I Was Shocked.........
 

at the state of disrepair of Gainesville Raceway when we were there for the Divisional race last week. The whole place could use a good coat of paint. Everything looked as if it had sat out in the weather unused for the last year or more. Under the bleachers was full of trash, I saw one grounds keeper the whole weekend who was picking up trash. There were no port-a-lets in the pits, forcing everyone who didn't have an RV to make the trek up to the permanent bathrooms while out in a far off field there were about 200 of them sitting unused. I guess we didn't deserve using them. Speaking of bathrooms, they were dirty, paint flaking off the walls, half the sinks didn't work. There were no paper towels, empty soap containers and the floor was wet, as in from a leak from somewhere, the whole weekend. This is an NHRA owned track! Maybe Compton should forgo a few cases of beer and spiff up the place before the Gators! I can remember in the hay day the place sparkled and was pristine, a monument to Drag Racing power and speed. It really makes me sad to see it in such disrepair.

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I'm curious to see what it looks like at the Gators.

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well the big wigs have their new Ivory Tower, so they can sit in comfort and laugh at us peons

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With the well-below freezing weather they had down there a few weeks back, I'm sure if the water wasn't shut down and the plmbg. fixtures drained and winterized properly, some piping/fittings probably split, causing your wet floors in the bathrooms.....sounds like noone's maintaining the place.....??? WJ

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Oh yeah, and the hamburgers were $5 each!!!!!! Jim

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I was there in Oct ? (maybe Sept)

My first impression was wow, I cant believe this is the same place it used to be, I remebered it much nicer, I thought it was me and memories of my youth.

Or maybe that it was just past season and things in Florida weather more ?

I only have my current points of reference or my "haunts" well, Dragway 42 isnt very "pristine" but I like it....lol, and Norwalk, well I like it but everyhing is too far away.....lol

I was suprised at the "expanse" of Gainesville, big place. But like you said a little "crusty" looking I just assumed it was the "southern" enviroment.

That and the tree frog that came out of the soda machine change slot....

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I understand your plight Mr. Wahl. Only from a slightly different angle. I recall years ago going to the Gators to race in my van for the entire event. After my experiences there I can sum it this way.
Waking in the morning needing to refresh myself for the upcoming adventure that the day was about to bring, I would venture to the restrooms. Upon exiting the restrooms I can only say this........... I could care less if there was mold growing on the building, just get rid of that nasty smelling well water. It's really bad when the stall next to you smells better than the water you have to rinse your hands in.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA oooohh oooh that smell

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It will be back in good shape in a couple weeks. They usually pull in the troops, for the big race.

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I don't know how to take that statement.

You may not leave Atlanta in the same shape that you arrived if some crusty southern gent gets a hold of you.

Greg

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Lol...nothing so sinister...

Its wet here in the summer (south), its HOT as holy hell, and wet...you guys get tropical storms that god only knows what kind of effect that has on things.

I grew up summers on Lake Erie at our boats, the wet and mildew and well....weather on a coast line took their toll on paint and the like, much the same way it looked at Gainesville.

Ohio weather can be harsh at times but very seldom, things dont weather as much as I notice they do in damper or hotter climates.....

Cheers

Chris

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Mmmmm......Nah, they haven't maintained the place is all. Jim

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My experience has been that they get it all fixed up for the Gators and then do nothing the rest of the year... Then the same thing all over again.. They close the track completely down for two weeks to "prepair for the Gators". No test N tune, brackets no nothing... But us peon sportsmen racers is all that would be there anyway... So what???? The really don't care... If you don't believe me just attend a drivers meeting during their bracket races... They will tell you "We don't care". And they wonder why car counts are in the crapper??????

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Welcome to the 60s when you raced on old airfields & walked out into the weeds to pee. You have the old style dragstrip with modern day mystery meat burgers, what more could you ask for ? Maybe they could let the spectators line the track 3 feet away from the cars inside the walls as they go down too, what could go wrong ? People keep coming back for more so why should they change a good thing ?

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It's who is running the place. Too much of the "if ya don't like it,race somewhere else" attitude.

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Did that come with a beer also?

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Nope, no beer, just a bare burger. Food costs have always been high there though. Jim

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Amazing number of bracket racers drive north right thru Gainesville in order to run at Valdosta....anybody really wonder why?

