july meet

37 ROADSTER · July 06, 2021, 06:11:24 AM

July meet cancelled because of heat

Stan Back · July 06, 2021, 09:42:03 AM

Seems I remember it being over 100 in July before. Or maybe that was every time in July.

Happy Pappy · July 06, 2021, 09:52:27 AM

Supposed to be 110 this weekend + wind. Probably a good decision to cancel.

Chris

jimmy six · July 06, 2021, 10:17:11 AM

I am personally glad the SCTA BOARD has the best interests of ALL attending El Mirage meets. Over the last few years we have seen that missing 1 or 2 meets in a year does not deter the existence of the organization. Thanks

ps: on personal note, every record I have set was in July into a headwind. At least this my side of the story. . . . Stan is right all July meets are over 100 at least since 1975 when I started going..JD

Beef Stew · July 06, 2021, 11:13:30 AM

Here's the cancellation message.

Today the SCTA Board met via email to discuss the extreme heat forecast for El Mirage this weekend. After discussion a motion was made & seconded to cancel the event. A Board vote was taken & a majority vote to cancel was reached. Temps are expected to be 110 to 114 degrees. Our first priority is always the health & safety of our racers, workers, volunteers & spectators. That being said the risk of heat related illness & injury is just too great. We apologize for any inconvenience & we hope you understand & support our decision. Thank you!................................Pat
Pat McDowell
SCTA President & Race Director

People are not as rugged today as we were in the past. In the mid 1950s we practiced football when it was 115 degrees in Los Angeles.

MRK · July 06, 2021, 12:10:28 PM

We ( the SCTA board ) all brought lot's of good points as to why we should have the meet and why we should cancel.
The best interests of all concerned ( racers, crew, volunteers, spectators, etc.. ) were what sent us down the path of voting for cancellation.
The extreme heat forecast was one, the cost and the possibility of not being able to have another ambulance and crew available was another, the fact that it was going to be a low entry meet, etc.
It was voted to error on the side of caution and hope that the remaining 3 races on the calendar will be held as scheduled.
A little in sight on how it came to be...

gowing · July 06, 2021, 04:37:55 PM

Quote from: MRK on July 06, 2021, 12:10:28 PM
The extreme heat forecast was one, the cost and the possibility of not being able to have another ambulance and crew available was another, the fact that it was going to be a low entry meet, etc.

so... it was ultimately the economics that caused the cancellation.
but blame it on the weather?

desotoman · July 06, 2021, 05:57:04 PM

I have a feeling the weather was the biggest issue. Hot and windy, with the low temp Saturday night a freezing 79 degrees, and winds up to 20 mph. It would be sunstroke city IMO. Good Call.

Tom G.

MRK · July 06, 2021, 07:33:42 PM

Quote from: gowing on July 06, 2021, 04:37:55 PM
Quote from: MRK on July 06, 2021, 12:10:28 PM
The extreme heat forecast was one, the cost and the possibility of not being able to have another ambulance and crew available was another, the fact that it was going to be a low entry meet, etc.
so... it was ultimately the economics that caused the cancellation.
but blame it on the weather?

Really? That's what you read into this?
The SCTA board is always keen to put on a race as long as it makes sense from all positions but money is never the priority. Numerous "money loser" events have been put on by the SCTA and if it makes sense to race, we race. What's next, making the course curve around the fissures on the lakebed just to have a race?

jimmy six · July 07, 2021, 08:35:31 AM

Beef Stew?..you sound like you play for Alabamas Paul Bryant that was know to have players die under his tough guy rules. As a question to your playing football in the 50s LA summer ?.were ALL the players over 65 like you are now. I think not. Just look around at the ages of those doing the work at an SCTA meet sometime.

Beef Stew · July 07, 2021, 11:08:26 PM

Ernie Johnson was a legendary football coach, producing dominant teams at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera and later at Cerritos College. NFL Quarterback Bill Nelsen was a teammate, we were class of '58.

jimmy six · July 08, 2021, 10:19:23 AM

That is great to know but irrelevant to older members of the SCTA working and racing in 100+ degree heat and the SCTA board looking out for a majority of its members.

Milwaukee Midget · July 08, 2021, 10:46:06 AM

Quote from: Beef Stew on July 06, 2021, 11:13:30 AM
People are not as rugged today as we were in the past. In the mid 1950s we practiced football when it was 115 degrees in Los Angeles.

I'm sure you probably did, but I'm also reasonably certain you didn't have an accurate 5 day forecast available to warn you of it, either.

This is where I get on my soap box:

Excess heat kills more Americans than any other weather related phenomenon.

Stepping down, now.

Now, as to ruggedness:

Had the forecast called for rain, or a hurricane or tornadoes, would you have towed your vehicle to Elmo because you didn't want to appear to be a wimp?

Yeah, I'm pickin' on you a bit, and perhaps we're not as tough as we used to be, but we ARE 65 years smarter with better forecasting ability.

I'll take smart decisions based on evidence and scientific projections over hospitalization every time.

jdincau · July 08, 2021, 03:05:11 PM

Tony and I pulled our club course prep duty on the third. I was amazed at the number of marijuana farms out there. We passed at least five plastic covered six foot berm surrounded enclosures on the way in to the SCTA property. Along the way we passed a dead pickup with a 400 gallon water tank in the back. I hear that is a common occurrence they run them till they drop and leave em where they fall. If I had to travel that road all the time I think I would be packing.

Beef Stew · July 08, 2021, 11:00:00 PM

Quote from: Milwaukee Midget on July 08, 2021, 10:46:06 AM
Quote from: Beef Stew on July 06, 2021, 11:13:30 AM
People are not as rugged today as we were in the past. In the mid 1950s we practiced football when it was 115 degrees in Los Angeles.

I'm sure you probably did, but I'm also reasonably certain you didn't have an accurate 5 day forecast available to warn you of it, either.
QuoteThe military was doing accurate 5 day forecasts before World War II.

This is where I get on my soap box:

Excess heat kills more Americans than any other weather related phenomenon.

Stepping down, now.

QuoteIf you were really concerned you wouldn't be pumping hydrocarbons into the atmosphere at Bonneville

Now, as to ruggedness:

Had the forecast called for rain, or a hurricane or tornadoes, would you have towed your vehicle to Elmo because you didn't want to appear to be a wimp?

Yeah, I'm pickin' on you a bit, and perhaps we're not as tough as we used to be, but we ARE 65 years smarter with better forecasting ability.

QuoteWe had accurate forecasts, and every high school and college held football practice that day. Los Aggeles County is over 4,000 square miles in size. The temperature in Pico Rivera in not the same as it is in Santa Monica.

I'll take smart decisions based on evidence and scientific projections over hospitalization every time.

Babler and Clark held the record at over 200 mph in 1962. Take a good look at the so-called roll-bar. Would you drive over 200 mph with a roll-bar as unsafe as this one. BTW many people had roll-bars no better that this in 1962. Things were different then.

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july meet