Meatball964

I have an event @ Palmer coming up in July (1st time there).
Is it worth it to reserve a garage ($50 day) or carport @ $30 day ?
I would go this route if the alternative is a dirt lot coming off a hot track.
Also do they have fuel pumps in yet ?

Meatball964

Update: No fuel pumps yet (per Palmer staff).
Closest station about 3.5 miles away apparently.
I'll be driving to/from the track so no fuel jugs....bummer.

brownan

Was there a few weeks ago and there more paved than previously. That said, unless you are strategic with your arrive time you may well find yourself in the dirt. I did one event where I was in the dirt at Palmer (a NASA event I seem to recall) and I pledged "never again". Giant FUBAR coming off with hot tires and pulling into gravel. So yes, IMO, the garages are worth it. They are fine and have a pull-down door and 110 power. Same as NJMP garage, less nice than WGI garages.

Matt Romanowski

The garages are always worth it.

Jake951

If you have a garage, you don't have to drive over any gravel to get to/from pit out/pit in. There's new paving around the garages. It's worth it IMO.

kk2

Garages are not super close to the track and there's still a lot of dirt around the paved area. You will not be driving the car into the dirt if you have a garage though.

Meatball964

Are the carports next to the garages ?

kk2

No.. carports are right next to pit lane. I probably wouldn't go for a car port though. They're basically open on all 4 sides, just a roof overhead.

Photo courtesy of Alex Rubenstein

Meatball964

Yup went with the carport since I just need shade/cement to change wheels.
Easy access to the pits based on your track pic. No need for 110V that the garages have...

kk2

They really need a catch fence on the front "straight"

Cars doing 120+ there with a 3' high wall between the track and the pits. That's the real reason I wouldn't want to be there.

kisik

There is absolutely no problem with banana front "straight". Fantastic track. Easy on equipment. Parked at carports last time. There were plenty asphalt areas. Gas is in town like 10 min. Decent track food. Enjoy. Get a coach to get a smooth track line rhythm.

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05' 997.1 C2S

Jas0nn

How about that thirty foot tall rock wall on track left prior to the pit in?

You know, the one we watched a race car drive directly into and then flip after it put two off on the fast exit onto the straight (the car hooked hard into the wall) ...

The one where we watched as the car was upside down, on-fire for minutes before an ambulance arrived ...

An ambulance that wasn't equipped to deal with burns ...

At a track didn't even have a rescue crew trained in extraction (never mind have any of the tools) if that's what was required to extra ate the driver ...

Sound safe to you? Or easy on equipment. (This does not not even mention poorly trained flaggers and an abundance of rock just off the track limits).

I know that I - and many others in the northeast - won't be racing there again until they step up their track safety and emergency response.