Friday night at the street races I had a long chat with the owner of Milan. It seems that he has visited this web sight and was questioning why I've been bashing his track so much. He also explained to me that not all tracks are created equal. Alot of this info. I didn't realize and I'm posting this to inform everyone and to get the input from you guys and from Bill (owner of Milan) if he is listening.

First topic and probably the biggest complaint at Milan is the launch area. I was explained to that on Wed and Fri night (the majority of the time us L owners run) the track is not prepped to the extent that it is on the weekend. This is due to the fact that so many street tired cars are carrying water to the launch area making the VHT useless. Now this makes perfect sence to me and since I don't visit Milan on the weekend couldn't really argue this point. Even with the lack of VHT the street tires tend to dig the sticky rubber off the track making it even slipperier. Now I must admit that I have posted my best 60' and quickest ET at Milan. I have found that the slicks I am using really like to be heated up and I try to get as many slick tired cars to run ahead of me as possible to put some stick'um down before I run.

The other issue that I didn't realize was the fact that not all light beams (ie 60'ft and finish line) are set the same height off the ground from track to track. So in effect you your start light could be triggered by your front tires and the 60' triggered by your lower front bumper which making your 60' an actual 58' at some tracks. Some tracks do this to give 60' time to cars carrying the front tires past the 60' beams. The other topic is the finish line beams being set higher and being tripped by your front lower bumper and giving you a lower ET. And in turn a happier drag racer who will return to spend his drag racing money.
Now I know Bill does not want to be bashing other tracks. But it has been said that other tracks shorten the quarter mile to lower ET's. I am not sure if there is some type of governing body that actually goes out and measures drag strips or not but it goes back to the theory of lower ET's = happier drag racers = more money. I was told Milan is a true quarter mile and the finish line had to be moved down the track when it was purchased. This also makes sence to me not the best business move if you want to get happy racers but at least it's fair.

All and all I believe I owe Milan an apology for my bashing when I didn't have all the facts. I don't want to sound like I'm sucking up to Milan. I'm just passing along some info.

Does any one (more experienced drag racer or not) have any input on this? I am curious.

HIGH RISK

 

Hi Bob
I'm not the pro here but, I did hear that Milan was even bad for the big dragracers on the Ford Extravaganza weekend in July. If the water is the problem, they should have their guys limit the amount of water they put down in the box, and not spray allllll the way across so the street tired cars have no path around. This happens all the time. If they laid some rules down for the street tires, and kept the water off the line, they could do their prep and make some more happy racers. Unfortunitely, they are the only "local" track around with no competition to make their track more desirable.
My .02...

 

Go to Norwalk on a friday night...
There are at least the same about of street tire cars, and it is sticky and will stay sticky all night. Plus the staff is better.
The staging lines are run better too.

 

After my conversation Friday night I told Bill that I would pass the info. along. So I did. Maybe if he gets some feed back from us through me. We could make things better since it is the most convenient location for most of us.

Thanks,
HIGH RISK

 

Unfortunately, Milan has a monopoly going on. We are the 'Motor City' and dont even have a freakin dragstrip in the city.

My thoughts are that we need another local track to make things competitive. It would also cut down on the amount of waiting time in the lanes with less cars if they where divided by two tracks. I was really hoping that the Motorplex at the fairgrounds would have worked. Even though it was only scheduled for a circle track at first, we'd at least have a foot in the door.

Milan is a decent place, and I will spend my $ there (for now). But, since the owners know that people like me (and you) will still patronize them, they have no need to go the extra step for customer satisfaction.

R/T SC

 

Bill is right. Not all tracks are created equal. And his is less equal than Norwalk.

I went to Norwalk on Friday for a track rental, and it was prepped better than I've ever seen Milan prepped.

If street cars drag water to the starting line, Norwalk has brooms, mops and a blower available at the starting line.

If the track gets oiled down, they clean and dry it in minutes with a jet dryer.

Can Bill explain why my 60' times at Milan on MTs are WORSE than my 60' times with F1s at Norwalk?

Or why the left staging lane at Milan is visibly uneven?

Or why the lane management pisses me off every time I go?

Or why there are no major events at Milan?

The ONLY reason I go to Milan is because it is the only track within an hour of my home.

I see that Milan racers do well in the bracket competitions though. If you can race well at THAT place, you can race well anywhere.

Is Bill realated to Sal? He seems to have the same line.

