Is Norwalk a short track? Check this out. (2 Viewers)

[chop]

This is from rd 1 Comp Elim. qualifying.


Left Lane: Robert Bailey Runs 6.744/201.37/-0.476, Now #8
A/ED Index: 7.22
Right Lane: Lonnie Johnson Runs 7.266/183.59/-0.374, Now #20
B/AA Index: 7.64

Both cars in the prior pair went off the end of the track, so we were down for a few minutes to get them out of the sand.

5:31 p.m. There are six pairs of cars left in the lanes and it is getting dark. Hopefully they will run before the next weather cell gets here.

 

[.]

On Google Earth Norwalk looks like it's .39 miles (2075 feet) from finish line to end of shutdown. Englishtown is .43 miles (2360 feet). Norwalk looks like it's grass beyond that with 2 big ditches. Somebody here posted about a car that ran off the end of Norwalk, hit the first ditch and launched into the air over the second ditch and onto the runway.

 

[Vicious]

I can't tell you how long it is, but I know that on a 155-160 mph bike I got lackadaisical about getting on the brakes once or twice, and gave myself a little scare getting stopped. There's not much room for coasting.

But it does seem to be adequate for the fuel cars, as they usually get stopped okay.

 

[none]

On Google Earth Norwalk looks like it's .39 miles (2075 feet) from finish line to end of shutdown. Englishtown is .43 miles (2360 feet). Norwalk looks like it's grass beyond that with 2 big ditches. Somebody here posted about a car that ran off the end of Norwalk, hit the first ditch and launched into the air over the second ditch and onto the runway.

For comparison purposes do you know how long the shutdown area is at Pomona?

 

[DrRocket]

For comparison purposes do you know how long the shutdown area is at Pomona?

Per Google Earth, it's .4 miles from the finish line to the front edge of the sand trap.

 

[Chad]

Per Google Earth, it's .4 miles from the finish line to the front edge of the sand trap.

while we are looking, lets check some other tracks as well

 

[Vern]

OK I have race at norwalk last year. Now I don't have a real fast car..runs 120 in the 1/4...the problem is for me is that the last part of the shut down is down hill. and then you turn off and you can not see the turn off till you are going down hill...almost to late .I about put my car off the track the first time..because I did't know..what I should of done is went down there and looked before I ran..So I now have better brakes on the car so when I go back this year I will be ok.

 

[Murph]

while we are looking, lets check some other tracks as well

I'd like to see my hometown track, Northern Lights Raceway in Ft St John, B.C

A bike racer talked on here about going off the track and I've seen a couple instances of cars doing the same.

Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alta I'd like to see as well.

 

[Chad]

OK I have race at norwalk last year. Now I don't have a real fast car..runs 120 in the 1/4...the problem is for me is that the last part of the shut down is down hill. and then you turn off and you can not see the turn off till you are going down hill...almost to late .I about put my car off the track the first time..because I did't know..what I should of done is went down there and looked before I ran..So I now have better brakes on the car so when I go back this year I will be ok.

Gainesville is 3350 finish to sand
Houston is 2620
Dallas is 2760
Atlanta is 2250
Memphis is 2560
Pamona is 2023
Sonoma is 2558
vegas is 2500
Seatlle is 2780 (no apparent runoff)
Denver is 2174


All the energy i got right now, all of those are rough estimates from Googe earth

Hell I just noticed that the closest 1/4 mile track to me Gulfport Dragway has 3088 ft of shutdown..............and thats an outlaw track that hasn't seen an NHRA or IHRA race in many years

 

[Al smith]

Did some google earth measurements for some north east tracks

Maple Grove Park 2218 from finish line to edge of sand across road. sand measures 265 feet

Old Bridge Township raceway park,,,2240 to edge of sand. sand to catch net poles is only 97 feet.

Maryland International Raceway I remember being very long when driving the chase vehicle when we raced there at a div 1 points race, At the time there was just a 15 foot wall of dirt at the end at the highway embankment. today it measures 2900 feet to a sand trap with 156 feet of sand.

