Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Wow! Really! Is it a bad facility?

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

location probably has everything to do with it---kinda off in the corner dont ya think??

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

I race divisionals on a regular basis but have never once gone to this race. Treated like dirt, parked in a hole on the lower 40 on the far side of the track, it's pretty apparent that they just don't want us there. The nicest part of this track was a large section of pits that was shaded by large fir trees, it got bulldozed a few years ago to make asphalt for the pro cars. I will gladly drive 1000 miles to the go to the Las Vegas race over the 200 miles to Seattle. I'm fine with going to Seattle for the divisional, just don't feel like spending $300 to be treated this badly for the national. I don't think my feelings differ from a lot of the racers up here.

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Jim, I wondered if it might be something like that. Sounds like Denver.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

hi , exactly ., been there before

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

I agree with Jim on that, I won't even waste the drive to watch.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

These cars counts are quickly becoming a non story, more the norm now, a full field would be the story!

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Bingo!

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

;) I have heard several comments on the parking problem at Seattle. I think it has been that way for a few years now. There is a Stock Super/Stock combo race at Seattle on Friday the 9th of August. One week away and should be a good one. With the divisional race the following weekend many might leave their cars in the area for both. Contact Jim Boyce or Jim Storms for more info. I don't have contact numbers, but both are at Seattle this weekend. Hope to see 35 or more cars for the combo race.

P.S. Good luck to all this weekend.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Rain too

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Don't know why 25 SS cars in Seattle is so shocking. SS has always had a low turn out as long as I've been going there. Here are the SS car counts at the national as far back as DRC goes:

Yr - Cars
98 - 28
99 - 26
00 - 28
01 - 28
02 - 32
03 - 34
04 - 26
05 - 34
06 - 46
07 - 13
08 - 27
09 - 22
10 - 30
11 - 32
12 - 20
13 - 25

As long as you get there reasonably early you will get pitted up top. Mick and Jackie Alley got there a few hours before they started pulling us in to park. The video doesn't show it, but they are pitted right behind Jody and I.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRyMb2sQlmo"]Seattle Pit Spots - YouTube[/ame]

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

It`s called beating a dead horse. Car counts are low in some areas. I`m sure the same topic will be brought up next year again too.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

My apologies. I never noticed an NHRA SS field that small. I will try to remember if I see that again.

Would be a pretty good one for IHRA.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

At 3:00 there's a really nice '70-'73 RS Camaro. Nice stance, color and those Goodyears are really stuffed into the wheel wells!

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

No problem. It is pretty alarming if you`ve never noticed before.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

I noticed that too, Jeff. That car's stance looks sweet.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Comp racer Justin Lambs d/sa 70 z/28 nice looking car

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Jim, Phil, Sean;

It is what you make it. I’ve been angry in the past when I got pitted at the top end and we all remember when Steve Pollac pulled out of the national event after being told he would have to drive his SS/CM car a mile down the road course to staging. Last 3 years I have had great spots and I really think things have improved vastly. I think the parking guys make a concerted effort to get the performance based classes the best spots they can.
All I can say is come on back and give it a try you may be surprised. In my opinion the NHRA IS trying to make things a little more appealing for the sportsman racer lately.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Bill,, I have some friends with S/G and S/ST cars that were pitted on the top end this weekend,,, and I noticed some Stock and Superstock cars stuck out there also, among them Mary Ann,, Dan Cyr, Brian Thompson and others. Maybe its better now than before, but quite a few still had the long drive up to the lanes.
By the way, congrats on your #1 qualifier,, take care.
Danny Durham

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

A couple of years ago I was pissed about being pitted on top end. The long drive to the staging lanes etc. This year due to arriving late due to motorhome issues we again were pitted on top end. After the pitting from 2 years ago its not that bad. In both our cars by the time we reached the staging lanes from where we are pitted our motors were only 95 degrees. Didn't affect performance. And we didn't have to listen to and smell the nitro cars and put up with answering a 1000 questions asking if we had NOS in our cars or why I'm not running a holley carb. I guess my point being is there's pluses and negatives to all pit spots.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

The Sea Fair hydro races was down about 50,000 fans sunday so it could have something to do with the economy. According to the media it's getting better but I'm not seeing it. If Mission or Woodburn had the room Seattle would lose this race.IMHO.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any track in Div.6 that has enough room to host a NHRA National event. Several likely could have 20 years ago, but with so many sportsman racers going to huge motorhomes and long trailers, not to mention the pro teams, which seem to require at least 2 full sized semi rigs per nitro car, even with fewer entrants, pit space gets filled up quickly. Hell, just the John Force teams pit space could have accomodated ALL the nitro F/C teams 25 years ago. I attended my first NHRA National event at Seattle in 1979, and nobody was pitted on the road race course back then. There were a lot more class cars back then, although I do not believe there were any .90 cars running back then. At Seattle, before they cleared out all the trees and paved the right side pit area, most of the Stock & S/S cars, and 10.90 cars parked there, now it looks like a big rig truck stop for the Pro teams.. Since then, I have usually been forced to pit either waaaay down the road race course, or on the right side of the track entrance road about 1/2 mile from the staging lanes, and requiring driving thru the indifferent fans meandering around the Pro pits. Good luck keeping the engine temp down doing that! It would sure be nice if somebody would build a super track live Vegas up here, but with real estate prices what they are, not very likely.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

We had a "close" pit spot, but it comes with a price. Driving through sand, gravel and dust.

If you really want to race you'll go race. If you're too far away drive up early and cool down at a friends pit. There's always a way to make it work.

Too much time and effort are given to parking. Stacking, holding lots, on and on...it's crazy.

Harry, the Blue Angels weren't there this year. I hear that was a big factor.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Is the purse compromised when there is a low car count at National, Divisional events?

Wade Mahaffey

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

You can win from any of them!

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Pacific is an older facility, no track is perfect we all know that, deal with what we have an make the best of it. I would rather deal with alittle dust than have my truck and trailer sucked out of the mud by a Cat loader, every race track has issue's.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Thank you for posting Toby, always love the quality work. Second, it looks like quite the nice race track, I think that we have to take in consideration all those garage on wheels(stacker, enclosed trailer and tractor trailers) do take quite a lot of spaces compare to what was used in the late 70's when the track was configured. claude Ruel

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

You're right Jim, none are perfect...Hell, the Pros probably complain......

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Vegas is perfect !?

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

I've been there, never raced there. What is wrong with Vegas?

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Ed,
I was saying that Vegas IS perfect, or at least close to it.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

True Bernie, Vegas is the best.........

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

A good question ,can someone answer,,,,

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

No

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

It is statistically easier to win a 5 round race than a 7 round race,and the purse remains the same.

Re: Only 25 SS cars in Seattle?
 

Quite a few Comp guys feel the same way. Stayed home as a result!