ECTA and the Laurinburg Site

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:47 am

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011 ... refer=news

Quote:

After months of searching, the East Coast Timing Association has found a new venue for its 2012 land-speed racing season: a 9,000-foot runway at the Air Park in Wilmington, Ohio.

After making a pitch earlier this week to the Clinton County Port Authority, which oversees the Air Park, ECTA co-owners Joe Timney and Keith Turk signed a deal on Wednesday to bring four races to the Air Park next year. According to Tonya Turk, the ECTA’s membership director, the deal will just cover the 2012 season, but the ECTA directors have a goal of developing a long-term relationship with the Wilmington Air Park.

For the last 15 years, the ECTA has conducted its land-speed runs on a stretch of little-used World War II-era runway in Maxton, North Carolina. The group started looking for a new location when directors learned that the the Gryphon Group, a private security company that leases the land the ECTA uses for its events, would not allow the ECTA to use the runway after its fifth and final event of the 2011 season, which takes place next month.

According to Turk, the Wilmington runway is actually shorter than the Maxton runway, but it is in much better condition and straight where Maxton was not. No dates have yet been set for the ECTA 2012 season at Wilmington, but Turk said they’re aiming to conduct their first event
at the end of April.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:40 am

It will be interesting to know if we can run there next year. Between the declining conditions of the site and Gryphon, this looks to become a memory. Time will tell if we can run next year.

Stephen Westerfield · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:43 am

RodneyWright wrote:

It will be interesting to know if we can run there next year. Between the declining conditions of the site and Gryphon, this looks to become a memory. Time will tell if we can run next year.

I think all the more reason we should keep our last autocross there to give it a proper send off.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 12:31 pm

This could be more liability-based in that people have been killed there doing those high speed runs? The only thing I recall THSCC killing there was a Miata front spindle (or some suspension part) and the edges of my A6s.

jeremy gast · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:06 pm

and Les yellow vette into a sign or two!!!!.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:32 pm

Stephen Westerfield wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

It will be interesting to know if we can run there next year. Between the declining conditions of the site and Gryphon, this looks to become a memory. Time will tell if we can run next year.

I think all the more reason we should keep our last autocross there to give it a proper send off.

Indeed. I have some very fond memories from L'burg, fire ant bites, feces smell in the air, gnats...... :lol:

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:13 pm

Ryan Holton wrote:

Indeed. I have some very fond memories from L'burg, fire ant bites, feces smell in the air, gnats....

I have a few myself like waiting in BFE until like 8:00 waiting for a roll-back to tow us home, lots of awesome AWD lauches in the Talon, watching Dishman use his Z06 like a bass boat, having the throttle stick wide-open on the old CRX, riding shotgun with Kent Young while his Camaro was on fire, watching Randy Melton finish the course in REVERSE, etc, etc.

Yeah I'm gonna miss Laurinburg.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:17 pm

I have a floorpan dent and some minor "mods" to the front lower frame corners from BIG concrete "chips" and going the wrong way in a lane change type section and hitting one of the slab edges . . . all many years ago before it got really bad. Also recall almost 90 mph speeds before and after a tight 180 . . . with only 115 HP.

Almost forgot. I had my first and only "the car physically broke" experience at L'burg. Snapped a recently magnafluxed half shaft when one tire hit a hole while launching hard.

Dick

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:21 pm

We just need to work a hybrid event with Gryphon Group. While we autocross, they do a training exercise in which they fire at the cars with paintball guns.

Richard

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

jeremy gast wrote:

and Les yellow vette into a sign or two!!!!.

It was just one sign and I feel bad because I know that incident was a catalyst to the Gryphon group's decision to ban us from using that area. I too really miss the 90 second courses and "the P" at Laurinburg. Of course I did everything I could possibly have done to make amends including paying for a new sign and paying a contractor to go install the new sign. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the mercenaries apparently.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:41 pm

Richard Casto wrote:

We just need to work a hybrid event with Gryphon Group. While we autocross, they do a training exercise in which they fire at the cars with paintball guns.

I'm in, but only if we get to shoot back.

--Donnie

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:44 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

riding shotgun with Kent Young while his Camaro was on fire

I remember that. :lol:

As I recall, the first fire extinguisher on the scene didn't work. I think he started carrying a FE in the car shortly thereafter.

I too loved the P.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:59 pm

Cash Davidson wrote:

Vincent Keene wrote:

riding shotgun with Kent Young while his Camaro was on fire

I remember that. :lol:

As I recall, the first fire extinguisher on the scene didn't work. I think he started carrying a FE in the car shortly thereafter.

Actually the issue was the valve cover leaking onto the header wrap and catching fire. When we went past the finish and stopped at the bus, someone said "You're on fire!". I got out pretty quick (to save my own ass)...hey, it wasn't my car! The problem was all the fire extinguishers were out on the course and none were in the bus! IRC, someone hustled an extinguisher from a nearby worker station and put the flames out.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:58 pm

The only event that was cancelled *during* the event was a Laurinburg. It was a monsoon and you would lose sight of the cars as they entered the P because of the wall of water it kicked up. Naturally, the sun came out 15 minutes after the bus was packed.

I also remember a yellow MINI (Chris Suich?) folding the right rear wheel under the car entering the P once. It didn't look good at all!

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:51 pm

I remember Graham and I hosting our first event there with not enough workers, a broken timer, and a course that used every cone and over the two days must have had every cone hit at least twice. (something like 620 cone calls) The concrete came up and we bought Quick drying concrete to patch it overnight.

I walked into the hotel and I thought Chris Peterson and Kevin Butler who were auditing were going to kill me. :lol:

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