Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Bonneville General Chat => Topic started by: Jonny Hotnuts on August 23, 2010, 11:21:10 PM
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I dont complain about much but just wanted to get this off my chest.
The number of unauthorized vehicles in the pits, driving waaaay beyond the posted speed and not paying attention to where they are going is driving me nuts.
What is the point in having a guy checking vehicles coming into the pits if you can drive around the backside and come in from the back (*clearly the word is out on this one).
There were several times when bone headed tourist were driving though the pits, looking at the cars and the guy towing a race vehicle had to hit his brakes to avoid a collision.....including myself.....and then given a f-you look like they had the right of way or "oops, sorry" look.
I also noticed a bunch of kids driving motorcycles and quads through the pits (and going too fast).
Its only a matter of time when there will be a pit collision and while it may not be a fatality it will still be ugly.
If anyone agrees and has any power to do anything about this please pass on the though or implement changes to make the pits safer.
~JH
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Spectators walking along with their head turned around looking over their shoulder is my favorite....we are still allowed to drive race cars in the pits......If anyone knew how hard it was to see in our car let alone stop they wouldn't step onto the lake , let alone drive in the pits................
...............guy on an old Harley this year coming back into the pits nearly had a low-speed wash-out when he was baulked by a spectator vehicle driving up to congratulate him. :cheers:
We have ,as you see , the same problems....... RACE VEHICLES HAVE RIGHT OF WAY........
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They were driving me nuts, it was everywhere, the pits, the access roads even staging.
I always teach my kids to try and have a good point of awareness and these folks had no clue.
:x
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yup, we had a tourist try and wipe the liner off the trailer in the pits while we were backing into our space... came straight thru looking thru our pit to the long course.... came VERY close.
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"Caution Tape" is not a deterant unless you wrap up the offending "tourist" in it!
People on bikes riding down the middle of the Pit lanes are oblivious to what's coming up behind them.
Tom
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Most of you know I stated several times prior to the meet about mini bikes, go carts and low profile vehicles not being allowed in the pits. This is hard to police and in general most of the jerks don;'t think the rules apply to them. SCTA/BNI tries to control it but the lack of common sense seems to get around the pits anyway.
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We too encountered the same issues. I am glad we have a tow bar and not a strap or the car would have been in the back of my truck bumper several times. I suggest a full time pit patroll.
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yes full time pit patroll gets my vote good idea not bad coming from someone who drives a Ford LOL ok a fast Ford
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yes full time pit patroll gets my vote good idea not bad coming from someone who drives a Ford LOL ok a fast Ford
Funny Mike. Not so fast this year. The Fairlane has identity issues, it thinks it's a roadster. :-o
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I didn't think the size of the bikes/scooters was the problem. I could very clearly see them as they darted out from an intersection at 25mph looking over their shoulder in the opposite direction! (multiple vehicles/people/times and I didn't spend that much time in the pits!) Luckily I was only driving a support vehicle without pushing/pulling anything. It's amazing how many people are willing to be in motion be it motorized or on foot without having any clue as to where they are going or the fact that they may be moving out in front of or otherwise blocking moving vehicles!
Hate to admit it but it may be time for roving patrol! :|
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Unfortunately some of this comes with the increase in popularity and bigger crowds.
Another area that needs more attention is the spectator lines along the return roads.
I set up my stuff on Friday behind the banners at the point marked "no spectators beyond this point" that I believe was intended to create a large easy to handle turnout for the folks at the fuel station. When I showed up on Saturday, someone had turned the no spectators beyond this point sign 90 degrees and placed it in line with the cone line along the edge of the spectator area, and a half a dozen huge RVs were set up in what should have been a no go zone.
The other really irritating issue along the return road is that some of the spectators think they are special and deserve to sit 10' forward of every one else. As a result you get a leap frog effect where some of these "special" spectators gradually creep out well in front of the marked line.
It would really help if someone would patrol that part of the return road early in the morning, up near the pits and fuel station and tell them they have to pull ALL their stuff back behind the cone line before racing will start.
There were also a lot of kids on small scooters and bikes zipping in and out between the spectator shelters and out into the return road. I was actually surprised no one got clipped by a car given how far some of them were zooming out into the return road path.
Once you let that sort of disregard for crowd control boundaries go for an extended period of time, people start ignoring all the signs and rules. Better to nip it in the bud early in the day so you don't have folks getting the impression that the crowd control rules and boundaries don't matter. Several announcements on the low power AM radio station targeted at the spectators would also go a long ways in reminding folks that the cars have very limited visibility and when in tow cannot stop suddenly and therefore have absolute right of way over all other traffic.
Add in a plane using the entry road as a taxiway and you have all sorts of things folks need to watch for.
Larry
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I forgot about the plane. That's the first time I've seen a plane used as a pit vehicle.
