FLO and NHRA (2 Viewers)

[Von Halen]

I don't think he did have the new body on, but I could be wrong.

 

[mikebcurve]

We remember "240" Gordie, why will we not remember "340" Bobby.

I thought Prudhomme was the first to 240 and 250?

 

[Jer]

Saw the Scag people at airport Sunday am,they want to do it again. Many said they came to Bradenton instead of Gainesville. I would pick Bradenton over Gainesville for track prep alone. Nitro card won't run on that much glue til the next FLO race. No stupid DJ either.

I seriously dont know what they think they can gain by this dj. Just like the geico guys,annoying

 

[Mike]

Jeremy, what would you suggest during down time.

 

[J. S.]

Jeremy, what would you suggest during down time.

I'm not Jeremy, but why not have MORE RACE CARS go down the track? Have a few more classes to fill the down time. Maybe some Exhibition cars, like wheelstanders, or maybe some Nostalgia Funny Cars or AA/FA's. Maybe do a "Cacklefest" and push-start some olde-tyme front engine dragsters? Or just have some more Sportsman classes, like they do at NHRA events. Those Sportsman classes serve their own purposes, but also help to fill downtime at the Big Show.

 

[Paul]

Tasca had the new body on too, right? Surely that has to be worth something - I can't imagine Ford would develop a less aerodynamic body. And let's remember that Tasca had the fastest speed of any nitro car last year at 338.57.
There's been discussion about wheel speed through the top end, but I'd be really interested to hear a crew chief's perspective on the topic in relation to speed. In theory, if you have a top end that is prepped better than normal, could you not tune for speed instead of ET (as I believe the team did), with the goal to get the wheel speed down at an optimal time that would hook the tire, load up the engine and produce a better speed number at the expense of some ET? I am no crew chief so all of what I just said may just be silly. But with gearing and RPM limits, I would have thought that wheel speed is the last variable for speed - in theory a completely hooked tire will trap better than one spinning at 5%, 20%, whatever the number is.

I am pretty sure it's the same body just with new stickers and those stickers were on the car last weekend.

 

[Mike]

Jon, I was talking about down time like a oil down.

 

[Joe]

How about a knowledgeable pit reporter going around to sportsman pits and reporting on what’s going on there. Another plus for the SCAG race, their jumbo screen was much clearer than the Sunoco used at National events.Jeremy, what would you suggest during down time.

 

[mick]

brought 3 newbies. were there on saturday only from 11am till end of pro semis.
- a 59 year old that said he'd been to a dragstrip earlier in life, but i'm not so sure he even had.
- a 47 year old who was only at dragstrip once before, with me @ BIR in 2010 for sunday only (bode win)
- a 21 year old young woman, daughter of the 47 year old. never been to a drag strip in her life.
- they all loved it. young gal was blown away. as of now, they all said 'lets do this again next year'
- we drove from orlando, took 2 lane hwy's and came to track on hwy 64 from the east. turned rite in. no wait. parked tower side. perfect.
- we bought e-tickets on drive over. walked up to lady who scanned us, and rite into track. no wait. perfect.
- ran into a few folks i knew there. one was planned, and one was old acquaintance in sportsman pits not planned. was great to bump into him.
- place was packed. got cold beers on tower side (no wait), went to pro side, watched really great band playing while waiting for PS to start.
- listened to a couple nitro motors fire off in pits, it was hot, more cold beer, the line was a little long, but it moved well.
- went to tower side and found seats in second bleachers. watched E2 of sportsman classes. was great
- E1 TF and FC were great. got to see reaction from 21 year old. she was filming every run. i really don't think she could believe what she was seeing, hearing, feeling.
- TF/FC matchups were great. great because i think it was red line? who gave the $10k to win their chicago style deal? (chad green) ..... and great because it's just more testing for them.
- back to pro side. had to buy VP racing fuels tshirt and thank them for their support and involvment with this race
- italian sausage subs were awesome.
- back to tower side on the fence rite off starting line for FC's, then top end for TF'rs, had jumbo tron tv deal rite next to us on top end, so easy to watch replays.
- left soon after, and luckily had daylight traveling home until I-4 south of orlando which was jammed up as usual. home at 10pm. perfect.

