Licensing

[gregc]

Just a heads up for those looking to get their NHRA license this year. It is getting close to that time and a medical certification is required. A link to the form can be found here. (http://www.nhra.com/contacts/forms/physical01.pdf) You also need to be an NHRA member.

I just got mine filled out.

[Racemyjetta85]

Are you doing that to say your NHRA or are you going to some NHRA events to race? Just curious

[BlackMagic]

Are you doing that to say your NHRA or are you going to some NHRA events to race? Just curious


Im sure he just wants to tell people hes a member of NHRA...for the cool factor :)

[BOOGEYMAN]

Are you doing that to say your NHRA or are you going to some NHRA events to race? Just curious


Greg is doing it so he can hit some NHRA events this season, and turn it up at boise in october!!

Funny how srp is making everyone have cages/chutes over 150/fire jackets and pants/etc.......but a 16 year old with minimal experience can drive a 7 second car down the track still. If they are really going to go through with making everyone abide by NHRA rules then they should make all drivers past 9.90 get a licence and a physical just like NHRA does. You have to get a lincence in the car you are going to be racing.

Travis.

[Throttletag]

If SRP actually enforces rules like the fire suit and chutes, at least it's a step in the right direction. I totally agree with Travis here. I don't mind a 16 Year old running a fast car, as long as he or she goes threw all the procedures (passing the physical, making the test runs, etc...) and can prove that they can handle the vehicle in question, as per NHRA rules. Get some consistency in the tech line looking for credentials and that will be another step forward...

[BlackMagic]

Im hoping that I can make it for license testing as well. Ill be getting the physical out of the way this week, but I still need to get the car running.

[The Hog]

Greg is just doing it for the "NHRA Member" sticker..... admit it. :-)

[Throttletag]

Reid... Don't know if you knew this or not but once you have your physical, you got a full year (from that date) to complete your runs for the licence. So if you're not able to get the car done for the first of the year, you got all summer. Point being, you don't have to rush getting it together. Although, I'm sure you're ready to rip it up...

[twotons]

when and where are you planing on doing your passes greg, i am game for trying to line some thing up for a few guys so we can get all in check for the season, I am trying to have the truck ready by late march. call me some time or stop in at the shop.

[gregc]

Will do Brian.

[BOOGEYMAN]

We will all just have to rent Gregs car for our passes that day......:)

[gregc]

I might be heading over to Seattle this weekend or next to do licensing. They have test-n-tune on Sundays right now and it looks like these will be my only free weekends for a while.

[twotons]

if you go next weekend, let me know i might be game for a roadtrip, and i could possibly have the physical done if enough notice. i would help with gas and rent your car for a few passes, if at all possible.

[gregc]

Will do. You don't happen to have a helmet do you? New one isn't showing up until next week. If I go this Sunday, I'll need one.

It all depends on the weather. Since it is always a crap shoot for Seattle, if it is nice saturday night/sunday morning, we'll head over.

I plan on leaving early Sunday (6 ish) and getting back Sunday (6 ish). Should be do-able.

[twotons]

i do have a helmet , so if you need it for this weekend let me know.

[gregc]

Schweet! Maybe you and the family can come over and we can get the kids together.

Pacific's website shows weather conditions to not be rainy on Sunday. Hope it holds out.

Brian, you should see if you can't get a quick physical today and head over.

Also, check out Pacific's planned $135 million rennovation plans! It'll be a damn nice facility!

[gregc]

Went over to Seattle yesterday... stupid rain! @##$%

The drag strip is under new management. Very nice and helpful.

The facility is already started the rennovation. Lots of dirt being moved around elsewhere on the property.

Weather pending, we'll try again this Sunday.

[Throttletag]

So did you get any of your passes in or did it rain all day to where you didn't get off the trailer?

[gregc]

Stayed on the trailer. There was a down pour just before we got there. We went through it on the pass. It was just to overcast for it to dry up. Too bad too. The DA was 250 feet.

[gregc]

Pulled over again yesterday. The weather turned out pretty nice. Everything else was a cluster fuck though. I will NOT go to Pacific Raceways again.

How it was suppose to go:
Gates open at 8. Test n tune 9-5. They had JR dragsters and diesels there for points events. We were told (on the phone) that we could get this done no problem since it was test-n-tune.

