do you have any old pictures?

[Tom S]

Tom S neat racing pictures, is that a dirt road they are racing on? ...
I hear there is a drag strip in Alaska , and the track is heated.

Not a dirt road.  Yeah, we have a strip about 50 miles away that opened in '64 I think.   
Heated?!  Oh, hell no!      Somebody fed you some wild BS on that one.

[Ford Blue blood]

ok I found some sound...

KOOL!       

[hiball3985]

Tom has provided some great insight into the automotive world in Alaska with all his posts I have read, I didn't have a clue before. . I'll be the first to admit I know little to nothing about the state. I just assumed any form of racing would be dog sleds 

[Tom S]

...Alaska ... I just assumed any form of racing would be dog sleds 

Yeah, we got sled dog racing.  Lot of it going on right now & the Iditarod starts real soon.  Ain't my thing.
We don't have nearly the amount of motor racing here that I would like & hardly any places for it.  I have been to the drags maybe 3- 4 times in the last  20 years.
We did have the oldest continuous annual street race in the USA.  Running from the very early 1960's to 2006. Came back one time again in 2009.   It is gone now.
The "Rondy Grand Prix" was held in several different locations in town over the years.  I worked as a pit crew guy, sometimes the only one, for 2 or 3 different friends over time for maybe the last 15 - 20 years of the race.
This pic is from one of the early races in the original location & the one I liked best.  Right downtown.  Some guys raced Vettes in this back then.  They did not do well & were beaten by lighter cars.



Check out my vid & be sure to read my comments.  My buds kickin' ass as usual in the very hot Porsche powered V-dubs. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqZ7Y3KLdkE

[hiball3985]

That's great, I had no idea there was that type of racing, looks like fun to me.. I don't think you could do that in any of the lower 48. Do you have any idea as to how many 57's are in your state?

[Tom S]

That's great, I had no idea there was that type of racing, looks like fun to me.. I don't think you could do that in any of the lower 48. Do you have any idea as to how many 57's are in your state?

What?!  They have held major national & international races on the streets of Long Beach Since 1975.
Long Beach is in a state you may have heard of, California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prix_of_Long_Beach
There have been Formula 1 & CART, (Indy cars), races on the streets of Detroit & Phoenix  Maybe other US cities too.   
Just found that racing on the streets in New Jersey is planned for this year & maybe New York later.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95596
How many 57's up here?  Come on, man, you gotta be kiddin'.  How would I have a clue on that?
Lemmie see. Alaska population about 720,000.  A rough guess is that around 1/3 are off our limited road system, so ~475,000 on the road system. 
Population of California, lots of roads, ~ 38 million. (38,000,000!  )
Probably about 1% or less of what you have in Cali.
Any idea as to how many you have there? 

[hiball3985]

What?!  They have held major national & international races on the streets of Long Beach Since 1975.
Long Beach is in a state you may have heard of, California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prix_of_Long_Beach
There have been Formula 1 & CART, (Indy cars), races on the streets of Detroit & Phoenix  Maybe other US cities too.   
Just found that racing on the streets in New Jersey is planned for this year & maybe New York later.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95596
How many 57's up here?  Come on, man, you gotta be kiddin'.  How would I have a clue on that?
Lemmie see. Alaska population about 720,000.  A rough guess is that around 1/3 are off our limited road system, so ~475,000 on the road system. 
Population of California, lots of roads, ~ 38 million. (38,000,000!  )
Probably about 1% or less of what you have in Cali.
Any idea as to how many you have there? 

I'm well aware of the those races I've been to a few But those are highly organized, regulated types, nothing like the kind in the video with spectators standing track side without all the safety barriers and high $$$ grandstands.

No, I have no idea how many are here, but my guess would be more then Alaska 

[Tom S]

I'm well aware of the those races I've been to a few But those are highly organized, regulated types, nothing like the kind in the video with spectators standing track side without all the safety barriers and high $$$ grandstands.

No, I have no idea how many are here, but my guess would be more then Alaska 

I see.  Those high & very hard packed snow banks are/were plowed up there as barriers. Pretty safe, people had to stay back from the edge.  Usually a wet & slick track.  There was a little bit of grandstands.
Very sad to see it has gone away due to high costs & lack of sponsors.

Way off topic but what the Fur Rendezvous is about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_Rendezvous_Festival
"Rondy Grand Prix - The Oldest Street Race in the U.S."

[hiball3985]

Reading that sounds like something I would enjoy, a more down to earth event rather then a big commercialized one..

[Tom S]

Reading that sounds like something I would enjoy, a more down to earth event rather then a big commercialized one..

But what about this? 

I need thermals if it gets below 50 

I worked this sucker when it was below zero. 

[Ford Blue blood]

But Tom when it hits 45 degrees out there you guys are in shorts, tee shirts and flip flops.........

[Tom S]

But Tom when it hits 45 degrees out there you guys are in shorts, tee shirts and flip flops.........

Not me!  I'd freeze skinny old ass off.  45 gets pretty chilly on a bike too.

[hiball3985]

But what about this?  I worked this sucker when it was below zero. 

I said I would enjoy the event, not the weather 

[Tom S]

I said I would enjoy the event, not the weather 

Hard to do if yer freezing yer butt off.  I bet you ain't got any bunny-boots either.   

[hiball3985]

Hard to do if yer freezing yer butt off.  I bet you ain't got any bunny-boots either.   

I could survive one day maybe  , and then head south as fast I could