Parking - The Real Story

[Beth Denysenko]

Why do classes that are allowed to be towed to the staging lanes get to park closer than classes that have to drive up? That never made sense to me, and especially last weekend when we were parked two miles from the starting line. (In fairness, they did allow us to be towed part way up to the lanes if you had ability to do so.) I would think those that can tow could be parked further away -as it is now, those of us who are not allowed to be towed are parked as far away as possible. Seems inconsiderate at best.

Other than that, a lot of good points. We never argue "saving a spot" as we have done it and had it done for us. IHRA is very liberal in allowing this and it's one of the perks we appreciate when we race with them.

[Don Kennedy]

Pat : I understand everything you have said although I disagree with some of what you have said. If I am one of the very first racers in line left work early to get a spot for pitting so my clients can come by and see a race , how come I can't get my choice pit spot ? I don't have a clue what situation your parkers may have with other racers , yet I am told to park in a spot I don't want to only to see the spot not being used until a another racer parks there that has no what so ever so called "special situation" then what?

or let me say this if you came into my friends restaurant and he sit you near the toilets after saying oh we are saving the other spots for another racer even not knowing if that racer shows up or when how would you feel? How does a track parker even know who is what ? Now here in the west the pits are very dirty. A track should have clean pit spaces period >

The flawed thinking on a track owners part is who is important or who is not ? who is going to show when ? and we don't know any thing about your situation with any racer only you know so a racer gets upset about where they are parked . ok so I know the winning attitude is what it is all about so let any one park where they want and let the "Special racer worry about the winning altitude" if he gets into the track late and see what happens ?

[Ed Wright]

I was gone for several years. When did the comp guys get to be so important? And why? We used to all park together.

And top sportsman and top dragster? They are just dial-your-own bracket racers once they qualify. Does anybody ever not qualify?

[sst1988]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

I was gone for several years. When did the comp guys get to be so important? And why? We used to all park together.

And top sportsman and top dragster? They are just dial-your-own bracket racers once they qualify. Does anybody ever not qualify?

I say all 32 cars fields in ever sportsman class's.except AFC/TAD, Then qualifying would mean something then nobody would qualify on the bottom deliberately.

[Beth Denysenko]

And something else that hasn't been brought up yet, but is becoming more and more of an issue as of late.

Parking classes together means they are all gone at once to the staging lanes, leaving rows of trailers and motorhomes abandoned at once. There is no need to pit classes together. We should all be interspersed so there are not complete vacancies of areas leaving unattended trailer after trailer open for those with ill-intentions ability to rob riot and loot in our absence.

This is becoming a big problem and the way we are parked is making it easier for those to come and steal when no one is around.

[Pat Joffrion]

Have you ever noticed how qualifying sheets start with the number 1 qualifier?
Have you ever noticed how most press releases give the qualifying sequence of:
Top Fuel
Funny Car
Pro Stock
Pro Stock Bike
Pro Mod
Top Alcohol Dragster
Top Alcohol Funny Car
Competition Eliminator
-----------------------------
Top Sportsman
Top Dragster
Super Comp
Super Gas
Super Street
Super Stock
Stock Eliminator

Have you ever noticed how the top-eight of the above sequence gets the best parking area at national events?
Have you ever noticed that the remaining bottom-seven pretty much follow in order for the rest of the parking area?
Have you any idea how much the cost of a racecar operation gets higher as you go up on the list? (well maybe not so for super street, but some would disagree)
Can you draw a reasonable conclusion that the more you spend on your race car, the better parking spot you get?
Have you ever noticed how at a charity event, the largest donors get to sit at the front, closest to the stage?
Why is that so when everybody at the charity event paid the same price for the banquet ticket? (and the biggest donors who put on the banquet probably got in for free)

The comments about parking remind me about something I was told over 50 years ago. I remember once, as an innocent young child, asking our domestic Mammy, why it was that her skin was black, but the bottoms of her feet were white? She simply replied, “It just be’s dat way.”

The bottoms of her feet and pit parking have one thing in common: IT JUST BE’S DAT WAY. Fifty years later, the translation is simply: IT IS WHAT IT IS. Let the big boys have their concrete and asphalt. I always had more fun parking in the grass. Besides, my beer bottles don’t break when they fall on grass.

And Beth, you are so right about mixing the various categories. We’ve never had a theft incident at No Problem since we started mixing the cars on the asphalt and on the grass. That point needs to be addressed to all division directors and track managers.

