Epping, NH NHRA divisonal
 

http://www.competitionplus.com/index...-boston-market

finally

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And we thought Lebanon Valley was a haul.

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WOW....NHRA & NED, boy does that bring back some memories....first time ever on a race track back in 1969 ;) I lived in Hampstead at the time and then moved 10 minutes away in Raymond NH where I bracket raced a 72 Challenger for a number of years prior to relocating to Floriduh.

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/image0-7.jpg

Re: Epping, NH NHRA divisonal
 

Glad I decided not to build the Crate Motor Stocker....

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They've been talking about this for the last few years......Supposedly, NHRA wanted some dimensional sideline changes, plus a few other things. They must've finally come to agreement. Personally, not so sure it's a good thing......opinion only, but I've grown to like New England Dragway the way it is..... Does that mean that Lebanon Valley will be losing the NHRA sanction and their Divisional race? :confused: WJ

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VERY welcome news! WJ - I doubt there'll be any changes at LVD so we'll have 2 LODRS events within a reasonable driving distance. If you'll recall, NED and Connecticut used to be NHRA and both hosted Divisionals back in the day.

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What ever became of Smiley Smullen who used to run the track ?
I think he also ran a B/ED in Comp... :-)

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I thought Bruton Smith was building a drag strip in N.H. If so ,what will happen to New England then ???

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Yes, I surely am old enough to remember that, Bob.....:D Also raced at the Orange, Ma Airport.....one of the earliest NHRA tracks on the eastern seaboard.... WJ

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Danny, Bruton's engaged in a battle over pay rates for police work at the Nascar track right now.....who knows, he may pick up his shiny little marbles and go home.....already threatening to pull one of the cup races out of NH if they don't give him his way......LOL. WJ

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I think that New England is only contracted thru this year with IHRA.There is a real possibility that this article is accurate. My guess is that either they will just add a points meet, or they will drop one of atco's. unless another track is wanting to drop the divisional.

Tim, we went to new england,and cayuga for many years for points races,and sanair also a couple of times.

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Nice track. That said, it was chock full at the last IHRA Nat'l event I attended there. Don't think they could physically handle an NHRA Nat'l. Even if the rumor was true, I wouldn't think they'd make a decision until they see how their Nitro Jam event works out for them in Sept.

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Ah, Sanair, PQ.....Great track and great fun.....wish that track was still open. Many good times up there...... WJ

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Bob & W J ,


It will be nice for all you guys in New England who have logged all those miles for years .. Maybe they will throw in an Open & a National Event too ......That would be great for all the Canadian racers,
who also travel many miles to races... The important thing is good racing at a Nice fast track in NE ..... LVD, will have to worry about Numidia who should be getting a Div. race..... Yes, I think it's great news and about time .... enjoy...........

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I was at New England Dragway for an NHRA WCS event around 1978 as a spectator. Sat up on the hill overlooking the finishline area.

Raced at Cayuga a few times and also Sanair.....

Sanair was definately quite a facility and I loved it there.....

I especially liked the way the announcer would announce in both French and English......and the crowd would cheer twice as loud for anyone from the area.

Beer stand near the stands and a bar in big tower....Never saw that anywhere else.....

Warm days.....very cool nights up in the north....especially at Sanair....

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i was there this past weekend , and they have created more parking area, or they are working on it. the area on the left going down the return has been leveled from the overflow parking area all the way to existing pits that ended about where the scales are. so now the pits will go almost to the end of the shutdown area. hopefully they will plant grass or something to keep the dust down. right now it's just a flat dirt lot.


.

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Joe Lombardo, manager of the Epping track is a good, no BS man.... He has kept making improvements up there. Track, pits and surrounding areas are kept clean, w/nice rest rooms and respectable concession stands. It's fast, for me usually a full tenth quicker than LVD...(just barely above sea-level) hooks good, and has a plenty long shut down area. It's close to major highways and has a major state summer recreation area (Hampton Beach, NH) close by... I wish Joe Lombardo and New England Dragway continued success up there...they work hard to make it a top notch facility, and it is.

Warren Lederer. WJ

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Right now there calling that area there monster truck show grounds ;) but it's looking very smooth for a place to have some trucks run over cars lol

We race there weekly and it was fun watching the All Star race lst weekend

Dan

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I have'nt raced at NED in over 20 years, but my memories of going there are long bumpy rides between the cattle chutes on I 84, Christmas Tree swinging in the wind at the starting line ,and [I still have nightmares over this] The Cops confiscating all your beer at the gate!!..........Sound like some things have changed. .................Tom.............................. ..............Rich, you forgot the most entertaining things in the stands at Sanair, the girls in bikinis and hi heels, and of course, Captain Canuck!

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I was at NED 2 years ago for the first time for the IHRA National Event, and it struck me as a decent track. It certainly wasn't up to NHRA National Event standards, but my recollection is that it was just as good as any other track where we currently only run division events (LVD, Numidia, Cecil Country, etc.)

Personally, I think it makes geographical sense. There's a VERY large population base in MA, CT, RI, and NH, and it always struck me as odd that there wasn't at least one race in that area. I realize that the people in southeastern PA aren't exactly going to be thrilled with losing a race, but recently Division 1 has become the Southeastern PA / Northern MD / Eastern NJ racing series, and you can't tell me that the Philly area can't stand to lose one race. As it stands right now, if you live in the Philly area you have 5 division events and 2 National Opens within a 2 hour drive of your house. Must be tough.

