Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver

Joe Toller · 07-23-2013, 09:37 PM

Take into account how many miles are between racers and tracks out west. ALOT. Its less populated in the wild wild west, which probably explains lower counts as opposed to denser populated areas like the upper midwest and northeast. It doesn't mean the west is bad, it's just a helluva haul to do ANYTHING lol!

I hate that the count was down; however, I might just have a shot to make the field next year!

The Hawk · 07-23-2013, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iraceitall

Take into account how many miles are between racers and tracks out west. ALOT. Its less populated in the wild wild west, which probably explains lower counts as opposed to denser populated areas like the upper midwest and northeast. It doesn't mean the west is bad, it's just a helluva haul to do ANYTHING lol!
!

Exactly! I used to bring this up a lot on this forum a few years back. Pull out a map of the United States and place your finger on any place in Division 5 and see how far it is to most NHRA events.

Tom keedle · 07-24-2013, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Hawk

Exactly! I used to bring this up a lot on this forum a few years back. Pull out a map of the United States and place your finger on any place in Division 5 and see how far it is to most NHRA events.

lane, don't forget the "if you don't like NHRA, there's IHRA" statement....

Doug McCue · 07-24-2013, 04:21 PM

Division 5 could use quite a few more divisionals even if the alcohol cars were not able to race there.

The Hawk · 07-24-2013, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom keedle

lane, don't forget the "if you don't like NHRA, there's IHRA" statement....

We lost that option close to here with Salt Lake going back to NHRA. We still have San Antonio,around 1K miles from the Denver area!

GarysZ24 · 07-25-2013, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Hawk

We lost that option close to here with Salt Lake going back to NHRA. We still have San Antonio,around 1K miles from the Denver area!

True we did lose that option Lane, but I'm heart warmed by Frank Kohutek (the IHRA Div. 4&7 director saying (back in April,2013), that New Mexico now has Hobbs Dragway, and a strip in Roswell, NM now both flying the IHRA sanctioning banners. It's his hope that this will allow IHRA to continue to expand west (including their D7)!

SStockDart · 07-26-2013, 12:43 AM

How is Tucson doing since switching?????? I'd like to race there again. For that matter, I would like to race in Salt Lake City if it wasn't 600 miles of mostly 2 lane roads through the mountains.....LOL Correction......it is about 800 miles from Phoenix. Hiway 89 is closed south of Page, so would have to go through Las Vegas to get there....

GarysZ24 · 07-26-2013, 10:50 PM

Gary, I just looked at their website, and it seems like they're very happy with flying the IHRA banner, and quite honestly I don't see them wanting to switch back. Their Nitro Jams get hundreds if 1k + spectators every year, and it's only a 1-2 day race! Last I heard, it's possible the new IHRA owners might try to cement their presence there so as to keep NHRA from having a chance at getting it back? I'm disheartened that we lost Salt Lake City from D7, however compared to the other D7 tracks they have, it was like Bandimere Speedway to between Topeka and Brainerd kind of far. Perhaps they might create a D8 someday, but first they need to get their D7 Pro-Am series up and running, and I surely would be good with that!!!

GarysZ24 · 07-23-2013, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iraceitall

Take into account how many miles are between racers and tracks out west. ALOT. Its less populated in the wild wild west, which probably explains lower counts as opposed to denser populated areas like the upper midwest and northeast. It doesn't mean the west is bad, it's just a helluva haul to do ANYTHING lol!

I hate that the count was down; however, I might just have a shot to make the field next year!

You and Lane hit the nail on the head. I too recall trying to entice NHRA to do for our divisional layout, what the NFL did with their football divisions a long while back, and I recalled getting laughed at by many people with few exceptions. It was nonsense for the Atlanta Falcons to have to travel from one end of the country to the other to play against the San Francisco 49ers (and others in the former NFC West), and it's equally nonsense for Div's 5, 6, & 7 to have to travel over 400 miles to race divisional events. Good example, here in D7, if anyone who lives in Az., wanted to race their recent divisional, they would've had to travel nearly 1,000 miles to get to Sonoma from Phoenix. Thanks to the 55mph towing limit on California's highways, it would've been better for them to pay the extra entry fee money and go to Denver for the Mile High's, but it would've been lousy for either tow, compareds to those of you who live in D3.

I still think it high time NHRA either changes their divisional layout, or follow the NFL and create a new division (or two), to reduce tow miles for all of us out here too???

07-23-2013, 09:37 PM	#1
Joe Toller Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lewistown, Montana Posts: 550 Likes: 78 Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver Take into account how many miles are between racers and tracks out west. ALOT. Its less populated in the wild wild west, which probably explains lower counts as opposed to denser populated areas like the upper midwest and northeast. It doesn't mean the west is bad, it's just a helluva haul to do ANYTHING lol! I hate that the count was down; however, I might just have a shot to make the field next year!

07-24-2013, 04:21 PM	#4
Doug McCue Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 232 Likes: 7 Liked 13 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver Division 5 could use quite a few more divisionals even if the alcohol cars were not able to race there.

07-26-2013, 12:43 AM	#7
SStockDart VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Arizona, Texan forever Posts: 1,176 Likes: 879 Liked 574 Times in 212 Posts	Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver How is Tucson doing since switching?????? I'd like to race there again. For that matter, I would like to race in Salt Lake City if it wasn't 600 miles of mostly 2 lane roads through the mountains.....LOL Correction......it is about 800 miles from Phoenix. Hiway 89 is closed south of Page, so would have to go through Las Vegas to get there.... __________________ Gary Hansen - SS/FA 4911, B/SA 4911 Last edited by SStockDart; 07-26-2013 at 12:48 AM.

07-26-2013, 10:50 PM	#8
GarysZ24 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tempe, Az. Posts: 1,273 Likes: 922 Liked 240 Times in 95 Posts	Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver Gary, I just looked at their website, and it seems like they're very happy with flying the IHRA banner, and quite honestly I don't see them wanting to switch back. Their Nitro Jams get hundreds if 1k + spectators every year, and it's only a 1-2 day race! Last I heard, it's possible the new IHRA owners might try to cement their presence there so as to keep NHRA from having a chance at getting it back? I'm disheartened that we lost Salt Lake City from D7, however compared to the other D7 tracks they have, it was like Bandimere Speedway to between Topeka and Brainerd kind of far. Perhaps they might create a D8 someday, but first they need to get their D7 Pro-Am series up and running, and I surely would be good with that!!! __________________ Gary Hampton '86 Z24,173 V6 CF/S #5824 (#78 in 2021)