My take on Tulsa
 

I was going to tag this to the “Live from Tulsa” thread, but decided this was too important to get buried.

First, I too agree that Cliff and crew did an excellent job keeping up with the starting line. In Div 4 we get that kind of starting line whether the track temperature is 60 or 145 degrees.

Now the reason for the thread.

I strongly disagree with the decision to run the race to competition until 3 am Sunday. The schedule was changed due to a chance of summer thunderstorms during a three hour period on Sunday. I spoke with many drivers who were complaining about the late hour and being “dog *** tired” but still racing. This is UNSAFE!

I don’t believe racing until 3 am “just in case it rains a bit” on Sunday promotes safety for the drivers, crew, or race track personal after a long day of racing in the sun and 90+ degree heat. If there was concern about the Sunday thunder storms, we should have started Saturday at 8 am instead of 10 am. I understand the track losing power for 5 hours didn’t help this situation, but still no excuse for conducting a race into the wee hours of the morning in light of an ever changing forecast.

We as racers rely on and PAY for NHRA to provide us a safe environment for racing. How safe is it to have a Top Dragster/Sportsman going low 6’s at 200+ miles an hour after being up 18+ hours in 90+ degree weather. How safe is it for us to rely on track workers/rescue/EMT personnel who have been working for 18+ hours in the heat. Thank God there was no accident!
If Sunday looked like a total wash out, I could understand the need to race late on Saturday, but not until 3 am Sunday morning.

Earlier in the year, the decision was made on Wednesday before the Dallas divisional to run the entire race on Saturday after seeing the Sunday rain chance. As the week progressed, the rain chance diminished, but NHRA did not revisit this decision, and still tried to finish the race on Saturday. The only reason the race was called on Saturday was due to the temperature dew point spread.

I feel NHRA values saving money and getting home early over our safety. I am not sure it’s understood the money/time invested and the passion we all have to race. Is it too much to ask we be given the best and safest conditions to pursue our dreams of taking home a Wally?

And BTW, no rain at Tulsa on Sunday!

Flame On!

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I started to just go home when I learned we were racing at night. Some of us old guys using blinders have trouble racing in the dark. I should have just gone on home. Gave Cooter round 2. Don't see lights like mine that round everyday. Should have at least made him work a little for it. LOL

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I did not like the 3 AM final rounds at all. I am to old for that.
I lost first round but help another racer who runs SC and Top Sportsman.
We ran in the final in TS with a time slip that said 2:38 AM and the track was fine but we were dead tired and dead late thus loosing in the final.
We lost 4th round in the SC car. It was so much of a round robin between the two cars we agreed on a throttle stop setting but then failed to put the numbers in the timer. That again was the being rushed and tired. A silly mistake.
I now remember why I have skipped this race in the past.
I will not soon forget this one.
Rick Cates

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I could not agree more. Well said.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Stupid..........

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Well Said Sir !!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Well said, X2

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

our director is starting to act like the last one.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I have said the same thing about finishing races late into the night or next morning. It isn't a safe condition. EVERYONE is tired, reaction times (for EVERYONE, inculding safety personnel) are diminished. Fortunately there wasn't an incident. I suggest all concerned people to contact Trey Capps (tcapps@nhra.com) or Graham Light (glight@nhra.com) at NHRA and let their concerns be heard.I have forwarded a link to D4 for Trey to read. Trying to complete a race on schedule should NOT be the priority of the officials that are supposed to have our safety at the fore front.
Dan Foley
SC4698

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

well said dan.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

again, Well said but I believe it will fall on deaf ears

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I just had this same conversation with Trey Capps. He told me that not one person said anything negative about finishing the race on Sunday morning. I told him it's because no one thinks anything will change.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I talked to several other racers, not one was happy with it.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Trey is in la la land. But if you don't come out of the tower it's hard to know what is going on outside. I can't imagine that the D4 crew was excited about getting back to their hotel at 5AM or later. I'm sure no one got up at 8A to drive home and enjoy the extra time off. If no one else tells him how he feels, he thinks he did a great job.I would hate to see a result like Las Vegas national a few years ago when a SG racer didn't make it through on of nhra's bad decisions.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I can tell you, we went to bed around 3:30 and were up at 7:30 to drive home, it wasn't too bad. I, myself, saw Trey out of the tower on multiple occasions, including working the back of the staging lanes in second or third round. So, we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

I can not speak for others, but I would much rather finish a race on the weekend, than to have to stay until Monday and it get rained out anyway (last year).

