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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
No red light to stop! That's a classic!
I thought you were going to say he knew his car was fast and hadn't hit 130 yet, so he figured he hadn't run the full 1/4. -
Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
Hammer Time!
It's Sundays on race weekends at our track. It's always a hoot when we have the chance to go. Like the bitty car with two guys in it that made about 30 laps back-to-back. After about #31, they ended up behind the concession stand with a water hose trying to calm down the puking little car.
Or the night I in 2006 when I went to help with the boards - street was on a Thursday night back then. Timing system was in a funk, no tree, no scoreboards. 36F air temp. I'm down at the top end with three layers and a radio. The 20 people that were there didn't seem to care - they would just roll up to the beams, stage the cars and then take off. Round and round. I walked past one set of guys, the only comment was "tracks not hooking" - ah, no s##t dudes, not at this temp.
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
No red light! That's hilarious! I can only imagine what Joe L's comments were.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
Man, I could write a "Joe file" with some of those stories.
Odds are "the finger" was out and in full use when he was giving that kid "the talk".
HA!
BrianThat which you manifest is before you.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
The ones that don't make mistakes their first trip out are the ones that grew up around the track; Dad, brother, Uncle Bob teaching them and showing them what's what. I had no such help. I hung around the pits, the staging lanes and asked a ton of questions my first day at a track. I still went past the staging tree, twice.
I did it again when I was at Vegas. The tree was much closer to the drivers than I had been used racing at Sacramento Raceway over the years. I was practically looking out the side window at it. :-[BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver
Resident Instigator
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
Ah - remembered this: We had a test session for Jr Dragsters about a month ago. One kid asked his Dad "where to I stop?" Dad says "You'll want to do that after you cross the finish line." He's a good kid, did just what he was told - ran the 1/8 mile, crossed the cones and stopped right there and shut 'er down. We had a good laugh and nobody had a problem with that one.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
the first time i went to bowlingreen, i didn't know where the return road was to go pick up the car. so i just drove right down the track.........with the A/C on...on a hot August day...water was just pouring out, or so they told me.
people were screaming, and waving at me. i thought it was because we made a pretty decent pass, so i was just waving back, thinking to myself, it was a ok run, but i din't think it was that great.Originally posted by TCComment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
One more and I'll shut up. First trip I made to a track was Green Valley Race City. $5 to get in, race all night. I find a nice spot then watch a while. I'm not real sure on things and just wander around. I asked a dude that worked there how they controlled the races. He pointed to the tower and said it's all run from there. Thought about it - and up I went. I don't know protocol, so I tap on the door and go in. The guy near the door says "Can I help you?" I told him the deal, never been here, don't know nut'in. He says "Commere, we'll learn ya" and showed me the clocks, talked about how the lanes worked, how to stage, when to go, how to get back to the pit. "You watch for a while, then go do it. What are you driving, we'll watch for you." When I got to the head of staging, a guy gave me a refresh and made sure I got to the line OK. After that pass, I was hooked in a bad way. I saw the guy from the tower later and asked who it was. "Oh, that's Bill Hielscher - he owns the place."
Thanks, Bill.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
That's a killer story and a great example of how a good track manager runs his business.
The majority of them would have probably slammed the door on you and your budding career!
Cool.
BrianThat which you manifest is before you.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
The first time down a track I haven't been to before is always a bit nerve racking, mostly it's because I'm looking for the finish line and the return roads to try and not do anything stupid.Escaped on a technicality.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
I never did it myself, but I saw plenty of others do it...
The old Lawrence Dragway in Lawrence, Kansas had a really odd shut down area. This little 1/8 mile track merged both shut down lanes into one. Every once in awhile, a newbie to the track would get to the shutdown area and not realize it was one lane. Next thing ya know- he's in the pasture.
RonIt's really no different than trying to glue them back on after she has her way.Comment
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Re: The Lohnes Wreck Files: Stop!
I had one of these knewbs come back down the track on me he didn't see long shutdown, turned around and was headed toward short shut down. I was going 124 at the line when I saw him (no lights on) luckily my buddy who I was racing also saw him, jammed on the brakes so i could move over, I almost stopped and pulled the kidout of his car, he could have killed all of us. Then the next pass he almost put it in the wall at the 60ft, i don't see how you can do that in a n rx7 with no tq.Comment
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