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Regards,
Gordon

'99 Red Lightning
Johnny Lightning Superchip
Johnny Lighting Ram Air Kit
Century Tonneau
Best 1/4 mi. ET: 13.49 secs

 

Milan is a known as a poor hooking track, even on race day. Part of the problem down track is the sand blowing over from the Motorcross track. I have had some pretty scary rides in my Mustang at half track. I have talked to Bill myself and his comment was, "Go somewhere else if you don't like it." How's that for customer service?

If Milan is such a good track, why can I pull the front wheels at any track other than there? It's called traction, baby!

On Test & Tune nights, priority is given to "real" race cars. The street guys wait and wait while watching the racers run several times to their one. I pay my $20 just like them and I expect to get just as many runs in. Is that too much to ask?

I wish I had the means to open a drag strip and put this guy out of business.

 

MILAN IS A GREAT TRACK
Why else would Ford hold the SVT Experience there? OK now that I said that will they COMP me too. I sure would like to race for FREE.
Bob, you have had some excellent runs (very nice 60 foots) there lately and as you and I both know when the track has been prepped (loaded with VHT) both slicks and street tires do well. I had my best 60 foot time there with street tires on a FME night until our own FME guys would not let me run on the VHT prepped side. That was not a Milan issue but it does point out what good preparation can do. What does that tell you????


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BABolt
SVT#290



[This message has been edited by BABolt (edited 10-16-2000).]

 

I’m afraid I may have started something here. All the complaining about traction at Milan prompted me to e-mail them.


Maybe I stuck my nose where it didn’t belong as I don’t think I deserved this reply:


[This message has been edited by DHFerguson (edited 10-16-2000).]

 

Damn, and i even bought two of those "official" lightning racing shirts

 

I don't know who the a**hole is that answers Milan's e-mail, but I got the same snarky sort of reply when I commented about the "real racers" running laps while the street cars just sit in line on T&T nights.

Who does this *****head think pays the bills at his track? The handful of "real" racers. or the dozens of street cars who dutifully line up to be abused by these fools?

Obviously we have another dim bulb who doesn't remotely understand the concept of customer service.

He can kiss my fat, pasty white a**.

------------------
Regards,
Gordon

'99 Red Lightning
Johnny Lightning Superchip
Johnny Lighting Ram Air Kit
Century Tonneau
Best 1/4 mi. ET: 13.49 secs

 

i thought i saw some wings skating around the launch pad area. and it felt like your typical michigan roadway at the end of the track.tried to get stevie y's autograph on the launch,and was looking out for mdot trucks on the other end.this would explain the almost 2 tentghs difference between milan and stanton,were you never wait in line,unless someone leaks fluids all over.ive seen 4.8 second rails on t and t night at stanton,they wait with the rest of us.you can run tweny five times if you want and it is 15.00. compared to stanton or even martin [us131 dragway] milan is a joke.and you motor city metro boy's deserve better. ls1 and other boards trash milan a lot worse than this board ever has.later

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00 black team swanson

 

What a JACKA$$!!!! there is no reason for customer service like that. I have no desire to give them ANY of my money ever again!!!



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2000 Red Lightning
(no mods yet...just got it)
95 Saleen S-351 Convertible/Triple Black
97 Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic

 

If the pits werent't dirt, there wouldn't be so much of a problem with us slobs tracking dirt up to the start line, would there? They'd be amazed by what throwing down some
stones would do.

I had to move my truck three times before I could find a hard level spot to jack it up.

It's always nice to blame your customers for the condition of the facilities, just like some slimebag slumlord.

Someone with some business sense could turn that place into a gold mine. No wonder they never get any major events there.

------------------
Regards,
Gordon

'99 Red Lightning
Johnny Lightning Superchip
Johnny Lighting Ram Air Kit
Century Tonneau
Best 1/4 mi. ET: 13.49 secs

 

Hey Gordon.
It is a Gold mine already and just like all mining operations the precious commodity (your cash) is being harvested. I just love the comment "the real racers" since when does a clapped out POS with a suede paint job hiding 20 lbs. of Bondo become a race car. I fine very few true racers (the ones with crafted well built cars) that bash street tired vehicles. I have a fully adjustable front and rear suspension (Koni coilovers) and I run DOT approved tires so am I less of a race car. To be fair I want to collect all of the facts that I can on the effect of street tires on drag strip conditions. I contacted the NHRA today and asked to see their data on street tires vs. drag slicks and the effect each has on drag strip conditions and maintenance. I will provide this information once I receive it.

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BABolt
SVT#290