Firebird Saturday Problems (1 Viewer)

[The Counterfeiter]

After working very hard to get the reserved tickets we wanted for today and tomorrow, I was amazed that there were no ushers and no security in supposedly reserved sections.
Had to boot GA people out of our seats for Q1 - it got much worse for Q2 when the drunks showed up. A family with grandparents, parents and children who had paid for eight reserved seats next to us gave up and left. With no security in sight, three of us finally intimidated three foul mouthed MFers who were so drunk they couldn't have fought their way out of a paper bag into leaving.
If NHRA wants to ensure that fans who come to a race expecting a reserved seat and a positive experience never come back - this is the way to do it.
Whether this is corrected tomorrow or not, I'll be calling Glendora Monday to see if they give a S$$$ about a 20+ year member's opinion -

 

[FC138fan]

Wow that sucks! I know how bad that is when we plan ahead, reserve the ideal seats and pay top dollar only to sit next to some chain smokers with "General Admission" tickets around their neck.

Fortunately they cracked down in Brainerd two years ago and we haven't had that problem since. They better get their stuff together!

To those fans sneaking into reserved, have you no conscience? And if you were to call them on it, they'd probably start a fist fight too...

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Sorry Jim! You deserve so much better after all those years, you should be tenured. We noticed no ushers whatsoever at what used to always be reserved seat bleachers on Saturday and everyone was just filing right up into any open spaces. You'll get your refund about the same time Strasburgs get their round win money from Pomona.

 

[Jenn]

Sorry Jim! You deserve so much better after all those years, you should be tenured. We noticed no ushers whatsoever at what used to always be reserved seat bleachers on Saturday and everyone was just filing right up into any open spaces. You'll get your refund about the same time Strasburgs get their round win money from Pomona.

I saw signs on the bleachers that said reserved seats on them. I didn't spend a minute in the stands anyway. Up against the fence works with me.

 

[mike]

Firebird is just awful. I made a long drive out there in 2007 and vowed I would NEVER go back. Everything people complain about here is true: no ushers, clogged bleachers with everybody standing during eliminations, miserable parking, porta-potties only with no running water, mile-long lines of cars backed well out onto the freeway. Stay away!

 

[sfbmissym]

I hate it when everyone stands - you paid for a seat - SIT DOWN!!!

 

[Paul]

I hate it when everyone stands - you paid for a seat - SIT DOWN!!!

That is one thing I like about Joliet, no one stands up where you can't see. Indy is a different story, every fuel car you have to stand up due to the crowd and thankfully I am 6ft 4 and I can see over most people.

 

[Butch]

Jim I b****ed about the same thing for the last two years. I just wish that they didn't sell beer at any sporting event.
This year I went on Friday.

 

[JIMBO]

Well everyone should just come on out to the first east coast race in SUNNY FLORIDA we have ushers everywhere and they sell no beer on the property and we always stand up through the whole pro sessions(not by choice). That way everyone has something to complain about. Hassling ushers no beer sales and standing up Oh yea I have never seen a porta-potty with running water that is why they are portable .
Jim seriously you should not have to deal with reserved seat issues that is just wrong.
Joe we really need to get together this year.

 

[Gary H]

I think alot of it had to do with all the free tickets given away. Seemed more like a monster truck event Should have brought the air soft gun and popped some people in the back of the head. I really got annoyed with the people that just stood around while SS was running. And not even watching. I was going to tell 'em to leave or sit down... they finally left. Thats why I like the div 7 race, no idiots...

 

[Jer]

Virginia is the worst for people standing up as i see it lol. I go to Reading Bristol,Indy and never have a problem there but Virginia people seem a lil diffrent. I refuse to go back to VMP. They arent set up right for the crowds,everywhere you go there is a long line.

 

[fifty50]

I hate it when everyone stands - you paid for a seat - SIT DOWN!!!

Boy you said it,not just a problem at drag racing but any form of entertainment. You almost always can see better when your sitting,drives me nuts especially when I'm with my kids and they can't see when some bonehead has no consideration for anyone else around them

 

[.]

I don’t know that free tickets were much to blame; it’s pretty much been that way at Firebird for quite some time; I live in Phoenix and I won’t go Saturday and Sunday to the national event there anymore. The only day that is worth going to the Phoenix national event is Friday; the crowds aren’t too bad on that day. Saturday and Sunday blow. I turned down free tickets for this Saturday and Sunday because it just isn’t worth the hassle. Within five to six hours I can be in Pomona or Vegas; I have family in So Cal so Pomona is the usual choice; however, I would rather pay for a hotel room than go to the Firebird national event on a Saturday or Sunday. People stand in Pomona but I still am usually able to see (even though I am a sawed-off little runt). Firebird Security is a bad joke; on Sunday at the last January test session, I saw some drunken, inbred, loser try to fight Larry Dixon in the pits; there wasn’t any security around to take care of the situation. They are just going to do the bare minimum that they can get away with to keep their national event. You gotta love those $85 reserved plus Sunday tickets; you can get better seats than that for $65 in Pomona. The final straw for me was Saturday last year; there was this older lady checking tickets for people going into that P1 to P4 reserved plus section; a drunken mouth-breather physically pushed her out of the way and walked right in; no one from their crack security team did anything about it; he stayed in that section all afternoon. The only way anything will get better at “The ‘Turd” is if Glendora puts some pressure on them; until then, I'll go elsewhere.

 

[pete]

My wife refuses to go back to Atlanta due the standing deal. We go to Pomona, Vegas, Chicago, Bristol and Charlotte with no problem. Atlanta is probably the all-time worst for standing, if you don't count some of the old IHRA races I went to back in the 70'/80's.

 

[Triple Nickel II]

The final straw for me was Saturday last year; there was this older lady checking tickets for people going into that P1 to P4 reserved plus section; a drunken mouth-breather physically pushed her out of the way and walked right in.

Too bad she wasn't carrying a Tazer.

I bet the sight of this dude saying "don't taze me grandma" would bring a bigger cheer from the crowd than anything that happens with the t-shirt cannon.

 

[Gary H]

Sunday was totally different, at least in our section (P2). Everyone still stands when they make a run but thats normal. More drag racing fans than show fans.

 

[yoda]

I noticed the lack of yellow shirts checking the reserved section on Saturday too, and I thought that was just asking for problems (I guess I was correct in that assumption... )

What's sad is last summer I took the boys up for the monster trucks and there was an "usher" at every step set, and they didn't play... Maybe its because Charlie gets the lion's share of the take on the circus freaks, but doesn't make the big bucks on the National events, so the priority changes.

That, and they probably expect more goofballs to show up for a monster truck event.. News flash Mr. Allen- there are folks that don't pay attention to the rules coming to your Big Show too, and they are really pissin off your sport's true fans...

 

[Gary H]

Monster trucks were different, nobody was allowed in or out of the stands when they were running. No standing along the wall either, just in case...

 

[Jenn]

Before all of the security gets bashed, the security at the back of the lanes was good. (Probably the liability issue) but there were usually two and they were polite and firm (not to mention big big boys).

 

[vegasnitro]

Jim, I am sorry you had problems.

With that said, why complain to Glendora? It is obviously a Firebird/Charlie Allen problem, and NHRA will likely only give you the song and dance about how they sanction the race but don't run the track. I would direct my complaints to Firebird first, and only if they do not give you the satisfaction go over their heads and complain to NHRA ... that way you are ready when they ask/tell you to contact the track/promoter. Also, as with everything else in this life, get it in writing ... either sit down and write them an old fashioned snail mail letter requesting a letter back or save all of your emails with the track.

Lastly ... come to Vegas ... it's better up here!!!