Atco last fall for test and tune, the track is bad.
|
Re: phoenix crash
I just spoke to Don Kennedy. He's at the track for the divisional event. Firebird has prepped the track (NOT NHRA which preps the national events). Track personnel prepped the track and Don says it appears to be "killer" (as in good...)
And Bryon Worner is correct. Shouldn't fall back on the rain as an excuse. Other tracks get rained on all month long and they can still race when the rain stops. So it will be interesting to see if Firebird works better with on-site personnel doing the work. Might see the smoking gun... |
Re: phoenix crash
|
Re: phoenix crash
The Stock Eliminator qualifying sheet shows the first 20 cars 1.00 second or more under the old index...
How bad a condition is that? Could the problem be VP traction compound, 1000' runs and most of all NHRA??? Maybe it is time to cut the PRO's loose and just let the real racecars and racers race?? In reality the PRO's have become an embarrassment to the sport and it is starting to look like WWE more and more. Just taking a look, Bob |
Re: phoenix crash
race postponed
http://dragracecentral.com/DRCStory....99490#indextop |
Re: phoenix crash
Vp is not what is used by nhra, vht is given to then. Nhra wanted VP to give them traction compound and was told no. Tom
|
Re: phoenix crash
Tom,
In the past VP was only used by NHRA and NHRA people prepped for the National events and VHT was used for the LODRS and applied by the track. When did this change? Thanks for the info, Bob |
Re: phoenix crash
I guess I was wrong, it said in another post the traction compound used this last weekend and did not come up when goggled was jp1, never heard of it. I was told this fri by norwin at VP heartland that some company gave NHRA tration compound to them We just thought it was vht sorry to use there name in vane. Jp1 must be trying to get there foot in the door by giving product to them. Also Vp has now come up with a cold weather formula LC7. Norwin also said that here in Div 5 that that Vp compound will be used at all Div races and reps will be at the tracks to make sure it is used right. Maybe this will be there test bed. He also said that it is how the compound is cut and I do feel some it maybe a art of how it is done by the crew on the starting line. Thanks Tom
|
Re: phoenix crash
jp1 is the new name for vht as the vht name has been sold for some paint products under the vht name. A track can purchase the pj1 with the product deluted 25% from the factory or purchase it not deluted , what the track does after they get it is up to the track .
|
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:49 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright Class Racer.com. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.