Preseason Testing?

[The Counterfeiter]

Any news here? FIRP's website states 2011 schedule "coming soon" and I can't find anything at LVMS site. Very poor turnout at both events last year, and I'm wondering if Firebird's event will even happen, considering that there have been no fuel runs on the new surface since last year's debacle.

 

[Huge]

A lot of cars tested in West Palm Beach last year. If I remember it was pretty cold at Vegas last year. I'm pretty sure there will be some fuel cars at Firebird this year. I know we are thinking about it. Wally and Mike have a few things they want to try and we would like to run a few laps with the toyota body on.

 

[DG]

There is a Div. 7 LODRS race at Phoenix just before the WinterNationals.

The track should be prepared to NHRA standards, so it might be a good place to test on the Monday after...

DG

 

[none]

If I understood correctly, Bernstein is going to make some laps at West Palm Beach. Not sure when that is though......

 

[vegasnitro]

Very poor turnout is an understatement. We didn't have 1 nitro car make a hit during the Pro Stock showdown deal last year (2009). It has ALWAYS infuriated me to see the nitro rigs parked in the lot at LVMS on the weekend and never see them make a hit ... then hear about all the great passes made Monday and Tuesday when no one was there, especially when I paid to be there Saturday and Sunday in most cases. I don't really expect anything to happen at LVMS in January as it surely would have been announced by now. Firebird I expect only to be lesser funded teams making a hit or 2 on the way to Pomona, or maybe a big team that didn't accomplish everything they needed to at PBIR.

The Palm Beach deal is 6 or 8 nitro teams leasing out the track, have someone like Chad Head to prep the track, then they can make hits all day whenever they want. They don't have a track operator pressuring them to run at certain times, they don't have fans milling about and they don't have to wait in line with the sportsman cars who show up for some slapped together bracket race. PBIR is a MUCH more efficient use of big nitro teams time and money for testing, and will likely be the way of the future.

It sure does suck for us fans though (especially those of us with a pre-season track in our backyard).

 

[The Counterfeiter]

Firebird's 2011 Event Schedule is now up on their website. There is no listing for what has been called in recent years the National Time Trials.

 

[Toejam]

I remember back in '99-'00 they used to have Pre season testing in Tucson! And man would they pack em in! On Saturday they would get 7-8,000 fans! Guess it was a Big deal there!

 

[yoda]

I remember back in '99-'00 they used to have Pre season testing in Tucson! And man would they pack em in! On Saturday they would get 7-8,000 fans! Guess it was a Big deal there!

Yup- the good old days! Maybe with SIR's new management in place, we might see a few "secret Sunday" blasts in the Old Pueblo...

 

[Toejam]

Yup- the good old days! Maybe with SIR's new management in place, we might see a few "secret Sunday" blasts in the Old Pueblo...

Martin I heard(?) the reason testing in Tucson died was because it wasn't a Natl. Event track!

 

[yoda]

Martin I heard(?) the reason testing in Tucson died was because it wasn't a Natl. Event track!

Odd... Surface as smooth and flat as a bowling alley, cheap nearby accomodations, good track prep for nitro, SECLUDED...


NOT FIRETURD


Hmmm... I guess if I wanted to test, I would go somewhere that didn't offer all that..

BTW- Palm Beach doesn't have a national event either...

 

[MM]

Palm Beach isn't even an NHRA track, but you don't have to worry about that when you just rent the whole place....PBIR has one of the best track surfaces I have ever seen.

 

[Toejam]

Odd... Surface as smooth and flat as a bowling alley, cheap nearby accomodations, good track prep for nitro, SECLUDED...


NOT FIRETURD


Hmmm... I guess if I wanted to test, I would go somewhere that didn't offer all that..

BTW- Palm Beach doesn't have a national event either...

Well your right about the surface, place is like sandpaper! first time I saw Tires chunk was in Tucson. But the drivers and crews I spoke to back then said it was because it wasn't a Natl. Event track, and thus the data wouldn't work anywhere else!

 

[Gary H]

Firebird's 2011 Event Schedule is now up on their website. There is no listing for what has been called in recent years the National Time Trials.

Not going to be much racing at firebird this year. PSCA isn't coming back this year either. Moving the nationals killed that.

 

[Huge]

I talked to someone at firebird today and she said there will not be a national time trials in Phoenix this year, because most of the cars will be in Florida. I also talked to someone at LVMS, and she said the dates for the nitro blast off is Feb-18-19-20.

 

[NitroRichFire]

Thanks Eugene, for the info!

 

[JON]

The FRAM digger has already been out for a test?

Last Saturday Spencer Massey posted a 3.797 @ 324 'home movie' from that day's PBIR on Facebook.

This rookie can't seem to post the link properly though.

It is on blah facebook blah .../video/video.php?v=729407379744