Can't believe I did it AGAIN!!

[techrat_77]

Not going to Reading, I said.......it'll rain I said......
Saw the forecast calling for 40% chance of rain.......hmmmm
Forecast said intermittent showers....hourly forecast not so bad....
Needed nitro fix....figured I could last through some rain delays....
Driving in all forecasts were for clearing.....looking good!!!
Got off turnpike....rain starts......no big deal
Sat in 5 hours of rain....talked to some nice people....drag racing fans are the best!
Show not called yet....but guy at the gate says "no way"
Do I wait? Instinct says if I wait longer, my car will become permanent fixture in the field......so grudingly, I pull out.....parking attendant laughs when I ask for a rebate....says it'll take more than what they brought in to fix the field...which I don't doubt a bit...
Cross Susquehanna river.....see blue skies for first time
Get home earlier than I would from work, beautiful day....no rain all day
Why do I do this to myself every year??????
Nitro has to be the most addictive drug out there!! *L*

[ToxMan]

Ditto me.
I took yesterday off & did the whole deal two days in a row!
Try again in two weeks? Hell ya!
T

[jpee]

We got there Fri Morning at 10am.. it was raining.. I was as exit 312 Rt 100 the exit BEFORE the track... I figured I'd check into the motel.. Laid down until 2:20 & it looked ok so I left for the track.. got off the Turnpike at Rt 10.. was raining so hard I just went back to the motel,,

That night the motel had a Prime Rib Buffet... I had 3 large RARE pieces.. great salad, & 2 pieces of NY Cheescake... Both Doug & I went to bed 10 pm.. He had to go to Englishtown,, he is President of the Truck Racing assosiation... I left for Maple Grove.. got to the track this morning 7am in the misty rain.. I had my trusty pillow, reclined the seat.. pad for my parking spot & went to sleep..
About 11:30 some gut knocked on my window & told me it was called off... :( I left got my refund for Sat night at the motel, & made reservations for the 29th 30th...

[Mustang Eddie]

Can't believe I did it too. Called a friend close to the track at 7am, he said in his mind NHRA would be hard pressed to get the Pro's started at 11am & the big problem would be the muck they call parking. Looked at the radar one more time with the green blob over Reading & decided what the hell. Well nice all the way until I crossed the Delaware then the light rain started. Got to my friend's 15 miles from the track at 10:30 when he got the call it was postponed. At least I didn't go to the track & get stuck in the mud.Oh well I really enjoyed my 400 mile round trip & waste of gas & toll money.Of course on top of that already have definate plans for the rescheduled weekend,can't go. Should have learned from the past always rains at The Grove. Maybe next year if it isn't 100 degrees.

[stephenkj]

Well...I spent 2 days in the media room and we got so desperate to photograph something, we attempted to take some images of a large preying mantis on the outside window, but none of them turned out very well!:eek:

How about that weather forecast! Saturday was supposed to be a "little wet" in the morning, but dry and sunny in the afternoon. RIGHT!:rolleyes:

Here's a couple shots of what some of the parking area's looked like...
http://fullthrottleimages.net/IMG_9586a1.jpg
http://fullthrottleimages.net/IMG_9642a1.jpg

Seams to me they could have called this on Friday, but....

[stephenkj]

...but the "die-hard" racing fans still showed up and were buying tickets no matter how crappy the conditions were...
http://fullthrottleimages.net/IMG_9590a1.jpg

[The_Leaker]

Ahhh this looks like the days of National Trail raceway and the flooding ...brings back memories...


Yo aint been national event racing untill you been towed "INTO" your pit spot


APRECIATE THAT MOTO

[stephenkj]

The media parking lot was just as bad, or worse, than the racer pits. MG management DID put some gravel in the mud pit after Friday night, but it didn't help some cars that got completely stuck in the lot. Hopefully, moving the event back to mid August in '07 will get better results.

