Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => LSR General Chat => Topic started by: NOT A TA on October 13, 2009, 12:14:22 AM
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I went to the Milemarker-1 race Sunday and entered with my 70 Firebird. The event was held at Dade-Collier airport. Organization was poor. Timing was by an officer with a radar gun. Tech and safety inspection was almost non existant. There were no classes or safety requirements for any speed. The track is perfect, A 2 mile smooth concrete airport runway still maintained although the runway is not used much. I did not see a single airplane howerever there was a helicopter and pilot which made me feel better that if there was an injury the person could be transported.
The quality of cars there was very high with almost all cars being newer vehicles with turbos, superchargers or nitrous. The staging lanes looked more like a car show than a race area because all of the vehicles were so nice looking.
My car was by far the oldest car there and the only one with a carb. One of only a handfull of cars that had any kind of rollover protection and one of only a couple with fire supression. There were a couple people with driving suits. Most of the cars were running in the 150-190 range according to the radar gun and peoples GPS and datalogging equipment. Several cars were running 190-220.
here's a link to a thread with pictures and videos from the event http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6103461
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff292/NOTATA/LSR%20Everglades%20oct%2009/milemarker-1008.jpg)
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Sounds like a location with great potential that could easily be ruined by poor organisation and an untoward mishap.
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This sounds like a street race with a timing gun. Just a matter of time before this goes bad.Without safety equipment these are 130 club cars going 190.
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I e-mailed back and forth with the person organizing the event several times months before the event, stressing the importance of safety equipment. Those warnings were ignored and if you had long pants and a helmet you could run anything you wanted. Good luck does not last forever and eventually a horrific accident will happen.
Luckily there were no crashes and the only damages I'm aware of were a splitter/spoiler broke and scraped the ground like a snowplow on a Ford GT at about 200 MPH and a Corvette lost a hood just under 190.
The person who ran this event is holding another one in January and there is also another group that has rented the airport and will be running a similar event.
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They don't care...it's just about the MONEY!!!
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with some organization and safety this could turn in to something good. hopefully before an accident
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They don't care...it's just about the MONEY!!!
There is absolutely no question about that. They tried to charge me $30.00 just to park my trailer! Spectators were all charged and there were at least a couple hundred spectators. Early sign up was 100.00, regular 150.00 and at the gate the morning of the event 195.00. They were originally supposed to only allow 90 sign ups, then it went to 101 then 113 then 140 and there were at least 150 by the time they ran. A lot of the racers were so hot and angry by the time they got their first run they only made one pass and left. Iwas told temps in staging and starting areas were up to 110 degrees.
Here's a video that shows a lot of the cars taken as cars were returning from the drive through course inspection. Some of the cars are not racers but just happened to be driving up to staging at the same time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BY0Fd_0knk&feature=player_embedded# I'm sure there will be a lot of videos posted on you tube this week ater people finishing editing etc.
Joe, I really like those Kirkey # 63 seats I got through you. Quite a project and a lot of modifying to get them in the car but they're working out awesome. I've been to several Road Racing events with them at Palm Beach International and Sebring so I've had plenty of seat time to get used to them.
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Gee, if they start the next car when the last car is half way down they could run twice as many!
When the accident happens, and it was blind luck it wasn't this event, at 200 it has a large chance of being a fatal accident with no safety gear.
Take the money and run.
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Gee, if they start the next car when the last car is half way down they could run twice as many!
When the accident happens, and it was blind luck it wasn't this event, at 200 it has a large chance of being a fatal accident with no safety gear.
Take the money and run.
You can run 4-5 times as many if you run them all at the same time! Check out this video from another event held there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NAvWbv5-Vs&NR=1
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Well guys would you rather have them running top speed on the street :| at least this way it will only probably kill one guy instead of several... unless he tumbles over the guy with the radar gun!
These were street cars not race cars
Let's get back to personal responsibility... I don't rely on the rules and the promoter to save my bacon, except to have emergency medical care on site..... we are getting to the point that if something happens, we need a rule to cure it... racing is not safe... it is a dangerous sport... everyone participating is responsible to do everything they can to live through it.
At the rate we are going, we will all be racing in "airbag suits" oh wait... until the first one burns the wearer... then we will require "air bag cool air suits" :roll:
They race side by side on narrower tracks in NHRA... at 300 mph.... get a grip guys....
Hopefully the promoter had enough liability insurance to cover the law suits that everyone seems to think we need because "someone else is responsible for my stupidity"
If you don't feel safe at an event... don't race at it
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Anyone else see " Everglades" in the title and have a vision of Ratliff on an air boat?? :cheers:
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I was there on Sunday watching. Love your car, NOT A TA I think you had the most runs of everybody.
