Forum: Northern California Sprint Car (go)
Moderators: StuDeedooo

Notes from Antioch last night:

• Huge crowd on hand. At 4:30, there were hundreds of people in line at the ticket window. The line continued thur 7 PM.
• The new track did produce better racing with several drivers passing on the outside
• Great race with Tyler Walker passing both TK and JA to win. Very few yellows and exciting, heavy lapped traffic for the leaders
• The heats were exciting as well with lots of passing and action

Not be negative but there are several things that need to be fixed and this has gone on for several years now:

• Long, long, long beer lines. Once again, over 50 people deep with only ONE person working the stand. The second window was closed! This person had to collect money & pour. The people in line were pissed. We waited over 20 minutes for beer (missed qualfying). After the heats, my wife and her friend wanted to help so they walked inside and starting pouring beer. This lasted for 10 minutes before the manager kicked them out. The people in line were cheering for them to stay. (beer stand near turn 4) Meanwhile, the food stand had plenty of people.
• No pass out is ridiculous! My friend left his lights on in his car. The ahole armed guards at the front gate would not let him go back to his car. He actually left and had to buy another ticket!

What happened to BART and the cab ride OSF?

Some of us did take the bart and cab. We also had some friends from Walnut Creek drive in so they could bring the beer cooler & food for pre-race tailgating. We had a nice group of seven people .... mostly stick & ball fans. Everyone had a great time and they should be back for another race. (except for the beer lines).

not to be negitive but......

if you are going to the track for the beer...you have a problem. and if you have that much of a problem.... just get drunk before you go and save yourself some time and money.

also i am wondering what time did it get dark in antioch? i am thinking maybe your friend was hiding in their car, drinking beer before the races, with blankets on the windows and the lights on.

seriously though, i think they don't let people out and back in for a couple of reasons. one i am guessing is they don't want people going to their cars and eating or drinking. my other guess would be that they don't want to chance people getting mad at the beer server and going to their car and getting a weapon! (along with a beer) i am serious about the weapon thing although for the fact that if someone got pissed at someone else they may go out and return with a weapon. antioch ain't the best place you know.

Staggard and I waited in the beer line near turn 4 when we first arrived and it was short. Then we waited for 20-30 minutes and missed the dash. The food line was short for about half that time. At one time the food line had 6 people in it, and I jumped in line. Needless to say, we only had 2 beers all night.

Track was a little rough but they said they are bringing in a load of clay this year. Hopefully before GCS goes back. Also you could see the track was drying out. I don't know if it would have helped to water it. Congrats to Tyler, JA had a good weekend with a win at Chico and 2nd at Antioch. I think this was the time to be in second place. Tyler could see that JA got boxed in by the lapped cars and was able to go around him in turn 4. Kyle Hirst and Kyle Larsen had good finishes. Brent almost got Tim for 3rd, stopped after the race on the track so they interviewed the top 4 and both Brent and JA mentioned that they need to work on the track. Racing was good, there was passing so we'll see what the track is like when GSC returns in July.

Jason Statler and Ken Fredenberg had nice looking cars, I know there were others but I've only had 1 cup of coffee.

Mike, how was Madera? I can't believe you missed Antioch, see what a good time we had.

I also agree that if your going to the track for beer you have a problem.. Are you people alcoholics? if that's the case then i can understand it otherwise why would someone stand in a beer line and miss racing for 30 minutes. You can tail gate out in the parking lot, eat and drink, after the races stop at the local watering hole and if your driving you may even be lucky enough to get a DUI which will relieve you of 10 to 15 grand..

Antioch is not the only track that does not let people out and in again..

I have a few things to add to the list of negatives! Being the mom of a driver I like to keep track of the qualifying times, I am not alone, there are many other mom's, grandparents and crew that do the same. That being said its very frustrating to encounter week after week, year after year the same old issues.

#1 There is absolutely no excuse for the scoreboard to not be working and the times flashed as each driver completes his qualifying laps.

#2 To have to wait until the scorekeepers radio the line ups down to the pit board and list the heats and then we are left to figure out who qualified where from those line ups is just plain ridiculous. A lot of people don't know how to do that.