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Sounds like a job for Linda!!! :wink:
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Ok I will pile on also. 2 Idiots on Harleys stopped in the middle of the pits in the middle of the road, talking! Bunch of harleys driving around the pits this year, I assumed they were coming back from Trailer week in Sturgis.
I thought that anyone could buy pits passes this year and get into the pits?
I was looking forward to the middle of the week when it would get better, it did not get better until Thursday.
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Way too many non race vehicles driving on the return road. This should be tow or push cars and race cars only IMO.
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Being a life long drag racer I knew what to expect in the pits this year at Bonneville even though it was my first time running a car. It was a hassle to constantly keep my foot on the brake while getting towed back to our pit so that I wouldn't tag the tow truck. And how about the pits not having any order to them? Is it that hard to park in a line and and not have crew vehicles parked in the middle of the aisle. Up towards the 2club tent there were cars parked every which way and had the entrance/exit to the pits bottle necked like crazy. We had someone park a rental SUV directly behind our car and neighbors trailer and just left it there running. No one in sight that would claim the car so we moved it, should have put it in drive and let it disappear over the horizon. I realize the pits are huge and it would be a huge task to keep all non race related vehicles out but common sense and some courtesy would go a long way.
Also on my mind... Safety is a huge part of any racing which everyone can agree on. Land speed racing especially at Bonneville is even more crucial because of the distance between cars crews and safety personell. So why is there no better way to communicate. Many times over the week I would hear someone ask permission to cross a course or go to a stopped vehicle on the course and not get any answer from race officials. Would it be that hard to have a channel for each course and have the speeds and any situation broadcast for that course only instead of having all three on one channel and hearing the guys in the tower talk about getting wheels powder coated or whats for supper. I know I would much rather get an update on our car as it makes a pass than hear what car is getting ready to make a pass down the 5mile course and how big there motor is.
My opinion
Zach
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yes full time pit patroll gets my vote good idea not bad coming from someone who drives a Ford LOL ok a fast Ford
Funny Mike. Not so fast this year. The Fairlane has identity issues, it thinks it's a roadster. :-o
no roadsters go round and round.. fairlaines. go back and forth back and forth....
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Spectators will always be part of racing. "Courteous" reminders of pit protocol make everyone's experience pleasant and memorable. You will never be able to eliminate new racer spectators from getting in the way. It is really our problem to look out for them because we are the veteran racer and we know they will always want to get close to the action and see the cars. Be courteous, the public's opinion is a powerful tool and we do not want it turned against us.
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Realistically, the one place in LSR where a spectator is likely to be hurt is in the pits. Given what's happened at Lucerne, it might become necessary to patrol the pits, especially if the BLM decides to stick their nose into it.
related link - http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,8491.0.html
The downside is that SCTA-BNI is a volunteer organization with only so many hands-on-deck. To have to pony up some cash for security is just one more financial constraint that will get passed down to the racers and the participants. Still, it would be better to be proactive on this issue than to have a "solution" foisted upon us.
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Seems as though if it's the "Fans" who are causing the problem then it should be the fans who pay for extra patrols. If it comes to that. Pit passes not related to an entry might have to go up in price.
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As a multi-time visitor to SW I have a few thoughts on the pit congestion & traffic situations. The biggest issue in my mind for fans is the ability to "get around" the venue. We enjoy spending time at the starting line, some at the impound / Red Flame / pit areas and most of the time at the 1.5 to 2 mile marks. I have always thought that some sort of shuttle(s) that would constantly move spectators from the starting line to the pit area would be a cool idea. You would pay a one time fee, perhaps get a wristband and have the ability to hop on or off as you wish - they could be on a 30 minute or so cycle. I saw a few car trailers being towed with a bunch of seats on them - that sort of thing but on a grander and more professional scale is what I envision. I know there are insurance issues and such but an enterprising person (or the organization) could maybe come up with something that would solve some traffic problems and generate some revenue at the same time. Some folks miss alot by being unable to move about if they don't have something motorized.
Woz
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As a very long time racer and fairly new LSR spectator I can agree with most of the posts above. Hate to think how many times I had to stand on the brakes of my drag car to miss some kid on a mini bike. However, many racers and thier crew have to share the blame. I was on my quad, large and bright red, doing about 5 mph when a black Charger squeezed between me and the pit vehicles on my right. Only inches between me and the car! Then this idiot moved left and made a right turn in front of me. When he got out of his car at a well known team pit he was wearing a drivers suit. In my younger days I would have kicked his ass.
:x
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Complaints and suggestions regarding Bonneville should be sent to the www.scta-bni.org web site. It's OK to vent on this web but anything official should be directed to them to assure the BNI board is aware of this. Only they can makes changes.
I would bet that most of the offenders were not readers on landracing.com We have discussed the matter of pit and road to the starting line for years. I think we should add HAMB and landspeed racing to our list to try and get the word out for next year.
Tell your friends as well.
