Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

We're here at the Northwest Thunderfest at Spokane County Raceway in Spokane, WA. I had a nice trip over here. A little warm, but no tire issues. :) It rained here a little bit this morning. Not very hard, but just enough to get the ground wet. The ground is dry and it's barely sprinkling on and off now.

They have a pretty lazy schedule here this weekend. Tech opens at 10AM today and qualifying starts at noon and ends at 6PM. That's when they bring out the alcohol cars, nostalgia funny cars and jet cars. Qualifying starts at noon tomorrow also. Eliminations start at 10AM on Sunday.

We are pitted along the road course and will be parking the cars on the road, so I don't foresee any goat head problems in this area.

I'll go and get some pictures of the track.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

The sun is trying to peek out, but hasn't quite made an appearance yet. There should be a few cars here we normally don't see on the coast. I'll try to get pictures of them all.

Here's some shots looking towards the track from our pits:

http://pic.leech.it/i/b37c5/549deadepit1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/262bf/740f7bfpit2.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

http://pic.leech.it/i/968b8/dc19782dpit3.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/09eda/2cbf67b4pit4.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Here's some shots of the tower and track:

http://pic.leech.it/i/f4740/3e2efdatrack1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/66827/3fd8709track2.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

http://pic.leech.it/i/99b1f/c6f0acatrack3.jpg


They are bringing out all the tricks this weekend:

http://pic.leech.it/i/8aff0/976a33b3wheelstand.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

John Langdon going through tech:

http://pic.leech.it/i/91f95/8a199e04langdon.jpg


The Freeway Trailers tech trailer:

http://pic.leech.it/i/c41c4/946a69bfreewaytra.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

That layout, of the track looks like South Georgia Motorsport Park. I like it. Good job and keep the pictures coming.

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

The Tom Turner pit area:

http://pic.leech.it/i/28b5d/041beddturner.jpg


The Lang compound:

http://pic.leech.it/i/f4b46/f5669ce3langcompou.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Toby,

Thanks for including a picture of John Langdon and his Cuda,
I was going to ask you to take one of him.

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

As someone who has run both places trust me thar SGMP is far better but Spokane has had a tough history of promoters run amok but glad to see racers supporting the race because the Div 6 folks need more venues and maybe this new group will do better given many obstacles.

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

I did not know that Jim. That is a shame. I guess I should have said that the lay out of the drag strip itself looks similar, except everything is just flip flopped from side to side. Good luck in Spokane. Can anyone get some top end shots? Toby I know you will be busy maybe someone else could?

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Hi Toby,long time no see you old deep stager.Thanks for all the pics.Have you ever asked Jody to trade rigs for a few races?:>):>)

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

I believe this track opened sometime around 1978, and yes, its seen better times. Its slowly coming back and hopefully will be better in the future. I like the old style layout of the grandstands, virtually right on top of the action, instead of being a football field's distance away from the sidelines, like many modern tracks are. It really provides a different perspective sitting in the seats. Hopefully the conditions will be tolerable, as the weather doesn't look like it will be condusive to any records being set,,but good luck to all anyway.
Danny Durham

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Hey now. We got three qualifying runs today. Hold on ... as I type this they just announced there will be a fourth qualifying run. Other than that there's not much to report. I didn't get many pictures. There are not that many cars here so when I get to the lanes I barely have time to get ready for the run let alone take any pictures. The last time run I thought I would get up there early so I could get some shots. I was third in line, but about 2 minutes after I got there they started running Stock.

Most of the cars you have seen multiple times. I tried to get pictures of the cars I haven't posted before. I'll try to get more pictures tomorrow. If you have any requests let me know.


Charlene Gullett:

http://pic.leech.it/i/e6047/16e1206charlene.jpg


Art Congdon:

http://pic.leech.it/i/da255/43d7423aart.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

John Bouchard:

http://pic.leech.it/i/65972/0987391johnboucha.jpg


Don Thomas:

http://pic.leech.it/i/98f05/fd1dd88cthomas.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Shon Thomas:

http://pic.leech.it/i/d5565/f35e0ffshonthomas.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/c3d71/12309f0shonthomas.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Jackie Alley:

http://pic.leech.it/i/50ca3/6158fcealley.jpg


Paul Plummer:

http://pic.leech.it/i/41b81/a4f439e6plummer.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Dion Hilderbrandt:

http://pic.leech.it/i/ef70f/8f65ffacdion.jpg


Scott Downard:

http://pic.leech.it/i/8d51a/000ba9bascottdowna.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

The Old AHRA World Finals were held here for years...
and All of the touring pros & semi pros used to come here for that event... it was AWESOME.

My first trip to this very same location - Spokane Raceway Park
was in '75, so I know the track has been in operation since then.

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Thanks for the live reports & photos. The track appears not to have changed much from the last time I raced there in '83. I raced at all the AHRA World Finals from '75 thru '83 & if my memory serves me correct, I believe AHRA had a national event there in '74. The World Finals drew some large crowds with lots of Canadians in attendence.

