Event Coverage 2015 GEAR JAM DRAGS - Feedback wanted

The Atlanta market is very odd... It's taken me 10 years to get the swap meet up to where I finally think it should be.
World Of Wheels usually sucks, Super Chevy couldn't make it here, the Chevy High show struggled last year, GSRA and Goodguys had shows here and they left... all events that do incredibly well in other markets.
And it's not just automotive--prior to the last two years, the Atlanta Braves were in the playoffs every year, and you could get tickets on game day. Every other market, those tickets are long gone.
I've never seen a city where people are so happy to complain about so little. Even though we average over 200 vendors every month, I hear from people all the time that an hour drive is just too far to come for the swap meet, while I have guys making the drive from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida. They'll drive hours and get a hotel on Friday night, but I can't get people from Canton to come.
It's definitely an uphill battle to get an event off the ground here.

 

Well Tony, what I was thinking about was you up at SIM changing to your slicks in the dirt and some grass there @ Union, SC and bitching about what a pain in the ass it was! And also, I'm pretty sure those slicks weren't in the back seat like those in Tyler's Falcon!

 

I've found both on here, and through my swap meet, that a lot of people have no idea what it takes to put on an event--It's something that few people think of, and I'm happy to shed some light on it. I'm thrilled at the impact and benefits the NE Georgia Swap Meet has had on our local scene, but it never occurs to most people that it's over $4,000 every month to produce that show now. I LOVE ferreting out solutions and options for growing something that's been such a benefit to our local hobby, and I'm busting ass to do the same with The Gear Jam. I want everyone in the South East go come here once a year, for two (and eventually three) days, and beat on their stuff, smell fumes, find parts, and hang out with their friends.

 

Brad, you can add AMS to your list of poor turnouts around ATL, as they lost the Spring event there a few years ago.
Now we lost the Labor Day weekend of events and are going back to the Spring there.
But some of that was to move back to Darlinton for Labor Day, and some of it was big money shit between NASCAR and Bruton Smith, I suspect.
Oh, and BTW, what have you got that's street driven you want to put up against BGII in a grudge race?

 

HA! Right now, I've got nuthin. My daily driver is a '76 Dodge Power Wagon... the Suburban is still sitting in a pasture waiting to get rebuilt after hitting a 180-pound 8pt buck at 60mph.

 

hat do you need in the way of parts for that suburban, and what year? I may be able to find some stuff down here.

 

Always looking for a good '61 Hood, and good front fenders.
And time! And money!! I keep dumping all I've got of both into producing events!

 

Are those '61 fenders and hood a one year only type part? Or are there others that will fit? Long ago I had a '62, I think it was, but ubsure about that year and about whether '61 and '62 are similar.

 

Can I run my Dually pulling my empty trailer because my Anglia is not finished? Everyone calm down


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Sorry, the track has a strict "No trailers on the strip" policy.
I think.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
But bring your Anglia anyway, and park it next to my unfinished Altered! I LUV unfinished project cars! I love seeing how guys are putting them together.
-Brad

 

Not sure how far along I will be , but will try , thanks


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It may be too late for this but I'll put in for a pro tree and 1/4 mile racing. Nothing wrong with 1/8 but it doesn't seem right to only use half the track at Commere. I haven't been to any nostalgia drags that run 1/8 mile on a 1/4 mile strip. Bakersfield, Bowling Green, Indy, Bradenton, New England etc. all use the whole track. They do have some bought in exhibition classes that run 1/8 but open competition runs 1/4.

I believe the goal of becoming a big event will require 1/4 mile racing, especially if you're drawing from outside the SE.

Outside of nostalgia racing 1/8 mile racing makes sense at 1/8 tracks and for small tire cars that are extremely fast and inherently unstable. There aren't many nostalgia cars fitting that description.

 

Don't make this a bracket race................please. I could do that any Sat. and won't / don't.
Use INDEXES and police for guys who attempt to cheat with bracket electronics........I rather win with a .54 on a .50. than lose with a .49 on .50. Indexes at this level are cool..........not like the .90 stuff bracket racers are used to........which is all delay boxes and throttle stops which is bullshit racing IMO.

 

I'm jumping in late here...but a McCulloch is a round type (or Centrifugal if you wanna use the right terminology) supercharger.......so if it's not original equipment is it allowed or not If not why? They were sold in the 50's as speed equipment back in the day. They made kits for just about everything. What about a frenzel blown flatty in an AV8 those are bitchin and would a great little hot to race the turbo corvair???!!!!! Maybe a supercharged Graham engine in a speedster.....talk about scary little monster that would also spank the 'vair.

I wonder if I could talk what's his face over at the Peterson Museum to let me borrow one of these to race. It can run on tequila!!! Damn them Ghia folks couldn't design an ugly car if they tried.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Turbine_Car

 

Joe--it's an index race, NOT a bracket race.

Circusbear--if it's an original McCollough blower, or a Judson or early Graham or something like that in the hot rod class, we'll let it slide. The problem is we need to police against guys with modern Paxton and Vortech blowers--which is NOT the same thing, any more than a 2015 Corvette is applicable because they are a direct descendent of the '53 Corvette.

