Road Atlanta Info - Fletcher Willams

I'm planning on going down to RA for the SAARC race in two weeks. I read in the supps that "open" trailers must be removed from the paddock area while closed trailers will be allowed to remain. As some of you know, I have a sort of hybrid open/closed with all my tools and spares permanently mounted to my trailer, you can see it here. I sleep in it, I work out of it, all my spares are in it, my fuel permanently mounted to it and if I don't have the trailer in the paddock I'm basically screwed.

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The supps indicate you might be able to contact Fletcher Williams, the Paddock Chief, for alternative treatment and was wondering if anyone might know him or have an email. If the RA crew is going to force me to be separated from my car in the paddock then I won't be attending an event at RA.

Ron- Fletcher's e-mail is [email protected]. Drop him a note and I'm sure you'll be able to keep your trailer with the car. The only open-trailers I see parked in the lower lot (i.e., away from their cars) are the ones with nothing attached. If you've got a box/tool cabinet/etc as part of your trailer, I've never seen anyone like that forced to leave it elsewhere. Fletcher is the final word, but I can't imagine it will be an issue.

Hey Tom, Thanks much, I'll email him.

Best,
Ron

Ron, I help Fletcher with paddock parking and do not see your trailer as a problem. The rule is there to keep paddock space available that would be taken by open trailers that serve no other purpose. Clearly that is not the case with yours.

Be warned that we can not get into the track until 8:00 Thursday night.

Thanks Tom.

We (Ron and I) are coming up early Friday a.m., should be there around 11 I hope.

How does the test day work? I was told it is "a la carte" meaning we can just run the afternoon sessions?

Typically there are 4 sessions, you can run any number of them and the cost is based on how many of your sessions are left in the day when you sign in and pay.

Ron,
Fletcher has a tough job and takes it very seriously. Be nice and patient with him and things will go well for both of you. He has always been great with me, after I figured out he has ten million racers trying to do what he tells them not to do in the paddock. If you approach him in the right way he will help you with most anything.
Oh and as I always say, "If you haven't had a little bit of an A** chewing from OL Fletch, you really have not been to The ARRC!":D I mean that in a very humorus way.

Hi Fellows,

Thanks for the help and assistance. I sent Fletcher an email this morning and was polite. However, if I don’t get confirmation from him that I’ll be allowed in I’m not going to make the six hour drive. Too far to go to run into a problem like that.

Thanks,
Ron

Ron, while my old set up was nowhere as complex as yours, I was never allowed to keep mine by my car. I had a big box on the front with tool boxes, spares and such. So don't be suprised. Good luck.

Having said that, there are a few places where you can park the trailer on the grass right at the edge of the paddock, where technically the trailer is not IN the paddock. That is how I got around it near the end, before I got the fully enclosed trailer.

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Originally Posted by Tristan Smith

So don't be suprised. Good luck.

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I'm not holding my breath. If they are that pedjudiced against open trailers and not basing the rule on function, then so be it. I just won't be racing RA. The RA region is pretty healthy so one more entry more or less won't matter to them.

Thanks,
Ron

Hi Ron,
Fletcher does a great job parking all of us wore out, ust drove 4 hour guys who want to take up 2 spaces..... I to agree that you qualify as a enclosed trailer.... Where does enclosed begin...and open end?? Asking a few up front questions now get everything running smooth when you pull in. A good attitude on your part will make huge difference....... I'll never forget the A** chewing I was on the receiving end of..... and after reflecting on later deserved both...... He gets it done. Toughest job of the weekend at times I bet.

David

You gotta come on down......you do have a 3.9 diff i hope.....and fresh valve springs.:eclipsee_steering:

Ron,

As a part of the Atlanta Region administration and the paddock parking crew let me assure you that you will be able to park your trailer next to your car. Do not wait for confirmation from Fletcher as he travels a lot and is slow to respond. We are not prejudiced towards open trailers. We do have a policy of asking they be parked in "the back 40" to allow space in the paddock for multi function trailers. Your trailer falls under that category. Trailers that have a tool box or a tire rack on them do not.

I will be at the track all weekend starting at 8 PM Thursday night. If you have any problems call me at (678) 643-9897.

Also, having been part of the paddock parking crew for I guess about 7 years now I must say that Fletcher has mellowed some recently. Some. ;)

Tom, that's awesome, many thanks on that man. With that, we will be there, hopefully with both cars.

David, you know that 260 motor doesn't rev like yours....3.7 for us I think. Plus with all that torque from the extra .2 displacement, he doesn't need to wind it out like you guys.

Y'all, the ARRC is wall to wall people..this race will be substantially less so parking should not be a problem. Seems like it was announced that we could use the pro pits this race and if so, parking will be a breeze. How about it, Tom? Chuck

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Originally Posted by tom_sprecher

Ron,
As a part of the Atlanta Region administration and the paddock parking crew let me assure you that you will be able to park your trailer next to your car.

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Hey Tom,

Thanks much for that, very appreciated. I'll plan on coming and seeing how RA works out. Glad I asked up front.

