[chevy_69_chevelle]

I currently run at irwindale, and because of the "dog leg" shut down (where the circle track takes up about half a lane, and also the shutdown area being fairly short, not to mention the traction problems they have there, I am considering racing at a different track. I am willing to drive just about anywhere in southern california. So I was thinking about the following tracks:

California Dragway (Fontana)
LA county raceway (Palmdale)
Mopar Drag City (Banning, providing they are ready by next year)
What is there down south (San Diego) or anywhere from San Diego North

Currently with the guys that I race with, everyone says that irwindale is good for the first pass, but after that it just goes away (they don't clean the track or anything during the day)

Typically the track sees about 1000passes on it in a day (500 per lane)

 

[Pat Kelley]

Hey Mike,
No matter what the time of day or number of passes on the strip, I always hook better at Irwindale than any other local strip including Pomona.

Fontana is certainly closer to you and there is a pretty good chance that Irwindale won't run the Summit races next year. Expect to run substantially higher ET's at Palmdale. Banning? Don't hold your breath

. Barona, San Diego, I've heard it's OK but the shut down is short and ends with a couple hundred foot drop, Ouch! Carlsbad is down that way, too. I haven't been there but hear it's quick but a rather unpleasent place to race. I'm sure others will pitch in on this.

I'd say Fontana looks like the strip of choice.

 

[kazuaki]

I've raced a lot at LACR (Palmdale). The track isn't too bad, but the weather and altitude can be. Your car will slow down a bunch up there and the wind can blow dirt from the motocross track next door onto the top end of the track. There have been a couple times that I have gotten loose at the top end when racing there.

Carlsbad is very fast because of the great air, but the facility is a joke. You drive down a 1/2 mile dirt road to get to it, then some of the pits are in the dirt.

 

[kjett]

Greg,

Ain't it a shame that the folks running tracks in the state where the sport originated don't do anything better to keep up the facilities? I share your pain. I race at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. This is a host site for the Nationals. If it weren't for the fact that the pros show up there once a year you would never think that this track is part of the NHRA National program. It's really quite a shame. They take in plenty of cash but very little is reinvested in the facility. Each year after people complaining they promise to do x and y. Never happens

 

[MikeN]

Originally posted by kjett:
Greg,

Ain't it a shame that the folks running tracks in the state where the sport originated don't do anything better to keep up the facilities? I share your pain. I race at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. This is a host site for the Nationals. If it weren't for the fact that the pros show up there once a year you would never think that this track is part of the NHRA National program. It's really quite a shame. They take in plenty of cash but very little is reinvested in the facility. Each year after people complaining they promise to do x and y. Never happens

...and what's REALLY sad is, Commerce is one of the better tracks! I guess we should just be thankful they don't sell it to a developer and close it altogether. It would be nice if they paved the pits though. Cleaning the restrooms once or twice a year wouldn't hurt either.

 

[kjett]

Originally posted by Georgia69:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by kjett:
Greg,

Ain't it a shame that the folks running tracks in the state where the sport originated don't do anything better to keep up the facilities? I share your pain. I race at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. This is a host site for the Nationals. If it weren't for the fact that the pros show up there once a year you would never think that this track is part of the NHRA National program. It's really quite a shame. They take in plenty of cash but very little is reinvested in the facility. Each year after people complaining they promise to do x and y. Never happens

...and what's REALLY sad is, Commerce is one of the better tracks! I guess we should just be thankful they don't sell it to a developer and close it altogether. It would be nice if they paved the pits though. Cleaning the restrooms once or twice a year wouldn't hurt either. </font>[/QUOTE]Well, nice is a relative term. If they decide to sell the track then that's a business decision they have to consider. However, as long as I'm paying $35 a pop to race there every Saturday (not including $25 buy backs, concessions, spectator fees for the wife and sometimes kids, etc...) then I expect them to run a professional program! That includes occassionally firing up the blowers to clear the dirt/rocks off the starting line, spraying a little traction compound on the starting line, having spotters at the top of the track so that you don't drive through a busted rear window at 120+ MPH, keeping some semblance (sp) of order in the staging lanes, and lastly running the program a little more consistently. Am I expecting too much?

 

[RB69SS396Conv]

I used to live close enough to Carlsbad taht I could hear it, and drive past it every day to and from work.... everybody complains about it being slick, and it's not level. But it's better than nothing. Lots of people from around there like it because it's kind of laid-back.

 

[MikeN]

Originally posted by kjett:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Georgia69:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by kjett:
Greg,

Ain't it a shame that the folks running tracks in the state where the sport originated don't do anything better to keep up the facilities? I share your pain. I race at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. This is a host site for the Nationals. If it weren't for the fact that the pros show up there once a year you would never think that this track is part of the NHRA National program. It's really quite a shame. They take in plenty of cash but very little is reinvested in the facility. Each year after people complaining they promise to do x and y. Never happens

...and what's REALLY sad is, Commerce is one of the better tracks! I guess we should just be thankful they don't sell it to a developer and close it altogether. It would be nice if they paved the pits though. Cleaning the restrooms once or twice a year wouldn't hurt either. </font>[/QUOTE]Well, nice is a relative term. If they decide to sell the track then that's a business decision they have to consider. However, as long as I'm paying $35 a pop to race there every Saturday (not including $25 buy backs, concessions, spectator fees for the wife and sometimes kids, etc...) then I expect them to run a professional program! That includes occassionally firing up the blowers to clear the dirt/rocks off the starting line, spraying a little traction compound on the starting line, having spotters at the top of the track so that you don't drive through a busted rear window at 120+ MPH, keeping some semblance (sp) of order in the staging lanes, and lastly running the program a little more consistently. Am I expecting too much? </font>[/QUOTE]No, you are definitely not expecting too much. Atlanta Dragway is a pretty good track from a physical facility standpoint, but all that stuff you mention is definitely a problem. When you say maintain order in the staging lanes, are you talking about people swapping lanes and such? I see that occasionally, it ticks me off.