CHANGES ARE A-COMIN’
The more things stay the same, the more they change. Huh? Isn’t that
supposed to be the other way around? No matter, we’ll explain. When the
2007 NHRA POWERade Series season begins in February, many, but not all,
of the venues in which the circus appears will feature significant
changes for the better. Some of those changes will be visible to fans
and competitors alike, while other, more subtle alterations will be
evident through quicker elapsed times and faster speeds, largely
achieved through changes to the racing surfaces themselves.The 2006 season ended with a tension-filled Finals that featured considerable controversy, record-setting elapsed times and a packed house to see it all. With the coming season’s major alteration in the points system it’s likely that all four pro category championships won’t be decided until the later rounds of the ’07 Finals, but whether or not the event itself can match the 2006 version remains to be seen. One thing that does appear to be on tap is a season loaded with better racing, and that’s going to be the result of several factors, not the least of which will be some of the facility improvements we’ll outline here.
Many Of NHRA’s POWERade Series Tracks Are Getting Major Facelifts For 2007
The more things stay the same, the more they change. Huh? Isn’t that supposed to be the other way around? No matter, we’ll explain. When the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series season begins in February, many, but not all, of the venues in which the circus appears will feature significant changes for the better. Some of those changes will be visible to fans and competitors alike, while other, more subtle alterations will be evident through quicker elapsed times and faster speeds, largely achieved through changes to the racing surfaces themselves.
The 2006 season ended with a tension-filled Finals that featured considerable controversy, record-setting elapsed times and a packed house to see it all. With the coming season’s major alteration in the points system it’s likely that all four pro category championships won’t be decided until the later rounds of the ’07 Finals, but whether or not the event itself can match the 2006 version remains to be seen. One thing that does appear to be on tap is a season loaded with better racing, and that’s going to be the result of several factors, not the least of which will be some of the facility improvements we’ll outline here.
When the teams hit the trail in February the other major factor in producing a more exciting season will be those race teams. Those in the know estimate there will be more than 20 Funny Cars capable of ripping off 4.70s on every run, and in Top Fuel the same scenario is likely to take place. That there will be more full time, ultra-professional operations crowding the pits is already obvious from the number of new team configurations we already know about and have previously reported on.
In the gas-burning classes the situation is also going to change. In Pro Stock, facing a field of as many as 24 cars capable of low 6.7, high 6.6 second elapsed times is probably going to prove daunting enough to discourage many newcomers from dipping a competitive toe into the waters. Again without going into specifics, teams that barely came together in ’06 are going to have had several months to jell, and that’s going to mean that every qualifying session is likely to be more critical than ever before, and that same scenario holds true in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
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A fair question might be then, why make an investment in new track
paving if the cars are already flying? The answer is simple: The track
owners and the NHRA realize that to stand still is to invite stagnation
in performances, and no form of racing grows when there’s no change in
the numbers. With that said it would be extremely naïve to believe or
even suggest that we’re going to see a 4.2 second E.T. in the coming
year, but a 4.3? Who knows, under the right circumstances it could
happen, and maybe, just maybe, the idea that it could happen will bring
more people out to the track – and they aren’t coming if the track
isn’t up to snuff. And that means not only the racing surface, but
spectator amenities as well.
Drag racing performances continue to improve in small incremental ways,
and that keeps interest high. The new points system could also help,
although topping this year’s outcome seems pretty remote, but let’s not
forget that anything we say on that subject is pure speculation at this
juncture. Heck, the Winternationals is still more than two months away,
so who knows what might happen.
We have heard some fans decry things like VIP suites, particularly when
they feel themselves “slighted” by being “forced” to sit in the
grandstands, but the argument just doesn’t hold water. To bemoan those
suites is to completely ignore the big picture (and we’re not sitting
in those VIP suites either!). If entertaining a corporate mogul in a
plush new suite results in a new program or team sponsor, the fan who
bitched is failing to realize that just being schmoozed may have been
the deciding factor in her signing on the dotted line. Further, the new
Top Fuel team that resulted from that schmoozing will make qualifying
and racing all the better – for everyone.