How it went:
We roll in about 10:30-11:00, ground bone dry, and no racing going on yet. People are there, they just weren't running anybody.
We get unloaded and hear the call to the lanes. Perfect timing.
Get to the lanes and run up to the tower for tech/licencsing paperwork.
Go back to my car in the lanes and get my car teched. Tech guy is nice, but doesn't know much. "I think it is suppose to be like this, buy I don't really know." He checked my passenger belts and told me they were out of date. I told him, yeah, I don't drive in that seat. I won't go over how the cockpit orientation went. Ask me in person if you care to hear.

Around 12 they start running JR dragsters. Then they run diesels. Then they run street cars (me). They tell me I have to go to the slicks lane since I'm licensing. So back of the line I go. Then they start running the slicks cars. One of the first cars kisses both walls (I heard). Not bad, just close or a barely touch. Crew goes and cleans up and investigates. Two hours later, they have a "drivers meeting" and it is decided to switch to 1/8th mile only due to the track weeping on the top end. No big deal I thought. So they now run JR dragsters again. And diesels. Then they spray some VHT and start running the slicks cars again. Whoohoo, it is almost 3 and I'm about to make my first pass! NOPE! They pull me aside so I can go last. Haven't figured out why yet. Anyways, after all the cars have gone (and used up all the VHT), they finally let me go. I proceed to annhilate the tires. I peddle it and do a ~200' run (since I'm licensing). The track manager flips out and tells my crew guy that we can't be doing that. Apparently peddling it isn't allowed in Seattle. He also wanted to inspect my cut off switch because... well, probably because he has never seen anything creative done with one before.

So, that was the first pass... I needed to make 6.

We go and put the slicks on and pull back around.

Next... We pull around and wait again for the JR dragsters and diesels (why was it they couldn't have started at 9??). My turn comes up at about 3:45 (after I was pulled off to the side again and made to wait till the end of the line). Drag manager checks my cut off switch. General manager is there to watch the show I put on too. I take the right lane this time and proceeded to pull the front end up pretty nice while chattering the tires (spinning the tires). The marks it left on the ground was pretty incredible looking. Both managers were left with their mouths hanging open (so I hear). I go back to the pits and we put some air back in the slicks and pull back down.

Once again, I get up there and am pulled out of line until the end. We ask the drag manager what kind of pass he wanted it to be. He said to do a full pass. So about 4:30 I do and it goes well. Ran a 6.22 @ 110mph. I pull back around to the staging lanes since it went well.

Once I get up there, the drag manager sends me back saying were done and he'll sign off on us. I'm thinking "huh, he can license me with only 3 passes?" So I didn't say anything. We get the car loaded up and head to the tower. We get the paperwork and go find the manager. He signs off on three and says thanks. We ask what to do now and he points us to some licensed racers that were still there that were going to sign off on me and tells me I just need 3 more runs now.

WTF?!?@!#!@#$!@$ I call ahead of time asking if they can handle doing a license in one test-n-tune day. They say no prob. They knew I hauled over 300 miles two weekends in a row to get this done. They then jack me around making me wait till the end of each line. Then when I could have made a 4th pass, they tell me no (there were no other cars up in the box ready to go by the way).

So, I am now out ~$300 in fuel, 12 hours of time for the rain out last Sunday and 17 hours for yesterday. I am going to have to pull the car to another track to finish my licensing (which another track would have been able to do it in one day). So, $300 and 29 hours of time completely wasted.

SRP, while some may not like it, is ran much better, more timely, more curtiously, with more traction and overall more fun than my first experience with Pacific Raceways.

[BOOGEYMAN]

Sorry to hear it went so bad....you really should try a real race day at pacific. Every div. 6 race I go to each year there is ran so well and organized I cant believe that your day went like it did, that sucks.

We will be at Boise in may for the first divisional wich is also the Ignitor and if you still dont have it done by then my buddy brian and his dad will sign off on your sheet no problem.

Travis.

[gregc]

Yeah. I've heard that Pacific is good for NHRA sponsored events (Divisionals and Nationals) but beyond that... it isn't that great.

[GetawayInMoscow]

My first time at Pacific Raceways was a huge cluster fuck of unorganization and shittiness. Got to the track at 8am and left at 5pm with 2 runs and a lot of waiting.