So it's been pulled down which doesn't surprise me but what's going to replace it?
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Moderators: timetravel, ukdrn
Had to go though, especially after seeing what happened to Graham Ellis.
Half built in '72... it lasted 42 years
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I wonder what will happen to the Santa pod letters? Am I right in thinking it once said street machine?
Tear101 wrote:I wonder what will happen to the Santa pod letters? Am I right in thinking it once said street machine?yes...
Yes the gantry is iconic however I agree with UKDRN it's far too close to the track, I know the MSA are not keen on the current location which everyone involved in safety at the track has got to agree with.
It's not such a simple task there's a whole load of data cabling, lighting etc integrated with the gantry which of course adds dramatically to the cost
Additionally the concrete base on the banking side has seen better days and would need to be completely replaced. Admittedly that's not a big job but why refurbish it when the location is wrong?
As someone quoted, first the barn and now the gantry but everyone must try to understand that these things are done for the safety of everyone, in the case of the barn certainly spectator safety and with the gantry racer/spectator safety in the case of a serious collision, as described above.
So it seems to be out with the old and in with....
It's not such a simple task there's a whole load of data cabling, lighting etc integrated with the gantry which of course adds dramatically to the cost
Additionally the concrete base on the banking side has seen better days and would need to be completely replaced. Admittedly that's not a big job but why refurbish it when the location is wrong?
As someone quoted, first the barn and now the gantry but everyone must try to understand that these things are done for the safety of everyone, in the case of the barn certainly spectator safety and with the gantry racer/spectator safety in the case of a serious collision, as described above.
So it seems to be out with the old and in with....
I contacted santa pod (yeah, I know it's pretty sad) and they've replied to say that it's being replaced with a new gantry for 2015 
So this would be one of the very last images with the finish line gantry then. How appropriate...Big Daddy Don Garlits in the Santa Pod sunset, 23 November 2014.
Fantastic photo by my wife Karen Ashley Waters.
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Fantastic photo by my wife Karen Ashley Waters.
That must be the last picture of it, well done.
I'm not bothered to see it go really, I thought it was a potential hazard years ago.
I see the timing boards have been taken down. I remember Roy Phelps up a ladder in the dark with a torch in his mouth trying to wire those things up one night.
Just need the old control tower to go now as that don't look that great and that's the whole place done
I'm not bothered to see it go really, I thought it was a potential hazard years ago.
I see the timing boards have been taken down. I remember Roy Phelps up a ladder in the dark with a torch in his mouth trying to wire those things up one night.
Just need the old control tower to go now as that don't look that great and that's the whole place done