Virginia Motor sports Park, never been there myself, 2740 feet to edge of sand with 145 feet of sand.

Atco, 2620 feet to approximate angled edge of sand with 122 feet of sand

Cecil County Drag way,, 2340 to edge of sand with 96 feet of sand

Lebanon Valley Drag way was too low a resolution in google earth but in Microsoft Virtual Earth looks to be about 2280 feet to the edge of what looks like tires. I think Manzo ran off the end here back in 05. the track appears to be aligned with an old abandoned railroad right of way so i can't tell where the trap ends.

 

[Nick Name]

When AMA Dragbike ran at Norwalk, the Top Fuel bikes could not run out the back door.

 

[FalconRacer]

WOW!! GOOGLE EARTH ROCKS!! Tulsa Raceway Park, Tulsa OK is over 4,000feet from start line to the sand.. It's an easy 1/2 mile shutdown that sure looks like it runs up hill.. (I've been told it's around a 20 foot elevation change) And to think the track was even longer before the starting line was moved East after the City made them build the new tower in a different location thanks to the "FLOOD PLAIN"

Some of you technical people I'm sure can do a better job of measuing it.. BUT I've always known we have a great track here..

 

[Chad]

WOW!! GOOGLE EARTH ROCKS!! Tulsa Raceway Park, Tulsa OK is over 4,000feet from start line to the sand.. It's an easy 1/2 mile shutdown that sure looks like it runs up hill.. (I've been told it's around a 20 foot elevation change) And to think the track was even longer before the starting line was moved East after the City made them build the new tower in a different location thanks to the "FLOOD PLAIN"

Some of you technical people I'm sure can do a better job of measuing it.. BUT I've always known we have a great track here..

all of the numbers I referenced were FINISH line to sand

 

[mastertone]

OK I have race at norwalk last year. Now I don't have a real fast car..runs 120 in the 1/4...the problem is for me is that the last part of the shut down is down hill. and then you turn off and you can not see the turn off till you are going down hill...almost to late .I about put my car off the track the first time..because I did't know..what I should of done is went down there and looked before I ran..So I now have better brakes on the car so when I go back this year I will be ok.

I did the same thing! The first time I went down that track it scared the crap out of me. The way it runs downhill. You get to the finish line and its like running off a cliff(downhill)

 

[racer83]

I'd like to see my hometown track, Northern Lights Raceway in Ft St John, B.C

A bike racer talked on here about going off the track and I've seen a couple instances of cars doing the same.

Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alta I'd like to see as well.

Edmonton measures .49 mile (2515 ft) from finish line to sand (the last turn off) on Google Earth. They did have some go off the end in the past but that was BEFORE they added about 780 feet

Ft St John is hard to Google Earth but the Northern Lights Raceway web site says 1952 feet of shut down

TK

 

[FalconRacer]

all of the numbers I referenced were FINISH line to sand

OOPS SORRY!!! looks like around 2,700 feet from finish to sand..

 

[Nick]

correct me if I'm wrong, however, isn't the real issue here the concrete wall and net location (at Englishtown), not the length of the shutdown areas at all of these tracks?

No bashing please, I'm just asking.

 

[Chad]

correct me if I'm wrong, however, isn't the real issue here the concrete wall and net location (at Englishtown), not the length of the shutdown areas at all of these tracks?

No bashing please, I'm just asking.

In this instance I think it is more about the emergency stopping provisions than track length. However the issue is the fact that E-town doesn't have the room to have a 300' sand pit, and other devices with out shortening an already below average shutdown

 

[Nick]

In this instance I think it is more about the emergency stopping provisions than track length. However the issue is the fact that E-town doesn't have the room to have a 300' sand pit, and other devices with out shortening an already below average shutdown

I see. That makes perfect sense.

 

[Ponyhntr]

KCIR is 0.43 miles, then a curved turnoff. The problem here is the sandtrap is nearly non-existant, not much of a net, and there is a creek on the other side.