Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Here it is 9am EST and I'm still sitting at my shop - why you ask - with all the rain coming across the East I thought it was a great idea to at least have new wiper blades on our coach - and here I sit waiting for the parts place to deliver them - so much for speedy delivery .

You just have to ask yourself - should I really be heading down Route 95 to Virginia Motorsports Park with all this green showing every weather screen ? The weather people say some days are looking great and others not so good -- guess it depends on which of the weather people you want to believe . Maybe we can hear from some of the locals in Virginia to tell us what to expect over the next few days .

Later , after I get to the track I'll try and post some tidbits from todays test- n - tune........'till then .

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

I just left the track. They want to charge crew members $15.00 to enter on Thursday. I am not testing so I left and went to town. 2 crew members, I can go to a campground, have electricity,water and sewer. Its not the money, just the principle.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Gary Parker, You are correct, it is the principal! You have the right idea and more racers should be following your lead. I also can afford to go to the Division racers here in D2 but elected not to becasue they raised the entry fee by $10. I drew the line and will not attend until they at least return the entry fee back to where they were. $150 entry fee was a hard number to swallow as it was.You can call me cheap, but I have principals and I can wait them out until they wake up to the fact that we are in a down ecomony. As it is, there are no national events down this way until 2011 for Stock Eliminator. No need for grade points.
Casey Miles
248H

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

THIS IS THE MOST OVERLOOKED SENTENCE THAT N.H.R.A NEVER THOUGHT OF

there are no national events down this way until 2011 for Stock Eliminator. No need for grade points.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

I was looking at the upcoming Division 3 race in Norwalk.An event pass for a SPECTATOR is $40(includes Pit Pass),but an event CREW pass is $50.
Maybe the spectator pass would be cheaper?

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

No need for grade points if you want to go to Bristol either this year! I believe that that will be a rule of thumb soon on all National events with the car counts.
Casey Miles
248H

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Casey,

I thought you lived around or in Florida.You are saying that there are NO National events until 2011 near you.Does that mean there is NO Stock Eliminator at the Gatornationals in 2010?

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Yes, they skip Stock for the next year.
Casey Miles
248H

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Jack,
I hope your divisonal gets spectators, we had none at the division 3 opener at Indy. There is no advertising or promotions. They need to take a page out of the Bader family book for running and promoting a race. We get more spectators at some local bracket races. But this is par for the coarse when it comes to NHRA, this is absolutely the best racing any fan could see, as well as one of the best car shows, but yet they know nothing about it because NHRA does not promote or advertise it.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Can't wait for the dome in Norwalk to be finished.

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:...&ct=clnk&gl=us

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

In division 7 Tucson and Fallon get some fans at there LODRS races. It is up to the track to promote not NHRA.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Anyone know what the entry fee for Dinwiddie is? Can't seem to find it anywhere...probably not looking in the right place.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

170.00 to enter for stock. NAPA stores are giving free tickets for saturday. Just talk to Kevin at the track. No one going down it yet. I am going back after 6. Thats when the test session ends. I was told, when I said I did not want to pay for today, that there might not be any spots to park on friday. Made me laugh. No spots. LOL Later all.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

$170 US dollars.Highest in the country.But us Northeasterners are rolling in dough.

Ed F.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

NHRA owns the track ....

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Yes they own some tracks where Divisonals are run. Indy, Gainsville, Atlanta and Columbus. This a small percentage of the LODRS, the majority are privately owned.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Cry me a river..
A day at the races is better than a day at work..
Or a day sitting at a computer NOT RACING
Still cheaper than going to a Yankee game ..
See you at VMP

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

SPECTATOR, pass no good in the staging lanes. They ask you to leave or go get the proper pass.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

In Memphis last weekend, it was the same. $50 for crew ticket or $40 for 3 day spectator ticket. I don't usually go to the staging lanes anyway, so I bought the $40 ticket. But for the divisional, they never checked for tickets at all.

Patsy

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

$170 for a Divisional? No thanks, they can keep it.

H*ll, it's only $150(+$40 insurance) to run a NATIONAL around here. (if you're driving two cars, 2nd entry is $150, and you can use that second wristband for a crew member)

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Thug what are you talking about you don't work!! Do you call running around with your shorts on backwards work? lol

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

But you'll pay $270 (135 each) for an IHRA double where if you won both races would just about equal an NHRA points race win?????

I don't agree with paying the extra $20 either, but oh well. I guess if you want to race bad enough, you'll pay it!!