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I have to agree with some of the problems,the one that got me, was the five cars on the combo course return road picking up a car that had just finished running,four of the cars didn't have the orange sticker in the window. :-o Make for a very busy return road. I think many people don't have a clue after buying a day pass or event pass.How about handing out a printed map about where they can and can't go..It would seem very easy to do and wouldn't add a huge cost.I really had a great time at Speedweek this year,but with all the people running around on Saturday,getting there on Sunday is looking a lot better. :roll:
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Being a life long drag racer I knew what to expect in the pits this year at Bonneville even though it was my first time running a car. It was a hassle to constantly keep my foot on the brake while getting towed back to our pit so that I wouldn't tag the tow truck. And how about the pits not having any order to them? Is it that hard to park in a line and and not have crew vehicles parked in the middle of the aisle. Up towards the 2club tent there were cars parked every which way and had the entrance/exit to the pits bottle necked like crazy. We had someone park a rental SUV directly behind our car and neighbors trailer and just left it there running. No one in sight that would claim the car so we moved it, should have put it in drive and let it disappear over the horizon. I realize the pits are huge and it would be a huge task to keep all non race related vehicles out but common sense and some courtesy would go a long way.
Also on my mind... Safety is a huge part of any racing which everyone can agree on. Land speed racing especially at Bonneville is even more crucial because of the distance between cars crews and safety personell. So why is there no better way to communicate. Many times over the week I would hear someone ask permission to cross a course or go to a stopped vehicle on the course and not get any answer from race officials. Would it be that hard to have a channel for each course and have the speeds and any situation broadcast for that course only instead of having all three on one channel and hearing the guys in the tower talk about getting wheels powder coated or whats for supper. I know I would much rather get an update on our car as it makes a pass than hear what car is getting ready to make a pass down the 5mile course and how big there motor is.
My opinion
Zach
As far as order and parking of pit vehicles, this year [ for some reason,does any one know] the assigned pit area per entry was less than half as deep as in other years resulting in crew cars parking in the middle of the aisle.
JL222
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Dont get me wrong...I love the spectators and I try and take the time to talk to everyone even if I am busy and very involved with something.
I had the same though as Woz, a little train that continually circled a loop around the pits may really help, lets face it....its hard to walk for very long in the heat and sun.
(finding a suitable tram and someone to drive it may prove to be a SOB however)
Another alternative is to charge 25$ for vehicle pit pass....for every motorized vehicle....quad, HD, dirt bike car...whatever.
If someone is caught without the pass....kick them off the salt for a day or pony 50$.
All proceeds could be donated to STS or LR.com.....
~JH
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Johnny, You got it right. Besides it's in the rule book no drivers under sixteen on pit bikes etc...
and its a problem when your facing 5 oncoming cars on the return road 2 or 3 without orange stickers.
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We were pitted pretty far down on the west side of the pits. We had three vehicles in our pit. I was like the daytona 500 on the west side all week. From the planes touching and going, the mustang doing 130mph+, various other cars doing their own course runs, all the drag racing and bs with atv vehicles, it was pretty dangerous on the west side of the pits. We came over the radio a few times to get someone down there, but no one ever responded.
We were in the big brown and cream school bus and we made 9 runs last week. I had to lay on the horn EVERY time we were approaching the start line. The bus is our motor home, but is is also our shop/support vehicle/push vehicle. When I would honk even other racers would look at me like I was being rediculous and moved at their leisure. Towards the end of the week, I just started moving forward rather than give them a courteous few seconds to move. Kind of a pain in the ass when your driver is in a car for up to 45 minutes sometimes in a five layer 20 suit. Oh, not to mention the dirty looks I got from people when I did move the bus who were using it as shade. It was like I was the devil. When it should have been our car or another racer(which we did do a few times) in the shade of the bus.
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Just to add my .02 .... its hard enough to get people to work the course as it is let alone ask for more people to put in their time.
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Also, the guy the owned the old yellow "S'cool" bus came begging for an extension cord while we were parked behind the Knight's Inn. The next morning we went looking for him and he was no where to be found. He took the cord and did not return it.
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At El Mirage the BLM does make a minimal enforcement effort, and does have the power to issue citations.
The presence of a roving BLM vehicle might deter some of the West side speeding. I did not see any BLM presence all week, nor did I see the well publicized Police from Lands End to the Bend. While driving down the road @ 45 I did have people pass me doing at least 60.
Crowd control is certainly a SCTA/BNI issue. Insurance and Permit costs and restrictions could hurt us in the long run. As mentioned above, education of the fans would be most effective. Make them read the rules and sign a document that they understand and will abide by them or be forced off the Salt. A few are causing pproblems for the many.
Tom
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SCTA/BNI Members,
I was outside washing salt off stuff and had to make another post.
FIRST: The SCTA/BNI officials and volunteers did a GREAT job running the Event! They are to be commended!
