PDA

View Full Version : The March Meet gets a nine...


C9
03-13-2004, 11:37 AM
...on a scale of one to ten, ten being best.

Younger daughter and I spun down there in the 32 yesterday.
Fridays being one of the best days to go far as I'm concerned.
Not so crowded, but every bit as interesting.
The swap meet is up and running with most participants in place and maybe a few more to come in on Saturday.
Most of the vendors on the midway are open or setting up.
We were able to find most things we were looking for and got a few extras as well.
Granted, Sundays are the day for the races, but watching the Friday time trials was interesting as well.

Goodguys puts on a good show and the prices for admission, show & shine are fair.
A reasonable amount to pay for a fun day.
Along with the Goodguys packet for the show and shiners they tossed in a nice mag called Goodguys Gazette Yearbook.
Cool mag, well done and I found it interesting.

All in all, a nice day in the 80 degree sunshine, visiting with friends and seeing more than a few nice hot rods & race cars.

I would have rated the day a ten, but gave it a nine instead.
That due to the profileration of golf carts everywhere.
I thought it was bad last year and not so great at the CHRR, but this year, even on a Friday there were too many of them.
Part of the competitive spirit that man gets into, granted, but some of the "golf carts" are approaching the size of a small pickup.

I don't have a problem with the carts being used for necessary travel up and down the strip parking area and to and fro in the pits, but having so many carts as well as pit bikes running in the Manufacturers Midway was a pain in the backside.
Seemed we were constantly getting out of the way of the damned things.
Not to mention that a few of them did nothing but cruise back and forth.

I especially do not have a problem with folks who need them using them anywhere at the strip, but I saw more than a few healthy looking individuals riding along.
I know that some who need assistance look like any other person and perhaps I shouldn't judge, but as many carts and people operating them - staff excluded - as there were Goodguys and NHRA needs to get a handle on them.

My suggestion is to ban pit bikes in predominately pedestrian areas and allow only carts displaying a state approved - any state - handicapped tag within such areas.

I can only imagine what Saturday and Sunday is going to be like when the Famoso population probably doubles to what it was on Friday.

I don't want this little diatribe considered a rant either.
It's easy to see that a pedestrian/vehicle accident is going to happen somewhere along the line.

Aside from all that, we had a great time and will be back.
Not looking forward to playing dodge-em with the carts though....

roadstar
03-13-2004, 12:21 PM
Jay, I know what you mean about the Golf? carts.

Last year at Indy I heard them making announcments to not drive the carts because there were so many.

None the less, sounds like you and your daughter had a nice day.

DrJ
03-13-2004, 05:10 PM
Could be worse...
Do any of them have cry baby dolls leaning on them when they are stopped?

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Rocky
03-13-2004, 09:59 PM
Tried to call my lil' brother today, only to remember he's pitting for "Craig" at the March meet this weekend. The car is an orange 29 tudor sedan with full moons...runs in the low 10's and I heard he may dip it into the 9's with his new motor this weekend...

Crosley
03-13-2004, 10:17 PM
I have to agree with the carts in places like the midway of manufactorers row where there should only be people.

You folks have all seen the pompous assholes that think their shit does not stink in the carts or the cars too. Kinda like real life I guess

people that are handicaped in any way be that scooters or with a working animal would be it.

Elmo Rodge
03-13-2004, 11:44 PM
Jay, I felt the same about the golf carts and pit bikes. Had a good time Friday but woke up this morning more in the mood for a Roadster ride. We probably put about 300 miles in today. I just got home. Whipped but happy. Wayno

Church
03-14-2004, 02:30 PM
All the golf carts sucked ass. I saw more than one driven by kids no older than ten. The other complaint I have was that RV parked in the rod section at the tom end. WTF!.

On the flip side, the racing and weather were fantastic. And it's always nice to see old buddies at the digs.

DrJ
03-14-2004, 05:22 PM
[ QUOTE ]
All the golf carts sucked ass. I saw more than one driven by kids no older than ten. The other complaint I have was that RV parked in the rod section at the tom end. WTF!.

On the flip side, the racing and weather were fantastic. And it's always nice to see old buddies at the digs.

[/ QUOTE ]

You mean they took up half the "rat rod" parking with an RV?
If so, Think for a second it wasn't on purpose? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Chili Phil
03-14-2004, 10:14 PM
Did anybody else notice that the Famoso Flies were not in attendance? I think the Goodguys figgered out how to charge them an entrance fee.

I can't give the March Meet a nine, though. At some point there has to be a decision made that enough tix have been sold and to declare a sell-out. They pissed the greaser crowd off and they have joined the flathead/inliner guys in not showing up. The weather was great, the racing fine, I'd give it a 7 because of overcrowding and not enough passes by the real race cars.

I got to meet Ray the Desertratrodder in the swap area. Too bad he couldn't get away for some chili at the Viper compound.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

DRD57
03-15-2004, 12:42 AM
I had a great time. Lotsa racers. Lotsa show cars. Lotsa people. Happy to see the fly traps working. The dust and the stench from the compost heap still kinda suck though. A friend of mine (pedestrian) got hit by a golf cart in the grove. The driver was driving through the crowd and looking off to the side. The golf carts, mini bikes and scooters are like the flies used to be. Major nuisance. Maybe we ought to set cart/bike/scooter traps. Who knows? It worked for the flies.

Muttley
03-15-2004, 12:56 AM
Decent time, some nice cars but waaaaay to many goldchainer rides and golf carts.

derelict
03-15-2004, 02:50 PM
Sorry, I was guilty of the golf cart abuse. We tried to keep out deal in the staging area and the shutoff area though. Did go through the swap meet once to deliver some parts but I promise to never do it again, honest. That aside it was good to see those that I did and some great racing. Apparently the pits are going to get repaved sometime in the next three years, that'll be a blessing. Now if they could stop people from saving places in the stands with their blankets and umbrellas it'd be nice. I say tear them up and through them over the side. By the way I think I gave Desertratrodder a ride from the Vipers barbeque back into the pits on Sunday. Didn't get introduced though.

desertratrodder
03-15-2004, 03:55 PM
Hey Derelict... wasn't me you gave a ride to..I didnt put my butt in a cart all weekend. I did walk over to the Vipers area Fri Night, but everyone was crashed out. The carts sucked because they kicked up so much dust, but I'm not gonna complain about the scantily clad women driving back and forth thru the swap area all the time. I guess that made choking on the dust worth it..

Chili Phil
03-16-2004, 12:56 PM
Sorry to have missed ya Friday night Ray. Crashed out? We likes to call it pacing ourselves. Or whatever they dosed the flies with must have got the Vipers off too…;-)

Smokin Joe
03-16-2004, 02:11 PM
So, no one brought cameras? Those of us in the great white north depend on you guys this time of year...