Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

With the changing of the guard in D2, what would you like to see for the LODRS D2 schedule?

I think they need to quit front loading the schedule (no more than 2 races before the gators, and only if one is the week before), some races later in the spring (april and may), and go beyond just FL/GA. I know we won't get a race at Charlotte or Bristol but there has got to be a few more tracks to hold races at. Its a shame NHRA turned their back on Montgomery and some of the other tracks. As much as I don't like it, maybe we need an 1/8 mile points race or two just to spread things out. Maybe as "extra" races, or national open races.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Charlotte would be the **** .Montgomery was such a sweet track and great atmsoshere..Fayettville is IHRA but that would be a great place to have one :)

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

I would like to see.

Bradenton
Orlando week before Gators pre testing etc.
Gators
Valdosta
Southern Nationals
Gainesville
Z Max
Atlanta
Valdosta

Or instead of the G'ville points race have a two-three race "open" series. I wish there were more tracks in Div 2 but there does not appear to be.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Bruton Smith is in business as a track owner to make money. If he can make a decent profit holding LODRS events at his tracks, he'll hold them there. Properly scheduled and managed, they will make money.

Division 2, being the southeast division, is going to have some period of time where the heat is a huge factor in keeping the car count and the spectator count down. The best thing to do to resolve that is to start out in the south, move steadily north during the spring and early summer, avoid mid summer as much as possible, then start moving south again in the early fall.

For example, run two LODRS races in Florida in February and March, along with the Gators, getting those done early. In late March to mid April, go to South Georgia or Reynolds. From there go north, Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, in no particular order, take your pick, for two LODRS races, done by the end of May, or mid June at the latest, along with your other 3 National Events in the spring between mid April and mid June. Take July and August off, then after Indy, with at least a weekend off, work your way back south, starting at the track you didn't run at in late spring, Atlanta, Bristol, or Charlotte. Pick up your 5th National event in Division 2. Then go further south and pick up two more LODRS races, you can race down there until the end of October, at least.

The National Events need to be 3 day races, not 4 day races. If it is necessary to have a 4 day event, then the best thing to do is have one of the LODRS races the weekend before, the closest one.

The Atlanta LODRS race being the weekend before Charlotte isn't bad, except for the fact that had it the weekend after Indy, and most of the people who went to Indy went to the Division 3 LODRS at Bowling Green the weekend before Indy.

You cannot do that without hurting the car count, that's a month solid nearly, because you had a 3 day LODRS at Bowling Green, then a whole week at Indy, then three week days open/off, a 3 day weekend at Atlanta, followed by a 4 day National Event at Charlotte.

Had they been reasonable and moved the Atlanta LODRS back at least one weekend, giving people at least 3 days to work after Indy, maybe 4, then another 4 days the next week before Atlanta, then on to Charlotte, more people could have hit all of those races.

Finally, they've got to stop punishing the track owners and the racers just so they can make 10-12 alcohol racers happy. They simply cannot force alcohol classes on tracks where they obviously are not even coming close to paying their way.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

I dont care what the order of the tracks that the races are run at. I would like to see at least minimum 3 weeks between any races in the division including national events. We are all used to racing in the heat down here in the southeast division. The stupid schedule that we have had under Bill Holts tenure as director has really hurt our division. We had all our races bunched up in a 2-3 month time span. the rest of the year we just sat around banging away on these keyboards. Spread the season out and the car counts and participation will improve. Hopefully the new guy will listen and do something with the schedule. Time will tell.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Mike, if I'm counting correctly, we have 5 National events in Division 2. Ideally, we'd like to have 6-7 LODRS races. The Division 2 season pretty much runs from mid February to the end of October. It's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get 11 or 12 races in that time period with a minimum of 3 weeks separating them. Especially when you consider there must be at least some allowances for out of division LODRS races and National Events. You're asking for at least 11 races in 9 months with three weeks between them.

For example, you can go ahead right now and take the last weekend of August and the first weekend in September out to accommodate Bowling Green and Indy. You can also take a weekend out to accommodate the Bowling Green SportsNational Open. So now you're down to what amounts to 8 months to have 11 races with three weeks between each race.