 

[mick]

here is the one thing that the two older guys with me noticed, over and above the racing ....... walking in from parking lot, thru sportsman pits with open trailers,
then around other side, they both said, 'where is all the security?', also both realizing the quality of the people attracted to the race, and realizing
a bunch of security is probably not necessary ...... in other words, first impressed with the spectacle, then impressed more as you look around
and notice the collective behavior of the crowd. he found himself in conversation with complete strangers a few times during the day, just sharing the experience, smiling the whole time.

personally, i really enjoyed the small venue setting of bradenton for watching this six class event. a few more bleacher seats would help, but
not a deal breaker; although if event is repeated, and good weather is in place, IMO more will show up. also thought the choice of mid-feb. date is great.

 

[robinjackson]

Good to learn your friends enjoyed it so much. Any chance they might want to repeat the experience up the road at Gainesville in three weeks' time?

 

[z28]

brought 3 newbies. were there on saturday only from 11am till end of pro semis.
- a 59 year old that said he'd been to a dragstrip earlier in life, but i'm not so sure he even had.
- a 47 year old who was only at dragstrip once before, with me @ BIR in 2010 for sunday only (bode win)
- a 21 year old young woman, daughter of the 47 year old. never been to a drag strip in her life.
- they all loved it. young gal was blown away. as of now, they all said 'lets do this again next year'
- we drove from orlando, took 2 lane hwy's and came to track on hwy 64 from the east. turned rite in. no wait. parked tower side. perfect.
- we bought e-tickets on drive over. walked up to lady who scanned us, and rite into track. no wait. perfect.
- ran into a few folks i knew there. one was planned, and one was old acquaintance in sportsman pits not planned. was great to bump into him.
- place was packed. got cold beers on tower side (no wait), went to pro side, watched really great band playing while waiting for PS to start.
- listened to a couple nitro motors fire off in pits, it was hot, more cold beer, the line was a little long, but it moved well.
- went to tower side and found seats in second bleachers. watched E2 of sportsman classes. was great
- E1 TF and FC were great. got to see reaction from 21 year old. she was filming every run. i really don't think she could believe what she was seeing, hearing, feeling.
- TF/FC matchups were great. great because i think it was red line? who gave the $10k to win their chicago style deal? (chad green) ..... and great because it's just more testing for them.
- back to pro side. had to buy VP racing fuels tshirt and thank them for their support and involvment with this race
- italian sausage subs were awesome.
- back to tower side on the fence rite off starting line for FC's, then top end for TF'rs, had jumbo tron tv deal rite next to us on top end, so easy to watch replays.
- left soon after, and luckily had daylight traveling home until I-4 south of orlando which was jammed up as usual. home at 10pm. perfect.

I hate I-4

 

[Guy]

I've always felt safe at a race track.
Just a different type of people.

 

[mick]

I hate I-4

ken, i purposely only drove I-4 as far as possible. surprisingly saturday morning it flowed perfect past the disney area.
took 570 tollway just north of lakeland and went south from there.

 

[mick]

Good to learn your friends enjoyed it so much. Any chance they might want to repeat the experience up the road at Gainesville in three weeks' time?

no, they are in excavating business, and march 1st is usually the end of florida fun. back to work as ground up north thaws.

 

[4onthefl4]

