Is Epping Race dying ?

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by pentastarrail

I was there.
It SUCKED.
Got there early on Thursday morning, sat and waited to be parked in THE DIRT WAY up in back, while others came in behind me and just drove to a spot on the grass.
NO texting from NHRA available, NO Radio station available, NO garbage cans, NOT even a port-a-pottie and NHRA ONLY came by ONCE to tell us that they called us to the lanes.
Had to keep driving up to the scales to hear ANYTHING. My car looks like I went dirt racing with it.
I'm cured, I'll NEVER go back.

The confusing part is, when they first got the National they were supposed to make all these improvements, I haven't seen any. It was all supposed to be repaved, NO MORE dirt, New tower, new staging lanes, etc, etc. Just to get to the staging lanes from up top in the dirt, it was an obstacle course trying to avoid all the huge holes, bumps and cracks.

For $440 (me and crew) you would think they would at least pit you with some pavement.

Mean while, there were all these motorhomes homes (no trailers) parked on the pavement.

I'm done.
No More.

I was there, just got home from what was a great event for us and couldn't disagree more with your comments.

I got there 6:45 Wednesday morning for stacking, #26 on line then went to Hampton Beach for the day, had a great time there. Back Thursday morning at 7:00am, saw Dave Mohn and the rest of the crew who started parking us at 8:00am, I was in by 9:15 and got a nice spot on the grass right at the staging lanes, same place the majority of the sportsman racers were parked.

Got an email from NHRA Wednesday morning asking if we wanted txt updates throughout the event and we opted in. Was notified everyday when called to the lanes, schedule changes etc.

Also listened to the radio station, 89.7 everyday in my trailer and while cruising on my golf cart everywhere on the property.

Garbage cans and port a potties too were everywhere throughout the pits where we and the majority of sportsman racers were parked as well the concession area had permanent and trailer based toilets.

I'll agree the facility like most needs improvements but it is what it is. Most important is the track is good.

BTW, those motorhomes parked on the pavement down at the finish line belong to the Pro Teams.

That said, be honest Frank, you don't like the NHRA don't like the fact that 6.10 is the quickest you can run and have stated so on another forum and possibly this one so why do you come? Others have adapted to the NHRA's rules for TD, but you just seem to refuse to and frankly it seems you are wasting your time and $. But you've said "I'm done" before.


Last October 30th....

"It's Official TD TS 6.10
http://promod.nhra.com/userfil...ments%2010-23-18.pdf

I'm out.
PDRA is where I'm heading since they took my class away.

Yeah, I can't wait.
My wife is MORE excited than I am.
Since NHRA did this it just made our decision for us.

She already told me to order the rear gear and new converter.
The 3.70 thing doesn't bother me, at least that is still fast.
As you know having a 6.00 car doesn't mean I have a 3.70 car, far from it, they are different animals.

Can't wait to come join you guys."

Man was not built to fly ... That's why he built HEMI's

Frank Zeffiro
ALIAS -- BIG KAHUNA

[FED 387]

Div 3 they run snow mobiles too but I've never seen cars racing at snow mobile races why is that???

[Mike Jones]

I`m sorry to hear the bad reports from Epping, but I`m not as surprised as I once was. July 4th is a tough weekend to hold any event, After losing Englishtown, I was optimistic that this would race would do better. Maybe if they move the date it will help. They are going to need Pro classes to fill the stands. Not sure how they will draw Long Island, and Southern D1 sportsman racers. I hope it improves.
Mike A114

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by FED 387

Div 3 they run snow mobiles too but I've never seen cars racing at snow mobile races why is that???

LOL.........

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by BKSG1198

As far as the sportsman side of it, to be honest the people I talk to a lot down in the Tri-State (PA, NJ, DE, MD) hate the tow because the roads up there suck and it's a holiday....I know the Northern People come down our way but, not as many of you guys compared to down here. A lot of people have vacation planned with family since it's on the 4th of July and it's a long weekend for most. Next year it moves to August 21-23rd and it might be a smart move to do this race like they do the Gators, Lucas Race one weekend, National the next. I think you'd get a better bang for the buck with people taking one tow up there for 2 events.

I don't know who you are talking to but the pits were filled with sportsman racers from PA, NJ, DE, MD. I guess you're talking to the same people that complain about the tow to Numidia. If it ain't the hills its the roads. Racers can always find an excuse for not attending an event but bitch about everything going on at the few events they attend in a season.

