Does GLD suck? POLL!!!!!

[Neal Steffek]

What do you think?

[GRNDNL]

Hey Neil,

How many tracks have you been to?

How many have you raced at?

Have you talked to Ray or Marcel?

If you have a complaint or a problem (sounds like you have a legit one) you need to talk to the people that can fix it. With all do respect complaining on a board won't change a thing.

Yes, I was there last night, I thought things went pretty good, the track was trying to hook.....

[Milw96Cobra]

Everytime I've gone, GLD has used VHT lets say less than sparingly.... and I couldnt hook for ****....

Feathering in, even off idle.... I still was spinning.

I've been to Joliet once.... they asked me how much VHT I wanted layed down, I said, enough.... and they literally sat there spraying VHT for 15 seconds spraying it down.


With that said.... even though GLD is close, I've never been there on a night where I've been able to hook. I pull 13.3-13.4s at GLD on a good night, yet I pulled consistent 13.0's at Joliet, and even got my 12.9 run there.

[Syclone0044]

Go to GLD early on a Real Street Drags night (Thursday once a month). That is the best time to hook. If you go early you will get at least 10 runs in before 8 PM. They open at 3. Between 8-11 PM all bets are off for time runs.

I went there last night on a Friday and conditions were "average" for GLD and I saw a handful of cars pull big wheelies. So it can hook.

As far as Joliet it is the "World Series" stadium of Drag Racing no doubt, but I heard you sit in line for 2 hours while the pro cars and bikes race over and over and then you get to make your measly pass. Not worth the 2-3 hour drive for me.

[Crawlin]

unfortunately, you are right what you said in the other post, the bikes and the "big dogs" get priority. they are there every night almost. that is why they get priority. am i saying it's right? no. and i do agree, friday nights are BAD times. I've gone on a tuesday during this time of year and got 11 runs in and went home early. everytime i am there during the week, never had a problem with number of runs. go to byron, but expect to wait in lines as well, cause they aren't open during the week are they? cause they don't have lights, so they aren't open at night(since the last time i was there). RT66 is well, an NHRA sanctioned track that has people coming that make the GLD bid dogs look likke pups. Nothing will change though by talking about it here. Bring it up to the track owners. and I agree, RSD's on a thursday, once per year, opens at 3pm for time runs and closes at 7pm for time runs. anything after that is only street racing.

[SLOWC5]

out of the 3 times I've been to byron, All during Event weekends. I've never waited more than 20 mins in a staging lane. NEVER. everytime I've gone I've run a minimum of 10 runs. I think brent made 18 one time. Byron has the RESPECT FOR ALL RACERS. To say that you will wait there I do not believe, I was there on a Sat May 31
3rd Annual Mondello Olds Nationals-T&T G/R
Do you think there were alot of cars there for that event? there were as least 300 cars there for the OLDS even along!

Sat 23
T&T G/R-JR Drag Points Race 7#-
There was a bike organization there, with 100 bikes, test and tune guys, JR draggers, and some BIG DOG drag guys, atleast 200 cars there.

So I don't believe that its the amout of cars, its the fact of how they run there lanes. I'm not talking about the track conditions, thats mainly a driving problem but at the OLDS day at Byron on a green light I was going to WOT instantly! period no lying, for my FWD car to pull 1.81 60's are not that bad. what do you think?>

JEFF

[Prince Valiant]

I really don't care how a track is hooking because most times I'm there I am just looking to have fun racing as opposed to looking for a PR time. worst 60ft times are still in the 2.05 range so, eh?

What bugs me at the track is if someone breaks. It takes forever to get the track up and going again. I've been out to brainard in MN and if something let go it was a one trip afair. No going out to see what spilled, coming back, getting the truck, going out, coming back, getting more stuff, going out, working, coming back, finishing, inspecting again, coming back, THEN starting up the races....no out there they just went in and cleaned up in one fell swoop.

I know that a track like brainard is bigtime NHRA vs GLD, but still, many racers would be alot happier if GLD invested in the equipment to make quick clean-ups feaseable. When no one breaks, GLD ain't so bad...but if someone drops a little fluid

But I love the proximity of GLD

[Crawlin]

i've been at Byron on a perfrect race day for an f-body/vette shootout, in which they forgot they also scheduled a buick shootout, AND gld was closed for repaving a while back. we waited, but you are right, not that long. some people seem to think on this board that anything over 5 minutes is too much. not saying you feel that way, just saying in general. I got 4 runs in during that day. I used to have my best times at Byron, BUT my current best time is at GLD. I am not saying GLD is the best track in the world.