Second, as members and racers we need to step forward and be self-policing when we see someone doing something wrong say something to the person(s) that are endangering others, hampering race activities, etc.
Our race packets contain two Crew stickers. Give one to each entrant and let them sing up for a second one if they truely need it. I know that some cars require larger crews, but I think a lot of these stickers wind up in the hands of friends and wantabee crew members that have nothing to do with racing activities.
Johny HN's, see what you started! Well, back to salt removal.
Tom
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Way too many non race vehicles driving on the return road. This should be tow or push cars and race cars only IMO.
I also sensed a significant increase in the number of vehicles driving back and forth down the return road this year. I agree it should be race cars and push/tow vehicles or SCTA official vehicles only. Way too many ATVs, motorcycles and non-pitpass vehicles driving in that area. People driving down from the pits/end of the track/vendor area can use the regular entrance/exit road to get down to the starting line.
I do want to give thanks to the volunteers that made Speedweek run as good as it did this year.
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As I posted on this subject about three weeks ago, we all know what the problems are, but no one, lest myself, has produced any way to police the pits, staging or starting line.
This year was by far the worst as we had at least twice the amount of spectators as any of my previous sixteen years on the salt.
I will talk with my club president about mandatory handouts at lands end, and hope the SCTA will add some terse wordage about abusing the priveleges that are currently being abused.
The problem with SCTA handling enforcement is that they can't.
The problem with BLM handling enforcement is that we don't want to give them a reason to stop granting our permits.
I would ask that everyone of us who has raised a complaint to spend some time working on a realistic answer short of hiring a goon squad.
Just remember that most of the moped/quad riders probably come from our own pits.
Short or erecting a electric fence (which may be the answer) how to control it I don't know.
One final thing. How someone is able to park a airplane in our pits is beyond me. There is NO EXCUSE FOR THE SCTA TO ALLOW A AIRPLANE UNDER POWER TO ENTER OUR PITS. And, this is the second concecutive meet where this has been allowed. Bob
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What were the orange windshield stickers with the black bands at the ends that they were selling at the SCTA trailer for?
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Lets try this again.
Can specators purchase buy pits passes get into the pits?
If so, this should stop
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To the best of my knowledge anybody with $10 can buy a orange pit pass. Which may be a problem. But if you only give pit passes to people with a entry what happens to someone who may have run for 30 years, can't really walk much at all. And wants to visit with old friends? Maybe a orange pit pass should come with membership like the pin.
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Guys, listen up. Flourescent flagging tape will never stop people from going where they want.
Most of the offenders HAD NO STICKERS. Without enforcement, stickers don't mean a darn thing.
No one wants to spend their time at Speedweek playing traffic cop. We shouldn't have to.
Unless we become more pro-active at educating the INCOMING TRAFFIC ONTO THE SALT, this trend will only worsen.
Somehow, we need to help Linda and her troops to FORCE FEED IF NECESSARY the rules.
And as much as I hate to say it, maybe we do need a roving patrol to take down liscense numbers, and car descriptions to give to Linda (etal) to deney them future entrance.
Anyone who has ever recieved a sticker from me (pit crew) knows upfront whats going to happen if someone complains about a pit vehcle with my number on it on their car.
Everything is spelled out clearly in the letter you recieve from the SCTA after entering a meet. I don't think many entrants pay any attention to the parts about driving in the pits or at least don't pass it along to those they furnish passes to. Bob
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We need to remember 99.9% of the workers are volunteers. Maybe we just need to bite our tongues and have a good time. Just trying to look at the brite side.
Rick :roll:
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put numbers on the pit passes
One warning, and next time.. you are banned for the rest of the event.
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raise the spectator entry fee to 40 bucks a day and have a parking lot they all park in. no driving around in cars bikes go carts motor homes ect. set up your shade and chairs in the spectator viewing space. spectators must walk in the pits. then maybe the racers can find rooms to stay in. one more thing stop the Rat Rod party at the hotel. sorry just my 2 cents if (they dont like it stay home) its really not a spectator event anyway. it would only take one kid to get run over and killed , and the Bonneville as we know it would be over there is no brite side.
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Just a thought. You have a large uniformed alliance that has just become part of Land Speed Racing. How about offering the Boy Scouts of America free attendance in exchange for a day patroling and keeping people in check.
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Just a thought. You have a large uniformed alliance that has just become part of Land Speed Racing. How about offering the Boy Scouts of America free attendance in exchange for a day patroling and keeping people in check.
In reality I think this is a great idea. I believe the scouts already get free entrance don't they, but throw in a free "staff/patrol" t-shirt and I bet they'd do it just for the shirt. Yeah I know that's more money but it shouldn't be hard to source. Heck an extra buck per race vehicle entry is at least $500! An extra buck per spectator? Not that I want to make the Scouts work, but it is somewhat in line with that they're about.
Great idea, you should pitch it to the management. (IE email them!)