 

The class info that was listed here has been deleted because there was some information that needed clarification. I don't want to be the source of incorrect information being put out regarding the racing at Gear Jam. Once that info has has been clarified, I will repost the info.

Thanks.

Scott

 

Hey guys,
Please note, I screwed up the way the indexes are written, and need to change it. The bottom number indicates the index class. Not knowing how racers write and view things, I put the top number in each class as well, so the novices could more easily know what class they are running.
Apparently, when you write it that way, everyone reads it as being a dial-in class, meaning a bracket race.
It is NOT a bracket race... we will be racing straight indexes.
I will be correcting that on the website this week.

 

Brad - Can you explain how the racing is going to work? Specifically, when two car's line up with different indexes. Is there a delayed start for the faster car?

Cars will get to qualify or make passes and see what index they want to run? Then basically whoever is closest to the chosen index in a race without breaking out wins?

What's the deal with Friday? You have a 2 day and a Saturday pass. What if you just come Friday?

 

Everybody will have all day Friday to make qualifying passes, and at least one wake-up pass in the morning on Saturday.
You'll figure out how fast your car is running, and choose that as your index. NMCA racers run this style--you want to be as close to the index as possible. A lot of racers add or subtract weight to make their index.
If two cars in the same index line up, it's a straight heads-up race, first to the stripe wins (without breaking out of their class)
If two cars from different indexes line up (like an A and a C car), then it's a staggered start based on the index. There is no dial-in, but you can't run faster than your index.

We have a guaranteed purse of $1,000 for each of the four classes--regardless of car count. (I've always thought race promoters who advertise a purse and then crawfish on it because he didn't do his job and get enough racers to show up, should be kicked in the nuts on the starting line... and again at half-track, and once more on the stripe!)
Racer tech card is $100, and that gets the racer, and gets the driver, wife, kids and one crew member in.
1st Round buy-back is $40
Swap meet vendor space is $50 for the weekend.
Car show entry is $35, and that gets you in both days-driver, wife and kids.
Spectator entry is $10 per day.
Car show participants will get to make drag passes throughout out the vent as well, for no additional fee. They WILL need to go through tech to ensure their car is safe, but no additional fees.

Summit Racing Equipment, Hot Heads Racing and Research, National Parts Depot, Pull-A-Part, Keith Fulp Motorsports, Lamar Walden Race Engines, Coker Tire, M&H, and Chuck Keene's Georgia Hot Rods are on board this year as sponsors.

 

For eliminations.............will the track personel read the index/class info off the cars as we come up to the line to be entered into the timing system? Or will the racers have to come up to the tower and delcare that info before eliminations?
Suggestion: Make sure you have something to hand out to the racers with the tech card that explains how everything will be handled.......

 

Brad, you are still doing the Friday night car show in downtown commerce right?

 

Yes, the cruise in Commerce is still on.

 

Seems Brad has gotten most if not all stuff worked out as far as the classes and indexes.
Go to the web site for the details (on type of light, length of track, class indexes....etc):
http://www.gearjamdrags.com/

Schedule hi-lights:

Fri:
Gates are apen at 8 am.
Tech opens at 9 am.
Time trials start 10 am. 3 rounds min.
Gates secured at 6 pm.
Crusin Commerce from 6-10 pm

Sat:
Racer and Vendor gates open at 7 am.
Spectator and Car show Gates open at 830 am.
Tech opens at 9 am.
Qulifying runs start at 10 am. 1 or 2 rounds TBD.
Burn out contest 12 noon.
Eliminationsa start at 1 pm.
Car show awards at 3 pm.

Race gas should be avail on Sat for sure. Brad has a meeting with track personnel next week. Will find outif it will be avail on Fri as well.

Racers will put their car #, index/class (for example.....A/Alt, B/Alt. etc) on the sides of the car. This is how the track personnel will know what you are running.

Any other info you guys would like to know?

 

I've read you can camp at the track. Is that the case, and is limited to just vendors or racers?

 

Camping is open to everyone. $15 per spectator vehicle/show car, included with racer and swap meet vendor entry fee.
Camp fires are allowed--no bonfires.
-Brad

 

sundaySundaySUNDAY!

Due to weather, we have moved all the events for The Gear Jam Vintage Drags to this sundaySundaySUNDAY! April 26.

We will have the swap meet, car show and racing all day.

There’s a good crop of gassers and muscle cars up there already, so come on out on Sunday because a lot more will show up.

Gates open at 8am, on-track at 10am, and they’ll run ‘til their done!

Tell your friends, and bring your family.

BEEEEEEE THERRRRRRRRRE!

 

Bumping to the top for the Sat night crowd!

 

We went it was fun.

 

For me, the rain out was a good thing... I played a hunch and drove over Sunday to see what might be going on after the rains, and low n behold there was racing and such for those who stuck it out. Here are some car show pix. I ran the truck, but it was embarrassingly slow (by 2 seconds) compared to runs last fall at Lakeland. Hummmmm. On the good side, I got an award for best truck and best of show (someone was on dope, me thinks). Sorry I didn't get any track shots. Gary

 

A few more... Gary