Weather Forecasts & Race Attendance (1 Viewer)

[Sully]

The day is not over yet, but the weather forecasters have posted weather forecasts for today so threatening that any sane person would avoid all outdoor activities, including racing, but they were crying "wolf!".

The weather forecasts for Ennis today were very scary - thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and an eighty percent chance of severe weather, starting around sunrise. Made me happy to leave last night - and that was reinforced when I drove through everything from sunshine to heavy rain this morning coming back to Houston after getting an hour closer to home last night.

However, if you have been following the race reports from the Division 4 event at The Motorplex this weekend, you will note that so far they have been pretty much on schedule. The weather radar showed one line of severe weather than may have brushed Waxahatchie around noon, otherwise there hasn't been any rain in the Motorplex area heavy enough to show on the rader or delay racing for more than a few minutes.

What's the point of all this? You can't trust the weather forecasters when you make your weekend plans. If you look out the window and it's raining, then it's time to stay inside. Otherwise, make your plans based on what you want to do, not the weather forecasts.

They are not always wrong, but they are also not always right. I have attended many drag races that were rained out, according to The Weather Channel, but the green blobs on their radar maps never made it to the ground and the overcast conditions made for excellent racing.

 

[Unk]

Larry,

Glad you made it home safe, Bob Orme has been busy all day.

And you are correct, don't believe the weatherman. We HAVE NOT HAD A DROP OF RAIN ALL DAY!

Two sessions for every category, even a 'clean-up' session, and the scheduled round of alcohol qualifying. It's 5:30 and we are DONE.

There IS a pretty nasty looking line of thunderstorms/bad weather to our west, but even it is tracking mostly north-northwest.

The sun is shining, and the forcast for the rest of the weekend is perfect,,, sunshine and 60-70 degree weather.

If you anyone is in the neighborhood, come on out, the racing should be GREAT!

Unk

 

[none]

Yes it was a beautiful day....TORNADO in the Fort Worth area ! 2 1/2 -3 inch hail in Ft,Worth and Dallas. Severe rains and hail at DFW airport.....WOLF?

 

[Sully]

And not a drop of rain at the Motorplex until after the place was secured for the night. Point is, the dire warnings started first thing in the morning, the weather didn't get to Ennis until after sundown. By tomorrow all that stuff is supposed to be well east of the Motorplex and it doesn't look like they got much there at all this evening. Everybody who stayed home because of the forecasts missed a nice day of racing and what looks like two more days of the same.

All the places you listed are north and west of the Motorplex by about 30 miles or more. That's where the storm tracks were running, from southwest to northeast, and west of Waxahachie until this evening. Judging from the local radar, the Motorplex got wet when the front finally pushed through, probably got some wind, but missed out on all the really nasty stuff.

 

[none]

When we're talking TORNADOS 30 miles isn't far enough away.....
Oh, and the NASCAR MONSTER in town.......great scheduling
Motel prices doubled or more......
It's cold & windy today.......

 

[Sully]

It's a divisional race - not much tourist action and the Ennis-area motels aren't in much demand for an event being held north of Fort Worth anyway.

 

[Johnny Mopar]

Oh, and the NASCAR MONSTER in town.......great scheduling
Motel prices doubled or more......

Good point John. NHRA should do everything it can to avoid NASCAR events. The simple laws of supply and demand will drive motel/hotel rates through the roof when the roundy round cars are in town. There'll be 200,000 people that will want to sit in the stands at Ft Worth, and there won't be 10,000 that will want to spectate at an NHRA division race...even in Ennis.

When NHRA schedules a race in the same market as NASCAR, the drag racing community pays the NASCAR rate...not even close to being fair!