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Its not a spectator sport? OK lets just not let anyone into the pits or ask anyone to come check out our cars and have a good time so we can act like we are better than everybody else. Better yet lets just load up the salt into dump trucks and take it to the middle of the Utah, 100 miles from anything so we can race by ourselves. Oh wait, it's already in the middle of nothing. All the people that show up do it because they are interested in the sport and have a love for speed. We as racers need to remember what is like not to have a car running on the salt and how bad it would suck not to be able to enjoy hot rods, customs, race cars, motorcycles, and planes. All of which are built and being used for something completely more than intended. A '32 was never supposed to drive across country and back or go over 250mph, but guess what? It happens year after year. Look at some of the old pics on the landracing main site, youll find planes lined up on the salt. Its all about having a good time and there just need to be a bit more effort put into informing the public ( and the crews) of the appropriate manners. Thats just my rant and I know next to nothing. But I do know I'm glad I have had the privilege to make it from TN two years in a row to experience something that not even 1% of the car community has.
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"not a spectator event" :mrgreen:
"Your" sport/activity would soon die out if no new blood could ever get on the salt and become addicted.
Oh ya, don't forget, you are playing on public land.
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I am pretty sure there are a few racers that USED to be spectators... same thing with volunteers...
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I did not say dont let spectators in the pits, they should walk. Bonneville is not in the middle of nothing its 3 miles away from over priced hotel rooms that are half full of Spectators. Iam going on 13 years on the salt as a Crew member and SCTA member and volunteer with 500 cars and bikes entered our sport/ activty will not die out. crew members build new cars and teams, some spectators get into volunteering and so on. after 60+ years it grows every year. show me a 32 that went 250 Iam still waiting to see that myself.
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This shouldnt be thought of as anti spectator or fan. Its not about the spectators, its about the millions of unauthorized vehicles driving (*and often too fast) in the pits and on the access road. I started as a spectator/crew, but never once did I jump the lines in order to get a better view or drive in places I wasnt supposed to go.
The guy at the pit entrance I thought was doing a good job. The problem is that hundreds of vehicles were driving around the backside and purposely avoiding going through the 'check' area. If people are taking actions to avoid going through the legitimate entrance this shows they are aware they are violating the rules and dont care. Some people mention educating the people....well...I think they already know they are breaking the rules (*and essentially stealing money from the SCTA by not purchasing passes) then educating them wont do squat.
Maybe a large sign at the end of the road that explains vehicles-people will be kicked off the salt if they are driving in areas they are not supposed to go...and maybe a few pizzed off people crying about getting thrown off....
~JH
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Anyone see the pair of GT 40s driving thru the pits? Didn't think much of it at the time because I was admiring the cars, but I wonder how and why they were in the pits.
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With 20 million illegal aliens in the country and the fed gov not enforcing our laws, citizens are getting a different
attitude about laws and regulations.
JL222
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Ive been going since 1984 and this is the first Ive heard of spectator passes being available. If they have a pass does that gaurantee they still wont get in the way ? Where do you buy this spectator pass ?
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Thats the pin on badge you pay for at the gate................
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I'll bet the BLM is a "little" concerned about now. Nine dead in Ca.!
What would have happened if I had hit a little kid on a mini bike while I was going down to pick up trash at one of the sets of out houses in the pits? Thats why I go real slow and try to pay attention. I think we better worry about our goverment and racing on the salt in future years. Maybe we all need to do a little more enforcement.
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Here is another idea. Have the SCTA approach the Wendover Chamber of Commerce or City Hall to hire a couple of out of work or retired locals to patrol the pits with a SCTA security sign and a large 5 mph sign. Pay them $20 bucks a hour to patrol and take down liscense numbers and descriptions of vehicles involved in infractions.
They wouldn't need to be confrontational. Have them stop at any pit that has mopeds or four wheelers and give them a handout or friendly reminder about the pit rules. These same handouts should be handed to every vehicle at lands end with a reminder to please read and abide by our rules.
These handouts should read in BOLD PRINT: Failure to follow these rules may result in expulsion from this meet.
Remember, its our entry fees at Bonneville that funds El Mirage, so I don't think two or three hundred a day for a security patrol will break the bank...........................
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who will pick up all the flyers when they are blowing across the salt as people throw them out the window when they are driving
to watch the races???
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From a spectators point of view I see this as a sponsorship opportunity. the event is big enough now to attract major sponsors. Give them a little extra bang for their buck by allowing them to set up at the entrances to the pits with lots of signage and maybe some extra vendor space in a designated area just inside the pits, not the pits themselves but inside the tape. Spectator parking should be near this area as well and well marked. Access roads to and from the pits for racers and teams should be in a completely seperate zone. By doing so it should eliminate most of the confusion and if well executed most of the problem should be solved. I would think major sponsors would jump at the chance to interact directly with the fans. I realize it would take a few official types to man the entrance but they do that now don't they?
