Great weather forecast. Hope it holds up.

 

He'll come...He'll prolly be late...but he wouldn't miss it If I'm not mistaken, we were supposed to race, me on spray...

 

3 DAYS!

 

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm almost ready...but this morning they said 50% chance of rain.

 

Just checked and weather.com shows only 10% with light cloud cover and pure sun! weather in the mid-upper 70's and lows in the mid-50's! sounds pretty damn good to me! -crosses fingers-

 

Channel 11 and 13 said 40% and 50% for Saturday. Hopefully they are wrong (which wouldn't suprise me).

 

Every meet I've ever gone to had rain forecast for the day! U know what Hou weather is like. I'd REALLY be nervous if there was NOT rain forecast for the day!!!

Even if it does rain, it's usually just passing showers. Those who were at the summer meet last year, remember that it was raining like cats and dogs in parts onf the city, and we never had any rain at the park!

 

The weather channel is "Partly cloudy" 20% chance of rain. Looks like it's getting better!!!!!!!!

 

I am seeing 40% chance on some RSS feeds.

 

Looks like HMP is doing one of thier things again on Saturday. Its called Clobbertron 13 or something like that.

The last 2 times I went to HMP I have been *very* disappointed. Either with not being able to run, or getting very few runs in because of some event they were holding.

Friday's are TnT. Saturdays are event days.

 

That sucks!

Has anyone checked with them to make sure that we can run on Saturday?

 

YES--we can run--all this means is that there will be a bunch of badass cars there as well.

 

A couple of last minute things about the "Spring Fling Thing"

We do not have a pavillion reserved at the park. That means we will do the same thing as the summer meet we had there last year. Since it is advertised as starting at 1:00PM, I plan on getting there about 12:00 to 12:30 to drive around and find a spot or empty pavillion where we will meet up. If anybody else gets there early, drive around and do the same --see if there is a pavillion not being used and try and "claim the spot"--or drive around til U see the cars already gathered and join the crowd. The park is fairly large and a few of the areas are not very visable from the main road through the park, so call me on the cell if needed.

713-823-7019

If it is raining on your side of town, DO NOT ASSUME it has been cancelled. Last year, in certain parts of town, it was raining like crazy, but we did not get any rain at the park. CALL IF U HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!

I just got off the phone with Houston Motorsports Park. Yes they are having the "Clobberthon #13", but all that means is that there will be a bunch of badass fast cars there. They said that "test-n tuners" are more than welcome! Admission will be 15.00 instead of 10.00 per person and 10.00 extra (per car--as normal) to run on the strip. The track stays open late, so even if there is times when U can't just keep going back time after time after time to run, while they are running eliminations in the event, there will still be plenty of time to make plenty of passes, before the night is over.

When there is a big turnout at the strip, if all of the regular pit area adjacent to the track is taken, U can park/pit in the the paved pit area (or even on the track itself) of the 1/3 mile paved roundy round track.

We will need to gather up around 10:00 to 11:00PM to look at time slips to hand out the awards for the 3 performance catgories. (Appearance awards will be handed out at the park, before we have the mass cruise to the drag strip--around 5:30 to 6:00 PM)We will "play it by ear" as to where and when. TIME SLIPS MUST BE PRESENTED--NO WORD OF MOUTH! And don't think U can wait down by the timing stand and get a FAST time slip from one of the really fast cars that are there either!!!

2 DAYS!

Don't forget yur cameras.

Bring yur folding chairs or whatever creature comforts U are into! Be sure and bring the appropiate clothing in case it turns cold at the strip that night.

Get your thirdgen virtual swap meet pics ready.

Don't forget to double check your food committments.

AND MOST OF ALL--DON"T FORGET TO SHOW UP!!!

 

Does anyone want to go ahead and change the date to our reserve day next week to avoid the event and the rain? I just dont want to pay $40 for me and my girl to get in and like $50 in gas for the day just to end up racing like twice. And I hate waiting in line.

 

Have you checked to see if anything else is going on at the track that weekend?

I probably would not be able to make it next weekend.

 

Still looking at SCATTERED showers..... .....AIN'T SKEERED The weather has never let us down yet............

 

Me personally--NO, I don't think we should change the date based on a weather forecast. Every meet I have ever been involved in, has had rain predicted for that day. EVERY ONE!

The summer meet last year when we meet in the same park, there was heavy showers predicted for the entire Hou. area. There was no rain at the park (unless U count the 3 or 4 minutes of drizzle we had) It was raining like crazy in many parts of Hou, but it was just cloud cover at the park--just enough to keep it cool! So if it's raining where U are--IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S RAINING AT THE PARK OR THE DRAG STRIP!!!