(this is for everyone)
It's just funny to me that so many people complain about GLD. So many people complain about traction there. Why go back? Save your money and go to Byron if it is that much better. I would rather drive 1 hour and get 10 runs in then drive 30min to GLD and get 3 runs in. All those "big dogs" that are there have TONS more hp then all of us, but are they complaining of traction? Maybe about 5% of them. Have I ever had tractoin problems anywhere I've gone? Once at GLD, on street tires. I have slicks. I don't ever worry about traction anymore. If it spins a bit(1.6 instead of 1.5's), i know i'm a tire pressure/pinion angle/or stall speed adjustment away. If you want your best times, how about putting yourself into a position to RUN them. Hell, I was only running 12.3's at one point, and everytime i went up there(at the end of the night nonetheless, hotlapping) they sprayed fresh VHT down. I don't know anyone there but Greg, but he isn't running the VHT process. if you don't like it, don't go back anymore
I'll get down now:S:

Simple rules to follow/try:
1.) Follow a big tire car. Follow a car with slicks and you'll be in a better position then if you had followed someone with street tires that is ripping up all the good rubber that was laid down. I have ALWAYS gotten a better 60ft. following a car with slicks on it.
2.) DO NOT go through the water box. All of you guys have street tires. you DO NOT need to heat them up in the water box first of all, second, there are about 100 pissed off people behind you if you do that and drag water up to the line.
3.) Get there early. Get there right when gates open and get in line right away. If you cannot do that, well, it's just a suggestion for getting more runs in. Seems a LOT of people get there around 7-8pm. I get there right as gates open and get in line. I get 2-3 passes in before the lines get to the U.

Not saying you guys aren't doing this, just mere suggestions that have helped me Now maybe it's just me running the Pro tree and following in line with all the pro street/pro mod/dragsters that you HAVE to run slicks to be in that 'class', hehehe

also, try paying attention to guys running clocks off. i have noticed that they'll get a couple more runs in then regular guys. when they go from lane to lane, they get to the clocks off people and run all of them out since there is so few of them.

[Crawlin]

OH YEAH, that is one thing i'll agree with. track cleanup after a break!!! that takes forever!!!!!!

[BAD LS1]

Well this year that i was actually able to go in the first half of the season and it hooked pretty damn good i thought. Granted some cars are harder to launch then others, like the FWD guys with autos are plagued just by default. Now with my car having nittos as my street tires i found the right TPS and figured out how to acutally launch the car and i had 0 complaints about the track once that was mastered. I just needed to use a lot of clutch and throttle modulation. So for stick guys with sticky drag radials etc.... DONT side step the clutch and drive it conservativley and youll get it out of the hole very decent i found and my car has all stock suspension. I can understand the FWD auto guys who cant really modulate slip as effectivley as a stick car and they rely on track condition more heavily to get the car out hard. But for us stick guys with grippy tires i have no sympathy for you if you cant get the car out of the hole hard without blowing them off, Its deffinatley something your doing wrong not the track.

Tom B

[SLOWC5]

See I could care less about the traction thats none of my complaints, I do get there early I was the second person in line, I also run DR's, never go through water with Street tires, just need to clean them off.

What pisses me off it the fact that they have no system in the staging lines, its whatever they want to do, they run all the bikes a few T&T and then ALL the BIG DOGS, then a few T&T, Why not run all bikes, all no clocks, all big dogs and then, ALL T&T, its not fair by any means that they run a couple T&T then all this, then a couple T&T. Thats what bothers me, I dont not go to GLD for PB's, I go there for tuning... Thats it... I dont see a reason why I have to wait an hour and a half to get one run in, while everyother staging lane has gotten four to five more runs while I'm still waiting. this all seems like it makes sense to me.

