Does your track.......

[cuda66273]

Run Motorcycles against cars?

I have a real problem with our local track...they run these Cash Bash races for special events and they put the motorcycles in with the Non-electronic cars (Pro Class)

I want to know if your track runs Motorcycles with cars. My opinion is that they have a huge advantage due to visibility at the staging light and down track, it is very dangerous to run a cycle against a car for obvious reasons.

They also run a split tree, so the cycle can run on a Pro .400 light and the cars must run the .500 full tree

2 weeks ago a 11 second cycle lost control at the starting line and drove into the other lane at about the 60' mark, the 9 second pick-up in the other lane aborted the run just as the front wheels touched back down from the launch, steered to the wall, barely saved the truck, motorcycle and the life of the cycle driver..... in a later round a cycle lost it and crossed the centerline at 1/2 track...another near miss and near tragic accident.

I'm fighting them on this ...I want to know if your track does this.

[amxauto-x]

Sounds like the track may need to wake up. In autocross we don't run the cars and carts[gocarts/shifter carts] together as it is hard for the car drivers to see the small carts. No cars move while the carts are gridding, pregrid, running and staging. Wonder if your track's[Woodburn?] insurance company knows what's going on? Lots of times it takes a death to get the problem solved.

[1972roadrunner]

you should send the letter to the owner of the track, and to the IHRA/NHRA (whichever) and let them know all about it...

[cuda66273]

NHRA insurance allows M/C to race cars in special events.

The track owners and manager are well aware of my feelings on this one...we will not race Motorcycles!

Last time this happened I got stuck with a M/C in the Semi's ..I was so pissed I couldn't spit and boy did I let them know it!!!!

I'm sticking by my word I Will Not Race M/C's

These Cash Bash's pull 200 cars at $20 a car we're talking some serious money here and racing crotch rockets is not part of my program.

I want to know what your track does.

[1972roadrunner]

i wish i had a track, but i've never heard of goin against a m/c...they have serious advantages with their power to weight ratio's... i'll never race a m/c either. especially on the street. you could try to get other drivers to boycott the idea of racing m/c versus cars... if they put a car and m/c together in the staging lanes, don't even stage, go back to the trailer and go home. keep voicing your concern too.

do what it takes, i'm sure if anyone could do it, it'd be you Don

[Dartcustom]

I usually only attend the "Wednesday night drags" so thats all i can comment on. The bikes all run together, never seen a car and motorcycle go head to head. I can see how it could go really bad, really quick. This is at Sears Point Raceway

[amxauto-x]

Are these cash bash things heads up? If so, I'd think the bikes would win most every time.

[bj96droppedram]

They let M/Cs run with cars on the cruise nights at Luskville, but I don't think they run together in the actual sanctioned races, as far as I know they run bikes with bikes, Jr drags with Jr drags, etc...
I'm with you on this as well Don, you can't race a bike and a car, for one, the bike has MAJOR advantages, second, if, like you said buddy on the bike loses it and rams into the car or truck he's racing, it could get very ugly, very quick, at least bike on bike, your not talking about 500 lbs into a wall (car)

[beepbeepsrule]

WIR does not allow that. Cycles always are a separate class. I agree totally running cycles vs cars is dangerous --- way too much difference in mass, plus car drivers can't fall off in the other lane in front of the other racer....OUCH!!!!!

[quietdad]

I frequent Englishtown, NJ and Island Raceway NJ and have never seen them run M/C and cars together, not even on a special event. But then again, it's a free country and I guess if someone would pay an entry free for a free shot to either kill or be killed running that way.........

[Mope360]

Our local track runs bikes against bikes, cars against cars, Jr. against Jr. Safety issue at the very least! Good luck!

[dwc43]

Music City Dragway does not run m/c's against cars. Never have. I agree with Don it's a major safety issue. Thisis an NHRA track as well affilated with Beech Bend Dragway in Kentucky. They dont run cars against m/c's either. Both have a Mopar vs. Chebby or Ferd night though.

I'd fill in there insurance company like mentioned before. Our local dirt track got in trouble over the age limits of kids in the pits . They were too many and too young. Too many cars always moving through those pits without enough light there. I think the kids should be removed all together. I always feared hitting someone in the pits when I raced there.

[6pakman]

sounds to me like they let the mentally disturbed out of the local nut house and told them to go buy a drag strip! these owners are alittle on the stupid side. but its sound alot like money, money, money!!! even the cycle guys should know better, but i'v never met a crotch rocket guy that had half a brain. to bad someone's gotta lose a life before anythings done. like being told to quit smoking before its to late!!! oh well just refuse to race if one of those morons pulls up to the lites.