This place has a ton of potential and I hope in improves were it really needs it.
The radar gun needs to go!
It was balls hot that day and it added to peoples attitudes for sure.
If I get my stuff together, I'll race there in January.
Bill
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They could get a lot of runs in by running in both directions at the same time ... Just keep to the right like the freeway.
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I was there on Sunday watching. Love your car, NOT A TA I think you had the most runs of everybody.
This place has a ton of potential and I hope in improves were it really needs it.
The radar gun needs to go!
It was balls hot that day and it added to peoples attitudes for sure.
If I get my stuff together, I'll race there in January.
Bill
Thank you! I got 8 runs according to their records. And yes the potential is there, January should be a perfect time to race here.
Video from tech inspection area http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_p0vwhaGJw
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I was thinking about going down if I could find something to run down there. My thinking was that the more of us that show up, the better chance we have to influence changes for safety. Then i went and checked out the videos and noted the vehicles and spectators lining the track at the edge of the runway. I am not sure I want to witness what that might lead to and I am sure I don't want to fight the battle to stop that practice. I agree with some of the earlier post about being responsible for our safety but having spectators out there on bikes and standing along the edge is asking for trouble.
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"Then i went and checked out the videos and noted the vehicles and spectators lining the track at the edge of the runway."
Reminds me of those old B movies from the 50s,
See crazed drag racing pot smoking rock and rolling teens,
See them in their souped up jalopies,
See them challenging each other to chicken races on public streets in defiance of the law.
We've sure came a long way. It's still glorified street racing,just like 60 years ago.Obviously it's not a necessity, either legally or just responsibly , to run these events similar to what most of us in LSR are used to, would probably cut down on their gate, better known as profit.
When, not if, the stuff hits the fan, all of straight line speed contests will suffer.
Bob W
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The only place I saw people standing near the track was at the starting line area for about the first 20 feet where there were spectators and at the mile mark where the police were using the radar gun. There were no cars lined up along the course but there was a couple cars at the mile mark parked off to the side. There is a race this coming Sat. Nov 7 run by another group called Top Gun Run LLC. Their website is topgunrun.com
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I found several videos from the event. One had several spectators with a car, or two, and dirt bike at the edge of the track at what had to be well past half-way based on the speed and background. The other was from the other side of the track and had what looked like a teenager straddling a bicycle at that edge of the track. Again the speed and background seem to indicate it was at least half-way down. It will be interesting to see how things progress down there. I am hoping they move in a safer direction. You mentioned a helicopter which sounds good based on how remote the track is but did they also have a EMS crew/ambulance on site?
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Anybody have the scoop for Jan 2010? Timing lights?
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Man this sound like a great venue? Florida in January! Oooooh Yeeeeah!
What can we do about helping these guys with their safety program?
Can the ECTA also rent the facility and put on their own race or do they guys have an exclusive?
It would be great to have a winter event but if there is a tragedy down there, it would give LSR a black eye and Drive Joe Timney's insurance through the roof.
Rob
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Last email I got from the Mile Marker 1 group said they would have timing equipment in January.
I'm not sure, but it seems like anyone can rent the facility. There is an "Exotics" event being run Sat. Nov 14 (this weekend) by another group called "Top Gun Run LLC" topgunrun.com . There was safety workers there at the event I entered run by the Mile Marker 1 group. They appeared to be the regular airport personel with a Dade-Collier Airport truck.
The gentleman from the Mile Marker 1 group wasn't very interested in increasing safety with regulations that would prevent people from signing up however he could probably be persuaded to keep people away from the sides of the track and the finish line area once they have real timing equipment and some planning to block off the side access roads to the runway.
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If I can get my heap together I'll be there Jan 3rd, I hear it's a great facility. Hopefully it will cure the off-season itch.
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It is a great track. Very wide, smooth and clean. Bring your own shade of some sort, sunscreen, and plenty of water because even in January you'll most likely need it. There was nowhere near enough shade anywhere for the number of people there when I went. The few tarps and awnings that were up were crowded because there's no other shade there other than in/under a vehicle or standing right next to a trailer.
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Dean, has Sal rangled you into 9/10ths yet! LOL
Hope you get the bike ready and make it. I hear Entropy has a car load of familia he is transporting.
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I thought I read about another group running an event there last weekend. has anyone heard anything about how that went?
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Timing on Oct 11th was by 2 radar guns Milemarker-1 brought to the event. Yes the cops used theirs as well as they wanted to compare.
We had hiccups for our first event obviously, but we are learned. We purchased (not lease) TAG equipment for future events including the Jan 3rd 2010 event we just had.
