[Jonahking]

Glad you guys are still getting to have the event and Raymond is Northeast Bound! Safe travels everyone!

 

[dude lightning]

It's a great day for all lightning owners. Like the others said, good time to dial in you truck with no pressure or staging lane lines to deal with. Or the occasional call out!! The DA is usually great this time of year for running good times. There are a ton of Lightning owners there, spectators and racers. I have raced at most of the events since the inception but have also been a spectator at a couple when my truck was down. Sometimes I think I had more fun watching as a spectator then actually racing. Actually helping some of the other L owners correct some issues or problems they were having that I had previously experienced was very gratifying to me. Although it is nice to be competitive with ET's and records, we tend to forget why we really have a compassion for these trucks. We spend a ton of $$ on these trucks and really the most important thing is to have fun and bring our trucks home in one piece and ourselves to our family!!

I hope Sunday holds out for us, the weather is starting to look iffy for the late morning. I know some guys are traveling long distance to get here. Monday is looking like great weather with crazy tail wind. Then maybe some guys that traveled a long way can just extend their stay 1 more day to make the show?

Went to walk in the house after parking the truck and turned to see this cool fall pic of my truck under the fall moon. Pretty cool pic for this time of year!!

 

[lightn95]

Weather turned to complete crap for tomorrow!
Spookfest is going to be rescheduled again.
Trying to work on a new date now.

 

[dude lightning]

Monday would be nice for the guys that made the long trip to attend. 1 more day in a hotel and they can race!!. And there will be a 22 MPH tail wind Monday

 

[Jamie V]

Not sure if Monday is even available.

 

[Harley#356]

with rain thru Sunday night and near freezing temps overnight with barely getting over 40 until noon, Monday looks horrible aside from a tailwind lol (if it's even a tailwind, didn't check the direction).They'd spend the first half the day just trying to unfreeze and dry the track, then there won't be enough heat in the track till late in the day for anything good anyway.

Sucks SF ended up rained out not once but TWICE....of course 2020 would bring us that! lol. I haven't missed a SF since 2008, and I raced at every single one from 08-16. Bummer that I had to spectate the last 3 years and finally had mine loaded up ready to go for this year and rained out twice! Oh well, fits the theme of 2020!

At this point, I say move SF to the spring. Christmas in July, & Spookfest in late April! Gives folks time to sell their spot if they need to, gives other folks time to plan for travel if they need to, and the locals can all hit a T&T if the weather lines up. That's my plan. Hoping to still get out there at some track day before the weather turns fully, but this time of year is so hard to plan once we get into Nov. I think of all SF events, only once has it ever rained before on that last Fri of Oct. But once you get into Nov, I think SSOTN which was mid Nov has been cancelled at least 50% of the time due to temps or rain or snow. Same with JL's fall event which took over for SSOTN. It's been cancelled more than it's been held due to unpredictable Nov weather.

Let's just aim for a Spring Spookfest so we can still have a big turnout with folks from near and far, and maybe I'll see some of you locals at a T&T in one of the coming weeks where we can wait till last min to see if the weather will cooperate.

 

[leach]

April 16 or 17 2021 !

 

[[email protected]]

At this point, I say move SF to the spring. Christmas in July, & Spookfest in late April! Gives folks time to sell their spot if they need to, gives other folks time to plan for travel if they need to, and the locals can all hit a T&T if the weather lines up. That's my plan. Hoping to still get out there at some track day before the weather turns fully, but this time of year is so hard to plan once we get into Nov. I think of all SF events, only once has it ever rained before on that last Fri of Oct. But once you get into Nov, I think SSOTN which was mid Nov has been cancelled at least 50% of the time due to temps or rain or snow. Same with JL's fall event which took over for SSOTN. It's been cancelled more than it's been held due to unpredictable Nov weather.

Let's just aim for a Spring Spookfest so we can still have a big turnout with folks from near and far, and maybe I'll see some of you locals at a T&T in one of the coming weeks where we can wait till last min to see if the weather will cooperate.

Or all you hard core Ford guys with your trucks could make the Ford Fever event in mid October at MIR which has never rained out and enjoy a 6 hour Friday night TNT and then two solid days of qualifying and racing on the best prepped track surface on the east coast. If you guys want to put forth the effort and come to next years Ford Fever I will revive the Truck and Lightning class and double the payout!!! Thats $1k to the winner!!!

