Panic state

[mrevilracing]

Ok. I'm calm now. Why? I'll tell ya 'cause it's been buggin' me.

Last weekend, Nancy and I took a nice ride in the Mach. Before you go "Oh great.....", we putzed along and enjoyed the scenery, or as much as you can see between the shaker and the roll cage padding at the top of the windshield. While in the back roads of Berks and Montgomery counties, we noticed that even on the out of the way roads, they had cut in the rumble strips on the yellow line. I got to wondering, what if they did that on any of the hills. That would be disasterous! Understand my reason for a possible panic?
So, is there anyone that knows how they determine which road gets that rumble strip thing cut into the roadway?

[Mel Horn]

The Gold Mine Hillclimb (run in the mid-'70s) road had grown center-line rumble grooves by the time I went back and took pictures approx 5 yrs ago. IIRC it is the only "lost hillclimb" road that this has happened to, which of course prevents it from ever being resurrected.

I don't know the criteria for deciding what road needs them. Gold Mine is a relatively well travelled road...

[Joe Foering]

Steve,
Although I've been retired for about a year, it is my understanding that PennDot wants to put these "rumbles" on STATE roads as a safety measure. However, I believe that this would be done during other road work, i.e they will not send out crews to only insert them. As to criteria, not sure if there is anything specific. You should check with the PennDot Engineering District of the road in question. Check with the PennDot section of the PA website for a contact person, usually the Community Relations person.

Not sure about Giants or Weatherly (are they State Roads?), but Duryea seems safe. Penndot should be able to tell you if any road is a state or township road. Hope this helps...

JoAnne Foering

[Rich Sweigart]

Rose Valley, Weatherly, and Giants are all state roads, Duryea is a city road. In Bucks, they were set out to install them but, it seems like it is only the major numbered state routes, they have not touched the secondary Penndot roads yet.

Goldmine has had rumble strips in it for at least 6 years. I used to stop by and take run in the work truck on my tour of the I-81 project.

Rich

[mrevilracing]

I'm not sure if the roads we were driving on had roadwork done on them. I don't recall any. But I guess that could mean anything. But I'm not sure how much fun it would be in turn 5 at Duryea or the straight after that and into Oh S$$%. The way I'm crossing the crown and all and how my car reacts, I can see playing tag with the guardrail though.

Goldmine? I guess that's a hillclimb?

[Mel Horn]

Goldmine? I guess that's a hillclimb?

More correctly, was.

Run in the mid-'70s, Goldmine road runs from Tower City to SR 443. The hill 's start line was approx 1 mi N of the junction with 443 and ran to the top of the ridge. It was unique in that the pits/paddock were in the MIDDLE of the course!

[Rich Sweigart]

Yeah, Goldmine is part of a group of hills that were close to each other. Hershey and Camp Shand was to the south, Ravine was to the north, and Pine Grove was to the east.

Just like Duryea, Fleetwood and Topton are close to each other.

Rich

[Mel Horn]

Don't forget Jefferson (the hill, not the Summit Point subdivision), a few miles east of Pine Grove off 895!

[John]

Jefferson was very close to where I live. 3 miles
The hill has not been repaved in many years and not in very good condition.

[Rich Sweigart]

I knew that I forgot one. It is too bad that we do not have a Targa PHA rally event. We could transit from hill to hill and run up the hill for time. Sorry, I got my Road & Track today with Millen running around the Targa Newfoundland.

RIch

[jerdeitzel]

Rich, I read about the targa last week, that looks fun.

We have been talking about inviting someone to race the hills. I'd like to see Millen in that GTR (or anything for that matter). I read and see him racing cool events everywhere. [*]

[Rich Sweigart]

Yeah, I liked reading about the Targa too, but then again it was 4 to 5 page ad for Millen's company and it helped R&T sell a few magazines in this internet crazy world. Plus, I am not too sure that the Targa people enjoyed having its handicap system trashed thru out the article. As much as we would like being in the press or on TV, we have to be careful that we do not get bashed in the process by stuff like starting late, not having enough workers, cars crashing/breaking, etc. that could turn a positive into a negative.

Rich

[mrevilracing]

Yeah, I liked reading about the Targa too, but then again it was 4 to 5 page ad for Millen's company and it helped R&T sell a few magazines in this internet crazy world. Plus, I am not too sure that the Targa people enjoyed having its handicap system trashed thru out the article. As much as we would like being in the press or on TV, we have to be careful that we do not get bashed in the process by stuff like starting late, not having enough workers, cars crashing/breaking, etc. that could turn a positive into a negative.

Rich

Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords didn't bash us and neither did 0-60mag. Since they are the only media I have seen, that is my reference point. But I'd be more interested in the coverage and less interested, or worried, about the bashing. Being worried about bashing shouldn't be a hidrance to seeking media or tv coverage.

[Rich Sweigart]

Press is press and we should seek it but, if we do not have quality events then possibly our events could be seen in a negative light. It is kind of like going to a 5 star steak house and having the steak brought to you on a dirty trash can lid. No matter how good that steak might taste, you still going to turn your nose up into the air because of the dirty trash can lid.
The Targa event pretty much got hammered by R&T including a quote from Millen that unless things change that he was not coming back again.

[Mel Horn]

It is too bad that we do not have a Targa PHA rally event. We could transit from hill to hill and run up the hill for time. RIch

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I think you might be on to something...

I would be more than happy to help plan the route. Take one map of Schuylkill County...

[Mel Horn]

Yeah, I liked reading about the Targa too, but then again it was 4 to 5 page ad for Millen's company and it helped R&T sell a few magazines in this internet crazy world. Plus, I am not too sure that the Targa people enjoyed having its handicap system trashed thru out the article. As much as we would like being in the press or on TV, we have to be careful that we do not get bashed in the process by stuff like starting late, not having enough workers, cars crashing/breaking, etc. that could turn a positive into a negative.

Rich

Someone at last year's pre-banquet meeting mentioned writing an article in Grassroots Motorsports (yrs trly did a couple in the late '80s when it was AutoX) If any such article is to be written it will likely have to be written by one of us.