Auto Meter Northern Class Nationals - weather watch

[Bill Bagley]

I know we're still a solid 10 days away from kicking off the event and some of these long-range forecasts are terribly inaccurate, but sometimes the weather guys 'luck up' and get it pretty close.

So if they're right on this one the forecast looks a little discouraging with rain developing on Wednesday and continuing through Friday (intellicast.com). Lets hope for some unexpected weather pattern to develop about a week from now to improve the picture.

[Michael Beard]

We have already been over this, not only in the event planning thread over a year ago, but also this week in the "what's your best guess?" thread at http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=52742

Long-range forecasts are not only terribly inaccurate, even worse, they are destructive. Just starting this thread is likely to lose 20+ cars. We've been doing event promotion for a number of years now, and successfully dealt with any number of weather conditions. The worst problem is NOT the actual weather, but the forecast.

Last year, I studied three different weather services prior to our events, charting not only their long-range forecasts, but also noting HOW those forecasts changed from day to day, how the services compared to each other, and how accurate the original long-range forecast was compared actual race day conditions. They not only don't agree with each other, they don't agree with themselves over time. In short: they're garbage. It's entertainment. They need something to talk about. Forecasts are "ok" about 3 days out, but I've even experienced them being consistently, completely wrong at 3-hour intervals for three straight days!

Last year, for our $20K Doorslammer event, the so-called weather forecasters called for 60% chance of rain all day and all night for that Friday. It rained for 5 minutes all day. We lost an entire day because both we and our racers let them the "experts" talk us out it. BUT, we adjusted our schedule and we ran every race we had on the flyer and paid every dime, running a $5K, $20K, $5K plus a 64-car shootout in two days.

Just over a month ago at Virginia Motorsports Park, we dealt with below freezing temperatures Thursday night into Friday morning. We adapted, and finished a complete race with 324 entries on Friday. On Saturday, we had 399 entries, ran a time shot, a round of buybacks (bracket race, y'know), and ran the first final by 9:30pm. We know how to run a race.

Folks, we have three days to run two classes. We're fine. We are proactive, we plan, and we work hard. We RACE. We run the show, not the "weather entertainment" specialists on TV.

[Don Fardie]

I don't give a crap what the weather man says.....I'm going. Not only is this going to be a race of all races, you're gonna have a chance to actually meet people you have only had the opportunity to chat with on the forums….and that can be done in the wettest of conditions…with a cold beer!

[james schaechter]

Originally Posted by Don Fardie

I don't give a crap what the weather man says.....I'm going. Not only is this going to be a race of all races, you're gonna have a chance to actually meet people you have only had the opportunity to chat with on the forums….and that can be done in the wettest of conditions…with a cold beer!

Exactly! I for one don't look too hard at forcasts, especially a multi day sportsman event. It will get in one way or another. That is why I drive to Belle Rose also. Yes, always a chance for rain and yes, they always get it in. If I listened to the weatherman, I would never leave the house!

[Marty Knox]

Originally Posted by Don Fardie

I don't give a crap what the weather man says.....I'm going. Not only is this going to be a race of all races, you're gonna have a chance to actually meet people you have only had the opportunity to chat with on the forums….and that can be done in the wettest of conditions…with a cold beer!

Exactly what I was thinking! It will be great to have a "Live from Class Racer" get together.

[Geerhead55]

Originally Posted by Marty Knox

Exactly what I was thinking! It will be great to have a "Live from Class Racer" get together.

Now theres an idea! Where would everyone meet up at if such a gathering were put together? I'm hoping spectating members would be welcome too.
Danny Durham

[TinSoldier 3215]

Hey Fellow Racers that are planning on coming to Columbus next weekend weather for the 7 day forcast yes fri partly sunny hi's in the 50's and sat the same and sun hi's in the 60's and sunny.....

[Mark Yacavone]

I don't know why I bothered but I just looked at WU and then Intellicast,,,and they are completely different from each other ???

[Superfan1]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

I don't know why I bothered but I just looked at WU and then Intellicast,,,and they are completely different from each other ???

Mark, I studied Meteorology in college; WU is using one computer model for guidance, while Intellicast is using a different one. It is not unusual for the many different models to disagree in a long range forecast.

[Joe Toller]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

We have already been over this, not only in the event planning thread over a year ago, but also this week in the "what's your best guess?" thread at http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=52742

Long-range forecasts are not only terribly inaccurate, even worse, they are destructive. Just starting this thread is likely to lose 20+ cars. We've been doing event promotion for a number of years now, and successfully dealt with any number of weather conditions. The worst problem is NOT the actual weather, but the forecast.

Last year, I studied three different weather services prior to our events, charting not only their long-range forecasts, but also noting HOW those forecasts changed from day to day, how the services compared to each other, and how accurate the original long-range forecast was compared actual race day conditions. They not only don't agree with each other, they don't agree with themselves over time. In short: they're garbage. It's entertainment. They need something to talk about. Forecasts are "ok" about 3 days out, but I've even experienced them being consistently, completely wrong at 3-hour intervals for three straight days!

Last year, for our $20K Doorslammer event, the so-called weather forecasters called for 60% chance of rain all day and all night for that Friday. It rained for 5 minutes all day. We lost an entire day because both we and our racers let them the "experts" talk us out it. BUT, we adjusted our schedule and we ran every race we had on the flyer and paid every dime, running a $5K, $20K, $5K plus a 64-car shootout in two days.

Just over a month ago at Virginia Motorsports Park, we dealt with below freezing temperatures Thursday night into Friday morning. We adapted, and finished a complete race with 324 entries on Friday. On Saturday, we had 399 entries, ran a time shot, a round of buybacks (bracket race, y'know), and ran the first final by 9:30pm. We know how to run a race.

Folks, we have three days to run two classes. We're fine. We are proactive, we plan, and we work hard. We RACE. We run the show, not the "weather entertainment" specialists on TV.

Hell yeah! Racing needs more promoters like you!