Author Topic: Dirt Track Prep  (Read 8779 times)

matt_s86

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 474
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2012, 01:24:20 PM »
DIRT Mod aero lifting the moisture out theory... LOL.  There are way too many examples to discount that theory.

It's gotta be in how the track is prepared, what type of clay it is, and what's mixed into that clay.  Seems to me, any NY clay or any track which is either underwatered or really smooth and hard packed is prone to being polished off and going black when big tires race on it.  Late Models, Sprints, Modifieds, you name it, they'll polish up any NY track and just about anything that's not made of red clay.

Pretty much every big late model race you see is on a polished smooth track, just like just about any Super DIRT Series race.  Sprints seem hit or miss with slicking off a track, most likely due to more bite/less slide than Late Models and Modifieds.

Temperature and humidity play a big role too.  Take Rolling Wheels for example.  Mid summer races the track slicks off top-to-bottom and gets that fine dust cloud going.  During Super DIRT Week with night time temps in the 30's, the last two years have been hammer down, nearly track record speeds for the sprints.

Not sure, but I think the original post might have been about having rutted junk tracks rather than slick/locked down tracks.  Those tracks seem to have too much water, are not packed enough, or the wet layer doesn't go deep enough and gets slung off.  A somewhat dry but very smooth/hard surface is sometimes the "play it safe" type of surface... people won't complain a track is too smooth, but they'll be all over you if they're dodging rocks and mud clods while watching cars hit jumps and bicycle through ruts.


no74falcon

  • Champion
  • ****
  • Posts: 1032
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2012, 01:28:00 PM »
I agree Herm. Let me refine my thoughts... I think there are some that could go anywhere and do a great job. To those few, it is an art and they will change their thinking, and procedures, to make it the best they can. I think that others do the best they can with what they have, and call it good enough. I don't think any track owners/ operators purposely groom a bad track. But who knows... LOL
Allen Clark
Erieville, N.Y.
In God We Trust

racefan3100

  • Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 109
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #17 on: April 26, 2012, 02:15:33 PM »
Woodhull gets it right just about every week too


techman

  • Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 548
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #18 on: April 26, 2012, 02:31:59 PM »
I don't think any track owners/ operators purposely groom a bad track. But who knows... LOL
I agree with this, but I do think complacency takes over after a while.


herm

  • Veteran
  • ***
  • Posts: 558
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #19 on: April 26, 2012, 04:08:55 PM »
The thing I used to hate to see the most and I saw it often because I always raced in a class that was not the headline devision was,we would be lined up ready to pull out on the track for our feature and all of a sudden here comes the water truck hosing down everything.Track covered with slime on top of a hard packed track.To late to adjust the car from what you though the track was going to be like.We would make a few laps to repack the track but it was never enough.Track wouldnt come back around until the race was half over.It was about enough to make me feel like wishing I had stayed home.If we raced after the headline class we would be ok as track matainance would be over with for the night.

posse89fan

  • Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 283
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #20 on: April 26, 2012, 04:12:07 PM »
The thing that drives me nuts is the way Black Rock seems to work at getting rid of the cushion. This track builds a great cushion but the track scraps and or mashes it down between races. I know the four cylinders and streetstocks have issues breaking shocks so they don't like it but Latemodels and Modifieds love to have it to lay into as it can hold a loose car and just gives you more options as a driver to help get your car around. I consider the cushion to be an intregal part of dirt track racing. Much like bumps and ruts or dust it's something you have to deal with and is just another challenge. JMO but bring back the cushion!

Agreed Dale.  I think the last time I saw a cushion there was in 2012 for the Fall 360 Sprint Nationals on Friday night.  That was some good racing.  I wish more tracks would leave the cushion.


Claychamp123

  • Champion
  • ****
  • Posts: 1115
    • View Profile
Re: Dirt Track Prep
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2012, 08:19:02 PM »
The idea that the side chutes on a dirt mod dry out a track is pretty funny. Not sure they even really create much downforce except for the big flip spoiler at the back. But wide tires do polish the track if you can't dig into the surface. This happens at Woodhull weekly. It doesn't get hard or rubber coated it just gets polished. If you walk on it, it's spongy but you can't get a good bite on it. Then when they send the street stocks out on skinnier tires they peel that polished top off and the track is full of bite again! We hit the track in the Modifieds and in about eight laps we have it polished again. It's one of the reasons Woodhull is such a challenge particularly for outsiders coming in for the first time. They often leave the track wondering what the heck just happened?!! I think Black Rock generally has a good surface except quite a few rocks and the packed down cushion issue. I think a lot of people have the wrong impression cause they've only been to the all day semi-daytime shows. Nobodies track stays good for that scenario uless you want to rework it every three heats.