Dear Len Imbrongo, NHRA, and all the other people who dont care about sportsman cars

[RULER]

This must be the same Sean Kennedy that was busting the div-6 directors balls because there were only 50 spots for stock but it looks like you got in now your crying about the way the race went. The road go's both ways you didn't have to be there and you aren't going to gain any respect by crying on the internet or in person so why don't you crawl back under your rock.

[John H186]

Hello Jason.

I have a question about your E-Town parking experience. As a weekly racer and employee there, I can only assume that you are talking about the area by the lake, known as the 400 lot, as this is the only spot with even the slightest amount of rock towards the rear of the lot. If so, I know for a fact that, due to no Stock at the event, there was a ton of room in that lot to have been able to park your car on blacktop. I know that the NHRA puts you in a certain spot and that is usually it but there was more than enough blacktop in that lot to not have parked on the rocks as you are stating. Why not just simply move?

[Jim Blankenship]

hummmmm like this something new to happen.
it rains it's gona happen.
bad pit parking is gona happen.
least ya got to race, the super cars at memphis had to park in round track parking lot for " 3 " days before they sent some local kid that worked for track to tell us to
"GO HOME " we did run nats at the div race later in years. oh sat it rained so hard couldn't see my car beside the truck(i was in truck).
what about the stock, super stock that ran houston parked at a mall ran on monday or some other time.
the " gators " at orlando comes to mind also.
things are gona happen sooner or later.
maybe in 09 when all we get to race at is sportsnat they will have the one per div at a large track where all will have good pit sites.

ok just my .02

jim

[Jason Oldfield]

Originally Posted by John H186

Hello Jason.

I have a question about your E-Town parking experience. As a weekly racer and employee there, I can only assume that you are talking about the area by the lake, known as the 400 lot, as this is the only spot with even the slightest amount of rock towards the rear of the lot. If so, I know for a fact that, due to no Stock at the event, there was a ton of room in that lot to have been able to park your car on blacktop. I know that the NHRA puts you in a certain spot and that is usually it but there was more than enough blacktop in that lot to not have parked on the rocks as you are stating. Why not just simply move?

John,

That's the place! But, the particular experience I was speaking of was not this year, but 2005. I'm not sure what classes they were running at that year, but there was about 15 to 20 of us parked out there. The only other person I can specifically remember was "Lucky" Luciano.

Anyway, I unloaded the car, made one pass, and on the way back parked the car in the S/S pits next to Bucky Hess, as there was no way I was driving my car back through that mess. I looked around a bit, found a couple of spots, and convinced one of the officials to let me move. He actually moved me into the T/AD pits in a spot that was definitely not big enough for another full-size rig (I only have a 32' motorhome with a 24' tag). At first the T/AD guy next to me didn't like it, but once I repositioned a bit to keep my generator exhaust out of his working area, he was cool with it.

Good thing I moved too because I thrashed on the car all weekend, which would not have been pleasant in the rocks. Of course, thrashing for sportsman racers usually equals losing early (which I did), so I could have just as easily loaded up and gone home. But, my uncle loves to watch the pros, so I hung out mostly for him.

All that said, I've learned my lesson about moving without permission. You can get away with that at IHRA races where there's typically plenty of space. But, the NHRA guys don't seem to take to that too well, and it's not that difficult to spot a trailer moving around before the first round of eliminations has begun!

Hope that clarifies things a bit...

[JRyan]

WELL, It wasn't ALWAYS that way. Back before many of you were born (1979), Uncle Charlie Koppien and I went to INDY. In fact we took a weeks tour by going to Cordova, Kil-Kare, Muncie and INDY. The story involves Cordova.

Since Chuck and I were on tour, we started a week early at Cordova. The race was their World Series of Drag Racing and they had some "booked-in" people for the weekend, one of which was Don Prudomme. For those of you familiar with Cordova at that time, there was a cement pad straight off of the staging area that was rather small, but had a water spicket. We were the first ones there (Wednesday) and decided it would be a great place to park my ramp truck and car, and Chuck's trailer and car.

All was well until Don P. and his group arrived on (I believe) Friday. His driver drove to the cement pad, and Don P. got out and told us to move. If you know Chuck, you know his immediate answer was "F--K YOU!!!!!" So Prudomme said it again and received the same response, and then said, "We'll see about this", and headed to the tower.

A few minutes later he was back with the track manager who asked us what the problem was. Now we've been talking with this guy for three day and we weren't strangers anymore, so when we explained that we were there first and we wanted that spot, he simply turned to Prudomme and said, "Looks like you'll have to find another spot". Don started arguing about being the booked in show and all that crap, and that he deserved the space, and the manager just told him that if he didn't like it, he could just GO HOME, but he wasn't GETTING PAID. They moved just far enough away in the GRAVEL to sneer at us all week, and we returned the favor by pointing at them and telling the story to anyone who would come by and listen. So it's little guys 1, Pros 10,000, unless some of you can come up with similar stories.

And to think that some people don't long for the "Good ole days". Well, maybe Don Prudomme doesn't.

Jerry

[Sean Kennedy]

Originally Posted by RULER

This must be the same Sean Kennedy that was busting the div-6 directors balls because there were only 50 spots for stock but it looks like you got in now your crying about the way the race went. The road go's both ways you didn't have to be there and you aren't going to gain any respect by crying on the internet or in person so why don't you crawl back under your rock.

I haven't talked to anyone from NHRA. So thats not really possible.

I'm trying to be nice, but this is starting to bug me.

[Harry 6674]

Hey RULER at least Sean has the BALLS to use his name.

[Chuck Beach]

Guys,
I have to agree with Ed on this one. Just because you are a professional racer shouldn't mean you should get special treatment. I would like to think that if I pay $250.00 to enter a national event, take time off work to go (usually vaction time), fuel for the truck, fuel for the car, hotel expense, food, etc. that I should get at least a decent place to park my rig regardless of the size. No one has control over the weather but to push the sportsman racer farther and farther away from the staging lanes is getting absurd. I have been racing since the late 70's and I have been parked in some pretty remote places at national events as well as divisionals. Last year at Indy NHRA blocked off a large area for the PM's and they didn't fill half of it. Whether we are sportsman racers or pros we are still competitors. We are still part of the show. We the sportsman racers are paying to compete and should be given a decent place to pit. I think there are plenty of fans out there that still like to see stock and super stock. I know things have changed over the years but this sport was built on stock and super stock, not bracket racing or pros. At the rate things are going NHRA will be lucky to fill the pro fields at a lot of the races. The alky classes very seldom have a full field. I know we need to adapt but at least make us feel like we are part of the show .....

[Arnold Greene]

This is something that always amazed me. The seats for spectators are at the starting line instead of where the race is won or lost. But the most amazing thing is to park cars that have to drive to the starting line, the fartherest away. If you are allowed to tow to the starting line, it shouldn't make any difference where you are parked. If spectators want to see your car, they will find you, where ever you are. I guess I look at this as a common sense issue, but apparently others do not.

[FlyingW]

But most NHRA sportsman classes are not allowed to be pulled or pushed to the lanes..... But for your sponsor's it's great you have to drive right by all the spectator's and they look at your car............THATS RACING.....

Jeremy Waibel
B/SA 2231
Battery tender '69 camaro