Lebanon Valley Dragway New York . . . Poor Management Decisions
Saturday, October 25th is the rescheduled MOPAR Day event. Weather doesn’t look good so we opt out of going. Well, the expert weather forecasters are wrong again and they did run the event, but only the 1/8-mile due to high winds. So last night I mention to the wife, let’s go to Island Dragway down in N.J. for their MOPAR day as it’s the same distance as to the Valley and I’m leery about what the Valley management will pull on their last track day. They are known to be really chincy at times when it comes to track prep and late management decisions. The wife goes, do you really want to go down I-95 and pay $12.50 to go across the Tapanzee Bridge and all of the other tolls. You’re right, it’s a nicer ride up to the Valley through the Berkshires and probably less cars, as the Island is running their rescheduled MOPAR Day. To the Valley it is.
Up at 5:00 am get ready to go, but before I leave, I check their website and we’re good to go. Oops, better call as we have been burned by their bad management decisions in the past. The recording says we are good to go. Well, just to triple check, we stop at the first rest area on the Mass Pike and give the Valley another call, and the recording states we are on. The early morning sun is coming out and feeling good, burning off the fog after the overnight nasty rain and windstorm. Looks like it’s going to be a great day for racing with a high near 60 degrees.
After a two hour ride, we arrive at the track and pull up to the gate and another hauler is in line waiting for the gate to open. Waiting 15 minutes, I give the track a call and a friendly live female voice tells me they cancelled today due to too much water. I’m like why didn’t you post that up earlier and change your voice message. I’m sorry hun, but we had to cancel due to a lot of water. I tell her look, its not like the guy’s live up the road, they are up early in the am and are on the road and at 8:00 am, when the gates are to open, you decide to tell us you cancel for the day. On the way out I check the track and I can see no water on the track. Yes, it’s wet and needs to be jet dried and prepped, but otherwise not flooded. In my opinion they were too cheap to prep the track being there last day of the season.
Leaving the track we pass the lines of cars heading to the track both on the access roads and the Mass Pike for a good day of last season racing. They look at me going the other way and I tell the wife, there’s going to be a lot of pissed off people.
Bottom line, Lebanon Valley Dragway in New York is known for its poor management decisions, making late decisions if they are running or not. Mangement needs to get their ass out of bed and make an early morning decision and post it up before people from all over New England start making the trip up.
Up at 5:00 am get ready to go, but before I leave, I check their website and we’re good to go. Oops, better call as we have been burned by their bad management decisions in the past. The recording says we are good to go. Well, just to triple check, we stop at the first rest area on the Mass Pike and give the Valley another call, and the recording states we are on. The early morning sun is coming out and feeling good, burning off the fog after the overnight nasty rain and windstorm. Looks like it’s going to be a great day for racing with a high near 60 degrees.
After a two hour ride, we arrive at the track and pull up to the gate and another hauler is in line waiting for the gate to open. Waiting 15 minutes, I give the track a call and a friendly live female voice tells me they cancelled today due to too much water. I’m like why didn’t you post that up earlier and change your voice message. I’m sorry hun, but we had to cancel due to a lot of water. I tell her look, its not like the guy’s live up the road, they are up early in the am and are on the road and at 8:00 am, when the gates are to open, you decide to tell us you cancel for the day. On the way out I check the track and I can see no water on the track. Yes, it’s wet and needs to be jet dried and prepped, but otherwise not flooded. In my opinion they were too cheap to prep the track being there last day of the season.
Leaving the track we pass the lines of cars heading to the track both on the access roads and the Mass Pike for a good day of last season racing. They look at me going the other way and I tell the wife, there’s going to be a lot of pissed off people.
Bottom line, Lebanon Valley Dragway in New York is known for its poor management decisions, making late decisions if they are running or not. Mangement needs to get their ass out of bed and make an early morning decision and post it up before people from all over New England start making the trip up.
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2 Comments
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Comment by Ed Bradley on October 26, 2008 at 7:56pm -
I've been going up there since 2003, but I've heard all of the horror stories from my friends who have raced there for years, including the ones you mention. From what I heard, the only reason why track prep was outstanding for 1320X was because Nate and crew where all over their asses to get it right or they wouldn't be back. I'm going down to Island in N.J. this coming weekend to get the car ready for Nov.9th World Cup Finals at MIR.
It's sad to note that all it would take is a little common sense management and it could be a nice facility. It's too bad we lost Connecticut Dragway several years ago. You may be right, a letter to management signed by all of the regulars might help the situation.
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Comment by Chevychick "CC" on October 26, 2008 at 7:24pm -
Ed,
As I read your blog, I am shaking my head saying, "yes he is right", and feeling your sadness!!! I have been racing here for 8 years and I must say, they need to have someone there to answer phones or as you stated, a voice message stating ther isn't racing at 6am!!
The worse case is that we as racers would be bummed ot that we couldn't race for the day. I leave my house generally at 710 every weekend so that I am at the gate at 8am when they open because of the way we all line up and sit and wait.
A few of us have discussed the way we enter Lebannon. It's a Cluster F*#k of a mess.. People park in line , walk to the "Hut" and then wait for everyone to move their rigs to get in for racing.
I am chuckling as I write remembering the weekends looking around as people have to wait for the guy in front of them to move. My solution for ME is I go through the gate with my rig down the other end, set up, unload and either walk or get a ride to the ticket booth so I'm not waiting in a line of 50 cars to get in,. Saves me 25 minutes weekly!!! Great move on CC's part!! I just started doing this after ummmmm 8 years??!!!
Last saturday as I went to the Valley to sign in for a Gambler race, I needed to sign up for test and tune first then they announce to sign in for Gambler's. EVERY SATURDAY there IS a GAMBLER"S RACE!! Wouldn't it make SENSE to pay for it at the gate so that they have a list at the gate??? heck no!! That makes TOO MUCH SENSE!!
Instead, they announce it when you are in the lanes and god forbid you are across from the stagin lanes where Smity and I pit weekly the SPEAKER hasn't worked ALL SUMMER!! Ridiculous!! The track lost out on probably 5 of us anyway that didnt hear the announcement at 20.00 for the race and that is just in our area where the speaker doesn't work!!
Prep the track?? hahahaha!! Did you know that the only day they spray is Sunday?? they DON'T use the jet dryer AT ALL!!!!! The only time I saw it used this year was a friday night Big $$ race that Howard wanted to get in! there were at least 300 cars that night. The only other time was 1320 probably to impress Nate and Adam.
What a shame! All about the $$ and not about common sense. We had a racer meeting one Sunday because one of the Super comp guy's felt the track was unsafe and we all ran 1/8th mile. What happens is the water seeps up at the end of the track right after 1000ft. The track needs to be properly done with a drainage system and ripped up. Howard made a comment to myself and a few others this summer that it would cost X amount of $$ and our racer fees would increase.
I would rather be safe than sorry. One of my friends almost lost his dragster last weekend as One other did!! a Huge investment GONE!!! Track was COLD, wet and not prepped for a 50 degree day!
If Englishtown was closer, I wouldn't even bother! Sorry you wasted your day driving up there. Maybe we should right a letter and sugfgest some things to better enhance that track! I'm thinking about it.
Oh well, Look forward to a better year next year........... Heather
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