Run N Gun Survey and Questions: Please Take a Minute

[Jerry Clayton]

Gateway has great hotels, resturants, gambling, girls---

If you want to move, please realize that probably 95 % of your cars won't pass tech at another track

Drag racing---concrete on both sides of the track is far safer that burnouts thru a crowd, on the street with opposing traffic, side streets , etc---and a drag strip has much needed stopping distance without the necessity of making a panic style stop

[Doug I]

There's a track in Alabama ..........

[RICK LAKE]

1985CCX We had 3 years of the Northeastern challenge there. Unless the old guy that lives acroos the street from the track is DEAD, 98% of the cobras can't pass the noise rules. That guy sits outside with a noise meter and calls the cops and the track when we ran. I know hotels have been added to the area. There where only a coulpe for this event and they RAPED us for staying there. I would hope times have changed.
Now for the roadcourse racing, the transition from the round track to the road course was brutal for the cars. You are 2 ft from hitting a wall where they send you up the hill. Mine bottomed out on my bellhousing shield. Don C. cracked his oil pan on a cruise lap, car bottomed out. The car bottoms out in the 180 hole around the rock on the hill. You would need to add 100 pound plus spring rates to survive that area alone. Coming off the hill was the same thing. My car was setup for street suspension and running 15" tires. I was also one of the slowest there. after the car bottomed out. I did pass the noise level readings because I cruised around the track. I would have failed if I was pushing it. Other ERA cars failed the noise test.
The safety checks where not bad. The safety people running the event where top notch. This was back in 1999-2001. I would hope there have been some improvements made. The people in the area where great, food too. Unless there is new new roadcourse away from the track on level ground with a better transition area, I would not return to NH. Gateway has a transition from the round track to the road course that doesn't upset the cars going into the turn. I have friends of 40+ years living 15 minutes up the road. Have visit them a couple of times, gone to see club races on bikes, but will not bring the car up to this track again. Sorry Rick L.

[Clois Harlan]

Jerry Clayton is sooooooooo rigtht. My first trip away from Gateway was at No Problem Raceway in Baton Rouge, LA and they wouldn't let me do a burnout on their track because I didn't meet safety.

Gateway IS very good to us but there is an opportunity for a spring/summer event that could be held under the same format and marketed as Run n Gun EAST or Run n Gun West etc.

The pits, the garages, the 24 hour access, safety, security, and the ability to have a bit of socializing in the garages after the track goes cold is priceless. May not be able to find all that somewhere else but I would think a road course could also host some sort of Auto Cross too?

Clois

[WildBill3]

Heartland park has all the things were looking for facility wise but the location isnt that much different on a national scale so unless we LoST Gateway I Wouldnt move.I like the Gateway track and they run the event well.I think the 1/8 mile is a good suggestion if were that worried about speeds on the 1/4 mile.But fixing saftey goes way beyond a shorter track.The old hoop over the head on the open cars isnt enough in a rollover involving other obsticles IMO,that may be the reason tracks are so concerned about the oldstyle roadsters coming to ther facility,I have been upside down as a passenger in an MGB(end to end Flip) and only by his Grace am I here to talk about it.The Challenge cars have the protection that may be a reqiurment in the future if we ever get someone hurt bad.Thats why I agree with Rick Saftey is #1 ..Gateway still has my vote.. Cya soon I hope Bill.

[Cashburn]

I'd love to get involved in a Spring RnG East type event. The facility at New Jersey Motorsports Park is evolving to a really nice facility. They have 2 road courses that could be used for the event and in the future a Tri-Oval will be added.

The Shelby event pulled out of there and I feel last year they rushed the opening and the grass was not in etc. But it's a nice new facility that can pull from the Capital Area and the Mid-Atlantic regions easily. Being a newer facility they are eager to establish new events that will return again and again.

Check them out: http://www.njmotorsportspark.com/

[Clois Harlan]

Jay,

We should talk about this because I think Run n Gun is missing a huge market on the East Coast. Dean and I are meeting this Thursday and Friday to discuss some final details of this years RNG and I will get back to you. Planning etc. would probably take more than a year to get everything in place.

Clois

[Doug I]

Did Jay just volunteer?