Posted By: KatFysh
No more Flashlight Drags in PA..
Posted By: Prostock
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/13/09 09:07 PM
Link doesn't work.
Posted By: 65 NSS 500
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/13/09 09:11 PM
Here ya go
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/doc4994c88c3fb3a693996091.txt
Sad to read though, Shows there is still a market for our sport to grow.
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/doc4994c88c3fb3a693996091.txt
Sad to read though, Shows there is still a market for our sport to grow.
Posted By: moparx
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/13/09 09:52 PM
here's a post editorial from the central pennsylvania auto connection. hope it works.
it's a shame, really. no tracks to run on, so i guess it's back to you know where.
.jpg "5022911-scan(Small).jpg")
it's a shame, really. no tracks to run on, so i guess it's back to you know where.
Posted By: triplenickel
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/13/09 09:59 PM
Quote:
Sad to read though, Shows there is still a market for our sport to grow.
As the letter from the director of PennDOT's Bureau of Aviation pointed out...
"The frequency and the number of facilities requesting automobile racing events
appear to have created a new industry whose infrastructure is being supported
by 'airport' capital improvement funding."
Wouldn't we all like to be able to open a business and profit from it by using someone else's facilities?
I hope that the multiple individuals who enjoyed these activities will take their enthusiasm and move to the multiple, purpose built, and non-taxpayer funded drag racing facilities across the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
I think people in other parts of the country would kill to have the large number of drag strips operating in their states.
I believe there are 6 or 7 drag strips in Pennsylvania and a dozen or more drag strips in Ohio, so there is no shortage of places to run.
Don't forget, it was less than 2 years ago that a "burnout exhibition" at an Ohio airport changed the lives of dozens of people when one of the vehicles (with the promoter in the passenger seat) went out of control and crashed into a crowd separated from the runway by "caution tape" instead of guard rails or concrete walls that would be found at a real race track.
Sure, that didn't get the huge publicity that the multiple fatality, Tennessee Pro Mod burnout exhibition that turned into tragedy for the people who lined an unprotected stretch of highway, but these kinds of things go to show why drag racing should happen on drag strips.
Posted By: triplenickel
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/13/09 10:03 PM
Quote:
here's a post editorial from the central pennsylvania auto connection.
Do you have a larger version of this? The image you have posted is too small to read.
Posted By: moparx
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/13/09 10:16 PM
i'll try another. sorry... 
try this....
well,how bout this ? if this is still too small, can somebody make it bigger for me ?
.jpg "5022958-scan(Medium).jpg")
try this....
well,how bout this ? if this is still too small, can somebody make it bigger for me ?
Posted By: Steve1118
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/14/09 12:11 AM
There is a lot of politics in this deal.
In Ebensburg, where they held two events a year, the little airport there was in financial trouble and the investors and the local government were licking their chops to acquire it and to carve it up for sale.
Then the FD came....the airport made tons of money, enough to keep operating and pay their annual expenses, plus some.
This did not make the local investors happy....they lobbied Harrisburg to pull the rug. I see it happened.
You would think the FAA would be the ones with the problem....but it wasn't. It came from Eddie and his pals on the Susquehanna.
In Ebensburg, where they held two events a year, the little airport there was in financial trouble and the investors and the local government were licking their chops to acquire it and to carve it up for sale.
Then the FD came....the airport made tons of money, enough to keep operating and pay their annual expenses, plus some.
This did not make the local investors happy....they lobbied Harrisburg to pull the rug. I see it happened.
You would think the FAA would be the ones with the problem....but it wasn't. It came from Eddie and his pals on the Susquehanna.
Posted By: Jeff_383
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/14/09 06:06 AM
My local paper here close to the Green County airport, location of one of the drags, stated that if the Bureau of aviation will not allow it they may switch to a private airport. Meaning they would not be tied to this law. It would also mean no more money from the bureau, but the airport manager stated they would like to continue to hold the races and would strongly consider breaking from the Bureau.
Posted By: B1MAXX
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/14/09 02:54 PM
Whats wrong with racing at a real race track? 