JEFF

[Crawlin]

Can't run with the big dogs, get back on the porch. j/k

Honestly, if you feel cheated, pay attention the actual number of cars going through from each group of lanes. mark it down or whatever. bring it up to other people in line, not just friends with you. maybe videotape it? get a petition going and bring it up to the people who run the track. with enough people behind you, might change their practices to make it more even. if they DON'T change, maybe you know it's best to head to byron on the weekends?

Now I see more of where you were coming from. I jumped to conclusions to early, so now i'm just trying to give suggestions

[SLOWC5]

Doing all this would maybe change things, but honestly I just went there lastnight to tune the car. and I'm working on finishing up this week. So when I do run I do go to Byron thats where I run when I want to make PB's. GLD is a joke to me, the way it looks the way its setup, the people who run it,...IMO
I've gone there once this year, Its not a track I go to make runs, its just rediculous that they have no system for the staging lanes. I could care less I could buy some farm land and make a track better than GLD in a weekend.

Now whos selling farmland

Norwalk is where I'm going on the 22nd to make new PB's not GLD .


JEFF

[BadAzzGTA89]

Hell i think it would be fun just to go to a track and get a time slip i never went to one only in real life on the streets so we should be lucky that there is a close one to be legal instead of the streets and safer but i dont know about how "good" it is there like i said i never been to a track i am an lil brother from a lot of older brothers that use to use the street for time back in the day! Maybe someday soon i can do so but i will wait till it is cooler to get an optimal time slip

[GRNDNL]

Who are the Big Dogs???? Where do I sign up to be a Dog?...

I ran Pro tree most of the night, I had to wait just like everyone else.....

The cars with street tires tear up the track, thats when traction goes away. The track has been much busier the last 5 years or so, alot more radial tire cars, mostly FWD's, they are hard on the track. I don't have a problem with that, the new people are paying for the new, lights, pavement, stands, ect.

What I would like to see is a slick tire night, one or two nights a month, charge more to race (much more) and prep the hell out of the track.

Jeff, You'll like Norwalk, it is the best run/managed track I've ever been to, no doubt. Mandys GS ran 1.80-1.84 60 fts on re-pop bias-plys on a 90 degree day..........

I just can't believe that people like going to Byron.........

[TransAm12sec]

I've been their once. I live in Northern Milwaukee, so its a 45 minute drive for me. I saw the first big event of the season. Night of thrills or something. I was very excited. I would only go their once to figure out the time of my 82, otherwise I don't think it would be worth it.

[Neal Steffek]

Hey Neil,

How many tracks have you been to?

How many have you raced at?

I have been to 5 tracks. I have never been to Byron, but I hear nothing but great things about that place. I want to go there and make it my 6th track. From what I hear and see Byron is THE place to go and get a PB.

The only reason I go to GLD is becasue it is close, but I am startin gto think that even though it is close, and open during the week, it is still NOT worth it.

What really sucks is that I think the track actually is a bit better then last year, just that they don't know how to run that place like a professional. Did anyone check outthe kid wearing the jersey at the staging lanes? What kind of a uniform is that?

(again, sorry for any kind of spelling errors, still no MS Word on this computer yet)

[Neal Steffek]

also, I wil be at Norwalk at the end of this month with all the "big dogs" with the W-bodys.

[lotsals1]

Yah there are way too many things going on at gld --you got the kiddy dragsters --the fvcking snowmobiles now --friggen quad bikes--then the big dogs -then bikes - then the "Street Racers clocks off" --Anyone that they can take 25 bux from will run that night --pretty soon it will be Pro mod scooters "or some dumb sheit like that" Gld is pretty much the Gehto of tracks
they are hurtin for cash thats why they let everyone go --"boo hoo" thats what you get for pissen off the local customers
I heard labor day was weak as hell -due to the fack they cant afford to pay the big ticket guys--everyone goes to 66 or byron
now--used to be fun going to the track --now its just like waiting at Disneyland for a ride

[Anakonda69]

i have an idea if u don't like the track then don't go to gld.....easiest solution there is......quit complaining an act on the things u would like changed or just don't use their facility.....they r there to make money regardless of who is binging it in.....be it snowmobiles or buses whoever wants to race has to pay.....it's just that simple.....maybe making suggestions to employees or the ownership could help.....i know alot of big time racers who say the track gets better by the year and all u have to do is suggest changes and they try to accomodate whomever they can.....i have never ran down there but this is the first time i have ever heard any complaints.....