One thing we all tend to forget is just how expensive a motorsports
facility is in today’s dollars. There isn’t a modern track on the
circuit that hasn’t sucked up an eight-figure investment on someone’s
part, and it’s not as if the investor is going to make back his money
in the first few years. It could be two decades or more before the
bottom line turns black, and by that time his once-pristine facility is
going to be facing myriad problems. Not only are his grandstands going
to be ready for the scrap heap, but the once distant edge of the city
he calls home is now going to be right up against his property line,
and with that influx of new suburbia comes complaints about noise,
traffic and trash. Why anyone is willing to face these problems – and
we haven’t even mentioned things like rainouts, a changing economy or
an onslaught of frogs and serpents from above – completely escapes us,
but thank goodness some are willing to write those big checks.
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And here’s where some of those investments are being made:
The two NHRA POWERade Series events at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona are another example. An enthusiastic group of motorsports writers representing the Los Angeles Basin’s largest newspapers, plus additional exceptional exposure coming out of San Diego and Orange County have helped increase attendance at the two races, so it’s small wonder that a number of improvements are slated for the facility.
The first of these, and the most obvious, will be the eight new VIP suites being completed atop the east side spectator stands, and while they won’t directly impact most of the attendees, they certainly have the potential of doing so in the long run. Los Angeles is jam-packed with corporate headquarters, advertising agencies and related corporate entities. If those suites end up being the focus point for some serious schmoozing, and additional sponsorship results, drag racing will have “won” through their VIP efforts.
This NHRA-owned facility will undergo major alterations during the coming years, but for right now the visible changes will include eight new VIP suites atop the south side spectator grandstands and a new 15,000 square foot, permanent Top Eliminator Club facility.
Although they’re still deciding about future changes, among them will undoubtedly be either a completely new tower, or a highly renovated version of the current structure. This will mean a vastly expanded media center, which is desperately needed, a new track office and a general “movement” of other track facilities, possibly including the nationally renowned Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
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Members of the Top Eliminator Club will also be happy, as, just like in Gainesville, a permanent new structure is being built to make their POWERade experience that much better.
It seems that no matter how much planning is involved, or how carefully the construction is completed, when you dig a tunnel under a track there’s going to be some settling that ultimately affects the ground above. Such is the case with The Strip, where a slight dip above the crossover tunnel is going to be repaired by removing approximately 90-feet of racing surface and then installing new underground supports and concrete. That should do it.
Despite the track’s relatively high altitude (2,100 feet above sea level, actual), the facility has a deserved reputation for being remarkably fast. That reputation is going to be enhanced by the addition of a new concrete launching pad that’s going to extend from the water box to the 120-foot mark of the track. In all The Strip’s concrete stretches 762-feet from the starting line.
Few will notice it, but the paved pits, which are the most expansive on the tour, will be re-sealed over the winter, and at the top end of the track an additional gate and turn-off road will be added for quicker emergency vehicle access in the event of a fire or crash. This new access gate, which will be fairly close to the finish line, will also speed up the action, because as things now stand, when a car loses power and can’t make it up the hill it takes a few minutes to get a four-wheeler down there to tow the dead car off the track.
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Bristol’s other changes include upgrades to the Medallion Campground, which is located atop the hill on the right of the pro pits, and improved concession stand capability. That should mean better food, and shorter waiting periods to get it. There’s also going to be a new bridge from the parking lot to the track entrance, which will make access considerably easier for the fans.
Another NHRA-owned facility, Atlanta Dragway used to be a hard sell to the surrounding communities because of its location in Commerce, which is about 40 miles from downtown Atlanta. Better promotional efforts in the last couple of years have steadily increased spectator turnouts, with the changes slated being designed to making that “commute” even more worth the effort.
After last year’s timing system debacle new wiring is being installed for the entire system, and will include numerous “invisible” improvements that will help restore the track’s once exceptional reputation for “honest” times. We’re not suggesting that anything untoward happened in ’06, but there were certainly some very controversial elapsed times and decisions in both qualifying and eliminations. The concentration on this portion of the facility will pay the sport long-term dividends because the racing will once again speak for itself without anyone having reason to question the results.