JJ

 

[Jamie V]

Thanks for promoting your event in our thread JJ.

 

[lightn95]

As everyone can tell, Cecil made a good call with the weather.

We have two options with the rental, there is an opening Sunday, Nov 22nd that we can take. But we all know that the temps in Nov can be all over the place. Halsey said they usually can keep running until early Dec.

Or we push the entire thing until Spring. (Which I think is a better option.) This way the guys who broke can get back in, the guys who attend YB can make some test runs before YB on May 14th and the guys who traveled far, one from Tx, one from Nc (who wrecked on his way home), and Fl can make the rental. Also gives everyone enough time to take off of work.

I personally would like to wait until spring along with a couple other guys that help out a LOT with this rental. The 2021 schedule is not made yet so an exact date can't be set, but I'd like to do a Friday or Sunday rental.

We all adults here, I think we can come up with a solution to this shitty situation.

 

[Harley#356]

Thanks for promoting your event in our thread JJ.

lol seems to be a yearly tradition, at least the last 2 if not 3 years. Again there's a distinct difference between a rental and a full fledged event. I haven't done that one specifically but I've done a few NMRA & FFW events, and while they're fun, there's just something about a laid back rental, hanging in the pits, going at your own pace, pulling right up to the water box, and just doing your own thing whether it's dialing something in, going for a record, or lining up for some grudge races, or just running for the heck of it, and all at your own pace, own schedule, and little to no wait. Apples and oranges trying to sell some other event vs. a private rental.



Anyway, I also vote for spring. Posted this on FB but I'll post it here as well. That late in Nov can get hit or miss at Cecil. Fine for local guys to wait till the last min for a call, but it jerks around the folks that travel in and it appears SF has a large crowd traveling this time around. That's about the weekend SSOTN used to be, and 50% of the time it'd be rained out, froze out, or so cold they only ran 1/8th mile half the day. Making it spring gives folks time to sell their spot if they can't make it and gives them better odds of doing so with the added time. Spring has a better shot at weather too. I'd say make it late April. Late march is still too cold, early april can be hit or miss. Late April is usually decent, and while it'd suck if it rains again, hopefully we'd still get it in by early May.

I'll still try to hit up a T&T this year before the season is wrapped, but that's easier to do at a whim vs. trying to squeeze a full Spookfest in and accommodate most folks.

 

[Jamie V]

lol seems to be a yearly tradition, at least the last 2 if not 3 years.

I have nothing against JJ (I actually get along great with him) I just don’t understand why he stopped supporting Spookfest and try’s to encourage guys to go to his event instead.

Me personally, I’d like to support guys going to both events.

Some guys prefer the rental type races and some guys prefer actual organized events like JJ’s. There is nothing wrong with either it’s just preference.

 

[[email protected]]

I have nothing against JJ (I actually get along great with him) I just don’t understand why he stopped supporting Spookfest and try’s to encourage guys to go to his event instead.

Me personally, I’d like to support guys going to both events.

Some guys prefer the rental type races and some guys prefer actual organized events like JJ’s. There is nothing wrong with either it’s just preference.

Ford Fever is not my event, its a Ford event that I have tried for years to make bigger and better especially in the Truck and Lightning class. When I took the class over from being a heads up class, which I won two years in a row to being an open comp style class it went from maybe 6 trucks to 20 trucks and I opened it up to the Harley trucks as well. Everyone that came and raced had a great time no matter who your tuner of choice was and on Friday or Saturday night most of us would go out and grab some food and drinks and have a good time.

Its not that I stopped supporting SF, I just wind up being spread thin this time of year with my Son's racing and not his Football so available weekends are limited.

SF and Ford Fever dates have never clashed so I'm not trying to take anyone away from going to SF and SF is not trying to take anyone away from going to Ford Fever. Both are events, both have their merits and both will appeal to different people but making everyone aware of both events and what you get for the money and time spent is something that is important.

I am biased towards Ford Fever because I do enjoy an entire weekend of racing with a Friday night TNT mixed in, I enjoy seeing a jet car run a few times and watching the X275 or other fast 1/8th mile cars battle it out along with a car show and nostalgia cars running down the track. To me its more of a full event and experience then a private rental one day TNT.

