4 National event tracks w/longest shutdown?

[Mike]

Of the tracks that currently have NHRA National events, what are the 4 with the longest shutdown areas?

Anyone have a good guess?

 

[Randy]

Pacific Raceways has one of the longest.

 

[ZWeinstein]

Phoenix has to be one of the longest, even though there is a sandtrap at the end there is nothing but desert for a good half mile after that. I think I remember seeing when Z-Max opened they had the longest shutdown of all the facilities.

 

[Notch1320]

Gainesville

 

[.]

I used the measuring tool on Google Earth to take a quick look. I looked at four tracks and this is what I came up with. These are measured from the finish line to the entrance of the sand pit. (NOT including the length of the sand pit)

1. Phoenix shutdown - 3087 feet
2. Gainesville shutdown - 3048 feet
3. Brainerd shutdown - 2643 feet if you went straight ahead to the sand, or you could take one of the fastest turns in America. (Like Jeff Arend did many years ago. See video below)
4. Pacific Raceways shutdown -2412 feet

Jeff Arend at BIR:

 

[Prestaged]

Brian:

I think you are measuring meters. No way those measurements are correct in feet.

 

[.]

Brian:

I think you are measuring meters. No way those measurements are correct in feet.

You're probably right.... Those numbers can't be in feet now that you mention it. lol I never looked to see what the default form of measurement was on Google Earth.

 

[.]

I edited my original post with the correct numbers (according to google earth) in Feet instead of meters. Thanks for pointing that out, Roger.

 

[TD5023]

The longest I've personally raced on is Topeka, which comes out to 2734' on Maps. Joliet is decently lengthy, too, and I get 2626' there. Of the tracks currently listed, Topeka will slot in third and Joliet narrowly misses the top four behind Brainerd.

 

[Pete]

there was a chart NHRA put out many years ago, that showed each national event track, which included the overall length & sand trap depth.

 

[Cliff]

The shut off at Wild Horse actually runs past the kitty litter, and like Alan says, goes half way to Tucson. Heh Have seen footage of Force using that area & looks like he is in the desert.

 

[Nunz]

I thought National Trail had the shortest shutdown and that was a big reason for not running national events there anymore, but Bader's track in Norwalk doesn't look much better according to this list, actually shorter if National Trail uses the extension.

 

[Paul]

I think Norwalk has a farmers field at the end of the track.

 

[mgty3whlr]

Maple Grove extended their track across a back road in which they close temporarily when T/F runs.

 

[Al]

there was a chart NHRA put out many years ago, that showed each national event track, which included the overall length & sand trap depth.

View attachment 7695

Great job finding that chart Pete. I remember it, but I wouldn't have remembered where I saw it. I would assume the chart would be pre-2008 because Pacific Raceways added a sandtrap that year and the chart doesn't show one.

 

[Old21stud]

Seems like I read somewhere that the Bader's deal with the farmer is to pay him so much for the first car in his field and more for each following car per race weekend. Not absolutely positive if that is even the right track but I remember reading it and I think it was Norwalk.

 

[none]

Out the back gate at Norwalk is Huron County Airport property. I think the farmers field you are thinking about is National Trail Raceway in Columbus.

Alan

 

[Sean Bellemeur]

The Ennis track is pretty long too. Phoenix has some big bushes and cactus down there too.. I know this because I hit one a long time ago. Thinking back, it seems like I have about as many stories trying to stop a car as I do actually going down the 1320. The most exciting one in my career was going off the side of Bakersfield, fireball in my face, after winning on a hole shot in the High Speed Nostalgia Top Fuel car... oh and it was at night. I was pissed because I thought I was bouncing off the wall... turns out I was just meandering thru the dirt at about 200 and into the field left of the track. ahhh the good ole days!

 

[Randy]

The Ennis track is pretty long too. Phoenix has some big bushes and cactus down there too.. I know this because I hit one a long time ago. Thinking back, it seems like I have about as many stories trying to stop a car as I do actually going down the 1320. The most exciting one in my career was going off the side of Bakersfield, fireball in my face, after winning on a hole shot in the High Speed Nostalgia Top Fuel car... oh and it was at night. I was pissed because I thought I was bouncing off the wall... turns out I was just meandering thru the dirt at about 200 and into the field left of the track. ahhh the good ole days!

Sean, you aren't old enough to have any "good ole days" yet! Your dad and I, that's a different story.

 

[Butch]

I believe Phoenix you could dam near drive to Reinhart's house once you leave the end of the track. LOL