So, nobody is going to get any sympathy from me because once a year they have to get in the truck to drive 6 hours to get to a race. The CLOSEST race for those of us living in Rochester is Lebanon Valley which is a 4 hour drive. In Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and anything West of Toronto you're actually better off racing Division 3 (which is also why I believe we have such a large IHRA following in Western NY & PA, and Canada).

Granted, I realize in the general vicinity of Philly you're also drawing from the major metropolitan areas of Baltimore, DC, and NYC. But, there's a pretty large population base in the Northeast that is outside of that area too. Maybe NHRA needs to create a new division for everything 2 hours outside of Philly (I'm half-joking here)...

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Jason, Keep in mind , the tracks that currently host points races are the ones capable of handling the fast cars, and also the ones willing to poney up the reported $15k to NHRA for the privledge of holding one of their races. .....Our area just has more of this type of track. ......... Epping could change that.............Tom

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Tom, I totally agree, and I realize that the New England area is really mostly devoid of this quality of facility except for Epping. There are plenty of tracks that I'm not sure that I'd want to race down with my Corvette, let alone in a T/D or T/S car (or a fast S/G car for that matter).

With it's proximity to Boston, you could argue that NHRA should be working with the Epping owners to upgrade the facility if possible (i.e. they have the surrounding land to do so, which I'm not sure they do) to make the track NHRA National Event capable.

It's sad to say, but there aren't many tracks in the Northeast that I get excited about going to:

- I have fond memories of Maple Grove but the pits there suck
- Atco is decent and certainly fun (the bar rules)
- Englishtown is certainly great
- Cecil County is only serviceable (especially depending upon where you end up being pitted, like in an area that is so sloped that it is impossible to level the motorhome to get the refrigerator to even work)
- I personally love Numidia, but the last time I was there the property certainly wasn't as nice as Atco is now.
- I don't think I even need to say anything about the disaster that is LVD.
- The last time I was at Delmar (probably close to 10 years ago), it sucked (the pits were horrible).
- Boiling Springs is 1/8th mile.
- Spencer Speedway is 1/10th mile!
- I've never been to Napierville, Capitol, Mason-Dixon, Island Dragway, Luskville, or ESTA (which is surprising because it's not that far from me), so I can't comment about them.

That's every member track in Division 1.

Unfortunately, with the economic downturn and attendance and TV ratings falling for drag racing (and even auto racing as a whole, including NASCAR), I think it is going to be a while before we see any new tracks built.

Regardless, your point is a good one, and not one that I didn't realize, but definitely one that I didn't mention. So, thanks for pointing that out.

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I didn't forget Tom! and some men wore less clothes than the girls! Thongs were all the rage up there......geez....:o

Captain Canuck was on my must see list at Indy in the 1000' club seats.......he was very funny....... "and the crowd went wild" as Bob Frey always says

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[QUOTE=Dave Casey;202552]I think that New England is only contracted thru this year with IHRA.There is a real possibility that this article is accurate. My guess is that either they will just add a points meet, or they will drop one of atco's. unless another track is wanting to drop the divisional.



Dave -- the article is accurate ...................great for you New Englanders -- not so much for us down here in Pennsylvania . And yes , a points meet with nothing else will changing .

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Lebanon Valley & Epping for D1. Thank goodness. I finally can drive less than 2 hours to more than one divisional.

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:confused: It's not that far. It's closer than Columbus. Man, I've been to Epping from both Ohio and North Carolina! And if you're smart, you can miss all but like 1 toll. Fast track, plus beautiful towns and beaches nearby, too. x2 on the Joe Lombardo comments too -- Joe's one of the good guys! Always enjoyed talking with him.

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The swinging tree lol. That's been gone a long time. You'll find the roads have improved too. NED is def not the track it was and you'll find is def worth the trip.

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i was there last weekend ,,the drive was a breeze ,but the track conditions where a little different,been there when my car went the fastest ,,,,this track is known for how fast it can be on on a given weekend 90' above sea level ,if this is a fall or spring event the records could be huge ,,,some racers dont like this track but this would be more than huge it would be great ,,there are racers that travel many miles just to do one race,this will add to the racing in the northeast ,,i think epping will step up to what i takes to make it a calibur race track,gmonde

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Uncle Tim:
everything for those in New England has always been a haul! You know that I am only 16 miles from NED and will supply the beer when the Worner clan come to town:)

say hello to the boys for me and hope to see you at Cecil.

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How bout the "steak tip's" that Mrs Ribeiro prepares?
JC would like em too!

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Just the Worner clan huh? I'm going "this year" ........Where's the beer (& beef) lol. Gonna miss workng that race .

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Deano - hey buddy -- what am I - chopped liver ? And I don't want any stinkin' beef tips in the middle of prime seafood country -- fresh from the Atlantic Ocean is what I want .......................See you at Cecil County .

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Deano, As one of the new older guys which includes you...my memory is that we will be doing harley's and hot tub that weekend. See you tomorrow, lets talk at Lebanon.

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Jack:
you should know by now that your invitation is OPEN:)

Joe:
I will be at Lebannon tomorrow and have invited you to NED many times. My hot tub is always warm and the magaritas are always STRONG!

see you tomorrow,
Dean

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Deaner -- Food is one thing but it seems you have new friends for Harleys and Hot Tubs ......

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Us comp guys are happy the race will be in July and not May or September or October.