Ford Fever is just another option or event that is available and giving it exposure cant hurt, no different then promoting SF whenever and wherever you can, especially when these two events do not conflict with eachother.

Just my .02

JJ

 

[[email protected]]

One more thought for you guys that want to try and plan another SF, private rental;

The Friday of the Ford Fever weekend the track can be rented out for a private rental from 10am-6pm, then the Friday night TNT starts so if its an option for any of you guys to want to combine the two events it could be a private day rental on Friday and then if you wish to stay for the Friday night TNT or the entire weekend your more then welcome to do so and I would be happy to help set that up. I know it means coming to Southern Maryland but if it helps and is an option I'm willing to do what I can to make it happen.

Just an idea.

JJ

 

[Trickflow26!]

FF is an awesome event. Although it cost a bit to travel and stay over for 2 nights, the actual event is less then $200 for 3 days of racing. I still support SF and realize they are 2 different animals but it woud be nice to see more guys at FF next year. SF this year was a great turnout as far as sign ups but too bad the weather went south on us!

 

[Jamie V]

A lot of guys can’t pass tech for an event like FF.

 

[[email protected]]

A lot of guys can’t pass tech for an event like FF.

Alot of guys? How many do you think and what does that say about SF in general? Does it say its an event to skirt the rules and take risks? And what does that say about the track your having the event at ? I know for certain that Cecil wont allow anyone to run an ET more then once if your dont have the right equipment to do so and if they are allowing it because its a "private rental" then they are playing with fire.

And honestly I would not want someone coming to FF running 9's @135mph+, in any generation Lightning with only a lapbelt and a helmet, when you do stuff like that it ruins it for the little guy who is trying to run mid to low 11's and gets hammered by tech because of the guy that just went 9.50 with just a lap belt.

With the exception of Dude, I cant remember, in all the years I've sponsored or attended FF anyone else from Delvallo or that area actually attending or racing at the event. I have to ask, why is that? When everyone is wondering where all the events are at for Lightning owners and there is an entire weekend of a "Truck and Lightning class", why has nobody ever come down to attend this event except for Dude? Heck even Fred Wade has made the trip and raced at the event.

JJ

 

[Jamie V]

I don’t like racing bracket races and I’m sure I’m not in the minority, it’s the same reason I didn’t race NMRA when it was 3 miles from my house each year. I would go to spectate each year and hang out with my buddy Keith but not race.

It’s not just having the safety equipment. It’s the “your SFI has expired, pay more money” crap. I get belts needing to be replaced because of stitching getting old but come on with the rest.

When there’s money and payouts involved just like with people going to spookfest there are whiners and crybabies doing their thing.

I just want to go and race, hang out with my friends, and have a good time. I don’t need all the other bull crap and that’s why I like to go to track rentals.

 

[[email protected]]

I don’t like racing bracket races and I’m sure I’m not in the minority, it’s the same reason I didn’t race NMRA when it was 3 miles from my house each year. I would go to spectate each year and hang out with my buddy Keith but not race.

It’s not just having the safety equipment. It’s the “your SFI has expired, pay more money” crap. I get belts needing to be replaced because of stitching getting old but come on with the rest.

When there’s money and payouts involved just like with people going to spookfest there are whiners and crybabies doing their thing.

I just want to go and race, hang out with my friends, and have a good time. I don’t need all the other bull crap and that’s why I like to go to track rentals.

I can respect and understand your position.

I will say however that in all the years of the Truck and Lightning class at FF there has never been anything but great racing and encouragment of others to do well. We have even helped fellow competitors get their vehicle back running so they could make the next round. Until you have been to one, please dont assume its full of issues or people whining and crying or strict tech guys trying to hit you hard, its actually quite laid back and alot of fun and one of the reasons why I have supported it for over 10 years.

JJ

 

[Ct.TOPGUN]

I have made Ford Fever at MIR twice. I enjoy seeing other Lightning people and some of the fast classes are fun to watch. With the Friday test and tune it may satisfy the go-fast itch. But like Jamie, I don't enjoy bracket racing. I have a street truck. I enjoy running at the track some times. But until I don't street the truck anymore I can't turn it into a race legal race truck. I liked the old Lightningfest setup with slower trucks entering a bracket and those faster running heads up. I don't ever remember any of the real fast trucks winning...




Jim