Thanks From No Problem

Pat Joffrion · 03-22-2010, 06:41 PM

I was not happy about having to cancel the CIC race, but I had to do it in order to get the national event off without holding many of the racers over until Monday. The line of thunderstorms that pounded and cancelled the Houston ADRL race was heading our way, and I needed to make a pro-active schedule change.

NHRA worked with me on my request to give every racer one more time trial, which allowed those racers who were depending upon a Saturday hit to get dialed-in for the big race. Some had to replace engines, while others had broken parts and other complications to work out before first round of eliminations. By canceling all of the specialty races on Saturday, every racer got an opportunity to get their ride race-ready.

We got two rounds done before the rain (drizzle) halted the night racing, and I got up at 4:30 a.m. to sweep the rain off the track. I know a lot of people were praying for the rain to miss us, and it just goes to show you the power of prayer. It rained everywhere around us. Over half an inch in a five-mile radius from the track, but the line of storms split when it got to NPR, leaving us totally dry during the night. I was able to get another hour or two of needed sleep in my recliner.

For those of you who left on Saturday, you missed some more of the effects of global warming (right)… The temperature on Sunday never got above 55-degrees, but the wind chill made it feel like 35. The wind was blowing down track at 20-25 mph. It would have been unsafe if it was a crosswind, but our track runs west to east, so when a cold front moves in, we normally get a tailwind.

Paper was flying around and onto the track, and we had to re-run a few cars from debris tripping the finish line beams. I put 107 miles on my pit bike last weekend, and never left the track. I only had to tow one vehicle out, and that was because he decided he didn’t like his parking spot, and moved on his own into a soft spot during the night on Thursday.

It started to drizzle on Sunday evening just after the photos were taken. The wind picked up to 30-40 and was blowing the trash drums all over the place. My crew got the place cleaned up today, but it was a real mess from the wind gusts.

Looking forward to next year, I am planning to hold an All-Run CIC race on Thursday, starting at 1:00 p.m. Everyone in stock and super stock will get one hit, and then go into eliminations. Friday will be qualifying, with class eliminations on Saturday. That schedule would allow for us to cancel class on Saturday if the weather dictated, with the class winner awarded to the fastest qualified racer.

We take pride in our facility, and we all work hard to make sure that you have a good starting line every time you stage. The three men who blew and swept the burnout area deserve a big thanks from all the racers. Remember, if they didn’t do their assignment, you would be carrying all that burnout muck from the car in front of you to the starting line. Think about that next time you go to a race. Thank the guys that do a good job cleaning for you. They are the hardest working of the entire race crew.

My staff and I would like to thank all of the racers and sponsors that helped make this event a success, and we look forward to seeing you in the future.

Pat & Linda Joffrion - owners
Paul & Caroline Cartwright – track managers

03-22-2010, 06:41 PM	#1
Pat Joffrion Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Bayou Country, Louisiana Posts: 163 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 2 Posts	Thanks From No Problem I was not happy about having to cancel the CIC race, but I had to do it in order to get the national event off without holding many of the racers over until Monday. The line of thunderstorms that pounded and cancelled the Houston ADRL race was heading our way, and I needed to make a pro-active schedule change. NHRA worked with me on my request to give every racer one more time trial, which allowed those racers who were depending upon a Saturday hit to get dialed-in for the big race. Some had to replace engines, while others had broken parts and other complications to work out before first round of eliminations. By canceling all of the specialty races on Saturday, every racer got an opportunity to get their ride race-ready. We got two rounds done before the rain (drizzle) halted the night racing, and I got up at 4:30 a.m. to sweep the rain off the track. I know a lot of people were praying for the rain to miss us, and it just goes to show you the power of prayer. It rained everywhere around us. Over half an inch in a five-mile radius from the track, but the line of storms split when it got to NPR, leaving us totally dry during the night. I was able to get another hour or two of needed sleep in my recliner. For those of you who left on Saturday, you missed some more of the effects of global warming (right)… The temperature on Sunday never got above 55-degrees, but the wind chill made it feel like 35. The wind was blowing down track at 20-25 mph. It would have been unsafe if it was a crosswind, but our track runs west to east, so when a cold front moves in, we normally get a tailwind. Paper was flying around and onto the track, and we had to re-run a few cars from debris tripping the finish line beams. I put 107 miles on my pit bike last weekend, and never left the track. I only had to tow one vehicle out, and that was because he decided he didn’t like his parking spot, and moved on his own into a soft spot during the night on Thursday. It started to drizzle on Sunday evening just after the photos were taken. The wind picked up to 30-40 and was blowing the trash drums all over the place. My crew got the place cleaned up today, but it was a real mess from the wind gusts. Looking forward to next year, I am planning to hold an All-Run CIC race on Thursday, starting at 1:00 p.m. Everyone in stock and super stock will get one hit, and then go into eliminations. Friday will be qualifying, with class eliminations on Saturday. That schedule would allow for us to cancel class on Saturday if the weather dictated, with the class winner awarded to the fastest qualified racer. We take pride in our facility, and we all work hard to make sure that you have a good starting line every time you stage. The three men who blew and swept the burnout area deserve a big thanks from all the racers. Remember, if they didn’t do their assignment, you would be carrying all that burnout muck from the car in front of you to the starting line. Think about that next time you go to a race. Thank the guys that do a good job cleaning for you. They are the hardest working of the entire race crew. My staff and I would like to thank all of the racers and sponsors that helped make this event a success, and we look forward to seeing you in the future. Pat & Linda Joffrion - owners Paul & Caroline Cartwright – track managers