Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures.

Bret Kepner · 06-04-2010, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Moock

Why didn't they build the two tracks closer together like madison, IL. they could use the pits for parking for the Nascar track.

That's pretty funny, Tom! I guess you don't realize that, from the starting line at Gateway back to the oval track pits and back to the starting line, it's a total trip of 2.1 miles! The roundtrip yesterday at Joliet was 2.8 miles.

james schaechter · 06-04-2010, 06:05 AM

We are pitted in the gravel which is a bit farther out. It actually is much better than it sounds. or than we expected. we have to snake through a parking lot and to the main hard top, but except for a few gawkers on golf carts that block the road, you can get rolling and coast a bit.

I think the difficulty will be the congestion in the track as the crowds come in later in the week. The long drive on top of that could cause some cars fits. They are allowing people to tow from the NASCAR pits to the track, but in many cases and ours too people don't have a person with to do that anyway.

I did hear that if you had not been through tech, you had the option to bail out with no penalty, but I only know of one stocker that did that.

I would also say that the tech crew has been very attentive to this issue. They came to trailers to tech you in right away. they have been working on this as hard as anyone to make it as best as it could be.

Jim Kaekel · 06-04-2010, 06:49 AM

I was the stocker that "bailed". I race for the enjoyment and I just did not see too much "fun factor" being involved in a race where I was pitted across the street with no crew or golf cart for a tow, and then trying to be competitive against fellow racers that have that option. I understand that due to pit conditions, they were in between a "rock and a hard place" with little options for pitting. I'm just glad they gave us the option that we could transfer out.

W J · 06-04-2010, 07:05 AM

Considering that distance, the cars that are normally towed to the lanes should've been pitted across the street, rather than the cars that are normally required to be driven to the lanes.....it would seem most sensible, no?? But then again, making sense is pretty much never the course taken lately. Looking over entry lists, and Sportsman fields are huge out there....Great racing coming if weather/track hold up...WJ

Mike Schwartz · 06-05-2010, 11:21 PM

It might be hard to visualize how far away some people were parked. This modified Google map that I made shows the locations where Sal took his photos. It's about 1.5 miles from the speedway lots to the head of staging at Rt. 66.

CBS · 06-07-2010, 12:16 PM

I was 1.7 miles from the back of the lanes....not much different than Madison....but it seemed a lot farther......but Red came and got us when we needed to go up...it wasn't too bad....at least when I pulled out at 10:30 pm Sunday I wasn't stuck....it was really wet in the pit area....that place would have been all torn up...it still might be bad this weekend....it didn't just rain...it poured....a number of times....I would hate to have seen the jet fuel bill....they had a tanker right there to fill all 3 jets up....incredible....

Rock

TS310C · 06-08-2010, 07:15 AM

It wasnt that bad for time runs and first round. (we broke a rocker arm first round so we didn't get to find out past that). Did they move the people that were in the late rounds inside? I can't imagine you would have time to go back and forth in the later rounds.

06-04-2010, 06:05 AM	#2
james schaechter VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cumming GA Posts: 1,991 Likes: 1,289 Liked 1,430 Times in 298 Posts	Re: Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures. We are pitted in the gravel which is a bit farther out. It actually is much better than it sounds. or than we expected. we have to snake through a parking lot and to the main hard top, but except for a few gawkers on golf carts that block the road, you can get rolling and coast a bit. I think the difficulty will be the congestion in the track as the crowds come in later in the week. The long drive on top of that could cause some cars fits. They are allowing people to tow from the NASCAR pits to the track, but in many cases and ours too people don't have a person with to do that anyway. I did hear that if you had not been through tech, you had the option to bail out with no penalty, but I only know of one stocker that did that. I would also say that the tech crew has been very attentive to this issue. They came to trailers to tech you in right away. they have been working on this as hard as anyone to make it as best as it could be. __________________ James Schaechter 3163 STK

06-04-2010, 06:49 AM	#3
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,227 Likes: 133 Liked 531 Times in 108 Posts	Re: Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures. I was the stocker that "bailed". I race for the enjoyment and I just did not see too much "fun factor" being involved in a race where I was pitted across the street with no crew or golf cart for a tow, and then trying to be competitive against fellow racers that have that option. I understand that due to pit conditions, they were in between a "rock and a hard place" with little options for pitting. I'm just glad they gave us the option that we could transfer out. __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

06-04-2010, 07:05 AM	#4
W J Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Paxton, Massachusetts Posts: 638 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures. Considering that distance, the cars that are normally towed to the lanes should've been pitted across the street, rather than the cars that are normally required to be driven to the lanes.....it would seem most sensible, no?? But then again, making sense is pretty much never the course taken lately. Looking over entry lists, and Sportsman fields are huge out there....Great racing coming if weather/track hold up...WJ Last edited by W J; 06-04-2010 at 09:03 PM. Reason: add content...

06-05-2010, 11:21 PM	#5
Mike Schwartz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland USA Posts: 533 Likes: 129 Liked 248 Times in 89 Posts	Re: Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures. It might be hard to visualize how far away some people were parked. This modified Google map that I made shows the locations where Sal took his photos. It's about 1.5 miles from the speedway lots to the head of staging at Rt. 66. Attached Thumbnails

06-07-2010, 12:16 PM	#6
CBS VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Commerce, Mi Posts: 1,387 Likes: 1 Liked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures. I was 1.7 miles from the back of the lanes....not much different than Madison....but it seemed a lot farther......but Red came and got us when we needed to go up...it wasn't too bad....at least when I pulled out at 10:30 pm Sunday I wasn't stuck....it was really wet in the pit area....that place would have been all torn up...it still might be bad this weekend....it didn't just rain...it poured....a number of times....I would hate to have seen the jet fuel bill....they had a tanker right there to fill all 3 jets up....incredible.... Rock

06-08-2010, 07:15 AM	#7
TS310C Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Morton, IL Posts: 323 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Route 66 NHRA Nationals parking pictures. It wasnt that bad for time runs and first round. (we broke a rocker arm first round so we didn't get to find out past that). Did they move the people that were in the late rounds inside? I can't imagine you would have time to go back and forth in the later rounds.