Is running until 3 am ideal? Absolutely not. But, I did not hear any of the winners complaining about the late racing, or the racing surface.

And for those that think this director is acting like the last one, who else remembers the year in Tulsa when we got 6 time trials, to get rained out on Sunday. I may not agree with everything he does, but he will not cater to a specific class and stands by his decisions. I have to give him props for that.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

You'll never hear the winner of any race complain about anything.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I would certainly never accuse him of acting like the last one. That dude was an ***.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Had it not been for a flag pole on a golf cart giving us a 5 hour delay we would have been done for 11. It was a very unusual circumstance in this case. We left the track at 7am Sunday morning and it was raining about an hour from the track. The track conditions were not unsafe by any stretch. As far as everybody being tired that's understandable, but you can never please everyone. If Trey would have decided to continue on Sunday and it was unable to be completed Sunday, it puts a strain on many racers that have families and work to get back to. I agree there are certain tracks that you just couldn't attempt to run this late due to dew point being reached or just because some tracks get slick at night. Maybe we should just give one time trial and go straight into first round then we could be done early?

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Cooter, most of us are older, many of us can't see well in the dark. That isn't safe. I started to leave when they announced we would be racing into the night. I had trouble seeing the return road down at the end.
That .308 light of mine against you told me I should have just gone on home. <G>

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

We had a similar issue here in div 2 at an IHRA nitro jam race. we were called to the lanes at 2 am. after a car crashed they sent us back to the trailer to race the next day. I was completely exhausted from being up for 20 straight hours at the track. Needless to say I skipped the next race that had the same schedule. They only had 4 cars at that next race in SS. It was not safe to be racing when you are that fatigued.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I'll have to agree with Austin and Cooter. I did take a shower at midnight and went back to the starting line and enjoyed watching the last three rounds. The track was good and we had a slight breeze in the air to make very enjoyable. I also know that Trey came around asking opinions on running the race off until completion.

Greg

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

When did he do that?

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

About an hour before racing resumed. I believed he talked to most of the reps.I know of one personally.

Greg

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Trey has little regard for his d4 workers why would he care about the racers.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

From speaking with some of The D4 Certification Team, all of them that I have spoken with feel Trey is doing a great job. They all like him and look forward to the next race to work with him. Not sure where the no name fellow is getting his information, but all is well with the Certification Team working with Trey.

*

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I really do not know what the perfect solution to this would have been but I can say without the 5 hour delay, I doubt we would even be having this discussion.

As Austin said, I can remember how mad I was several years ago when we got a zillion time runs even with bad weather approaching. Then, right as I was about to run, lightening started and we got sent back to the trailers. Since it was a Sunday and racing was rescheduled to Monday, I had to head home for work.

I feel the decision that was made was the best one in the situation.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

Trey seems like a good guy. Heck of a lot better than the director before him. If I was not old and night blind, I would have probably been OK. No rain Sunday, but all he can do is listen to the weather forecast, which is usually a joke in Oklahoma. If you don't like the weather here, just wait a few minutes.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

just my two cents I was not there but when bad weather is around you have to make a move NOW!!!! and I think it was the right one!! yes it was hard on the workers but they got to sleep the next day. with the lay off's in the oilfield and the self employed people like myself that have to get back to work on Monday. the right move by the division heads was made.

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

To me, this thread is very symbolic of what NHRA and track operators have to deal with and probably get very frustrated with...you can't please everyone! No matter what they do, someone isn't going to like it!

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I can see both sides, I've been in both over the years, my main concern would be the alertness and clearheadedness of the EMT crew

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

I wasn't there but I know Trey from the NMCA and he is a stand-up guy!

Al Corda

Re: My take on Tulsa
 

My opinion is that if you pull up there and stage your car, no matter what time of day or night, or conditions, you can't be complaining after the fact. Yes, I know what they say about opinions.