Is It Time?

[GTS340]

Watching some stock and superstock drivers needing a crew member to show them where the line is every single time is ridiculous. I do my burn out and wait for my dial in to come up on the board and turn on the pre stage. It takes 5-10 seconds total. Then it takes for ever watching some drivers inch up from 6 feet back of the line. How these folks park next to a curb must be an adventure. How they know where the finish line is or pulling onto the scales is another mystery. Same drivers are driving into the pits with 40' motorhomes pulling a trailer. What is the problem? Head games?

Paul Haszlauer
SS 7019

[BG56]

John, we did have some great trips out to Byron from NJ. Leave work early Friday, drive all night and sleep at the gate. Race all day Sat. and then to the hotel. Letter a racecar body in the room, haha. Check out Sun. am and race til you lost (or won) and hit the road to make work Mon. am. Did that trip probably 6 or 7 times. I know Dave won one and runner-upped once(?). And then there were the Chet's Speed Shop boys from CT and there "exploits" in Chicago. (For another time!)
As far as current day staging delays, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman are definitely the worst!

[FED 387]

plus don't forget the guys that have to adjust and readjust their wheelie bar settings several times "just sayin"--maybe NO crew say when the car is within 10 feet of the starting line how about that???---FED 387

[Demon340]

Mind games are what many racers live by. I am not sure if the other driver next to you feels that he/she can't beat you on the tree or if on the other end?
I once raced a certain station wagon at a Division 7 track; after I did my burn out ( my routine is always the same: pull into the water with my door open, close door, tighten seatbelts, check gauges and switches, make sure other racer is in the water and starting their burn-out, 2nd gear burn-out, roll to the line, put car into 1st and pre-stage, then wait for the other racer.) At Vegas, the racer tried the mind game after his burnout with me. After sitting with the pre-stage lit, that seemed like for very long time, I looked back over my shoulder and saw the wagon creeping ever so slowly to the tree with at least 20 feet still to go... That day it worked for him...with all lost of respect from me.
He was in my head, the worse light I ever had in eliminations.
Larry

[Rusty Davenport]

If you are racing by yourself the track personel becomes your only help------is there enough water or do I have to beg someone up there to wet the burnout area-------so I'll sit here until someone volunteers------now how to find the correct place to stop in the water ??? Now when do I come out of the water ??? Now if I could only find the pre-stage beam somewhere up here ??? Am I 6 ft or 6 inches from it ??? Its not mind games its BLIND games..... but yet we are to HURRY UP !!!!! Starting line crew HELP us old men !!!!!

[Adger Smith]

Another First at Ron's track...
US Class Nationals at Byron.
We had 2 in the water 2 on the line and 2 turning off the track.
In staging the lanes were in order.. all pretty good class cars.
I can't remember the car count, Nitro Joe??, Tony?, but our crew got it done and beat the curfew.
All on a very, very hot weekend.
It was non stop action.
With my race tracks back in the 70's it seemed like the spectators were done after about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Get the race over and go home...

[Bill Bogues]

I like the way they did it at the houston pts meet . They waved you to the water right after the person in front did their burnout. As soon as people in front left they started you on your burnout. By the time you finished burnout and staged they were off track and you could go. Seemed like to me a timely way to run a race. Racing stock, won't work for every class.

[Ed Hauter]

At the 4 wide National Events, I would like to see them try 4 wide qualifying for all the sportsman classes. But not all 4 lanes launch at the same time. Two go to half track, then two go. then .......

[GTS340]

Stock ran in 3 and 4 all weekend. Superstock ran in 1 and 2. There was a funny moment when the first 2 Superstocker rolled out. One went into lane 1 and the other racer went into 3. Senior moment as the lane personal had to go over and get him to try again.

Paul Haszlauer
SS 7019

[4406mopar]

Originally Posted by Ed Hauter

At the 4 wide National Events, I would like to see them try 4 wide qualifying for all the sportsman classes. But not all 4 lanes launch at the same time. Two go to half track, then two go. then .......

That won’t work very well with a pair staged and the tree coming down and the other pair of cars start doing burnouts. More distractions and ways to make a mistake.