What was WJ whining about???
- Thread starter Toejam
- Start date
cantdrive55
Nitro Member
I think WJ was just po'd about the track conditions with water sepage. I also believe he inadvertantly got sidetracked in his own arguement about NHRA spending excess money to slow down the fuel cars with the upgrades to the sand traps instead of fixing the tracks to make them safe for all the racers. At least that's what I got from it.
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I don't know if I want to go to Indy now ... WJ said the NHRA would scalp me ... I am partial to my scalp ... I like it right where it is. 
BigTuna
Nitro Member
He has every right to be pissed off, if there is a known issue at certian tracks with water coming up. But the tracks have to spend their resources on extending the track just for the nitro cars rather than redoing the the 1320 with better drainage ect, then he has a very valid point. The spend the money on a longer shut down for 1 percent of the cars rather than making the 1320 better for all the cars, which would of been avoided it they would of started slowing down the nitro cars.
What percentage of wrecks happen for all racers before the stripe compared to nitro cars going off the back side? Thats the point he is making.
What percentage of wrecks happen for all racers before the stripe compared to nitro cars going off the back side? Thats the point he is making.
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not a civil engineer. but i drove past a couple holiday inn expresses last night
as far as I know. And what they were saying over the PA all weekend. was that the percolation never happened at the grove before. In my opinion It could be that the footings for the pre cast guard wall sections in the shutdown area are preventing sub surface water from draining away as there is plenty of slope on either side to allow drainage. and there are forklift spaces under the pre-cast to allow surface runoff. Could be water is trapped between two layers of asphalt and doesn't show until weight is on it. In that case dewatering well point systems wont even help.
as far as I know. And what they were saying over the PA all weekend. was that the percolation never happened at the grove before. In my opinion It could be that the footings for the pre cast guard wall sections in the shutdown area are preventing sub surface water from draining away as there is plenty of slope on either side to allow drainage. and there are forklift spaces under the pre-cast to allow surface runoff. Could be water is trapped between two layers of asphalt and doesn't show until weight is on it. In that case dewatering well point systems wont even help.
force fan
Nitro Member
That's what I understood, also.
Dave
Nitro Member
Last year at this time everyone on this board was screaming that the NHRA should do something about the safety of the fuelers. They did that. Now everyone wants to complain that they should have spent the money elsewhere. You can't have it both ways, there is only so much money the track operators can afford to invest every year.
As far as fixing the track for the 1% of the cars as someone suggested, what were the choices? Stop running the cars or make the track safer were the two choices I can see. You can't stop running the fuel cars....like them or not, they are what puts the butts in the seats. You could do away with every class except TF and FC and still have a good crowd. I don't think the same could be said for an all Pro Stock and sportsman show. If you don't beleive it, just go to a points meet someday. They have Alcohol, Top Dragster(6.0~7.0 sec), Top Sportsman(6.5~7.5 sec), Comp and the rest of the sportsman classes and can't draw 2000 people at the overwhelming majority of the venues.
As far as fixing the track for the 1% of the cars as someone suggested, what were the choices? Stop running the cars or make the track safer were the two choices I can see. You can't stop running the fuel cars....like them or not, they are what puts the butts in the seats. You could do away with every class except TF and FC and still have a good crowd. I don't think the same could be said for an all Pro Stock and sportsman show. If you don't beleive it, just go to a points meet someday. They have Alcohol, Top Dragster(6.0~7.0 sec), Top Sportsman(6.5~7.5 sec), Comp and the rest of the sportsman classes and can't draw 2000 people at the overwhelming majority of the venues.
DrRocket
Nitro Member
WJ was just being WJ. He's never really had much respect for, or been very impressed with the fuel cars.
What he said was that rather than spend all the money NOW to upgrade the top ends of the tracks, they should have been slowing the cars down years ago, thus rendering the top end changes unnecessary.
At least that's the way I understood it.
At least he's honest about what he thinks.
What he said was that rather than spend all the money NOW to upgrade the top ends of the tracks, they should have been slowing the cars down years ago, thus rendering the top end changes unnecessary.
At least that's the way I understood it.
At least he's honest about what he thinks.
clwill
Nitro Member
I think WJ was just complaining about NHRA's priorities, which we here also seem to have issues with. 
He was simply suggesting that perhaps worrying about the safety of the other 99% of racers is also important, perhaps more important given the numbers or participants.
You can hardly blame him. Watch that run again, and imagine yourself in that car going 150+ looking like it was on a street in a Minnesota winter. My 'nads would be in my chest cavity and I would certainly be more than happy to "tell it like it is." I thought it was great to have another voice saying "Yo, NHRA, can you please explain what's up here?"
But that show last night had more drama than most daytime soaps: the testing mess, John's flailing team dynamics, Ashley's boomer (can we see that again? I missed it), Tony's revolving door, Ashley underweight, Antron's grandma, pro-stock bike engine swaps, weepers, WJ on the rampage. Sheesh...
He was simply suggesting that perhaps worrying about the safety of the other 99% of racers is also important, perhaps more important given the numbers or participants.
You can hardly blame him. Watch that run again, and imagine yourself in that car going 150+ looking like it was on a street in a Minnesota winter. My 'nads would be in my chest cavity and I would certainly be more than happy to "tell it like it is." I thought it was great to have another voice saying "Yo, NHRA, can you please explain what's up here?"
But that show last night had more drama than most daytime soaps: the testing mess, John's flailing team dynamics, Ashley's boomer (can we see that again? I missed it
), Tony's revolving door, Ashley underweight, Antron's grandma, pro-stock bike engine swaps, weepers, WJ on the rampage. Sheesh...
Namely Nick
Nitro Member
The track has a large hill to the east (full of cows) and that water has to go somewhere. Maybe its not rain water. It would explain why the track is so slick.
Doug
Nitro Member
WJ has been vocal with his issues regarding the fuel cars as they relate to NHRA track prep for years.
Yes he was pi$$ed big time and who can blame him. This is the second time this year he has to do one hell of a job driving or he crashes because of a wet track. These P/S cars are a hand full on a good track much less a bad or poorly prepped one. That was about as animated as I've ever seen him. He will speak his mind like him or not but he tells like he sees it. His point was NHRA has become reactionary rather than proactive when it comes the racers. That's what you get when you hire bean counters instead of people who know the sport.
mastertone
Nitro Member
How about the NHRA scalping the fans?
I'm sure it will be the same at Indy this year, no free drinking water. You'll have to buy it. And WTF is up with having to pay to park there? Cheap ass*s
Prostock is a professional class, they should get that ink. I think it was absurd that on Saturdays qual show, they only showed one round of the bikes and cars but the two runs of the fuel cars. Each class only made 2 runs, why not show them all. If the Nitro Hot Road Association wants to keep prostockers on the track then they should get their share of tv exposure as well.