Pray to the rain gods that it won't get wet again and all the lots and pit area's will get dried out before the NHRA returns in 2 weeks.:cool:

[Scotts007]

We went up on Friday, left around 12:30 when it started raining harder. Already we saw people getting towed out of the mud pit, and we needed 4-wheel drive to get out ourselves. Drove back up on Saturday, ate breakfast again at the Windmill, got to the road the track is on, and saw the line of cars leaving, and turned around and went home again.

Since I had some extra time this weekend, I went back through my photos from last year from when we had a beautiful rain free weekend. Here's a few more that I added to my online gallery.
Gallery Link: http://www.pbase.com/scotts007/nhra_reading05

http://www.pbase.com/scotts007/image/67092387/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/scotts007/image/67092388/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/scotts007/image/67092390/original.jpg

[stephenkj]

Scott...EXCELLENT Shots, dude!:eek: Were these taken from the stands?

I was "supposed" to be shooting for Dave Bishops East Coast Drag News this past weekend, but wouldn't you know it, the 1st time I've gotten NHRA photo credents in a couple years and the event gets rained out!:mad:

I'll be back in 2 weeks with, hopefully, dried out parking and pit areas and cool, sunny weather.

[Gary Jacobson]

Ahhh this looks like the days of National Trail raceway and the flooding ...brings back memories...


Yo aint been national event racing untill you been towed "INTO" your pit spot


APRECIATE THAT MOTO
x2 no chit:D

[Scotts007]

Scott...EXCELLENT Shots, dude!:eek: Were these taken from the stands?

I was "supposed" to be shooting for Dave Bishops East Coast Drag News this past weekend, but wouldn't you know it, the 1st time I've gotten NHRA photo credents in a couple years and the event gets rained out!:mad:

I'll be back in 2 weeks with, hopefully, dried out parking and pit areas and cool, sunny weather.

Stephen,
Thanks for the compliment on my shots. I'm glad you like them! :) Yeah, they were all taken from the stands. I've only shot a few times with credentials, and none of them were for pro events.

I'm hoping to be up there in 2 weeks, but I have to get out of dog-sitting for a friend. Yeah, I know, lame excuse :o , but getting out of work should be no problem. I'm also hoping for bright sunny skies, I don't want it rained out again.

[Tim5636sc]

Not going to Reading, I said.......it'll rain I said......
Saw the forecast calling for 40% chance of rain.......hmmmm
Forecast said intermittent showers....hourly forecast not so bad....
Needed nitro fix....figured I could last through some rain delays....
Driving in all forecasts were for clearing.....looking good!!!
Got off turnpike....rain starts......no big deal
Sat in 5 hours of rain....talked to some nice people....drag racing fans are the best!
Show not called yet....but guy at the gate says "no way"
Do I wait? Instinct says if I wait longer, my car will become permanent fixture in the field......so grudingly, I pull out.....parking attendant laughs when I ask for a rebate....says it'll take more than what they brought in to fix the field...which I don't doubt a bit...
Cross Susquehanna river.....see blue skies for first time
Get home earlier than I would from work, beautiful day....no rain all day
Why do I do this to myself every year??????
Nitro has to be the most addictive drug out there!! *L* Yup! i've been doing this 25+ years...and I still get Teary eyed when the 1st pair of Fuellers as Gary Ross says....'FIRE EM' UP"!

[Nater99]

Guys, there are a couple of better places to park at the track when its raining. I usually park on the hill above maple grove park. You're parked on a down hill slope, so its easy to get out of the mud. Plus, they don't normally charge up there. The only problem is that its a mile or so walk into the track. But, you can also get out really quickly at the end of the day. I'll be going back again, but I can only make saturday this time around.:mad:

[techrat_77]

I know if I hadn't been aimed downhill, I'd probably still be there! :D
(pondering if that would've been a bad thing)

[Nater99]

I know if I hadn't been aimed downhill, I'd probably still be there! :D
(pondering if that would've been a bad thing)

true, especially since I just found out I won't be making it at all next weekend.