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Wahl http://classracer.com/classforum/ima...s/viewpost.gif
Oh yeah, and the hamburgers were $5 each!!!!!! Jim

Did that come with a beer also?
How about their "JUMBO"hot dog , that was half the size of the bun, for $3.50. It was smaller then the $.99 per lb dogs at the discount food store, and not as good. I went on Saturday, to visit friends, and watch "Stock". Never saw a Stocker make a pass. Didn't go back on Sun.

I don't live far from Gainesville, but haven't turned a wheel there in 2 years. I go to other tracks, that are further away.

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From what I recall of the last time I ate one,calling them hamburgers is a long stretch. I dont want to know what they are made of but I know what they arent.

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National Trails in Columbus OH is no different at all! Its NHRA owned too, and the took the national event away from it, and gave it to a privet owned track!!!!!!!!!!

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I was at Atlanta Dragway today....much poorer condition all around than I expected.....maybe its just because its "off season" ? Track was ok though, strange layout (to me) but hey......

I guess I wont any longer be disheartened at living 20 minutes from 42 (which you expect to be what it is, but it hooks for me and there are just plain awesome people there , they go out of their way to do things for us, like when they heard my son got his Jr, they let us come early in the AM and get him acclimated to the car on the track and such for hours before they opened, that was class in my book)

And Norwalk which is just a plain nice track although its a haul almost 40 minutes away :) But oddly I always run faster at 42....always....

National Trails I wasnt so impressed with either last year.....

But that and Quaker City are the expanse of my current knowledge (other than Gainesville)

I didnt know National Trails was NHRA owned also, (didnt know till today Atlanta was either)

Private $ will always do a better job I think of doing a track, the NHRA has too many other things to spend money on.

Maybe they should "privatize" the tracks, or do long term leases to interested parties.

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Chris knows!

RIP Bob Moore.




Hey Dan Moore, you're #1. :D

RIP Mark Graham

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Boy is that true.... and yes, I miss Bob Moore ....and Fuzzy too. :(

It was the wonderful people (fellow racers & track employees) at Gainesville that made racing there fun during my bracket years (1980s-90s)
I was there to race & didn't pay much attention to the stinky sulphur water or the icky bathrooms. But always check under those toilet seats... for spiders and stuff.... and those crazy tree frogs.

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Lol...that is so true, I jumped about 9 feet high when putting my hand out to catch change from the soda machine in the manit area by the officed behind the fence) that liked to throw change out, and a tree frog hit my hand...scared the hell outta me.

A big guy who was with me was wondering why I jumped like a spaz and I said THERE and showed him the frog that went from inside the coin slot to my and back to the soda machine, he jumped even higher and shrieked...sheesh youda thought it was a rattlesnake (both of us:)

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Drooze,wait till you see Bowling Green,That place beats all in my book.

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They use to give candy out during first round of time trials and one lady who use to work there made little home-made Christmas decorations for all the racers. Just little things like that made you feel welcome and part of a family. The "good ole days!"

Heard Fuzzy was at the PRI show either this past year or the year before.

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Nice ? Bad ? Bizzare ? Like Heaven (with Hooters girls ?)

? lol....seriously whats it like ?

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I remember the candy Myron.... every one had a lollypop after first round.

Drooze, they had to shoo a raccoon off the track last time I was at Bowling Green....
but it's a beautiful setting, nice trees, soft grass, riverside and an amusement park & pool next door. (but if it's hot, it'll melt your generator)

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Found this on Gainesville website.. I didn't know either...



Lanny " Fuzzy" Hill
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

http://www.nhra.net/2010/images/gainesville/Fuzzy.jpg
Long time Gainesville Raceway event employee, friend to all, and tremendous drag racing fan, Lanny ( Fuzzy ) Hill, age 60, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2010 at home in Ocala, Florida, after a prolonged illness.
A celebration of life will be held on:

February 14, 2010, at 1:00 pm
14489 NE 113 Court
Fort McCoy, FL
You may reach Inez at 352-236-2066 for directions to the Fort McCoy address.
In lieu of flowers because of the financial burden of the past year for Lanny’s care, it is requested donations be made directly to Inez Hill, at the above address Or any BB&T Bank to Inez Hill, FBO Lanny Hill.