Loring Air Force Base Maine LSR News

Here's a link to an article in a Bangor Maine newspaper about future Land Speed racing at the Loring Air Force base, in way way Northern Maine.
Looks like it will be happening next year (2009).
Nice straight runway that is a lot longer than the one being used at Maxton SC.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/49551.html_

 

wow! that is cool!

 

Wow! How much longer than Maxton is it? Even eliminating the `corner` at the Start would make it seem longer.....For once I`m in the incorrect corner of the country....Keep us in the loop as to progress with this one...

 

The runway is listed as 13,209 feet long. B52s used to be based there and it was really well built to withstand the cold Maine winters. It was last in really active use by the Air Force during Gulf War 1. It is dead straight witn no "corners" like Maxton and is nice and wide (had to be to accomodate the B52s). The guy in the picture in the Roadster (he is a HAMBer) said the surface is nice and flat.
It closed as an Air Force base in the fall of 1994.
Aerial photos of the base when it was still in use by the Air Force:
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13,209 feet is right at 2.5 miles. Great place to run it would seem.

 

You can't get there from here.

 

Where would you paak your caa?

 

My father was posted there during WWII before going overseas and he always talked about how deep they went to prepare and surface that runway so the big bombers could land safely.

That news is awesome. I'm ready for a road trip !!!!!


Glenn.

 

Maxton is a mile, with a mile shut-down, isn't it?
This makes the Maine track only .5 miles longer (I say "only" but not in a bad way).
I'm also surprised that their first event is planned for the first week in August, 2009.
First, why do LSR guys seem to hold their events in the hottest part of the damn year?!
Second, why would they hold it the same month as Speed Week? I understand the idea would be to use the Maine venue to tune for B'ville, but with the timing that tight, if someone breaks will they have time to fix it for B'ville? More importantly, will guys be able to take off that kind of time from work to hit both events?

-Brad

 

Amen to that, brother!

 

It is only a half mile longer, but there is no "kink/turn" during the middle of a run, and the surface is supposed to be in better condition. The final part of the runout is concrete.

They are restricted as to when they can use the place, due to wildlife concerns (some migratory birds that nest near the runway during the earlier part of the
summer). Apparently this was not a big concern during Gulf War 1 when planes were landing and taking off 24/7 for over a year. There might be a possibility for other dates in the future, but for the first year, they are looking at a date that will be easiest for the people in charge of the place to approve.

 

Good old Loring...My dad was stationed there when I was a kid in the early '60s. They did that ChromeDome thing where they constantly flew along the border of the USSR loaded with nukes just waiting for the word to go in.
Cool to see to rods out there.

 

Hey thats Jepson,what did it run.

 

Bobby must have had a great time testing that thing out,I have seen it,and heard it,and it sure sounds ballsy,so how fast did he run?

 

in the haaaaavad yaaaaad

 

Hey..
Rumor mill saz that a Sept 08 trial run is in the works.. But thats just a rumor
If I hear anything I'll p*** it along..
Pontiac Slim
Bet Sam #1034 will be watch'n....

 

There were no clocks there and the car has no speedo. He figures he kept it to about 120. I think a couple of guys made p***es on motorcycles. It was mainly a demo for the people who control activities at the base, so everyone was on their best behavior. They want to make sure the first actual meet goes smoothly, so that they can have more of them in the future.

 

Yup, it was built for B-36's with two tires, not the Buffs with their multi-tire gear. That concrete is THICK. My brother was a crew chief on KC-135's in the eighties and nineties.

 

awesome deal guys...My family is from there, actually, still there..haha, can't wait

 

anyone have any more info on this??

possibly looking to run next summer and wondering about rules etc. is this going to be a "run what ya brung" type of event or ?, what type of tech/ safety requirements will there be?



anyone?

 

Bobby Jepson,the one who ones that little t roadster,is the one doing it,and hes going to be talking about it October 18 at the Gathering of the Faithful,in Rochester Ma.

 

thanks for the info.

just looked around at the article that was posted at the begining of this thread and it seems that this event will run under the same rules as ECTA. maxton etc.

 

Go to < Landracing.com > and click on LSR Forums, then scroll down to Loring Timing ***ociation for the current news. Landracing.com is THE site for all things LSR (even propsters ). vic

 

I cant' wait to go to this! Hopefuly next year the date will be early in the year, But sometimes got to take what you get. this is great news and I wish guys lots of luck! Jared

 

Right in my back yard, literaly. I am about 3 miles away. The runway isnt in the best shape, but it held me just fine on my old RD at 125 MPH this past summer.

If anyone wants any local info just ask!

 

Check out Landracing forum for recent update on the LSR Meet ... Joe

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/board,33.0.html

 

Threads like this gets me to thinking abourt Wirthsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. My dad was stationed there during the Veit Nam deal flying B-52's. The base has long been decomissioned and has been converted to civilian use. Connie Kaletta has his air freight company based there so the runways are still maintained like the old days. He just laid off a bunch of his people so maybe the powers to be might be interested in some sort of acrtivity that would enhance the revenue base of the area. I've always thought a drag racing event would be a natural but an LSR event would surely fit right in. I'm not sure how long the runway is but as I said it was built specifically for the B-52 traffic that it hosted during it's military days.

Frank

 

Ayyaahh, nowyah knoww, I wonmders if theys gonna run some specials for thah townies.
Ayyyahh, Maybe sell some lobstahs an a couple of Moxies.

 

I got a room at the caribou Inn. What should I know. I haven't been to Caribou in 20 years.
I'll bring the moxie, sorry i can't afford lobster.
Marcia