Feb at Road Atlanta Cancelled

[GT1Vette]

Just got off the phone with Road Atlanta:

"Due to delays in completion of scheduled safety improvements at Road Atlanta, the track has reluctantly cancelled ALL events using the track in February and early March 2008. As a result, Atlanta Region has been forced to cancel our SARRC/Kumho ECS Five-Hour scheduled for the weekend of Feb 23-24, 2008."

Obviously full refunds will be returned to all who are currently registered and, although it's unlikely we'll find any openings later in the year, we'll regroup and see what we can do to replace the event(s).

Butch Kummer

[RussMcB]

Bummer.

What changes have they been making?

[Evl]

Bummer.

Indeed. That was to be my first regional... Sigh, I guess I can wait one more month and go to CMP.

[Brands]

That's a shame - it was close enough to start getting excited about!

[Tom Sprecher]

Bummer.

What changes have they been making?

Apparently the safety improvements have been requested by the M/C crowd and include a chicane on drivers left T12 and drivers right after the flag station in T4. It will not affect the layout we run but as you can imagine a chicane in T12 requires the removal of a boat load of dirt. What happens to the E/V area I do not know. Maybe they'll work out of the Pro pits.

When it will be completed is anybody's guess and depends on the co-operation of mother nature. Hopefully it does not effect the March race or we'll be a bunch of hurtin' units.

[dd46637]

At least you found out in advance.

Not like the Milwaukee Mile last year.

People showing up Friday afternoon to find bulldozers moving dirt around.

[Tom Sprecher]

At least you found out in advance.

Not like the Milwaukee Mile last year.

People showing up Friday afternoon to find bulldozers moving dirt around.

That's extremely inconsiderate and totally unexceptable unless a system did not exist or contact info was not provided by the racer.

[dd46637]

The track decided to make some "improvements" 1 day before. The host region was not notified that I am aware of.

Luckily I had chosen to go to Indy that weekend but some fellow FST racers from the Chicago area weren't so lucky.

[cooleyjb]

The track decided to make some "improvements" 1 day before. The host region was not notified that I am aware of.

That is what was told to me by members of the club's board as well.

[Phil Green]

Butch,

Is it safe to assume the March National is still on? Or is it threatened too?

One of these days I'll make it down!

[GT1Vette]

We're still planning to run the March 22-23 National as scheduled. Obviously things can go to hell at any time, but the track is confident the changes will be done by then.

And Road Atlanta is taking a major hit in revenue by cancelling these events as well, so it behooves them to get the work done as expediently as possible. This is NOT a decision they made lightly.

Butch

[RussMcB]

I'm still in a bit of shock just from hearing that they were making changes at all. The changes sound pretty major (even though they may not affect car racing). Usually you get a heads up about something like this. It's hard to imagine how they could put a chicane on the outside of T12. Wouldn't that put bike racers headed straight for a solid wall where the elevated pit road is?

Butch, can you share what you know about the changes being made?

[Beartrax]

You know, Skip Barber now runs schools at Road Atlanta. Perhaps he offered input to make RA safer, a la Lime Rock's "improvements"....

[GT1Vette]

Butch, can you share what you know about the changes being made?

The final configuration has yet to be approved by all parties (which doesn't include me or Atlanta Region), so any information I have is less than complete. I have a hard time imagining what I've heard described, but these guys build race tracks and I drive a taxi-cab so I'll have to wait and see the end result. When I do hear something definitive from Road Atlanta I'll share it here.

This has nothing to do with the "dumbing down" of the track for Skippy's customer base. It's all driven (so to speak) by guys whose heads are the rollbars when they lose it in a corner. Similar to the curbing situation at Laguna, the bike racers are in a position to call the shots because THEY are bringing the fan$ to the track. This is a situation where the IRL/CC and ALMS/GrandAm wars are biting us hobby racers in the ass. Just in case you were wondering, those egomaniacs and their pissing contests DO affect your racing!

[thunderracing91]

The track decided to make some "improvements" 1 day before. The host region was not notified that I am aware of.

Luckily I had chosen to go to Indy that weekend but some fellow FST racers from the Chicago area weren't so lucky.

Ewwwwww..........thats a sore subject....please dont remind me.......That was a long day of driving for me and my crew.

[EYERACE]

Ya'll come on down to the SARRC at Sebring same weekend,,,,,,,, www.dlbracing.com