#3 No announcing in the pit area so that you can hear times is ridiculous as well. They manage to use the PA to yell threatening warnings to get in line etc. why not give the times too.

#4 The pit boards should be monitored in such a way that they list the fastest time of each driver beside their numbers in the qualifying order for all to see, the heat finishes should be listed as well as the line ups and the same goes for dashes, semis and the main features. Instead what all the tracks do is erase the pit boards as each event finishes and when the night is done the board is BLANK. I think the drivers and their crews are entitled to have a full accounting to be viewed if they choose to look, its their point of reference. We shouldn't have to wait until a day or two to hopefully have someone post it. It practically takes an act of congress to get information at the pit boards with the exception of Silver Dollar! The track staff, with very few exceptions, are indignant and act as though you are a huge pain in the butt for even asking a simple question. I for one am sick and tired of trying to track down some official just to get the final finish. USAC, yes they can do a few things right, post everything and it's left up once the night is done....no question to be asked of them, just go to the pit board at any time during the event and everything you need to know is there.

I know we are watching the race and most of us focus on our drivers and can tell you who finished in front of and behind them but when you throw in lapped traffic and try and keep track it's easy to loose a driver here and there and be completely wrong about a finish order.

Its time for the tracks to wise up and start treating the drivers that pay a huge price not only to enter the pits but to travel there, not to mention the cost of everything associated with the racing, with a little respect. They are providing the entertainment for all those front gate spectators that buy your food and beer and supply you with a great deal of money event after event. I realize it costs a lot to put on a show but without the drivers and their teams you wouldn't have one.

One more thing while I'm venting.....some tracks without a doubt have the absolute rudest track personnel I have ever been around! They act like they are doing you a huge favor and you are a huge inconvenience to them. Believe me last night was no exception, nothing has changed at Antioch!

a box of tissues anyone.good job this weekend GODathan Allard...

Hey, you got to see a good race since I wasn't there. Imagine the rubber down, huggy-pole race if I had been.

Madera was a good show. Car counts were a little off but you know me, I'll take quality over quantity and day. Midgets had a good race. Supers and Sprints were good too. Heck, I even liked the Legend car race.

WRA was there. Always fun to see them and Walt James is still driving. Jamie Hood ran the restored Art Shanoian <sp> Midget.

$25 bucks for a USAC show seems a little steep but as we walked in some guy handed us a couple of $5 off coupons. Upcoming Gerhardt Classic, 100 lapper is $38. OUCH!

Last night may have been the first time I've been to a race where I saw the promoter at the exit gate thanking the fans for coming. Pretty cool, I thought.

Last time I waent to Antioch was for a Civil War race in 2000. My girlfriend went for food and drinks and missed all 4 heats, and the food was shitty. The track was wet all night which was the only positive thing about the joint, as there were only 2 passes all night and the night was full of yellows and reds. I will never go back or race there, period.

The older I get, the faster I used to be.

Jason your an ass. Always have been.

On the beer issue. I probably would have stad screw it and just went without but then that me. but if all those folks left the beer line and got in the soda line you would have the same problem. It does appear they know they have a problem because they are hiring for that position.

My wife went to her first race in about 6 years. She made a comment half way through the night "Are all the tracks officials this mean? Only the guys in the yellow shirts seem nice" Now mind you she has been to as many races since we have been married as I have been to in the last month so has nothing to base it on except last night. While I have not had much of a problem personally I have seen it at many tracks. Linda is right. Teams spend a crap load of money to get there and race and that is if everything goes alright for the night. Ad in a couple wings or axles and it goes from crap load to boat load in a second. It would seem to me the tracks would bend over backwards to keep the money tree green.

And she thought the guy in the green car could really wheel it. Of course she also got a kick out of Marcel too.

Hopefully have some photos tomorrow.

