One quick rant about SW.

[RichFox]

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.

[Bob Drury]

  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

[Stan Back]

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

[landsendlynda]

  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!!   

Lynda

[mkilger]

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.

[thundersalt]

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.

[Bob Drury]

  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  

[landsendlynda]

Okay, so, now that I had a chance to do my rant....      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!!   

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!!!!!               

Lynda

[RichFox]

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.

[RichFox]

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.

[Bob Drury]

  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? 

[woz]

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  

[RichFox]

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.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

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?)

[RichFox]

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.