[The Dartman]

Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova Illinios (my local track) has been running motorcycles against cars of all speeds since they switched from IHRA to NHRA in the early 90's.

I personally think it sucks. I'm about 1 up and 20 down down against motorcycles. They just come on too fast and invisible when your going 13.XX@105 and they're running 9.XX@150. The local motorcycle richard heads even all wear shirts that say things like "Cars Suck", etc. Our track even allows the motorcycles to run consecutively against cars so they don't have to run against each other.

I hate racing motorcycles so much I created the outline of a drag bike in all black and laid the universal "NO" symbol over it and created a few free stickers for my friends. Unfortunately, all it really caused was for the richards to start gunning for me...

Good luck, let us know how your compaign turns out...

Dartman

[92whitedak]

I'd have to agree that it is a large safety concern. But then again, racing all together is a safety concern. You've got to assume an air of risk to the sport and if you are willing to sit on an engine with NO safety equipment around you, I'm sure you are dumb enough to do it 8-10 feet away from a 3 ton race vehicle. I assume that I'm putting myself in the chance of danger. I would think the M/C racers did the same. Its their responcibility. The track isn't making them do it. They want to. Now, onto the more important thing.

I agree with Don. I will NEVER race in a money event against something that I know has a clear and present advantage over me. This stems above and beyond someoen cutting a good light or just ripping me apart. The cycles are much lighter, typically much faster, and could even psych out the car driver ("Oh man, how am I going to live with myself if I run this poor moron over"). Don, tell them that as long as they are letting those little rice rockets run with the big machines, that you want to race a junior dragster that is missing a wheel. It only seems fair.

-FOx

[bj96droppedram]

I wouldn't worry about the M/C guys "gunning for you" just hit the brakes hard when they get close, you may get a scratch in your paint, or maybe even a minor dent

[ehostler]

get the other drivers together and either boycor the event, all together, or when staged against an M/C, non of the car drivers race it. The first choice is a major loss of money for the tack, so they would be more likely to change their opinion, if all of the car drivers stopped supporting this event.

[92whitedak]

Or you could just scare the hell out of them. Next time you stage, instead up pulling up to the stage pointing straight, turn your vehicle and then stage, so you are pointing at an angle toward the M/C driver. When he looks at you and wets himself, just wave, smile, and rev to high hell. That'll fix'em.

-Fox

[amxauto-x]

"Oh I'm not in the box straight?" "I'm sorry, I just wanted a good look at that motorcycle guy as he wet his pants!"

[dwc43]

HEHEHE!!!

[amxauto-x]

"I AM straight! Your TRACK is 'crooked' "

[dave571]

Dartman, send me some of those stickers man

[PapaBato]

My local track doesn't run cycles against cars either, only against other cycles. They don't want to see a deadly motorcycle/car crash just as much as I don't.

[6 packin]

I have three local tracks within 75 miles of me. South Webster 1/8 th mile, Owingsville 1/8th mile, and Claycity 1/4 mile. They each have there own classes for Motor cycles. Sounds like a raw deal to me. I would let them know how I felt, and get people to make a stand. Sounds like they are just wanting the extra money of M/C's. Maybe Nascar will let the cycle guys run with them.....hey rubbin's racing right? LOL

[amxauto-x]

Maybe Nascar will let the cycle guys run with them.....hey rubbin's racing right?

Most excellent idea. I'll e-mail Mr. Richard Petty tonight!

[caveman]

A motorcycle has no place on the track when a car is running period.There is too much chance of something really bad happening,period.

[1972roadrunner]

Originally posted by The Dartman
Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova Illinios (my local track) has been running motorcycles against cars of all speeds since they switched from IHRA to NHRA in the early 90's.

i was at cordova a couple of years ago. they had a semi truck with the biggest military jet engine mounted on the back of it, and some dummy parked a quad runner behind the truck in the staging lanes, while the truck was staging... good thing the guy wasn't on the bike, cause it got roasted! then they had that sweet skool bus....

i didn't see any m/c go against cars, only harly's setting a new world record going against other harly's...and a bracket racer in a station wagon going 55 or 60 down the track for most consistant times

[The Dartman]

Here it is. I created it in 1999 when I lost to a drag bike running 10.68. I think I tree'd him and lost by a 1000th on a breakout. Next week I was sportin' one of these:



Looking back, it was a pretty non artistic rendering but it sure got the point across. Maybe I'll pretty it up and have Cuda mass produce them for his campaign....

Dartman

[dwc43]

Pic want work. Sure would like to see one of those. Good idea too.

[The Dartman]

If you can't see it it is also at:

http://www.carsandgirls.com/petersen...odragbikes.jpg

Dartman