When you're chasing a championship, your vacation time is spent racing. If you ain't doing that, I question why are you there?

I vote NO to running the divisional and national event back to back and if it was put up for vote, I would have voted not to move the date either and we are already looking forward to getting back to NED in September.

[pentastarrail]

Yes, I saw you Ed. Your son did a good job.
Unfortunately with my and my wifes work schedule it prohibited us from getting there any earlier.
As far as what was available for communication down below, it was NOT available up top behind the scales in the DIRT.
That's why we had to keep hanging around by the tech trailer to hear them call us.
I was NOT the only one that had issues.
You can ask anyone that was parked with us, even NHRA officials acknowledged the fact that nothing was working up top. NO text messages, NO radio, NO one coming by calling us to the lanes (except once), along with everything else I mentioned earlier about the lack of cans, lack of port-a-johns, etc, etc.

You are correct, I am a disgruntled NHRA member.
I "thought" that I would give them a second chance to prove me wrong, however, this past weekend just reinforced our thoughts.
The tough part is we love seeing the other racers, friends and the NHRA guys especially since we haven't been out much.

As you know I was at Maple Grove and LVD.
Both places I tried to slow my car down and did nothing but break parts.

And yes, I have the gear and the new converter ready to go.

On a good note my friend doubled up winning SC and TD.

[1320racer]

It was Ken's day, we were just in his way but Kyle had a great event, making his first final in only his 3rd national event.

That said, our sponsor has a quicker/faster TD than yours and he has managed to slow his down without breaking parts so it can be done. He too races PDRA but he also knows that the NHRA is the best of the best and that's why he competes at their events. He runner up to Mike Coughlin at Indy this weekend.

Frank, dig deep, think back to why you do this. Find the good in why you choose to compete at an NHRA rather than looking for the negative. You can still have fun without trying to be the quickest/fastest TD on the property and will probably turn on a few more win light too.

BTW, the radio station worked on my golf cart all the way at the turnoff/end of the track

[cmracing]

Originally Posted by 1320racer

It was Ken's day, we were just in his way but Kyle had a great event, making his first final in only his 3rd national event.

That said, our sponsor has a quicker/faster TD than yours and he has managed to slow his down without breaking parts so it can be done. He too races PDRA but he also knows that the NHRA is the best of the best and that's why he competes at their events. He runner up to Mike Coughlin at Indy this weekend.

Frank, dig deep, think back to why you do this. Find the good in why you choose to compete at an NHRA rather than looking for the negative. You can still have fun without trying to be the quickest/fastest TD on the property and will probably turn on a few more win light too.

BTW, the radio station worked on my golf cart all the way at the turnoff/end of the track

I wouldn't say Kyle was in his way. He was only .004 behind at the start, and yeah, Ken went .004 under, so getting in on that would have been spectacular!

Ken had one hell of a weekend, that's for sure!

[RKelliher]

The Epping national has changed from the start witch was not too bad. After that pit spots were cut every year for reserved parking for stock holders and family which got larger. Also those motor homes in pit are mostly sold parking spots.Plus they removed a set of stands for them.leaving no place for racers and their family to watch the pro's. People don't know the track own a lot of land but won't spend the money to expanded and improve the track. Now with the loss of englishtown they feel they don't need to. I agree the track is very good,but management needs a kick in the butt. I would love to see someone with a racer's mind run it ,but that will not happen.This is all from someone who has been coming here since mid 60's. I hope it changes

[BKSG1198]

Ed,
Not here to have an argument, Kyle did a great job of driving...Congrats to you both on a great job. If you look at the entry list out of the 130 cars that were entered in the .90 classes only 28 were below New York and most were NJ & PA out of that 28. I’m not sure what Stock & SS had as far as demographics go. I went to Epping 4 years ago and was told when they got the National Event that within a few years a new tower and expansion was to be on the map to accommodate the National because of the great crowds they saw in the first couple of years. The back to back was just an idea because honestly as a promoter that works around the D1 schedule, 2020 is going to be interesting to say the least in Sept / Oct but, when you think about it everyone does the Lebanon Valley trip then hits Epping for two weekends in a row, might as well make it one trip as long as your stuff can stay there. It was just a thought to maybe increase car counts and save on the trip. Numidia is just a race that everyone will always make an excuse for not showing up, Bob could put up a $50,000 to win .90 race and probably wouldn’t get half the cars. Either way, we all have our thoughts and all wish E-Town was around still...heck, what would happen if we still had Cayuga and Sanair on the schedule...lol.