Now, I suppose you can ignore the rest of the LODRS races in the bordering divisions, as well as the Fall Classic at Indy, and a couple of other events. But you do so at the risk of losing a lot of cars from the northern part of the division when you do that.

The reality is that we're not going to get the 3 weeks between all of the races. Maybe some, but not all. And if you do not get any LODRS races north of Atlanta, and end up doing all your racing from Atlanta south, it's going to hurt the car count, especially if you want to run on into the hot part of the summer to get your 3 weeks. The heat and humidity we have in Division 2 from mid June through September hurts car counts and spectator counts, no matter how much you say we're all used to it.

I know plenty of people who stayed home this year, because they just were not going to spend up to $1K to go race in the heat in this economy. That has to be considered in order for the tracks to make a profit. You can't continue to ask the track owners to suffer low car counts in this economy.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

I agree, how about having a race at huntsville like they used to yrs ago. It was always july 4 and there were a bunch of us there. The div 2 schedule does need to not be spread out.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Races early in the season, and close together are what brings the car count to Div II. Racing in the summer surely won't; at least not in FL, GA, or AL. Personally, I like the spring and fall races.

The only problem I see with back to back races is if there is a problem with the car, then I do not have time to properly prosecute the problem and get testing in. That is what has bit us these past couple of years. But I still like the schedule the way it is. Just add a couple of more tracks to fill up the schedule.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

I see no reason we can't run in Division 2 all the way up to at least the 1st weekend of November. The only conflict there is the possibility of losing some cars that would go west for the end of the season if they were in the hunt for the championship.

If we open the schedule up a little, running from mid February to the 1st weekend of November, we can get a 7 race LODRS schedule in along with our 5 or so National Events.

If we had the first fall LODRS after the fall Charlotte National event, the same weekend as the Dallas National Event, that would allow all of October and the first weekend of November to get two LODRS races in. Now, again, that leaves a conflict with Dallas, and possibly with Reading, so the effect of those conflicts on the car count would be a factor. Of course, they're not likely to run the Atlanta LODRS that weekend, since NHRA owns the track.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

I say we get Alan for President.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

And I say the department will fire you if they find out you even consider associating with the likes of me. :cool:

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

It would be nice to get charolette & bristol back atleast for the div 2 cars in the carolinas if we have to do it without alcohol classes lets do it so the track owners can make a profit my closest race is atl 440 miles and im suppose to be in the div 2 map area.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Mickey, I agree that things need to be more spread out. Gainesville is 350 miles, Reynolds 300~, and atlanta is 375. We are in the bottom southwest corner of the division. Heck No Problem is the closest NHRA Div race at 202 miles away. I almost wonder if we need a "mid atlantic" and a "heartland" division. Let the mid atlantic be maryland to the carolinas and the heartland OK, Kansas, MO etc. More divisions could make it easier to have 5 in division races (even if you go to a few tracks twice a year), and easier to attend out of division races. Purely just an idea, not even sure it would work or would be worth the trouble.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Let's look at the constraints and then optimize within those.

Facility: The candidates are Bradenton, Gainesville, SGMP, Silver Dollar, Atlanta, Bristol, ZMax, Orlando (barely and only without alcohol). Everything else is either IHRA, 1/8 mile, or not up to the task. Economics favor NHRA-owned tracks as frankly most LODRS events are money losers, especially those with alcohol.

Weather: Mid-June through mid-Sept. is almost out of the question from middle Georgia south. Mid-Dec. through mid-Feb. is dicey anywhere and is off season anyway.

Timing: Close to but not on top of Nationals is preferable, with a fatigue factor (e.g. three big races in a row) considered.

I would like to see two LODRS before the Gators, one before or after the Southerns, one before or after the second Zmax race, others in between. It's well known that Rowland wants the previous Orlando date. So, I suggest

Bradenton, Gainesville (the weeks they are now)
SGMP (the week after the Gators or less preferably, the week before)
Atlanta (the week after the Southern Nationals)
Bristol (sometime in the summer)
Reynolds (the week after the Zmax second national)
Orlando (the week Reynolds is now).