Both the hospitality and pit areas will see increased paving to make the whole Atlanta Dragway experience better for both fans and racers, as will an upgrade in the spectator bathrooms. Those improvements are, in some respects, another indicator of how the sport is growing up. In the sport’s early days a pit toilet and temporary concession stands were acceptable because everyone simply wanted a place to race. In the modern era the sport’s leaders have recognized that spectator amenities are absolutely crucial in building a bigger fan base.
The racers will also appreciate that Atlanta’s top end is getting better lighting so that they’ll no longer feel that they’re racing into a darkened tunnel. Better lighting means a safer track, and that’s definitely what every competitor wants.
In the near future Atlanta’s suite tower will undergo a refurbishment, but probably not in time for next year’s race.
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The home of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals is widely recognized as one of the finest tracks in the nation, thanks in no small measure to the dynamic leadership of John Bandimere. Some might call it nepotism, but Bandimere’s successes can be at least partially explained by his having appointed family members to important positions at the track, and without question, they deliver.
This is a fan-friendly facility with an exceptional reputation with the area’s media, and that’s regularly translated to SRO crowds and great racing. No matter that the track’s actual altitude is a lung-constricting (for flatlanders) 5,800 feet, the track’s innovative Top Eliminator Club seating is arguably the best in drag racing.
When the tour hits Denver in July everyone will find completely repaved pits, hospitality areas and new staging lanes, while the very recent purchase of 130 additional MUSCO lights have helped make the track one of the better illuminated on the circuit. On the track the purchase of a new scrubber that puts down cleaning chemicals in the event of an oildown will quicken the cleanup time between runs, which is always a positive for the fans.
Not that the fans will care, but the track is building a permanent credential pickup building and is also adding wireless Internet capability to the media center. And, not that that the racers will care, but the track is also adding a new teardown “barn” for those dreaded, extensive tech inspections that no competitor likes facing.
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A reconfiguration of the facility means that the drag strip will no longer be a part of the road course, which is a good thing. The track itself is going to be completely repaved, and that includes an all-new 660-foot long concrete launching pad.
There will also be new spectator tunnels running under the track to make access to “the other side” considerably easier – as long as there’s no long term settling that produces a dip in the racing surface. Assuming that the Speedway Motorsports team learned their lessons at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this shouldn’t become a problem.
This year is “Bathroom Year” in Tennessee! All of the washroom facilities in both the suites and spectator areas are being rebuilt, and as we said earlier, while this news might not be enough to get you jumping for joy, when ya gotta go, there’s nothing like a sparkling clean, odor-free facility in which to do it! Just remember one of your encounters with a Porta-John late on a Sunday afternoon of a national event when the temperature’s nearing triple digits, and we’re pretty sure you’ll agree!
This is yet another track having a “Bathroom Year,” but before you start pointing out all of the real and perceived flaws at the home of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, take one step back and a deep breath. The NHRA very obviously recognizes the importance of this facility, and has extensive, long-term plans for major rebuilds in numerous areas. Everyone finds it easy to suggest that NHRA has unlimited funds with which to tackle these projects, but the reality is somewhat different. With work already underway or nearing completion at Gainesville and Atlanta, there are only so many dollars to go around, so ORP is gong to have to wait.
In the very near future ORP’s facelift is likely to include either a completely new tower, or a major renovation of the existing edifice known as Parks Tower. If there’s a renovation it’s likely that the entire second floor of the building will be given over to media operations, which will be a very positive move, as right now the year’s biggest race includes one of the smaller media centers. While this is another move that doesn’t directly impact the fans, it will be good for the sport because bigger and better media centers means more exposure, which ultimately means more sponsorships, etc.
There’s also likely to be extensive paving in the pro and sportsman pits, and a complete rebuild of some of the track’s rapidly aging “secondary” buildings (including the teardown barn), but all of that’s in the future, not for this year.
As we said at the top, some of the track improvements listed for 2007 will have little impact on actual competition, but will still help make the races “better” for those involved, be they in the pits, or in the spectator stands. It’s comforting to know that drag racing’s leadership, from the sanctioning organization to the track owners themselves, realize that by constantly improving their facilities they help keep the sport moving forward. We aren’t going to see three-second elapsed times from Top Fuel during ’07, nor are we going to see 6.4-second time slips in Pro Stock. But we’re undoubtedly going to see better racing than ever before, regardless of the numbers.
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