Track looks like fun. Yep, as far as turning the 260Z up I tend to run one diff lower (numerically) than the 240Zs run. Might be a should run the same as the 240Z, but this motor is a bit tired and has had a few RPM related valve train, uhh, issues.....don't need to add to that!

I'm a pretty mellow fellow so I imagine I'll get along with the RA folks pretty well. Looks like a good weekend.

Ron

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Originally Posted by chuck baader

Y'all, the ARRC is wall to wall people..this race will be substantially less so parking should not be a problem. Seems like it was announced that we could use the pro pits this race and if so, parking will be a breeze. How about it, Tom? Chuck

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Not this race, but maybe the ARRC. Other than not starting until 8 at night, I don't think parking will be a problem at this race.

Ron,
Don't take the Fletcher posts as Atlanta Region being unfriendly. To be accurate it is the exact opposite. The folks there (including Fletcher if you are not pushy) bend over backwards to put on great events. Butch and his crew are always listening to the racers and doing stuff that makes you want to come back. I usually tow from Texas for the July weekend and for the ARRC. Been doing it most of the years since 99. The way they run it a racer gets a lot of racing for his entry fee.
Several years ago a friend an I took his car my trailer and his motorhome and each ran a sprint race and shared the ECR in one car. I have been doing something like that at ARRC and during the summer race weekend for the last few years. In these tough economic times, I would think racers could really save some bucks by doing the sharing one car deal. As hot as Kudzuland will be in July, one sprint and 1/2 an ECR with the Q & P sessions would max my ol tired butt out.
The main thing is that RAtlanta is a world class road course and coming from my profession I liken it to playing golf at Pebble Beach or Augusta National.

Be sure and line up on the yellow flag when you go under the bridge!

And Fletcher really has mellowed, significantly.

Just come in politely like I know you will and you will be perfectly fine. He fits 10 pounds worth of racecars into a 5 pound paddock at the big events... it runs like clockwork at the normal sized ones.

Ron,
when are you dropping your new motor in?

Damn guys, you're making me think the paddock is the size of a postage stamp.

New motor will be in for the SIC and I'm looking forward to it.

R

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Originally Posted by Ron Earp

Damn guys, you're making me think the paddock is the size of a postage stamp.

New motor will be in for the SIC and I'm looking forward to it.

R

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It is a good-sized, if oddly shaped, paddock... until you try to cram 400 cars worth of crap in it.

I think the odd shape does it in.

I figure there should be a good bit less than 400 cars there next weekend.

Tom, is there anything special one needs to do to get within 50' of an available power hookup?

Power is very limited at Rd Atlanta and even if you get near an outlet it often does not work. If you must have power it is best you bring your own.

Ron, I'd say listen to Tom. he's in the know. My experience has been nothing but good with Fletcher, and I'm a damn Yankee!

The ARRC is the only time I'm there, and it is tight, but it works just fine. He'll make sure your hybrid is near you and you'll be fine. Keep in mind the ARRC is HUGE, and lots of guys bring the full size 18 wheeler rigs for a couple cars....a normal regional should be more workable..

Dooo eeeeeet! The track be awesome.

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Originally Posted by RexRacer19

I figure there should be a good bit less than 400 cars there next weekend...

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I haven't looked at the registration numbers but I doubt there will be half that. There will be plenty of room to park.

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Originally Posted by tom_sprecher

If you must have power it is best you bring your own.

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Since I don't have my own...I guess I need to work on getting close to a receptacle that works...

I've obviously been following this and Tom has been doing a great job answering. We've currently got 144 cars registered with early registration shutting down on Tuesday at noon, so I'm expecting slightly north of 200 for the weekend. For the ARRC by GRM we HAVE put 300 cars in the same space, but it WAS crowded.

We wil not have use of the Pro Paddock for this coming weekend, but we will have it open for the ARRC. It costs an extra $1500 to use it, so we try not to if we don't have to.

We could alleviate a lot of the issues if (like VIR and a number of other tracks) we didn't allow crew parking in the paddock. Given the choice between that and asking unused open trailers to be moved to the Lower 40, we've opted for the latter first.

They say they don't want my job, but I DEFINITELY don't want Fletcher and Tom's job when it comes move-in time on Thursday and Friday nights.

Just as a reminder (and SOMEbody will get pissed because "we didn't tell them"), we cannot move in until 8:00 on Thursday evening. BMW is doing a "major project launch" on Thursday and wants to keep the facility secure until then.

See ya...

Oh, my goodness, Butch...were you supposed to mention the "BWM" word?????

Quit fretting...the paddock will be well arranged as is usual for the Atlanta crew. The best bet for power has been the skid pad area...most of the outlets seem to work there. Chuck

Well, after all this and the great support from the RA folks it looks like I can't come down. I've got some family things to attend to this weekend and need to be here. I'll need to check the sups for who to contact about a cancellation.

Ron

Ron,

No-shows at our Road Atlanta events are an automagic refund. Sorry you guys won't be able to make it.