The Reynolds race does well where it is now, so you could add an early October Orlando race and leave Reynolds alone.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

For my own reasons i would like the races spread out some,i went from racing all the div 2 races for the last 8 years to one this year!!the reason for me is money,i lost my sponsor this year after 10 years with them and to pay all costs out of pocket 3 times in a month plus the time off work that i wont be paid for is impossible!!
Im sure there are others in the same situation.as far as racing in the summer,i dont prefer it and dont particularly like it but i havent noticed much of a car count diff.at least not in s/st but, i have noticed the car counts declining because of the economy!! Now i may be wrong but if the schedule was spread out some it would help the little guy get to more races and those are the ones that are not racing right now(this is just my opinion but i do research my opinions)
scott fifield

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

The air in Bristol in the summer is horrible. When it was postponed and held in July, it was near 100 degrees, and the corrected altitude was 4000 feet. It was miserable for the racers and the spectators, as well as the cars. It wasn't as bad as the genius decision to run Memphis in August, but it was real close.

Again, the reason Atlanta did so poorly this year is that it was an LODRS race on the third weekend of a four weekend stretch. Had there been a weekend off between Indy and Atlanta, there would have been more cars there in Atlanta, and possibly more cars would have gone on to Charlotte.

Reynolds needs to move to a week later in October. And we could still have something the 1st weekend of November, or even the second. Considering the people at SGMP wanted to be away from the early part of the year, following two races at Gainesville, plus Bradenton, I'd bet they might go for a race a week or two after Reynolds, if Reynolds was a week later. A lot of racers who want to go fast would like it, as the air would probably be pretty good, and the track is good. It would also draw well because it would be the last LODRS of the year in the region, racers would want ot get that last race in before the off season.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

We all cant spend a month and a half in florida ..The spring and the fall races is where it is at forsure..

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Alan,

We are both in similar situations. You live at the northern edge of the division. I live at the southern end of the division. The difference is the nearest out of division race for me is at least 750 miles. Makes no sense to spend that much money to travel for the meager purse. You can run the division 3 events. That makes you a little bit luckier for scheduling the points races. To run the division schedule with the current number of races with a 3 week spread would take 27 weeks. I know this is not possible but its nice to dream. With my work schedule and budget I usually try to run 5 div 2 races in NHRA and 2 IHRA div 2 races plus the gators and the Atlanta race. Running 4 or 5 weeks straight in the beginning of the year is brutal. One broken part and you might miss 2 races. These are just some of my ideas that would allow me to participate in more events.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Mike, I actually agree with you. We can never run the full schedule early in the year. At best we've made the Orlando race, and both Gainesville races, but had to skip Bradenton and South Georgia. Now, we've lost Memphis and St. Louis, so that kills two out of division races and two National Events that were a reasonable drive. Now we have Indy and Bowling Green for close out of division races.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Bradenton
Orlando (week before Gators) always 100 stockers
Gators
SG
Bristol (Give us the adjustment back!)
Gainesville
Atlanta
Silver dollar (November) 2 days of record runs HEHEHEHE Bring fire wood!


I as well use to run every div race but cannot swing 4 races in a month time span so I as others just quit going.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

that actually looks pretty good

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Flip Atlanta and Gainesville as our summer ends three weeks after theirs does. You really don't want to try a three-day race in Gainesville before late Sept. Otherwise that does look pretty good.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Part of the Atlanta draw is the Charlotte Nat, Just like Orlando's draw was the Gators. Both races ATL and G'ville would suffer if Daran's schedule was swapped. As Daran's schedule is proposed the car count in G'ville will be nonexistent.

Everyone is looking at this from their point of view...try looking at it from the tracks point of view. If the car count becomes nonexistent...so will our racing venues. As much as we would like to believe it, tracks are no there for our pleasure (well okay sort of), but they are there to make money for the owners.

Re: Speaking of Divisional Schedules: NHRA D2
 

Bill, if they have Atlanta right after Bowling Green and Indy, it will have a low car count, and if they follow it with Charlotte, that will have a low car count as well. Three and four races in a row is just not possible for a lot of people. Not early in the season, and not late in the season either.