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Me? Yah. (and have actually done so)

- Chances of winning a 5-6 round race is twice that of winning a 6-7 round race
- Less time off work. 1 day per race vs 3 days per race.
- Less time = less nights in hotel
- cheaper entry

...although my comparison was with an National, not a Pro-Am.


But as you say, to each their own.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

After two major traffic jams I finally got here and yep it was $170 for me to get in the gate .After parking I 'm walking around and all I've seen is racers and beer -- it'll be a sad bunch tommorow .

Spent alot of time on the phone coming here and one of the calls was with Angelo DiTocco -- seems he's needing get well soon from all his friends as yesterday he had a "gardening accident" at home and sliced up his "button hand" ( and he's a South Paw ) pretty bad and is to have surgery in the morning . Ang tells me he could be laid up for a month or more but he's still young and will mend fast .Get well buddy ........

Well gang I'm gonna grab some grub and see whats going on..........later .

PS--Almost forgot -- its not raining and there's plenty of parking on the macadam ....come on down ! ! !

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Hey Jack, thanks for the reports. Good luck this weekend!!!

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Friday morning -- 7 am EST -- All I can say about the sunrise this morning at VMP is beautiful , simply beautiful -- even with a slight breeze its a nice picture here and I'm glad I made the trip .

Tech starts in an hour and the first time trials are to be around 8:30 with Superstreet first out followed by Stock. Super racers I spoke with last night said the track was good yesterday and everyone is hopefull that today will be the same .After I dig my weather station out of the trailer I'll post some numbers ...... gotta start getting ready ..........I'm still in my jammies ! !

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Wow - what a difference 45 minutes makes -- my beautiful sunrise went straight into the dumper ! ! ! ! And the weather forcast went along --- temp is a nice 70 degrees but the humidity is in the low 70 percent range and the barometer -- ouch-- is 29.86 and dropping .Final DA around 1500 and climbing ...

We went to very overcast also................later .

TT order..S/Street -- Stock -- S/Comp- S/Stock .

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Good morning Jack! Just a thank you note for the reporting and taking of pictures of the past races you have attended. Good luck!
Casey Miles
248H

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Ran SuperStreet and about ten or twelve Stock pairs and then the rain came........just a little -- they say we'll be back in 10 or 20 minutes ...........maybe ! ! !

For you CobraJet bashers out there -- I happened to be at Fuel check when a certain CJ crossed the scales in AA/SA -- three hundred pounds heavy -- I didn't have my glasses on but it looked like 3685 to me..........I'll have to look into it ! ! ! Yowser ..........

9:39am -- We're back in action -- Barton just went 9.79 in a record attempt , Bud Rowe goes 10.29 in B/SA -- I'll post 'em all when I get 'em .

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Jack,

Thanks for the report. I'm down here in sunny and not-to-hot Tampa working away from my new digs. Give me a shout later. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend, see you at E-town in a month or so.

Evan

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Evan: Suggestion to kill time! You can race Sunshine tonight in St. Petersburg in sportsman and deep staging is allowed if you have just a street car with you, then tomorrow night there is Bradenton. It makes for a great racing weekend!
Casey Miles
248H

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Just a little observation -- racing in Stock since the early Seventies I've never seen the season opener having less than forty cars........we are in deep stuff my friends ..........very deep stuff indeed .

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

hey jack thanks for the reports! any news on why a handfull of guys are on the dq sheet? bad gas maybe?

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

I am sure that $170.00 entry fee didn't turn anyone away ... maybe they should raise it to $200.00 then only 16 cars will show up and 4 rounds, yer done ...

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Glad you reminded me about the DQ's -- seems the scales here and everywhere else are different -- many of us were caught by surprise this morning - my opinion is that they could have been off as much as forty pounds -- many racers were dq'd this morning because of this -- smart guys went on the scales before they ran and adjusted .

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Evan,

How are you liking our Tampa area weather so far?

Smitty

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

3:50 pm EST -- And the rains came again -- we're on hold -- they had just started "clean-ups" for the sportsman classes -- weather is moving fast .OMG -- I think Wolfman Jack is on the PA . Before you go there , yes - I've had my meds today ! ! Funny things happen during a storm ........ they're calling cars back to the lanes as I type -- shorty storm like I said .

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

This is an amazingly low turnout for a d1 race. I wonder if the $170 price tag is the straw that broke the camel's back. It could also have something to do with the weather forcast.

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

div 1 has been paying $170 for 2 years already

Re: Live from VMP - NHRA Lucas Oil - Division 1
 

Also might have something to do with the distance some people have to traval to get there.
Coming home on a sunday night driving through new jersey/new york is NO FUN!