[Sally McBride]

Mr. Pat,

I heard that you and Linda were in a bad wreck on I-10 last month. Any update?

[Ed Wright]

I would differ with you on the cost of most compettive Super Stockers (not mine, I'm doing it on the cheap) versus most .90 cars, and race results don't list them ahead of the Super Stock and Stock cars. Doesn't take much money or talent, to put a big block Chevy on a stick and run eights. Takes even less to take a big block and run nines. Near zero to run tens.

The alky cars, I understand. They actully race heads up, fast guy wins. They come closer to putting butts in the bleachers than the rest of us.

[63corvette]

Originally Posted by Pat Joffrion

Have you ever noticed how qualifying sheets start with the number 1 qualifier?
Have you ever noticed how most press releases give the qualifying sequence of:
Top Fuel
Funny Car
Pro Stock
Pro Stock Bike
Pro Mod
Top Alcohol Dragster
Top Alcohol Funny Car
Competition Eliminator
-----------------------------
Top Sportsman
Top Dragster
Super Comp
Super Gas
Super Street
Super Stock
Stock Eliminator

Have you ever noticed how the top-eight of the above sequence gets the best parking area at national events?
Have you ever noticed that the remaining bottom-seven pretty much follow in order for the rest of the parking area?
Have you any idea how much the cost of a racecar operation gets higher as you go up on the list? (well maybe not so for super street, but some would disagree)
Can you draw a reasonable conclusion that the more you spend on your race car, the better parking spot you get?
Have you ever noticed how at a charity event, the largest donors get to sit at the front, closest to the stage?
Why is that so when everybody at the charity event paid the same price for the banquet ticket? (and the biggest donors who put on the banquet probably got in for free)

The comments about parking remind me about something I was told over 50 years ago. I remember once, as an innocent young child, asking our domestic Mammy, why it was that her skin was black, but the bottoms of her feet were white? She simply replied, “It just be’s dat way.”

The bottoms of her feet and pit parking have one thing in common: IT JUST BE’S DAT WAY. Fifty years later, the translation is simply: IT IS WHAT IT IS. Let the big boys have their concrete and asphalt. I always had more fun parking in the grass. Besides, my beer bottles don’t break when they fall on grass.

And Beth, you are so right about mixing the various categories. We’ve never had a theft incident at No Problem since we started mixing the cars on the asphalt and on the grass. That point needs to be addressed to all division directors and track managers.

First Off Lets Talk Sportsman, Nothing Else
Pat," Have You Ever Noticed What Happened" in the past is not an answer to the issue.
Just because it is the way it happened in the past does not make it right just as you noted referring to blacks which some could take offense to.

You are one in a position to know happy racers show up to you track because of the way they are treated and they tell their friends. I have skipped races and continue to do so today as we trade posts I am skipping one because of treatment at a track. I will never go back there due to an issue several years back as long as the current owner/manager remains. I race for enjoyment and some tracks do not make it enjoyable and I can control where I go spend my $$$$. Being retired I can pick and choose anywhere across the country to go have fun. I do not know any Sportsman Racer who does it for the money or for a living and from your comments about working and saving a spot you must not either.

From Comp down (not including Comp) on your list there are cars in each of those categories which are worth about the same so justify to me why TS and TD get preference. Not just because it has always been that way or Have You Ever Noticed.
I have noticed!

I guess your philosophy on the issue is the guy with the most money in his car parks better.
That does not make it right, I am sorry.
Just My 2 Cents
Rick Cates
Canyon, TX

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

I was gone for several years. When did the comp guys get to be so important? And why? We used to all park together.

And top sportsman and top dragster? They are just dial-your-own bracket racers once they qualify. Does anybody ever not qualify?

T/D and T/S are just another spectator "Class" (these cars are FAST at that means spectators) to push the stock and Super Stock cars further out of the picture. Just as the .90 cars did to the modified cars years ago and the associations and tracks will kiss their ***** to get them to come and be premadonnas for a little while. If it wasnt for the money collected the class legal cars days would be numbered. They are old news to the younger crowd. Look around.....we are OLD and getting older. Todays spectator doesnt know or care if the car has a 283 or a 426 Hemi under the hood. All they want to see is a fast show (entertainment). Its all about the easy entry money and associated expenses the associations are collecting. No real tech problems other than safety items and they dont have to have tech inspectors with the knowledge to do the job of tear downs. The Alcohol cars are there to keep the track from rusting.....