Jason
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Perhaps the SCTA/BNI should take some time and decide if they want to encourage spectators or discourge spectators or just continue as they have been. If the revenue provided by spectators is enough of an incentive then some way of making it easier for the spectators to be there without interfering should be looked into. That would be more like snow fencing and very well marked areas for watching. Recruiting Boy Scouts as security sounds like a really bad deal to me. I think one of the largest attractions of Speedweek is the chance to get close to the cars and crews while traveling through the pits. And the pits are quite large and the fans (some of them) pretty old. It's hot and old fat guys are not going to be walking around looking at race cars. That's what cars with air conditioning is for. So if you want to accommodate spectators you may need to look at some way to have race crew lanes and fan lanes. The other choice is raise the daily fee beyond what the casually interested person will pay, and cut down on the numbers.
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if you raise the fees to the spectators then you lose money. I have been a spectator and been in the pits many times to look at the cars that are racing.
Every year i buy a few shirts from the racers who sell them. raise the fees and I will quit buying anything from the racers.
Just like how the hotels in Wendover keep raising there prices to get rid of the racers out there., the hotels don't like the racers cause they don't spend money on gambling.
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Thats the pin on badge you pay for at the gate................
NO NO NO!!!! The pin gives spectators access to the SALT NOT the PIT AREA!!
Gosh, you guys!!! Here I was feeling so damned proud of my crew for working so hard and now all I see are complaints, people wanting us to hand out MORE stuff at Land's End, and EVERYONE complaining about the long lines to get on the salt!!! WTF!!!!
How about if I ask the officials to put an inspector at the pit entrance (actually they're talking about do this very thing), that way the inspector can find out who/what you're racing/crewing for, and if any rules are broken, you get red tagged?
This was a record year for racers and spectators, the prices don't need to be raised for admission....seems to me if it's the racers are having problems in the pits, then the racers should use their initiative and help out instead of complaining about lack of patrols.....so, here I am, fresh back home from 2 weeks on the salt, totally exhausted, loved that I got to see "my racers", and adding my "One quick rant"
Lynda
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Rich I think we are on the same page the spectator walk lanes are a real good idea, maybe put them in in front of the pits so they can see the cars come back after the runs and still be able to look into some ones pit and still see the races too. I think 40 a day is more than fair, you get free Monster drinks anyway :evil:
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I believe people are referring to the red/orange Vehicle pass that you get 4? with an entry. But you can buy more at registration. Not the pit pass pin which is really a get on the salt pin.
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Brent, rather than post a negative answer to a suggestion, why not bring forth your ideas?
Linda, you need to reread the post I was answering about the pins. And if handing out flyers is to much to ask, perhaps the SCTA could post someone from the Ladies Auxilary or Save the Salt to hand out flyers with a generous donation from the SCTA membership.
Everyone needs to relax and realize the reason this forum exsists is so that we can all offer up ideas and debate the issues at hand before approaching club reps or the SCTA.
Saying nothing means nothing will change.
This is not a BLM or SCTA problem per say, rather a Growing problem that we ALL need to think about and hopefully come up with a easy solution.
Please keep those ideas coming in. Bob
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Yes, the pits are crowded.
Yes, there are people who don't belong there (and Boy Scouts are not going to keep them out).
Yes, some go around the "pit entrance". And to patrol the back side of the (1-1/2-mile long?) pits would be impossible.
And yes, I have a partial solution that we've used for years when entering and exiting the pits with race vehicle. We get a pit on the "front" side -- as do about 50% of the racers, that's why the pits are so long -- and put the race vehicle first out. Come around, hook up, drop the tape, and go directly to the return road. Works for us.
Stan
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Brent, rather than post a negative answer to a suggestion, why not bring forth your ideas?
Linda, you need to reread the post I was answering about the pins. And if handing out flyers is to much to ask, perhaps the SCTA could post someone from the Ladies Auxilary or Save the Salt to hand out flyers with a generous donation from the SCTA membership.
Everyone needs to relax and realize the reason this forum exsists is so that we can all offer up ideas and debate the issues at hand before approaching club reps or the SCTA.
Saying nothing means nothing will change.
This is not a BLM or SCTA problem per say, rather a Growing problem that we ALL need to think about and hopefully come up with a easy solution.
Please keep those ideas coming in. Bob
Bob,
This is the first year we haven't had maps to hand out...yes it makes it difficult to be sure everyone gets a map, but, there's always those few who will break the rules, no matter what restrictions are enforced. So....for those who followed the rules...My heartfelt thank you...for those of you who didn't....shame on you, you could have gotten a potential record destroyed because of your selfishness!!
Okay...back to the rants everyone!! :-D
Lynda
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2 people one at the start of the pits and one at the other end on the back side of the pits should stop most people that are driving around the pits.
