Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Man they do a good job... Saturday night we were around 10 rows up coming out of turn 4, very little to no dust at all ... great racing.  Kudos

Without a good racetrack you have no race. The Dunkins take pride in what they do at Knoxville.I have helped prep a few tracks and it is time consuming and being the only one on a track at 5MPH isnt that exciting.I still remember the year or two that the Fair Board decided to try something different and cheaper and that might have been one of the years they added some dirt that didnt work out. Very few rubber down tracks and usually two lanes to race on is what makes everyone happy.Earl Baltes was one of the best and would spend countless hours going around Eldora and after He turned it over to Tony thing took a while to get it right.

I was wondering the same thing, being in Pennsylvania our surfaces are nothing like that.  I didn't know if it was the clay or the prep.  Almost two weeks straight of racing and the track was incredible every night. Watching on The Cushion it didn't look like there was any dust (could be different in person) and al least two or three racing lines every night.  I was amazed at how good the track was and kind of wondered why our tracks can't get get a surface like that.

There was a little bit of dirt in the main stands on Thursday as the wind was blowing that way.  Not horrible - just enough to put the glasses on.  That was the only night that way.  Track was phenomenal all week.  Even on Wednesday, the track was narrow early, but by feature time, Schatz came from 21st to 5th & I Madsen came from 22nd to 6th in 25 laps.  

The truly amazing thing is that once the show starts, there is no additional prep that they do .  Most tracks (even good ones) come out & till or add water (or both) during a big show.  That was not done at Knoxville any of the 4 nights.  This really helps them run a quick & efficient show.  

In all the years we attended the Nationals, one thing about the end of the night has always stuck out. As we were headed to the pits after the show, if you looked around at all, you'd spot the road grader somewhere along the wall pulling the entire cushion back down to the racing surface. Prepping the track isn't treated as just a chore or a job. It's an essential part of the success of Knoxville Raceway. The Duncans are a dedicated bunch, for sure, just like the safety crew and everybody involved at that track. There could never be a more perfect setting for the Nationals.

I've always been curious about that too. Pennsylvania red clay is a totally different thing from the black Mississippi River silt used at Knoxville

The huge difference between Knoxville and other places is they DO track prep. Not just put a little water on then, a little more before hot laps that gets thrown off first round, then its basically tires on bare dirt .

Just a rumor I heard, but somebody told me they cover it in cow manure after the season. Winter preservation I guess

Is the Zook clay unique to Knoxville?

Actually, years ago they did blend manure into the track surface during the race seasonto help it retain moisture. But the odor bacame too offensive and they quit that practice. True story!

I've heard it refered to as Bussey Clay.  Mostly just black iowa dirt.

The Bingley Sale Barn used to be across the street from turns one and two. Maybe they did spread some muck from the stalls but I dont ever remember smelling it. I can't believe there would be a benefit more than the black dirt.

I think that last part may be a big part of it. Obviously you're not going to have a surface like Knoxville if you just show up on raceday at 2pm, cut it a little and water it so their overall regimen is no doubt on point. But time and again, I see Port, Williams Grove and even Lincoln (although the last several times I've been there, they haven't done it) start out with a great track but ruin it by going out throughout the night and beating it to death with push trucks until the cushion is transformed into nothing more than dust and everyone is skating around half speed with the wings trunked. Seems like the most exciting racing occurs around here when they don't do any of that at all and allow the track to progress naturally. I'll never understand why some of these tracks work hard throughout the week working the surface just to spend the entire race night undoing everything they did and purposely ruining a good surface. And then what's even more ridiculous is going out and watering it AFTER you spent every second of downtime throughout the night squeezing every ounce of moisture out of it with track vehicles. Knoxville is proof that you can have a wide track that still has plenty of bite and a nice cushion to lean on. Wish we had a few more like it. Especially here at home.

Just ask some of the track preparers in PA.....you can't have a good race when the track is like that.  

Boy are they ever wrong!!  That was some of the best racing I have seen in a long time. The racing at Eldora is good but not what we saw at Knoxville!!    Saw all the racing at Knoxville since last Sunday night.  A+ on the track prep!

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

I actually remember Tony B. reporting during one of the Nationals broadcasts that the dirt (gumbo) was harvested from the bottom of the Des Moines River.  Is this still the case?   I know that was at least 6-8 years ago.  Maybe during the 50th?  

Thanks. I remember hearing it was Mississippi River mud

Whatever it is, it works!

Funny how dtfferent versions of the same story go around.

The version I heard years ago was that they wintered the track with horse manure with part of the purpose being to burn the rubber residue out of the clay.

Yea I wonder if any of the Ports track prep guys were there or watched the video?  Maybe the Port should ship in some of that Iowa black mud!!

Anyone try the Hartley’s viniger and salt chips.

Well whoever said there was no dust Saturday night clearly wasn't sitting in section S row 25 on the backstretch because my buddy and I left coated from head to toe with dirt. The most for the entire week actually. Most other nights werent too bad at all. And you can't really compare Knoxville to any other surface being that it's completely different.  I wish central Pa had the stuff that Knoxville uses for the track.

In a funny twist, while in the pits at the Nationals on Friday, I inadvertently insulted a Port employee by mentioning that fans are tired of the slick, black tracks. He did say that they are putting some new clay down before the fair gets started so I hope that helps.