brought 3 newbies. were there on saturday only from 11am till end of pro semis.
- a 59 year old that said he'd been to a dragstrip earlier in life, but i'm not so sure he even had.
- a 47 year old who was only at dragstrip once before, with me @ BIR in 2010 for sunday only (bode win)
- a 21 year old young woman, daughter of the 47 year old. never been to a drag strip in her life.
- they all loved it. young gal was blown away. as of now, they all said 'lets do this again next year'
- we drove from orlando, took 2 lane hwy's and came to track on hwy 64 from the east. turned rite in. no wait. parked tower side. perfect.
- we bought e-tickets on drive over. walked up to lady who scanned us, and rite into track. no wait. perfect.
- ran into a few folks i knew there. one was planned, and one was old acquaintance in sportsman pits not planned. was great to bump into him.
- place was packed. got cold beers on tower side (no wait), went to pro side, watched really great band playing while waiting for PS to start.
- listened to a couple nitro motors fire off in pits, it was hot, more cold beer, the line was a little long, but it moved well.
- went to tower side and found seats in second bleachers. watched E2 of sportsman classes. was great
- E1 TF and FC were great. got to see reaction from 21 year old. she was filming every run. i really don't think she could believe what she was seeing, hearing, feeling.
- TF/FC matchups were great. great because i think it was red line? who gave the $10k to win their chicago style deal? (chad green) ..... and great because it's just more testing for them.
- back to pro side. had to buy VP racing fuels tshirt and thank them for their support and involvment with this race
- italian sausage subs were awesome.
- back to tower side on the fence rite off starting line for FC's, then top end for TF'rs, had jumbo tron tv deal rite next to us on top end, so easy to watch replays.
- left soon after, and luckily had daylight traveling home until I-4 south of orlando which was jammed up as usual. home at 10pm. perfect.

Sounds like you had too much fun . I used to drive I-4 all the time going to service calls, but that was before I retired in 2018 and even then it was bad but not as bad as it is today.
I haven't driven I-4 since I retired. It was once voted the worst Interstate in America.

 

[robinjackson]

no, they are in excavating business, and march 1st is usually the end of florida fun. back to work as ground up north thaws.

Understood. But I'd like to hope that some Bradenton first-timers might be enthused to repeat the experience.

 

[TSK]

I've always felt safe at a race track.
Just a different type of people.

I took my son to Ennis the first time when he was 9. I was always paranoid about letting him out of my sight, except at the drag strip.
I figured if he yelled for help, countless bubbas would come to his rescue.
I took my daughter her first time when she was 10. I kept a closer eye on her but I didn’t worry much.

 

[Joe]

Good to learn your friends enjoyed it so much. Any chance they might want to repeat the experience up the road at Gainesville in three weeks' time?

The dj at Gainesville will ruin it for them.

 

[J. S.]

brought 3 newbies. were there on saturday only from 11am till end of pro semis.
- a 59 year old that said he'd been to a dragstrip earlier in life, but i'm not so sure he even had.
- a 47 year old who was only at dragstrip once before, with me @ BIR in 2010 for sunday only (bode win)
- a 21 year old young woman, daughter of the 47 year old. never been to a drag strip in her life.
- they all loved it. young gal was blown away. as of now, they all said 'lets do this again next year'
- we drove from orlando, took 2 lane hwy's and came to track on hwy 64 from the east. turned rite in. no wait. parked tower side. perfect.
- we bought e-tickets on drive over. walked up to lady who scanned us, and rite into track. no wait. perfect.
- ran into a few folks i knew there. one was planned, and one was old acquaintance in sportsman pits not planned. was great to bump into him.
- place was packed. got cold beers on tower side (no wait), went to pro side, watched really great band playing while waiting for PS to start.
- listened to a couple nitro motors fire off in pits, it was hot, more cold beer, the line was a little long, but it moved well.
- went to tower side and found seats in second bleachers. watched E2 of sportsman classes. was great
- E1 TF and FC were great. got to see reaction from 21 year old. she was filming every run. i really don't think she could believe what she was seeing, hearing, feeling.
- TF/FC matchups were great. great because i think it was red line? who gave the $10k to win their chicago style deal? (chad green) ..... and great because it's just more testing for them.
- back to pro side. had to buy VP racing fuels tshirt and thank them for their support and involvment with this race
- italian sausage subs were awesome.
- back to tower side on the fence rite off starting line for FC's, then top end for TF'rs, had jumbo tron tv deal rite next to us on top end, so easy to watch replays.
- left soon after, and luckily had daylight traveling home until I-4 south of orlando which was jammed up as usual. home at 10pm. perfect.

Mike: That is a good report of your day at the drags. Thanks for posting.