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This thing really doesn't need to get crazy or costly. One person at pit entry and two roving well marked vehicles "PIT PATROL". One for the pits and one for the return roads. If they don't have an orange sticker, they get directed to the spectator area. If they have illegal pit vehicles, they are told to put them away. Inexpensive experiment before spending tons of money.
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Stan, I would guess that over half of the front row is course workers, and club members and they deserve them. I pulled in at noon Thursday and got a front row space at the four mile marker. Friday morning there were few if any spots left.
Even if you tow down to impound to get to tech, you still have to cross the pits in the worst of all places.
I stated in a earlier thread that I have installed a loud horn in my racecar, but they must be listening to Rap music. No one has ever paid attention to my toots (from my horn, that is).
Linda, we all love you and respect what you do, and hope this can be resolved without pilling and more work on you, but we are trying to make sure you still have a job and we still have a race course with pits................... Bob 8-)
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Okay, so, now that I had a chance to do my rant.... :roll: I think it would be an excellent idea to have roving "pit patrol" as well as security at the pit entrance. Unfortunately, it isn't my decision to make, or I would have had the security out there this year. All of you racers/crews were absolutely fantastic this year and I appreciate your cooperation that lasted through the entire meet! It was wonderful to see so many dreams entering the salt this year. Thank you to all of you for sharing your dreams with me. I'm glad all of you returned safely to your destinations and that there were no life threatening injuries this year. You all did a great job of watching out for each other and helping each other, so give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back!! :cheers:
Any time an event gets as big as Speedweek has, there are going to be problems just with the normal traffic of participants, add a bunch of "lookysees" and it's going to be crazy dangerous.
The number of spectators this year was unbelievable and most of that increase had nothing to do with the Boy Scouts!!! I think it would be safe to blame youtube, facebook, twitter....etc for the increased awareness. We're not an unknown entity any more! Surprisingly, there was a very high percentage of spectators that were just headed somewhere else and saw all the vehicles from the freeway, they decided to see what the fuss was about and ended up staying for the day!! There were nothing but compliments about how easy it was to talk to all of the racers, some of the biggest shocks to the spectators was the way hoods were left open when they approached a pit. I'm afraid that it's all you, the racers, that have created such a huge interest in land speed racing, so kick back, relax, have a beer, and tell the rest of the world, "You're welcome!! Come again!"
DANG, I LOVE MY RACERS!!!!! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Lynda
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I don't believe there is anything else Linda could do save coming into the pits and punching out speeders. The answer, if there is one, is in pit layout and better restriction of who drives into the pits. Perhaps we need lanes for race vehicles and tow vehicles only. All other support and spectator traffic would have a common lane. Not at all sure how that would get laid out.
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Just a thought---What if the pits were laid out with a wide center lane that was open to anyone with a vehicle permit. On either side of this lane would be single depth pits. outboard of these pits would be a lane restricted to race vehicles and one only tow vehicle with a blue or whatever sticker. Next you would have the same front and rear rows of pits still serviced by the restricted lanes and outside of them common lanes for support and spectator vehicles. It might cut down on the confusion with trying to tow through people looking every which way. Only requires one more lane. Some new stickers.
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Not a bad idea, Rich. Basicaly we seem to end up with four rows anyway with the exception of the first hundred yards or so on the impound end.
I knew that sooner or later you smart fellers would come forth.
Any more ideas? Anyone? Anyone? :-D
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What about making a SW vehicle pit pass an optional part of the membership package - you could save a few bucks by ordering the sticker at time of membership renewal or you could buy the upgrade at the end of the road for several bucks more?
That being said, I think the idea of the extra "spectator" lane in the center is a great one and would make the above a non-issue. If I understand you would have "two" pit areas, one front and one rear and they would be for team vehicles only with maybe an entrance/exit at each end? Makes a lot of sense to me!
Woz
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The pit would be the same as it has been except the center group of cars would be split apart and a "common traffic" lane run between them. The two existing lanes would be restricted to race vehicles only and one (Only) tow vehicle. Then outboard of those lanes would be the two existing front and rear rows. Outside of them would be common traffic. Spectators, pit support vehicles, motorhomes, your buddy from work. Whatever. At registration you would get your 3 or 4 orange window stickers which would allow entrance into the "Common" lanes. You would also get one Blue sticker for your tow vehicle. That's the only one you get. No buying extras. Any thing else you got drives in the "Common" lane. Keeps the congestion down in the "Tow" lanes.
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Here's a bit of information that's sort of been overlooked in the discussion -- but it has been alluded to. That is -- the barrier that extends all the way around the pits (with exceptions for the five or six entrances) is yellow caution tape held in place by short (about 4') pieces of rebar. It takes Greg Carlson and his crew/grandchildren and a bunch of others about a full day to drill the holes for the rebar every thirty feet or so. Uhn, mmm, 1 1/4 miles long front and rear plus about five hundred feet deep on each end = more than 14,000 feet around the pits, divided by every thirty feet or so = about 475 - 500 holes and pieces of rebar -- connected by stretchy plastic tape. Yes, the wind can stretch the tape and even break it. And so can anyone, be it a racer trying to get easy access to his pit that's on back row to a spectator that has driven around the regular pit entrance and still wants to drive right inside the pits.
