Bir 2013

[mike]

ormsby wheelies into guardrail, ends up using 3 chassis that year i think?

Spot on Mike. Trashed one at Sonoma and the BIR incident you mention. Went back to an old car for Indy and Maple Grove, then came back with a new car in Dallas which had the panels in primer - still one of my favorite looking fuel cars. RIP GO.

 

[Toejam]

I'll be up Wed. night or Thurs. morning.


I just have a feeling it's going to be a great year!!

And the Zoo is 100 acres you say?

 

[Bubba]

I'll be at the track bright and early Friday morning.

 

[Just Paul]

And the Zoo is 100 acres you say?

I think it would be more that that. If they say the total track is 500+, the back of the camping area would have to be 200 of it.

Just a guess.


Not all the action is in the Zoo though. Ask Mike Larson about last year Sat. night.

 

[mick]

I bet if they paid 17-18 like Half of First round money, you would see more cars!

anyone know who gets paid these days?, used to think 17 & 18 did get paid
but really don't know for sure?

joe, paul's guess of 200 acres is probably close; look at BIR on google earth - what is defined by 'the zoo' is
turns 1 thru 6 - look for buildings just off turn 6 - everything to east of that is the zoo, everything to west
is family and reserved camping - the building furthest to east off turn 6 is the bandstand, has paved lot in front
and is used for pit area for road races

- between turns 2 & 3 is the Judges bar, arguably the funnest rockin' spot the last few years
- about 400' past finish line trackside is the tiki bar, paul seems to think i had a good time here last year,
i don't know what he's talking about

 

[MM]

The Zoo......oh the things you will see. I'm very upset about missing it this year after having a blast there last year.

 

[Toejam]

anyone know who gets paid these days?, used to think 17 & 18 did get paid
but really don't know for sure?

joe, paul's guess of 200 acres is probably close; look at BIR on google earth - what is defined by 'the zoo' is
turns 1 thru 6 - look for buildings just off turn 6 - everything to east of that is the zoo, everything to west
is family and reserved camping - the building furthest to east off turn 6 is the bandstand, has paved lot in front
and is used for pit area for road races

- between turns 2 & 3 is the Judges bar, arguably the funnest rockin' spot the last few years
- about 400' past finish line trackside is the tiki bar, paul seems to think i had a good time here last year,
i don't know what he's talking about

Is it true that a Very few of the Zoo campers even go to the Drags? I had always heard that , but you guys are there!

 

[mick]

Is it true that a Very few of the Zoo campers even go to the Drags? I had always heard that , but you guys are there!

i would say no with rare exception....for every pro session there is an
atv/golf cart/etc parking area just behind main grandstand that is absolutely
packed with campers coming up to the grandstands.
also past the last bleacher (no GA at BIR) is packed with the same, as well
as the fence line all the way down to the pro turn off / interview area.

 

[FC138fan]

There are a number of people who don't make it up for the race, but the vast majority make it for the pro sessions for sure. In front of the main grandstands (first half of the track) you'll notice that there is nobody at the fence, this is because they will not allow you to stand there as the first few rows of the grandstands are at ground level and their view would be obscured. Peek at the area under the cutout though, where the tunnel under the track is located... they are standing 6 deep.

I think it's a free for all in the old gen admission stands though, and they are packed in like sardines there. It's pretty civilized in the steel grandstands, but last time I was in the gen stands it was pretty wild - they are the closest you can get to the access point to the zoo. I'd imagine you could bring your beer and leave it on your ATV and walk back and forth to quench your thirst.

The place is packed with security and police. However when you think about it, they are incredibly cool becuase you can drive your atv around totally wasted with a beer can in each hand. Anywhere else that's highly illegal. I can recall last year spending 15 mins trying to get the key into the ignition of my atv and it wouldn't fit... only to realize I was sticking the key into a phillips head of a bolt, not the ignition.

 

[Toejam]

i would say no with rare exception....for every pro session there is an
atv/golf cart/etc parking area just behind main grandstand that is absolutely
packed with campers coming up to the grandstands.
also past the last bleacher (no GA at BIR) is packed with the same, as well
as the fence line all the way down to the pro turn off / interview area.

From the looks of the layout of that place, that is a good walk from the Zoo to the stands, better hope you have an ATV or something!

 

[mick]

From the looks of the layout of that place, that is a good walk from the Zoo to the stands, better hope you have an ATV or something!

yes, that is the MO there

nick, you are incorrect about the smaller bleachers - every seat @ BIR
is reserved, there is no GA - this is why all the campers cram in along the fence
just past the bleachers/finish line as they can pay gen. admission to be there
and camp but they refuse to pay the extra for a bleacher seat, hence they
sit on wheelers and continue to party at finish line and just past.

 

[FC138fan]

yes, that is the MO there

nick, you are incorrect about the smaller bleachers - every seat @ BIR
is reserved, there is no GA - this is why all the campers cram in along the fence
just past the bleachers/finish line as they can pay gen. admission to be there
and camp but they refuse to pay the extra for a bleacher seat, hence they
sit on wheelers and continue to party at finish line and just past.

I wonder if it is a reserved section... or are there actual seat numbers on the ticket?

$70 for an ATV, I am leaving my ATV at home this year.... however if push comes to shove, you can always hop on a party wagon which are all over the place. They do get quite full as the night goes on though.