Spokane Car Counts...
 

Some D6 & D5 car counts can be low when compared to some of the other divisions, (like D1), but I think this Spokane race must take the cake for setting an all time low!

(hell, there were more cars than this even at the Acton (MT) points races, thanks to the D5 racers that would show up and support that event).

So I'm curious.... D6 racers....

Is it the location, Spokane being to far away from the I-5 corridor?

Is it the time of the year (July / Aug. in Spokane can be real hot and uncomfortable)?

or Is it truly the economy, keeping folks away?

I snagged these numbers from dragracecentral.com

STK = 31

SS = 17

Comp = 9

T/AD = 4

TA/FC = 3 (+1 DQ)

Re: Spokane Car Counts...
 

Add wisdom of NHRA to schedule this Divisional on same weekend as previously scheduled Medicine Hat National Open.....will be interesting to see what their counts are for class racers and .90 classes.

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Good morning. We had a thunderstorm come through here early this morning about 4:30AM. It rained and the wind blew pretty good. It has rained off and on since then. Last time it rained was about 45 minutes ago. The ground is wet, but if it doesn't rain anymore I think the track will be dry by noon. It's cloudy and overcast right now. Temps are supposed to get up to the mid 80s today.

I brought my street tires for the front in case we were parked in the area with goat heads. I'm going to put them on anyway and see if I can pick my lights up a bit. The street tires are 4 inches shorter. If I remember right they picked my lights up about .015 to .020 last time I tested them. My lights this weekend have ranged from .026 to .032. That way I can come down on the stall to adjust my lights rather than bumping in.

More later ...


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

It started to sprinkle again about 10 minutes ago. It's barely coming down now. I got my "pro light" tires on without getting too wet though. Hopefully it won't rain anymore.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

The sun has made an appearance. It's behind a cloud right now, but they have just called Super Stock and Super Street to the lanes. We should be running here shortly.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Stock and Super Stock have completed their first qualifying pass of the day. There are clouds all around and it sure feels like rain, it said 68% humidity when I made my run, but it hasn't started raining yet.

The "pro light" tires did as expected. I got a .009 light. That was at about 3250 RPMs. I will try the next pass at 3000 or 3100 and see what happens.

It looks like 3 more Stockers showed up this morning. Norm Webber, Bill Bushmaker and Andrew Wiebe.

I was able to get quite a few pictures. I will post them when I get a chance.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

As I thought, is has started to sprinkle. We will be on hold for a little bit.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

It's raining quite a bit harder now. They have sent the cars in the lanes back to the pits. It will be a while before they start running again.


-Toby

Re: Spokane Car Counts...
 

YEP, the "Great Wisdom" of NHRA... Two races; in the same division; on the same weekend; and right at 500 miles apart.... None too smart.

However they aren't racing STK - SS - Comp and/or the Alcohol cars at Medicine Hat, so I'm still curious as to why the D6 Class Racers have chosen not to go to Spokane?

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

They are running cars down the track again.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Some shots from Stock 5th round qualifying.

Norm Webber:

http://pic.leech.it/i/1a12b/0bf1a601webber.jpg


Scott Downard:

http://pic.leech.it/i/9e193/56faf3ddownard.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Andrew Wiebe:

http://pic.leech.it/i/41146/36240151wiebe1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/11e73/6f9751dwiebe2.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Wes Libby:

http://pic.leech.it/i/ced97/35a089e8libby.jpg


John Langdon:

http://pic.leech.it/i/2c080/ac8c721flangdon.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Brian Thompson:

http://pic.leech.it/i/6be7f/27b36465thompson.jpg


Brian Seaburg:

http://pic.leech.it/i/e927f/752b603seaburg.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Jim Devine:

http://pic.leech.it/i/43901/8dee257edevine.jpg


Larry Peterson:

http://pic.leech.it/i/698eb/64344b3peterson.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Mike Hering:

http://pic.leech.it/i/3db30/fe73812ahering.jpg


Vincent Storms:

http://pic.leech.it/i/d7c2e/24239d04vstorms.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Paul Plummer:

http://pic.leech.it/i/9ac9f/ec38491plummer.jpg


Terry Hembree:

http://pic.leech.it/i/4c9ab/15125bchembre.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Bob Gullett:

http://pic.leech.it/i/94ab0/3a3e7e8cgullett.jpg


Bill Bushmaker:

http://pic.leech.it/i/99b1f/c5f85e7bushmaker.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Dion Hilderbrandt:

http://pic.leech.it/i/62d29/25f2c1edion.jpg


Alan Bowdish:

http://pic.leech.it/i/bcd8b/ca47ceabowdish.jpg

Re: Live From The Spokane LODRS
 

Casey Plaizier:

http://pic.leech.it/i/9abf0/95a7f939casey.jpg


Will Kelly:

http://pic.leech.it/i/b6506/8623474will.jpg