So maybe we could drill the holes six feet deep and use railroad track pieces instead of rebar, and tie two rows of 3/8" wire rope from one to the next to the next. That's make it way more difficult for anyone to void the sanctity of the pits by breaking through the yellow tape, wouldn't it?
Finally -- let's be kind to Lynda -- and spell her name the way she likes to have it spelled. (Lynda, you owe me one for that, okay?)
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I never felt that tape, on the backside of the pits, served any usefull purpose after set up. It's good to have something that delineates the boundaries of the pits. But after set up the convenience and safety of having a pull through pit is impossible to ignore. Gets me away from the guys driving along looking for some car or just looking. And the down side has never occurred to me.
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raise the spectator entry fee to 40 bucks a day and have a parking lot they all park in. no driving around in cars bikes go carts motor homes ect. set up your shade and chairs in the spectator viewing space. spectators must walk in the pits. then maybe the racers can find rooms to stay in. one more thing stop the Rat Rod party at the hotel. sorry just my 2 cents if (they dont like it stay home) its really not a spectator event anyway. it would only take one kid to get run over and killed , and the Bonneville as we know it would be over there is no brite side.
Then you can load them on a bus and take them on a tour through the pits for a small fee .....
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What would have happened if I had hit a little kid on a mini bike while I was going down to pick up trash at one of the sets of out houses in the pits?
As soon as I got there Friday while I was driving into the pits, 3 guys rode out on the forbidden mini bikes.
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I'm stickin with the electric cattle fence............ but I think Rich is today's winner....... :roll:
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hay the bus thing isnt a bad idea take them in the pits and when some one fast comes go out to the 7 mile and let them see it from there. go down to the starting line. hay maybe we can use the bus for a wells trip or two. a one hour bus rides at bonneville priceless :roll: Glen could drive the bus he knows all the racers names and could give out the info on the bus ride. :evil:
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Double Decker... :-D
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I got a 1955 chevy school bus I could donate with a blown big block chevy on nitro. :wink:
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First a big "Thank you" to all the people that make this happen. Without you this wonderful experience wouldn't be.
Enforce rules. A large sign at Lynda's "OBEY RULES OR BE EXPELLED" then enforce it. That should apply to racers also. If a racer or crew member brings a mini bike, or lets non-licensed ride they and their car should be warned once thrown out second time. Rules apply to everyone. I didn't bring a doodle bug because I thought it didn't pass rules, and saw kids racing motorized scooters in the pits.
Riches idea of two colors for push-crew vehicles and two lanes is good.
Two color maps at lands end with racers portion in red and "spectator vehicles are not allowed in restricted area" They could park outside the tape and walk short distances to visit the pits so they wouldn't be denied access. Handicapped excluded from this rule but explained procedures.
Extra orange stickers purchased by car owners or drivers only, with car number listed on sticker. That way any one that has one should know what is going on and proper procedures. I think it used to be this way but not sure.
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The ideas keep getting better. Come on folks, lets keep working on ideas that can be presented to the SCTA/BNI.
We can make this a much better safer venue for both the racers and the spectators. Bob
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Second mini rant.
Did anyone else that should not get a Participant hat???
We didn't get there until Sunday noon due to unforeseen problems (my procrastination). Tried to check in then but were told couldn't get our stuff until car inspected.
Minor gig list and sonic check (older chassis) delayed inspection. When inspected, go to registration, told no hats, ran out.
I think there should be enough hats for at least all the pre-entrys. I know I need to take this up with SCTA and will but wondering if anyone else didn't get theirs.
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Doodle Bugs are freaking cool.. they rule..
Sold mine in 03 not a runner but all there, still have a frame and most of one, just not a correct block..
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Where does a street legal liscenced Honda Trail 70 with 10 inch wheels fall in leaglity wise ? How about just requiring riders to be liscenced & at least 16 years old & maybe require a motorcycle endorsement on the liscence. At the advanced age of 66 & disabled its the only way I can get around enough to see anything and I think I have enough sense to stay out of peoples way
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That would be legal!! :-D
Lynda
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Second mini rant.
Did anyone else that should not get a Participant hat???
We didn't get there until Sunday noon due to unforeseen problems (my procrastination). Tried to check in then but were told couldn't get our stuff until car inspected.
Minor gig list and sonic check (older chassis) delayed inspection. When inspected, go to registration, told no hats, ran out.
I think there should be enough hats for at least all the pre-entrys. I know I need to take this up with SCTA and will but wondering if anyone else didn't get theirs.
We did not get one, went through registration Sat AM.