Our first Carlsbad attempt was total fiasco. We were lined up and ready to drag race but it started raining at the last possible moment. Disappointment was high, but we're suckers for punishment. Hold on to your hats and bloomers ladies and gents, we're going to try this again.
Carlsbad information
Where?
Carlsbad drag strip in Carlsbad, California. If you look at the map below, you'll see a red X on the map. This is a business park that's closed on Saturday. This is a great gathering point because directly in front of the drag strip's gates really sucks the big one to wait for somebody. I will elaborate more later.
Be Very Mindful of the directions below! If you notice, there is a small side street turnoff before the signal. The signal is just another 50 yards or so past that first minor street. Do not turn into that street before the signal. We had some confusion on December the 19th and we didn't meet with two members before actually going into the Raceway.
When?
Carlsbad does not open until 1pm. I repeat, doesn't open until 1pm. If you want to show up at 1pm, just drive directly to the main gates and go on in.
I for one would like to get together before that Time, say, 11am. Why? It's an opportunity to meet beforehand, get everyone together and do some talking before racing. It's just easier to meet the group ahead of Time first instead of trying to play catch up at a later hour. I'll use the example of Kyle Susswain and how we didn't know he was around and didn't know who to look for. Fortunately Michael Mulgrew did see him before so that was the only way that we ran into him that day. It could have really sucked for someone to show up and not meet the rest of the club. Anyway, show up at 11am, we'll go somewhere and get something to eat and talk. Otherwise, if you're late, you can circle around and look for a group of Probes, probably at the location marked B on the map. Of course, once it's around 12:30pm I suspect we'll all make our way back to the big red X below again before heading off to the track.
If you have any other questions, email me.
This is the map of the immediate area. (Yeah Jin, no kidding!)
The black A is where you can get gasoline (Arco?) or a stop at a Carl's Jr. for the trip back home. It's the same Carl's Jr. where John, Alex, and myself spent four hours talking smack on the 12th. Yeah, you heard right, we sat for four hours in there. Funny thing about sitting for four hours, I got hungry on my drive back home. There's also a Jiffy Lube there if you're inclined to get a quick oil change to maximize your chances at the 1/4 mile.
It's about 8 miles from the freeway to the drag strip. About halfway there there's another gas station you could stop at if you really needed to.
The black Bs represent a small shopping area with various conveniences. There's a bank, a Sav-On(I think), Subway, pizza, chinese food, Mobil gas, etc... Stuff. It's just down the road about a mile or two from the drag strip entrance.
What do I need to bring?
Well I'm glad you asked that question. Here's the breakdown:
If you do not plan to drag race, bring enough to cover the admission fee of 10 dollars per person.
If you definitely plan to drag race, then the requirements are a bit stiffer, so pay attention and make a checklist.
1. Still 10 dollars per person, but an extra 10 dollars for the car you're going to race. Multiple drivers can drag race a single car.
2. Make sure your car is in good working order. No fluid leaks, no obvious/serious damage, etc. Just make sure it's running right.
3. Wear pants! Long legged pants. No shorts of any kind allowed for racers.
4. Bring something with long sleeves like a jacket or a shirt. They did not specifically require this, but I would be careful and bring something just in case. On the 19th it was quite cold and brisk so a jacket was absolutely essential unless you're an eskimo.
5. Clean your car's insides. You don't want that Hansen cassette single to fly across your dashboard and MmmBop you on the nose. They won't want it either, so either leave it out or make sure you can stow away anything into a secure place. Even if you can't, there should be enough members of the club there to watch your gear, but just make it convenient.
6. If you have one, bring a helmet. You cannot run if you don't have a helmet. On the 19th I managed to bring two helmets. You don't have to have a helmet if you can share with others, but you have to be wearing one when you're lined up to race. 4 helmets is probably a good number for a group of people.