Dear NHRA RE:Hot Memphis

[NitroRichFire]

If the NHRA was thinking about the racers, they would move Reading, Virginia and Memphis to October and keep them in that order, then on to Dallas, Las Vegas and back to Pomona to finish out the season. That way the racers wouldn't be traveling backwards.

 

[Deby]

As a transplanted Texan...from Tennesse...I always attended the Memphis race...looked forward to it...spend some time with the family and attend the race...that is until it was moved to August....haven't made the trip since the schedule change....

 

[CrewGuy]

The purpose is to put butts in the seats,when you move a race to the most miserable time of the year,the butts will not come.I talked to an insider and he told me that more people told him they were not going than were going to Memphis.Sure weather conditions change and NHRA can't control it but you @ least try to have the race when people don't have to be hauled out of the place because of heat related problems.

Well said Mike. I overdid it yesterday and woke up this morning so sore I could hardly walk. I cut the weekend short and came home. There is no way a person can go to the track and enjoy the race in this heat. I should have stayed in the tower and bugged my buddy!

 

[Toejam]

There is No way NHRA can move every race to Spring or fall! Unless you broom about 7-8 races!

 

[none]

Be a cold day in hell before I ever decide to not attend a drag race because of the heat/humidity. Seattle this year was as miserable as I`ve been in a long time, temps in the 98-99 range with lots of humidity, but I went three days anyways. Drink plenty of water, cut back on the beers and take Monday off when you get home. It`s simple

 

[Deby]

I don't think anyone expects NHRA to move all the races to a spring or fall venue....I think people are just saying that maybe a little more consideration could be put into the scheduling....or I think a great option would be to schedule more night races....JMHO

 

[__]

Just to let you know,it's going to be a 100 on Friday,a 100 on Saturday and then it cools off to 97 on Sunday.I swore after last year that I wouldn't go back if it was that hot again,so I'll stay home and spend my money elsewhere.I also know alot of guys who feel the same way about you moving this race to the hottest part of the year.I've heard rumors that you're going to move the race to the week after Labor Day next year,good move.I know,you have other races where it's hot but these temps coupled with HIGH humidity is unbearable.This race was awesome when held in October,some of the largest crowds I've seen was during this date.I wish you well spectator wish this weekend,you're going to need it.

Mike, not sure about October, but all of us who go to Maple Grove every year would gladly give you our date in September. In 20 years of research, the fans have never been able to grow gills and Goodyear hasn't come out with a rain tire. As such, the date is yours!

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

I remember many races at Englishtown in july where it was 100 degrees + in the stands. Then they did move the race to may and it was terrific. but it did rain a little on some of those races. Now june has been pretty good up until this year where it was quite hot. More night races might be a good alternative.

 

[Sully]

The big problem with night races is that they shorten them to three days, run the Sportsman cars all day, then the pros all night. Beats the crap out of the track crew and any unfortunate media folks who cover both, sixteen-plus hour days get old in a hurry - especially when you are already old...

 

[Joker]

Well, were on rain delay. Why if there is a threat of rain woudl they wait till 3in the afternoon to start the race?

 

[Sully]

To try to beat some of the mid-day heat. Hasn't rained there in a couple weeks or so, looked like a good plan (on paper).

 

[Fireball]

Didn't it rain on Friday?

 

[Sully]

If it did rain on XXXXXX, it didn't delay things very much.

Brain fade - it rained hard Friday, lost one Pro round. It didn't rain enough Saturday to screw things up, just made it more humid (if that's possible).

 

[None]

If it did rain on Friday, it didn't delay things very much.

What are you talking about? It washed out the first round. Second round started after 09:00 PM.

 

[Rusty]

Heat

Yeah, I was lucky enough to have attended the Cajun Natonals the last year they ran it. I took three newbies to that race & two of 'em are still hooked to this day! It was the year the Castrol Team swept the pro's - Larry Morgan in Pro Stock, John Force in Funny Car & the late Gary Ormsby in Top Fuel. If memory serves me correctly it was also the first race after Darrell Gwynn's career ending crash and his trailer was there with his car on display while DRAW, among others, were accepting donations... a lot of them, as I recall.

Sorry I got off track - but that was a hot one Jackee, you're right about that.

The Bandimere sun beats on you pretty good - along with the altitude it's tough for us sea level people, but Memorial Weekend at State Capitol was just a matter of surviving. Here's a pic of Darrell's car displayed at the 1990 race.

 

[Toejam]

Nice Pic there Russell! That had to be days before his Crash in England!

 

[None]

There will be some terrific seats available for someone next August in the Nitro section here in Memphis. I buy two complete rows in section 2 every year. (14 seats total.) Why should I continue to do this when most of my family and friends refuse to attend the race with me because of the heat??

Call me a whiner if you like, but there were 128 heat related ambulance trips made from the track last year. No official count yet for this year's total. It should be lower because the "crowds" were really down this year.

Folks, I've never missed a race here in Memphis. When Joe Amato was still driving I would attend 6-8 different races on the circuit every year. Unfortunately Memphis has turned into a really bad, really dangerous joke. Why do they start the race at the absolute hottest time of the day??? This is crazy.

Bottom line: My $2100.00 NHRA ticket money plus another $650.00 in concessions to feed and hydrate 14 people will be spent in Branson Missouri next August. I've been a loyal trooper for 3 blazing years in a row, but this year's fiasco is the last straw!!!

BTW. I like this new Nitromater format. Also, if anyone thinks I'm blowing smoke about this, feel free to contact me. As a matter of fact I'd REALLY love to hear from someone with the NHRA.
Thanks, Jim Alsip. (Formerly know as "TopFuel")

 

[stanman]

The purpose is to put butts in the seats,when you move a race to the most miserable time of the year,the butts will not come.I talked to an insider and he told me that more people told him they were not going than were going to Memphis.Sure weather conditions change and NHRA can't control it but you @ least try to have the race when people don't have to be hauled out of the place because of heat related problems.

It's hot everywhere this time of year!

So you move Memphis and to another date. Which race are you going to put in it's place? And don't you think they'll get criticized because now that race has miserable hot weather!?!

The only solution would be to take the summer months off. And don't you think all the other racing series would be laughing at NHRA then!?!?

 

[None]

Greg, the Memphis race was in May for the first 15 years until NHRA "moved" our date to the new St. Louis track.

Most of the talk among my 32 mechanics today was of the Earnhardt/Edwards incident in Saturday's Busch race. The NHRA has done a masterfull job of trying to euthanize this Memphis race for the past 5 years.

They win.

I bought a brand new motorcycle this afternoon. I'll be safer riding it thru the beautifulOzark Mountains than 110 degrees trackside next year.

BTW, I was going to return to the track today... until I noticed that today's parking would be on the spectator side only.
(Larry Morgan is 100% correct.)

NHRA you win... I'm out.

I'll spend my discretionary income at another entertainment venue.

 

[chop]

It's hot everywhere this time of year!

So you move Memphis and to another date. Which race are you going to put in it's place? And don't you think they'll get criticized because now that race has miserable hot weather!?!

The only solution would be to take the summer months off. And don't you think all the other racing series would be laughing at NHRA then!?!?

Fine,you win,I'm wrong about Memphis,it's hot everywhere,it's hot as hell but they will move this race or take it off the schedule because of the brutal conditions this time of the year. I worked outside all my career,I can take the heat when I have to,I just don't have to watch a race in it.This race was in October,then September and now August,why move it to August? I've already heard it's swapping dates with Maple Grove next year,I guess NHRA got the message.If you think I'm wrong,read the above posts by Mr.Alsip and he's in the MAJORITY>GUARANTEED.