Hey Jim- Yeah, I'll bring the baby out to PCA at the end of the month to play Should be a good turnout!

See ya then!
Brian

PS: Thanks for the kind words TL!

 

They running at PIR all week? Is it closed session or can anyone check it out ... weather permitting. My plan was to go to Tubac Saturday for the car show with the AZ PCA but if it is raining then this may give me a local fix for the week.

 

I think they were going to test until tomorrow (Wednesday). It is a closed session at Firebird-East, but you can take the access road to the MX track and park a few feet from the track and watch. (Cross you fingers on the weather though!)

 

Yup it's me, I am pretty sure Brad ran one day with slicks to get his 6, but normally with the Nittos, he was in the 8's. That is what motivated him to do the Pirelli Cup and then move up to the Patron.

Yes it is a private event out at East, we tried to get on, but they wanted it all to themselves.
I think they had a couple of new drivers out with them that they were looking at.

 

How DO you guys drive an honest-to-God race car there? I was there for Opening Day of the road course in the fall of '83, and I still probably have more laps there than any place except Thunderhill; but I'd probably give it up if I had to call Firebird a home track again. Worst was having to HAND time an SCCA Trans-Am race; I think the drivers entered outnumbered the spectators...........

(What's the status of AMP?)

 

Yes they did. Driver "points" awarded. I can discuss in private if you need to know more.

 

Those shots of the cup cars were taken at Firebird east. Racing there is a struggle. We have done that maybe 5-6 times in past 10 years. NASA has 1 race planned there for 2010 just as a change up. We have had DE days and testing there which is fine, but racing there is a pain. Same for the firebird west track. Frankly I have never raced firebird west and am not looking forward to it. I think it will suck, but again I can deal with that just once in a season. We are going to race firebird Main a couple times. Main track is fine for racing, but again not the best track either. Still it gets dull with just PIR, PIR, PIR all the time.


As for AMP... it is still in a certain stage of limbo. It is sort of free to open and operate. The courts overturned the "close down" the county did in 2004. However they have not held any events there. I believe it may open, but I am not sure in what form. There are discussions going on that will define how the track can operate. Once these are settled it will remain to be seen what kind of track event AMP can host. I am not holding my breath that we can race there again. Even so I would love to see it happen.

Of note is a brand new track that just open east of Tucson. The place is called Inde motorsports ranch. It is just paved 2.x mile track in the desert. The place is still quite raw as it right now is mostly a ribbon of pavment through the desert. It is intended as a "country club" type circuit, but they are also looking to rent the track to the local orgs. NASA official along prospective buyers were invited to see and run some laps. The take away is that while there is potential there are two major issues. 1) 7 miles of dirt road to get to the track. 2) Zero developed run off. Right now you go off track and you will be in the cactus. Supposedly they are working on both. So far reviews are mixed on the racing suitablity of the course.

 

Joe, no I was just trying to figure out how far behind you guys I am....

Its a bit of a double edged sword around here as far as tracks are concerned, you can run almost all year around but the pickins are a bit thin, everyone has hopes for AMP but its been torture watching the battle while a great track sits...we need a better road course than the grand am circut at PIR...but hey two events comming up in the next few weeks and no snow...could be worse...

 

Yeah, I meant wheel-to-wheel at Firebird (East, West, don't know.......whichever is the config that uses the drag strip). Speaking of, did you guys know it was originally opened with a chicane 2/3 down the drag strip that had you turning LEFT looking head on into the right hander coming back the other way, and only separated by the berm/kwall (memory fuzzy)? That lasted about two weeks after we had that initial DE day...........

Sounds like that Tucson track is about the same as Reno was when it opened. I was up there I think the second weekend after he opened it, and pretty much told him "no way" with all the boulders, not to mention ravine in one place, just off the pavement.

And what about the highlight of AZ racing, Eloy! Helped some guys run in that a few times.