2008 Schedule (2 Viewers)

[none]

It's usually the weekend after the Superbowl.

Thanks for the information.

 

[Terry]

Terry,

Don't you have room in the cornfields of Nebraska, a.k.a. AK-SAR-BEN for a track???

Heck yes! I've got room for a complex in MY cornfield even--Drag strip facility first, then 1/2 mile dirt track for sprint cars, and a motocross track in the infield. We don't need no stinkin' paved oval for taxi cabs!! Wonder if Connie would like to invest in developing the AK-SAR-BEN CORNPLEX!!!!!

 

[FalconRacer]

NHRA needs an event in each state! Instead of doubling up in a couple of them.

 

[mike]

Bring back the fall Houston race!

 

[Billy]

Re: Epping - yes it does need to be bigger (they need to invest in bigger bleachers, and I love that place, i grew up there). however, they hold nationals now without any alcohol classes, and they would exclude Motorcycles and Pro Mods, and they already drop one Lucas Oil Sportsman class per event, so who knows.

They certainly have done a great job of expanding there, it just still needs more to be an NHRA national event track (though my only comparisons are the tracks I've been to: E-Town, Maple Grove, Indy, Chicago, Pomona and Gainesville).

 

[Kelly]

Bring back the fall Houston race!

A-FREAKIN-MEN!

 

[Suzie Q]

Heck yes! I've got room for a complex in MY cornfield even--Drag strip facility first, then 1/2 mile dirt track for sprint cars, and a motocross track in the infield. We don't need no stinkin' paved oval for taxi cabs!! Wonder if Connie would like to invest in developing the AK-SAR-BEN CORNPLEX!!!!!

The AK-SAR-BEN CORNPLEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



rist

 

[James]

Bring back the race just outside of Montreal. That was allot of fun and only a 4 hour ride for some of us New Englanders.

 

[HEMI6point1]

A national event in New York work be sweet!

As far an Montreal, NHRA left because the government were d*cks and wouldn't let them use leaded gas, even thought the NHRA said they'll truck theirs in. So I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[SAS]

Epping is a bit smaller than would be needed, I raced there in the 70's and remember it not having a real long shut down . They made due fine when the nitro cars were running 250mph, but not sure how the guys going 330, would feel, they run that fast there now, but I bet they would want more room. Also there is not a lot of Hotels and Motels compared to other places. It would be great to have it there. Lots of fans around here would be in Heaven.
What happened to the track in Montreal ?

 

[sdwarf36]

NED has over the years been (I probably dont have the order right-correct me please) NHRA-AHRA-NHRA-IHRA-NHRA-IHRA. They were trying to get a nationals back when their track was up to "par" with other tracks at the time. (state of the art circa 1980) I havent been there in a few years, but I dont see the size + layout fitting a full blown NHRA race. This on top of the fact it is 20 miles to the nearest hiway. And I wouldnt want to be the one that has to pay the rainout insurance.
Heres another guess-is there still a track in Liester,NY? Is it IHRA? You get a race out that way, you BETTER have Pro Mod!

 

[Forcefan1]

About a week ago I heard it would be Columbus,OH.

I was told a few weeks ago that it may be Columbus also......National Trail is one of the tracks to go with the HD partners deal.

 

[Pink]

Epping is a bit smaller than would be needed, I raced there in the 70's and remember it not having a real long shut down

Well, based only on length claimed by NED, total track including shutdown
is 4000 feet.
By way of comparison, Englishtown is listed as 4044 feet.
PA announcer this weekend (mr. "bow chicka a bow wow") actually
made a point of NED having a long shutdown area.

 

[SAS]

Good point about the rain, it always seemed to rain at an event , would like to know the percentage that it happened. Also true that its a bit off the highway. BUT ......... there is a hudge pool of willling ticket buyers. No pun intended about hudge pool.

 

[SAS]

During one of the rain delays, they asked us with slower cars to drive down the track to help dry it, that was before track driers, so I got to drive to the very end , back then (1970's) it seemed a bit shorter than Englishtown. Also I remmber seeing Jungle Jim win a race, turn around and drive back down the track the wrong way. Could not get away with that now.

 

[T.Smith]

Having just come from Epping(NE and Boston market). I think it would be a fine choice, so long as the track facility's and grounds were upgraded. From what I was told over the weekend, the owners do own more land around the track. The snag would be whether or not they would be willing to spend the money for the upgrades...for one race.

The racing surface and shutdown are more than adequate.

There is a major highway next to the track.

 

[SAS]

Then there would have to be more than one race. The Nascar track is not far away, and they pull in a very large crowd. So the area can handle it. Perhaps widen Rt 101 both ways to 93 and 95. NHRA would have to be convinced it would be do able. Epping was doing 32 Funny car shows, back when it was much less desirable. Read Garlits's book about the horror of just getting paid.

 

[Sully]

101 is a quarter mile from the track parking lot, but they need more entrances and exits from the parking lot. 101 is four-lane, limited access from Manchester to I-95, more than adequate to handle raceday traffic.

The big problem is pit area - it's packed to the gills with an IHRA national event, and that's with a relatively low number of Pro teams compared with an NHRA national event. Other problem areas: no suites, small tower, tiny grandstands, spectator traffic crosses the staging lanes to get to the pits and grandstands, there is limited pit paving. All fixable, just bring lots and lots of money (the Baders have spent about twice their initial estimate and aren't done yet).

Bruton Smith has soured on building dragstrips, by the way - he's discovered his returns at Bristol don't cover the construction costs nearly as quickly as does the oval track - after all, when you can pack in 150,000 for a single day at higher ticket prices than 50,000 spread over three days, the math is pretty simple. And when you can do the 150,000 trick twice a year instead of just once, the return on investment really tips toward the oval track. So don't look for a dragstrip at Charlotte any time soon - if ever. Vegas is a different picture, but that's a 12-month facility with two NHRA drag races a year and the track is busy almost every weekend.

 

[none]

Bruton Smith has soured on building dragstrips, by the way - he's discovered his returns at Bristol don't cover the construction costs nearly as quickly as does the oval track - .

This is really true when you throw in a couple of ooops.......do overs

 

[PJ]

Well I guess this will be the first test in how the "new nhra" plans to grow the sport. Are they interested in more fans or just easy money.

if fast cash is the way: It seems the '01 special race was a hit and would do well right off the bat on the bottom line

If the reaching new fans is the goal: Then adding a race in a new or under tapped market would be the answer.
Personally I like this method better, I think it pulls more wieght with teams trying to get sponsors when they can claim a more total number of racing fans rather then the same 50k fans 3 times a year.