The starting line traction has to be real bad.
The starting line traction has to be real bad.
Posted By: Kyle Reasbeck
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/14/09 08:24 PM
i think its a shame...defintiely got more attraction than your average race at a local track, i think for a couple reasons:
1) They were held at the airport, not at a track, and usually the tracks are out in BFE, where people wont drive to for spectating or racing, where as some of these airports which are in the populated area
2)Alot of the participants are just casual street guys looking to have some fun and didnt have to deal with extra aggravation. These are the same participants that more than likely do not come to local tracks due to the track operator nut swinging guys who think their bracket races are the winternationals (these are the guys that like to hunt out these casual participants and generally suck the fun out of the casual enthusiast)
3)There are no eliminations, its just grudge have fun racing (i realize this would be the same format at the track, with the exception of number 2 happening)
you take this to the track your going to have more douchebags (i say this because only 3-4 of them show up to the airport drags) bring their race cars and pick on street cars to make themselves feel better.
This is also a shame because i know at least in ebensburg...this brought the airport some needed money, as it was having major financial issues.
1) They were held at the airport, not at a track, and usually the tracks are out in BFE, where people wont drive to for spectating or racing, where as some of these airports which are in the populated area
2)Alot of the participants are just casual street guys looking to have some fun and didnt have to deal with extra aggravation. These are the same participants that more than likely do not come to local tracks due to the track operator nut swinging guys who think their bracket races are the winternationals (these are the guys that like to hunt out these casual participants and generally suck the fun out of the casual enthusiast)
3)There are no eliminations, its just grudge have fun racing (i realize this would be the same format at the track, with the exception of number 2 happening)
you take this to the track your going to have more douchebags (i say this because only 3-4 of them show up to the airport drags) bring their race cars and pick on street cars to make themselves feel better.
This is also a shame because i know at least in ebensburg...this brought the airport some needed money, as it was having major financial issues.
Posted By: 11secaarcuda
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 12:17 AM
Quote:Quote:
Sad to read though, Shows there is still a market for our sport to grow.
As the letter from the director of PennDOT's Bureau of Aviation pointed out...
"The frequency and the number of facilities requesting automobile racing events
appear to have created a new industry whose infrastructure is being supported
by 'airport' capital improvement funding."
Wouldn't we all like to be able to open a business and profit from it by using someone else's facilities?
I hope that the multiple individuals who enjoyed these activities will take their enthusiasm and move to the multiple, purpose built, and non-taxpayer funded drag racing facilities across the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
I think people in other parts of the country would kill to have the large number of drag strips operating in their states.
I believe there are 6 or 7 drag strips in Pennsylvania and a dozen or more drag strips in Ohio, so there is no shortage of places to run.
Don't forget, it was less than 2 years ago that a "burnout exhibition" at an Ohio airport changed the lives of dozens of people when one of the vehicles (with the promoter in the passenger seat) went out of control and crashed into a crowd separated from the runway by "caution tape" instead of guard rails or concrete walls that would be found at a real race track.
Sure, that didn't get the huge publicity that the multiple fatality, Tennessee Pro Mod burnout exhibition that turned into tragedy for the people who lined an unprotected stretch of highway, but these kinds of things go to show why drag racing should happen on drag strips.
Wow, 6 or 7 drag strips in the WHOLE state of Pennsylvania. Maybe that is the reason why so many people go to the Airport races. As one of the racers at these events, I think they are more fun than going to the dragstrip. You get to see fast street cars (many are faster than some of the RACE cars I've seen at dragstrips. Also, the promoters of the Flashlight Drags have always kept the spectators very far away from the races. In fact, that is probably the downside as a spectator, but I do understand it is for safety reasons.
I'd much rather drive my car to the Greene county airport and race for a day, get 5 times more races in than I would at a dragstrip.
It is much better than trailering my car to the racetrack because it is much further away, and sitting around for the whole day and maybe getting to go down the track 2 or 3 times.