The drag strip had a quick passing shower that afternoon and was back open in about an hour after they dried the track, and the weather was good for the rest of the night.

The latest weather forecast I saw this morning, said the front might not be coming through until late Sat night/Sun morning. Even at that, only "isolated/scattered showers", and if U have lived in Hou any length of time, u know more often than not, it's just a passing shower.

I think we need to use a little common sense, and "play it by ear". I will be at the park on time, rain or sun! (I got hot dogs to burn!) Even if it starts raining while at the park, I'm NOT GOING TO PACK UP AND GO HOME! I plan on sticking around to wait out the rain a reasonable amount of time.

If U are concerned about paying admission at the drag strip, and getting rained out (which I certainly understand) U might wanna call the track, and see what their rain-out policy is--better yet, I will try and call and post here later.

Craig

Take down my cell phone number and call if U need to see what the plan isor if it's raining at the park or the track.

713-823-7019

 

So what time do the gates open at the track? If it might be that crowded, maybe we should try and get there early to claim a prime piece of the pit area. I have never been there but someplace next to the track would be nice.

That way we could watch each others stuff and the races.

 

They are open from 1 PM to midnight Sat 3/26/05. I'm not so sure it would be necessary or do any good to get there early.

Even if U are not racing, U can park anywhere in the pit area or roundy round track area, so if we all try and park together (as best we can), I know that not everyone is going to be racing. We could stash stuff in the non-race vehicles.

 

I'm just wondering where I can stash my jack and wheels....

 

OK--I just got off the phone with Hou. Motorsports park. Their rainout policy is very good. If the track declares a rainout, the tickets U paid for are good for full value, for ANY EVENT, ANY DATE in the future!

If it rains they will try and dry the track if possible and continue the program. So, if it rains and U leave--you are on your own. If they get on the loudspeaker and declare it a rainout, the ticket stubs for whatever U paid, are basically a credit slip. If U have any question u can check with them at the ticket office on the way out to verify the tickets are good. Like I said earlier they will be good for ANY EVENT (DRAG STRIP OR ROUNDY ROUND TRACK) and/or ANY DATE in the future. Good for Fri. nights--Sat. nights--Sun nights! U can verify this yourself if U wish, by calling HMP @281-458-1972.

I know the weather forecast is not the best, but knowing all this--as well as based on past experiances, (like the summer meet last year and how the weather turned out that day/night with an even worse forecast) we should go ahead with the plans as is!

The park portion of the SFT, is from 1PM to 5/5:30PM and I think we should stick to that schedule. If everybody shows up that says they are going to, I know for a fact, that there are 2 or 3 people/cars that do NOT post on this board that are planning on coming to the park, but not going to the strip. There are several people from Dallas/Ft. Worth that are going to be driving down, as well as others from out of town, that we owe it to them to not cancel it the first time Chicken Little starts yelling "The sky is falling"!


If we are able to get in the park during the day, but get rained at the track, considering they are open on Sun from 5PM to 11:30PM, we COULD do the track portion of the SFT the next day--next weekend--OR WHENEVER EVEYBODY WANTS TO DO IT!!! I know this would leave the out of towners out of the action, but with the rain out policy the way it is, at least they won't be out any money.

What WILL constitute a rainout as far as the SFT in general? Well, if it is raining all afternoon, without letting up, that would be a rainout! (NOT just a passing shower)
AS well, even if it does rain all afternoon, but then clears up before sundown and the strip is up and running, I myself am going to the track. Even if we declare the SFT rained out, but I'm gonna go and make a few passes anyway!

If we have to declare a rainout for the SFT, remember the rain date is next Saturday 4/02/05--same time schedule.

Call the cell if U need updated info about what is going on!
713-823-7019

Craig

 

When i used to race on a weekly basis I took a chain and lock and even if there were not a vehicle to chain them to, if U just chain them all together, it makes them EXTREMELY hard to mess with as a unit! I'm pretty sure there will be a non race vehicle U could chain them to. U can always chain them to Mrs. ZAP's car which will be there next to mine for just that purpose!

 

Well, it's 5:30 AM--just looked at the radar on the weather channel--doesn't look good--if the storm front that is in the Dallas area stays in tact and doesn't move off to the east like they said it has a possibility of doing--THAT would definately be a "rainout"

THIS SUCKS!!!

I hate the fact that I have to be the one to call it a rainout or not!!! I'm going to wait a few more hours til around noon and see what it's doing.