We are car enthusiasts who want to put on events for fellow car enthusiasts. We will review our safety rules, but I don't recall any rust buckets at either event...Oct 11th & Jan 3rd. One passenger car on the track that is approximately 130 feet wide isn't as dangerous as two cars with full roll cages racing side by side....however we can appreciate your concern and are willing to hear some suggestions to make things safer.
NOT A TA...I think you had some fun even though it was super hot that day. You got in 9 runs. :cheers:
I went to the Milemarker-1 race Sunday and entered with my 70 Firebird. The event was held at Dade-Collier airport. Organization was poor. Timing was by an officer with a radar gun. Tech and safety inspection was almost non existant. There were no classes or safety requirements for any speed. The track is perfect, A 2 mile smooth concrete airport runway still maintained although the runway is not used much. I did not see a single airplane howerever there was a helicopter and pilot which made me feel better that if there was an injury the person could be transported.
The quality of cars there was very high with almost all cars being newer vehicles with turbos, superchargers or nitrous. The staging lanes looked more like a car show than a race area because all of the vehicles were so nice looking.
My car was by far the oldest car there and the only one with a carb. One of only a handfull of cars that had any kind of rollover protection and one of only a couple with fire supression. There were a couple people with driving suits. Most of the cars were running in the 150-190 range according to the radar gun and peoples GPS and datalogging equipment. Several cars were running 190-220.
here's a link to a thread with pictures and videos from the event http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6103461
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff292/NOTATA/LSR%20Everglades%20oct%2009/milemarker-1008.jpg)
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They don't care...it's just about the MONEY!!!
There is absolutely no question about that. They tried to charge me $30.00 just to park my trailer! Spectators were all charged and there were at least a couple hundred spectators. Early sign up was 100.00, regular 150.00 and at the gate the morning of the event 195.00. They were originally supposed to only allow 90 sign ups, then it went to 101 then 113 then 140 and there were at least 150 by the time they ran. A lot of the racers were so hot and angry by the time they got their first run they only made one pass and left. I was told temps in staging and starting areas were up to 110 degrees.
I'm sorry you feel this way. I can see how it would look in regards to paying for a trailer and personally didn't like that call...but I am not the sole decision maker. We hope to be around for quite sometime, so it being just about the money is NOT our motto or a motto we want participants thinking. I will see about getting that cost removed. 8-)
As far as the entries it will not grow as it did in the past. Some folks in our camp was excited about some of the late comers like Eddie B coming on so it ended up growing to 140. The extra 10 was for workers who didn't run until after most of the participants left. Run groups would have helped that day, but others who visit other events in other states strongly suggested against it. Jan 3rd had a lot less participants and I loved the fact most participants had a lot of runs. I'm all about the happy customer. I think we now know what the cap should be for future events.
I can admit to where we had shortcomings, but I can also say we love the sport and the camaraderie. And I hope over time you and others can see that. :-)
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Rogan,
I just got back to Houston after participating in yr Jan 3 event.
Thanks a million for hosting a very good racing day, your track is the best I have seen (Texas, Maxton, Loring).
I will come again.
One suggestion.
have that cop in the blue crown vic put the kibosh on those Fast & Furious nimrods who were showing off on pit row.
Karl
(green ZX12)
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hey Karl ,
I see they allow passengers... want to do a ride along in the camaro ? I will even put belts in the car for ya :-)
Roy
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Karl, how fast did you go??
Fred
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This is going to be a real PIA for the drug smugglers, that was their favorite landing & dropoff spot. Looks like a bunch of rich kids racing over their head right now. Just a matter of time until something bad happens. Im originally from there , gone 30 years, and I doubt the 110 degrees this time of year, maybe 90 with probably 100% humidity, plus an s*#t load of mosquitoes too. If they think its hot now, go back there in July
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This is going to be a real PIA for the drug smugglers, that was their favorite landing & dropoff spot. Looks like a bunch of rich kids racing over their head right now. Just a matter of time until something bad happens. Im originally from there , gone 30 years, and I doubt the 110 degrees this time of year, maybe 90 with probably 100% humidity, plus an s*#t load of mosquitoes too. If they think its hot now, go back there in July
??Are you on drugs or just drunk??
Bill
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hey Karl ,
I see they allow passengers... want to do a ride along in the camaro ? I will even put belts in the car for ya :-)
Roy
Roy,
You bet I want a ride in yr Camaro; belts (and a seat) would be a plus.
Fred,
clocks showed 199 (GPS/calc gave 204) on my shakedown pass. Speed dropped on #2, dropped again on #3 so I parked it. Gonna do a leakdown tonight.
Karl