I talked to a security guard when we got to the track and made a comment about having the most strick security of any track that the GSC goes to. He said, "well we want to make sure nothing bad happens!" I said, "you know people that go to races are usually pretty good people and don't want to start trouble and he just looked at me with a smile on his face." I also asked a lady working there if they got more people to help with the consessions and they said they hired people and they didn't show up. She asked me if I wasnted to work that night, ha ha! I don't drink beer so I didn't have to stand in the beer line, but I thought the food was pretty good for a change. Dad said the hamburger was tasty, fries were hot, and my nachos had fresh chips with a lots of cheese! I am one of those people that try to look at the positives and appreciative we still have tracks to see sprint car races at! Overall I had a good time, saw a good race and only had a 30 minute drive back to Fairfield I am looking forward to going to Petaluma in a few weeks!

Looking forward to the new Golden State King of the 
West series schedule! 

Winged sprintcars = the fastest and most exciting 
racecars on dirt! 

why am i an ass because im not on here crying that i didnt get a beer.if thats the case drink in the parking lot or go to a bar.cry cry cry thats all you people can do.seems to me the race was a good race but all you care about is bitching.thats all we need is someone taking pictures and wanting beer.go cry on someone elses shoulder.maaama maamaa.

WOW!!! Nobody has anything positive about Antioch.. that is shocking?!?!

we all know I live in the next town over and it is my most disliked track for many reasons...

nothing has changed except for the have more dirt (with huge rocks in it)... O ya they are bringing more dirt in and im sure it will have just as many rocks it it...

anyways about the food and beer lines.. I don't know who you are telling anyone to GET OVER IT!! there are plenty of people that go to race tracks all over that have disabilities such as diabetes and many others illnesses and when they are feeling like they need sugar or food or drink there is no standing in line for over 30 minutes... you might as well call the ambulance cause that is where it is headed...

you have to look at state fair regulations... you have to have a WORKING water fountain fo revery certen amount of people (the faucet in the bathroom does not count) if you ask at the track they will tell you the 1 water fountain is clear on the other side of the fairgrounds.... well they don't let you in or out .....

ya ya on the weapon thing any track could have that problem and they let you in and out..

it might have been an exciting race.. we had stop watch time trials and no one ever saw or heard the times and there were many drivers at the pit board wanting to know there time and got nothing...

anyways whatever it is never going to change at Antioch so I guess every time we go there it will be the same BS!!!!

(LOSER)

Jason you cant tail gate at Antioch!!!! look in to it before you BITCH!!!!!

(LOSER)

Jason - Thanks for illustrating my point. Did you even read my post? Or the others that you bashed? Idiot!

#1 - No other track in NorCal has the issue with long beer lines. During my visits to Chico, Placerville, Petaluma, Ocean, Tulare and others, I have never waited longer than 5 or 10 minutes for a beer. If the track was smart, they would be like Chico and set up mini beer & beverage stands throughout the concession area (for the larger crowds at big races). The bottom line is the track is missing out on tons of $$$ and the fans waiting in line are not happy.

# 2 - Yes, Antioch is in a semi-bad neighbourhood. However, I did NOT notice any trouble making locals inside the track. All I saw was regular, hard working Americans who love racing. This is the same crowd that I see at Petaluma, Ocean and Calistoga with no issues. Those tracks do not have armed guards walking about acting like ahole bouncers waiting to kick someone out. I see no reason why you can't have a pass out. I also don't agree with a person with a pit pass can't walk into the grandstand area. A pit pass should grant you access to all areas of the track.

* I will continue to visit Antioch due to it only being 30 miles from my house and I like the new track layout. I just wish they would make these improvements to help improve the fan experience.

Quit all of your BITCHING... The racing action all night long was far better than any previous race I have attended this season. More passing in one heat race, than at the mini gold cup. Hell, even the Dwarf car main was quite entertaining. Granted, the security staff all had a little too much teststerone for their own good, and it was quite irritating to have them going up and down the grandstand aisles every 45 seconds, but I too live nearby, and throughout the years their have been many problems in the stands with that kind of security force being their only option. The fans that went to see a race saw a great one, with you not being sure who the winner would be till the very end. Track does need work, but if racing and passing in each event are what you want to see, it was an AWSOME EVENT!

hey tkfan im not bitching just laughing at all you bitches.all im saying is if you need to go to the races and drink beer and thats what seems to be the problem who has the problem.i understand people are unhappy with security but get over it.pound a few beers in the car if you need to drink that badly.do you go to the races to drink or to watch the races.carry on left coasters...