Temple Academy Dragway

[Ed Hubbard]

In order from the other night:

[dameeks]

Greg,
I take no offense to your response. In fact, i fully expected it. You have a business to run, and you have to do what it takes to make it successful. Just understand who reads the posts in this forum. It's mostly guys in the south/central Texas region that own Cobras. Not guys that run 8 second quarter miles.

My post was aimed at the people that post to this forum, who I believe are mostly like me. We work on our cars; drive them around town a lot; beef up the motors, and talk about going to the drag strip. Few people that I have run into have ever taken their Cobras to the drag strip, let alone call themselves "expert" drivers at the drag strip. If a guy has been racing for 20 years and runs 8 second quarter miles, he's not gonna care what I have to say, because he truly is an expert driver and knows what he can and can't handle.

My vast experience in drag racing amounts to a grand total of 2 times down the strip. One of those was 20 years ago, as an 18 year old kid. The other was Friday night. I don't have any delusions that I'm an expert driver. Just the opposite. I want to go to the track to learn about my car; see what it will do when I really get on it, in a legal and controlled environment. An expert will know exactly how to handle himself when he starts getting sideways at 100 mph, because he's probably done it a bunch of times. That guy will feel confident running on a tight track, because he knows his car and he has a general knowledge of what happens to cars in that situation. I, and probably 99% of the people who will read this post, aren't that good.

I wish you luck, and hope that things improve enough to get the guys like me back out there. I just don't plan on it being anytime soon. If anyone reads this thread that has run some really fast times at the Temple strip, feel free to chime in.

Darren

[Greg Duffield]

Originally posted by dameeks


Greg,
I take no offense to your response. In fact, i fully expected it. You have a business to run, and you have to do what it takes to make it successful. Just understand who reads the posts in this forum. It's mostly guys in the south/central Texas region that own Cobras. Not guys that run 8 second quarter miles.

My post was aimed at the people that post to this forum, who I believe are mostly like me. We work on our cars; drive them around town a lot; beef up the motors, and talk about going to the drag strip. Few people that I have run into have ever taken their Cobras to the drag strip, let alone call themselves "expert" drivers at the drag strip. If a guy has been racing for 20 years and runs 8 second quarter miles, he's not gonna care what I have to say, because he truly is an expert driver and knows what he can and can't handle.

My vast experience in drag racing amounts to a grand total of 2 times down the strip. One of those was 20 years ago, as an 18 year old kid. The other was Friday night. I don't have any delusions that I'm an expert driver. Just the opposite. I want to go to the track to learn about my car; see what it will do when I really get on it, in a legal and controlled environment. An expert will know exactly how to handle himself when he starts getting sideways at 100 mph, because he's probably done it a bunch of times. That guy will feel confident running on a tight track, because he knows his car and he has a general knowledge of what happens to cars in that situation. I, and probably 99% of the people who will read this post, aren't that good.

I wish you luck, and hope that things improve enough to get the guys like me back out there. I just don't plan on it being anytime soon. If anyone reads this thread that has run some really fast times at the Temple strip, feel free to chime in.

Darren

Darren,

I didn't mean for my post to be offensive, but more so to clarify the facts that seemed to get somewhat distorted in your post. The point of my post was not to say that if you are an expert driver you can run 8's at our track; it was more to stress that we did everything humanly possible to provide a great a racing surface. The proof of our success is in the success of not only the really fast cars, but also the 11, 12 and 13 second cars that were running their best numbers ever. It also came from drivers who had raced at tracks like SAR, Kennedale and Denton and said that the numbers they were getting at our track was just as good and in Billy Martone's case, even better.

The part of your post that bothered me most was the point where you stated that the track was "seriously dangerous". I just couldn't find the justification in that statement, when cars making well over 1,200hp were stuck like glue, and we had no other situations aside from your friend in the Vette. I understand fully who reads and posts on this forum, which is why I was quick to retort. We have people everyday that we race come in and run their street cars for the first time down the track. You don't have to be an expert driver to know when to take your foot off the throttle, you just need a little common sense. Anyway, it was great meeting you, and your car is absolutely killer.

[Johnnyquest]

From what I heard a first impression is what many say does it. It does it for a new Cobra and a first time at say a new track i.e. Temple.

For instance I overheard the comment that the lanes were really narrow. Well after comparing say Temple to say San Antonio that statement is true. Previous thread stated the width of Temple was 36 ft and widened to 48 ft. In comparison SAR has a 60 ft. track all the way. Also, I overheard the comment that after making your pass at Temple the shut down area appeared short. Per Temple information the shut down is 1800 ft. versus SAR's 1/2 mile, that again appears true.

Also, I overheard that there were a few people drinking/driving at Temple. If this is true, I think this needs to be addressed above any other safety issue apparent thus far.

This forum is for the members to voice their opinions, express ideas and concerns. I believe everything thus far has been viewed as such. If not read the disclaimer at the bottom!

Randy

[rocket man]

For myself, I have only raced at Temple Academy twice - when it was on the IHRA Divison 4 schedule (in years 2000 and 2001). These races were competed on the 1/8 distance - which allows one adequate time to slow down, without due worry. One item that gains one's attention quickly, is the "true sensation of speed" factor when one drives down your lane at this facility. The overhead trees and closeness/height of the spectator seating gives one "tunnel vision" per se. At most modern dragstips, there are no "close objects" near the racing surface other than the retaining walls, so one has no real sensation of speed - much the same as flying 600 miles an hour at 10,000 ft versus 100 ft off of the deck. Once you become used to this, no big deal. I had a blast racing there, this place has character, not some empty field in the middle of nowhere. Good luck to Greg.
Since I do not post much anymore, please remember I have one very quick Cobra - and I race both NHRA and IHRA National and Division events (and in fact chase the points) - if Temple Academy gets put back on the schedule, I would gladly show up and look forward to racing there again.
Rockey Keyes
S/C 4086, Q/R 4086