I realize this puts the out-of-towners in a bad position, since U guys would have to leave before then to get here in time. If we do call a rainout, and any of U guys are down here, then the least I can do is invite everybody over to me house to help eat all this potato salad and deviled eggs that Mrs. ZAP made up last night! It will go bad before next weekend and there's no way I can eat it by myself!

In fact, if it is a rainout--out of town or not--I'm inviting ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY over to my place to help eat up this stuff. We can still do hotdogs and have a rainout PARTAAAAAAA!

IF U NEED TO CALL ME TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON CALL ME AT
713-723-6393
713-823-7019 cell

Here's another possibility--Even though the official rain date for the SFT is next Sat, tomorrow Sunday is supposed to be prety nice. I know there is a few of the local people that can't make it next weekend. Would some of U or all of U want to meet in the park--burn some dogs-- and go to HMP?

U know--hindsight is 20/20 (that's why they don't make glasses to fit your butt!)-- I've always wondered why we set the rain date for the next weekend instead of the next day! For future refrence--what does everyone think about having it the next day instead of the next week? In this particilar case--how many would have prefered tomorrow/Sun and why?

Craig

 

I was just reminded that tomorrow/Sun. is out for me. It's Easter and I've got family stuff that we are committed to.

At the moment, (7:00AM) the way they are talking on the weather channels, it is going to move more East than originally thought AND that it will be later in the day (after dark) before it gets here. Looks like we will be able to get in the park portion of the Spring Fling Thing, but the drag strip later in the evening looks questionable! We'll see what happens in the next couple hours!

 

Because of the impending BAD/VIOLENT weather headed our direction, I am declaring the SPRING FLING THING a rainout. I really hate to be the one that makes that decision, but I've been watching the radar all morning and it's not a question of if, it's a question of when. The impending weather will and already is keeping people from coming to the event. -I have already heard from several people that are not coming because of the weather (one from out of town and 2 from Hou.).

Take a look at the radar link below.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USL...r&prodnav=none

The storm front is generating severe rain patterns/flooding, violent wind gusts of up to 70 MPH, tornados, and baseball size hail!!!

However since it will probably be late afternoon/early evening before it hits, and their are too many diehards that won't let a little rain scare them off, we ARE going to the same park and BBQ and hang out til the weather runs us off!!! Besides MRS ZAP has all this food (tater salad-deviled eggs) that will go to waste if we don't do something with it--so those of U that aren't afraid of getting your car wet--come on out and help us eat some of this food.

The official raindate will be next Saturday--4/02/05-- same time schedule. The awards will be given out next Sat.- I seriously doubt the strip will be up and running tonight because of the weather. If we don't get rained out by 5/5:30 and people want to go to the strip--I'm in, but WE WILL NOT GIVE OUT THE PERFORMANCE AWARDS EITHER! ALL of that will be next Saturday!

 

AS u probably already know, the "rained out" Spring Fling Thing has been rescheduled for this Sat--same time--same place. (see the SFT info + directions thread for more info). The weather is looking pretty good, so I don't think I 'll have a chance to screw it up again! It looks like it might be pretty cold in the evening, so bring the appropiate clothing for the strip as the wind always seems to be pretty strong there!

We will be voting for all the appearance awards. When u get there come see me or Mrs. ZAP and get a piece of paper so U can put your name /TGO screen name under your windshield wiper. Everybody that is there will get one vote in all the different catagories. I will have a form made out for U to use and turn in. we will count votes and hand out the awards before we take off to the drag strip about 5:30.

PLEASE, whoever is the first one in line of cars, leading the mass cruise, MAKE SURE U KNOW HOW TO GET TO THE TRACK FROM THE PARK!

I certainly wouldn't expect any of the out of towners to come down again, so unless somebody shows up that comes from a further distance than K's89RS did, he will get the "long distance award". All of the other appearance awards will be bsed on who is there this Sat--not who was there last Sat.

All of the performance awards will be based on this weeks runs at the strip--not last weeks--U MUST present time slips (YOUR TIME SLIPS--NOT SOMEONE ELSE'S!). We will gather around 9 to 10 PM and do this and hand out the awards.

We have a few left over items as far as food (ipack of sauage that Mrs. ZAP threw in the freezer and a big bundle of bottled water. I know I am asking many of u to bring food 2 weeks in a row, but that's life in the big city! We will get a couple extra packs of dogs and buns, but please bring whatever U can so we have plenty for everybody. I doubt if Mrs. ZAP will make another batch of tater salad and deviled eggs, but U never know with her! So, try and bring whatever U said U would originally bring to the SFT.

See U Sat--1PM