A Drag Strip INSIDE a NASCAR Track? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter blackbeard
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Draw 3D
Nitro Member
Joe, I was at the first OMS drag race with a AA/GS Comp car. The view from the track was breathtaking.
Unfortunately, we didn't qualify so Sunday I was in the stands and the view was horrible, it was like the track was in another county.
d'kid
Nitro Member
it wasn't bad from the pit side, no worst than most tracks today. years later, went to an indy car race there. sat just on the turn 1 side of the start/finish line about 20 rows up. you could hardly tell what was on pit road, much less see the turn four area where the strip starting line would have been (around the 2200 ft mark for the drags)
don't think this is a good idea.
d'kid
d'kid
Nitro Member
Paul.
Pit side or grand stand side? I sat at about 500 ft toward the top of the pit side stand.
d'kid
robinjackson
Nitro Member
I went to OMS three times ('74, '78, '80), sat both sides. Expected that the main stands would be too far away but didn't find them too bad. Maybe it was just that I was impressed being in America, plus the seats were high up and gave a good view. Not sure that they were much further distant than the west side seats at IRP.
If I could transfer my 8mm home movie film on to some modern medium, I'd post it here for everyone to see.
If I could transfer my 8mm home movie film on to some modern medium, I'd post it here for everyone to see.
Draw 3D
Nitro Member
Karl, if I remember correctly, by the garages if not on top of them, by the top end lights right across from the tv camera guy that hit by the FC front wheel, which I think was Pisano's.
OMS compared to Irwindale, Fremont, Fontana and even OCIR, had the stands quite a distance from the track.
The Counterfeiter
Nitro Member
some may say, well you would have to build it in a very large oval track. yes, a drag strip would not fit inside Bristol. but i went to google earth and did some quick measurements. Indianapolis Motorspeedway has 4,842 feet of room inside the track. Indianpolis Raceway Park is 4,250 feet from the very beginning of the staging lanes to the very end of the shutdown area.
Well, IMS certainly has the room, and there is an abandoned F1 back straight that could easily become a drag strip! Unfortunately, it runs parallel to the golf course and is not visible from the main grandstand. If you haven't been to IMS, you cannot understand how huge it is!
But . . . there is always Bruton! He already has Charlotte (almost) done, and he already has a Strip at LVMS. Texas is his next possibility, but there might not be enough room. Tear out some NASCAR stands and build a tunnel shutdown area! This is a fun idea, but i think NHRA fans like to be really close to the action - probably a good thing that we're racing tomorrow -
Well, IMS certainly has the room, and there is an abandoned F1 back straight that could easily become a drag strip! Unfortunately, it runs parallel to the golf course and is not visible from the main grandstand. If you haven't been to IMS, you cannot understand how huge it is!
But . . . there is always Bruton! He already has Charlotte (almost) done, and he already has a Strip at LVMS. Texas is his next possibility, but there might not be enough room. Tear out some NASCAR stands and build a tunnel shutdown area! This is a fun idea, but i think NHRA fans like to be really close to the action - probably a good thing that we're racing tomorrow -
Joker741
Nitro Member
The shut down is still part of the IRL and touring car road course. The drag strip was moved over and the road course now has it's own start/finish line.
clwill
Nitro Member
The 1/4 mile at Seattle is/was part of the road course too.
.
Nitro Member
Same with PIR in Portland.
Kat
Nitro Member
When the road course is used at Pacific Raceway, the cars don't go down the dragstrip. They go to the right. Down the return road and veer back left into the shutdown area to the big left hand turn at the end.
Still wondering if the big plans there are going to ever happen. Probably not the best time with the economy and all.
Shazam
Nitro Member
I have a 1/2 hour video of an IHRA or AHRA National Meet held on the pit road of Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1973, it was an 1/8th mile event, and they went into turn 1 with the chutes blossomed...................................
Bob Vandergriffs dad ran in Top Fuel, Chi Town Hustler won over Shirl Greer in Funny Car.
Actually ran there with the Mountain Music Funny Car with Rodger Hamrick. It was probably 1977 in Nov. and it was blowing snow on Sunday.
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clwill
Nitro Member
Talked to someone when I renewed my tickets for July. All the big digging that was going on last year was to prep the new shifter cart course. That's supposed to be running this summer. Part of that is precursor to the new 1/4 mile, if you remember the "big plan".
From what I hear, they are still actively trying to make the big plan happen. They are working on getting permits, the neighbors are being difficult. That rubs me wrong, the raceway has been there for some 30+ years, yet most of the neighbors who are complaining built in the last 10 years. If you buy/build a house and don't check who your neighbors are, or what the county's development plans are, or what it's like several times a year, you get what you deserve. It's like people who buy at the end of a runway and complain about airplane noise.
But even worse, a huge effect of the "big plan" is to cut noise (lowering the strip into the hillside, for example). Wouldn't they want that? But... NO... they just want it to go away. Ugh.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
It would be interesting to hear two top fuelers run compared with a full field of Cup cars an about thier 5th lap after the green flag. I'm certainly no stock car racing fan - but I've been to a Busch race, and that is pretty awesome when the whole field is all bunched together and comes around that first corner wide open.
qtermile14
Nitro Member
The Bahrain Int'l circuit in the Middle east has a drag strip. It was one of the stops for the European Championship.
Nitrohaulic
Nitro Member
I remember we kicked around the ideas of domed and otherwise enclosed dragstrips on the old mater, with people offering wildly varying opinions on costs that ranged from impossible to very possible.
As far as putting it inside a NASCAR track, just have the track very close to one side and put the stands on the far side on wheels/rails so they can be rolled up closer for the drags.
Last year I hauled Saturn's auto show turntable from Salt Lake to Houston. Watching how they convert convention centers to go from one use to another is nothing short of interesting. I predict that you'll see more facilities engineered for multiple sports uses as population grows. Things that aren't feasible now eventually will be.
As far as putting it inside a NASCAR track, just have the track very close to one side and put the stands on the far side on wheels/rails so they can be rolled up closer for the drags.
Last year I hauled Saturn's auto show turntable from Salt Lake to Houston. Watching how they convert convention centers to go from one use to another is nothing short of interesting. I predict that you'll see more facilities engineered for multiple sports uses as population grows. Things that aren't feasible now eventually will be.
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