As far as you saying "Wouldn't we all like to be able to open a business and profit from it by using someone else's facilities?", this happens all the time. Do you realize how many businesses in this country rent the facility that they are operating out of? Just look at any shopping mall. Maybe even the company that you work for doesn't even own the building it operates out of.
Posted By: SRT8Challenger
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 12:39 AM
I totally agree!! 
Posted By: topside
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 12:53 AM
If these little airports were built or are operated using taxpayer funds, a case could be made that they should be available for taxpayer events.
My experience with PA is that it's over-regulated almost to strangulation, almost as bad as Calif.
My experience with PA is that it's over-regulated almost to strangulation, almost as bad as Calif.
Posted By: BSB67
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 02:28 AM
Quote:
If these little airports were built or are operated using taxpayer funds, a case could be made that they should be available for taxpayer events.
My experience with PA is that it's over-regulated almost to strangulation, almost as bad as Calif.
Amen to that
Posted By: Jeff_383
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 03:13 AM
It isn't a commonwealth for nothing. So many bureaucratic layers it's ridiculous!
Posted By: cmcgee123
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 03:24 AM
i resemble that remark. 
we have probably 5 tracks and no airport races. 
they wonder why they cant stop street racing
we have probably 5 tracks and no airport races. they wonder why they cant stop street racing
Posted By: 1badx
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 04:36 AM
The Flashlight Drags aren't over, just moved to some local 1/8th mile tracks. There's also the hope that some of the tracks will go private due to the fact that were making more money from the FLD's than from the fed's (our money anyway as was stated previously).
Posted By: triplenickel
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 06:31 PM
Quote:
My local paper here close to the Green County airport, location of one of the drags, stated that if the Bureau of aviation will not allow it they may switch to a private airport. Meaning they would not be tied to this law. It would also mean no more money from the bureau, but the airport manager stated they would like to continue to hold the races and would strongly consider breaking from the Bureau.
Quote:
There's also the hope that some of the tracks will go private due to the fact that were making more money from the FLD's than from the fed's
It sounds like Waynesburg (Greene County Airport) didn't have any problem accepting a $198,000 grant in July from the PennDOT Bureau of Aviation for the "initial fee to the consultant" for short and long term improvements.
If the consultant planning fees are nearly $200k, one has to imagine that this is a mult-million dollar improvement project that would pale to the dollars generated by the FLD's.
P.S.
Review the article linked below. It is just the kind of thing that I expected to find...
In order to attract federal and state funding for a runway expansion...
...the cost of a runway extension is prohibitive considering the project would probably entail filling in a large valley at the eastern end of the runway. Estimates exceed $10 million.
http://www.co.greene.pa.us/secured/gc/news-articles/2008/08Jul7GC-Airport-plan.pdf
Posted By: triplenickel
Re: No more Flashlight Drags in PA.. - 02/15/09 07:01 PM
Quote:Quote:
As the letter from the director of PennDOT's Bureau of Aviation pointed out...
"The frequency and the number of facilities requesting automobile racing events
appear to have created a new industry whose infrastructure is being supported
by 'airport' capital improvement funding."
Wouldn't we all like to be able to open a business and profit from it by using someone else's facilities?
I hope that the multiple individuals who enjoyed these activities will take their enthusiasm and move to the multiple, purpose built, and non-taxpayer funded drag racing facilities across the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
As far as you saying "Wouldn't we all like to be able to open a business and profit from it by using someone else's facilities?", this happens all the time. Do you realize how many businesses in this country rent the facility that they are operating out of? Just look at any shopping mall. Maybe even the company that you work for doesn't even own the building it operates out of.
These must have been a big $$$ maker for the event promoters.
I wondered how much rental fee the Flashlight Drag people were paying the airports and now I know (based on some information on the Greene County website concerning the 2008 agreement).
In exchange for holding the event at
the airport, the county will receive
20 percent of the spectator admission charges
and 10 percent of the racer fees.
Source: www.co.greene.pa.us
It is obvious that the airport operators don't have much of a head for business if this is all they were getting.
It also explains why the FLD promoters had set up a cottage industry using airport facilities as the PennDOT official described it.