 

[TooTall999]

Section and seat numbers on every reserved seat ticket. I'm depressed, first year I've missed since 2001

 

[DrRocket]

Spotted Greg Anderson's rig today on I94 in wisconsin, about ten miles from the border.

Would that qualify as "running a bit late?"

 

[Huge]

Sweet!!! I know they always have a good time back at Judge's with everybody. I think it's nice for them, they can blend in and party a little more then say, Shoe or Antron.

Maybe some of that horsepower from their recent 330 mph run they made will rub off on Bob's car.

Nick and I stayed at Judge's until about 1:00 Thursday morning. We didn't even go to our room at the hotel...we just slept in the truck and showered at the track. The Laganas were going tonight, but we decided to sit this one out and go have a nice dinner instead. Bobby did a lot of cylinder head work and Dom freshened both blowers today, so all we have to do tomorrow is put a fresh motor in and we are ready. We are pretty excited to see how it will run tomorrow.

 

[FC138fan]

I'm so anxious... here at work the Friday the races are in Brainerd. First time missing one of the 3 days since 2001. At least I'll get to be there for Sat & Sun! The weather report last night said "chance of rain slim to none - and slim just left town".

 

[mick]

Nick, i'm with ya', used to do multi-days all the time, for a while now been only doing the weekend.....lot's to do @ work today though so 5am departure tomorrow will feel good.....wild rice & mushroom omelet @ the sawmill in brainerd, stop for beer & ice, roll thru the gates in time for 9am stock elim. 1st round.....can't wait.

 

[FC138fan]

We are having a big outdoor movie night at home with a bunch of friends and their kids in our backyard tonight. I have to leave work early and get setup. I'll have the beer on ice before I go to bed, head out 6am, meet my friend at the St. Cloud Mcdonalds off 10 to eat breakfast at 7, enter the gates at 8, get a campsite, setup tent, walk the pits, be in the stands by 10:30 for alcohol.

We've been getting burned out by Sunday going up for 3 days. Usually Sunday morning we are dirty, sweaty sunburnt and slightly hungover. Condensing to 2 we shouldn't reach that burn out point... but I still feel like I'm missing a part of the party.

 

[mick]

broadcast last nite reported 27k campers @ BIR - nice that BIR released this information....there's a specific ticket
sold to each camper separate from GA and reserved seat tickets.....now if NHRA would release their attendance.

have no way to prove but sat/sun crowds seemed a bit 'up' from last few years. riding around zoo that place was as full as
ever, same with family camping and reserved which is sold out annually; thank you BIR for putting calcium chloride on zoo roads;
no rain all week and no dust, have been there other dry years and you get back from zoo covered in filth and grit in teeth,
not this year

was pulled by 25 year old son in rickshaw - we won - it is ultra cool.
he pulled much lighter weight friend and won something like 4 or 5 races in a row.

alan reinhardt and joe costello (and others) - great job on the PA all weekend - really fun listening to joe costello
yesterday afternoon thanking the fans for supporting NHRA - then listening to joe talk about his
preconceived notions of the zoo vs. his larger than life experience there

sportsman finals complete with driver interviews were completed between pro semis and finals.
not a bad way to do it although we did not attend the starting line deal after the finals (would have if clay won).
i like when the sportsman winners were recognized at starting line with fans in attendance, but also realize with this
new format they can run their final, winner is interviewed and he/she can get on with teardown, then packing up trailer and leaving,
not having to wait around for all the pros to run.

other than that, same great fun, family, friends and racing....different year.
can't wait to do it all over again.

a huge thanks to BIR and staff for managing this event every year; it can not be easy yet each year they pull it off.
same incredible fireworks - thank you.

 

[FC138fan]

broadcast last nite reported 27k campers @
a huge thanks to BIR and staff for managing this event every year; it can not be easy yet each year they pull it off.
same incredible fireworks - thank you.

I concur on all your points. I talked to my dad who watched it on tv and he commented on stands being not full, I told him if everyone in the campground were in the stands, I didn't think they would all fit up there. Our canadian friends (5 of them) didn't even purchase reserved seats this year because they said they spend most of their time wandering, or standing at the start. Apparently theres some beachers somewhere near the finish you can still get to for free... not very desireable because I'd guess theyre well past 1000', they didn't seem to mind.

Last years zoo ended at the rickshaws when our ATV burned the hell out of one the canadians legs. This year we decided to pick up where we left off and finish the night how we were gonna last year, so we started at the rickshaws at about 9. I remember seeing Lee Beard sitting at one of those wooden tables with Mark Oswald... and they weren't being hassled, just chilling in the zoo. I may have saw Mike Green at another table, but I didn't get a good look. Anyway, the rickshaws weren't going yet, so we went over and had the owner show us how it works so we could race. I wanted a rematch of last year because the canadian kicked my ass. So went full bore this time and only managed a tie (so the finish line spotter said - I think I had him).

We ended up at the Jager bar after that, dancing and grinding till about 1:30 where I called it a night. Lots of good times over there.. crazy good times!

I was introduced to a Brass Monkey - 40 oz of Old E & OJ. Spaced out over 2 hours it was a good way to have fun.

Sunday morning, slight hangover, but you know it was a good time when you think "I'm never going to drink again.... till next year anyway "