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

The new lights are nice, they need to be. From my seat just past the flag stand I could not see turn four due to the dust. The new surface......I give it a resounding F.

They seem to be trying to kill this place one race at a time. Whoever made the decision to cut the banking REALLY screwed up. There is at least a foot of wall visible in the turns that I have never before seen, and amazingly enough without the steep banking by the wall, guess what, everyone was stuck like glue to the inside wall. I've never, ever seen a night of racing like this at this proud facility. Heat races, bmain, dash, amain, right on the inside fence. I went in the pits for the c, b, and dash, and they were so tight on the fence, you could lose a limb if you lean on the fence. Joey Saldana and Haud are always exciting to watch at Eldora, they were right on the inside fence, amazing.

Granted there was a late race pass for the lead, but who cares when they are all huggy pole on the bottom. Eldora is up on the wall, hold your breath, bravest man wins, scared to death to look kind of racing. This was really, really, sad to see. Please someone who knows Tony Stewart talk to him and tell hinm to get someone who knows what they are doing to work this place and get it back to what made it famous. As it was last year and as it is now it is a sad reminder of what once was a great race track. Maybe the facilities weren't state of the art, but it was a great racetrack. Unfortunately if they don't fix it, we will have to watch old videos to remember the Eldora that once was.

I was a little disapointed also. If it was't for the last five or so laps of the A it really would've been bad.

Very sad evening at the big E. The decision to reconfigure the banking has really stolen the tracks unique personality. I really hope that I am proven wrong, but as of tonight, I think the days of " on the wall" racing at Eldora are over. Speed is not the issue, as proven in qualifying, the issue is that by removing the "cup" from the upper banking the racing lines are changed. In the past, occasionally on a very dry slick night with no cushion, you would have this same type of racing lines. With the new banking configuration, cushion or not, it will be very difficult to carry a lot of momentum around the top like we are so used to seeing. Although Eldora is my home track, I have traveled alot and watched alot of sprint car racing. I can honestly say that when you get Haud, Steve, Sammy, Joey or any others, running nose to tail while inches off the wall at crazy speeds-- there is no more exciting, edge of your seat racing on the planet.I am praying we have not seen the last of it. We may now have just another 1/2 mile track. If it stays like it is now, I hope Tony changes the name of the track. It's not Eldora anymore.

How true bigbell.

Give them a chance. At the drivers meeting it was stated, today is the 1st time in 2 weeks we have been able to get on the track, we are not sure what it is going to do. New dirt, bad weather for weeks, and litte track prep time, give it time. I think raising the inside of the track will make it more racy once it gets worked in.

Life's short, race hard!!!

I was just glad to see the track held together and didn't rut up and do all the bad things new clay can do. It was definately disappointing seeing the heats, c, b, and dash run follow the leader around the inside wall, but the A-main was much better with lots of passing and an exciting finish making the night exciting in the end. I'm sure Larry and the crew will have things worked out when they are able to get on the track and work it in. We should all just be happy there was 410 sprints racing in Ohio tonight when everything thing else in the state was canceled.

Great job once again by the Eldora crew and staff on an early, delay-free evening of racing. The facilities looked much improved and the show was run with precision as always. Once the track surface has been addressed, we'll all be singing Eldora's praise once again!!

Former Owner/President of FAST and Black Swamp Media
Group. Currently just another fan in the stands.

Swamp - I think you're right. I wasn't there but I think it's a little early to get excited. It's only been ONE night.

(I am not associated with NOSA...just a fan)

That was some of the worse racing I've seen in a long time. No cusion ever formed. Which I understand with a new track service. I was looking towards for a great race and walked away disappointed bigtime. Yes, there was good racing the final 5 laps. And watching Haud put on one hell of a slide job to get around Wilson in turn four was great. But overall, it stunk.

Bigbell hit it on the head w/ his post.

Swamp, enjoyed the lil chat walking through the tunnel. I told yea it might be interesting on how the track surface was going to be.  Yes it didnt rut up and beat cars to hell. But at least in the past there was more passing.  I just hope something can be done. If the track doesnt get any better this year, it might be time for Smoke to look for someone new to take care of track prep. Go after ol' Gene from Lima and see what he can do w/ it.

Craig: "There is dirt in my beer"
Tony: "That means your at a real racetrack"

I don't want anyone to get me wrong, I think Tony has been the best thing to ever happen to Eldora. He has done a ton of great things to that place in a very short time. I'll continue to go to every sprint car show they have there. I was dissappointed to see the change in the track banking contour. IF they keep the track as it is now, I don't think it will matter if it's had one race on it or fifty races on it. The contour of the banking will dictate how far up the track the cars can run and still carry momentum. If they run up there now it's just simply the long way around. The track previously had a different banking angle on the top lane than that of the bottom two thirds of the track. Now the banking is a consistant "plane" from top to bottom. I hope things change, but if they don't, hopefully we will still see great racing at a great track. It will just be different.  Hope the sun shines for Attica this week.

TommyBahama could not be more on the money. I have gone to Eldora for a long time, and for years have heard that we need new fans to keep sprint car racing alive, well last night I brought my neighbour thats never seen a sprint race before. It was a joke, he seen highlights and tapes from years past and this was nothing close to to the past. I was embarrassed for our sport and especially Eldora, unfortunately this guy is never coming back. So much for getting new fans in the stands. I dont blame him, even if Eldora was racing tonight I couldn't care less. How many more chances do they need to fix what wasn't broke when Earl owned it. Its simple, same angle of banking at the top as at the bottom just makes the top the long way around. Eldora if you read this please listen to the majority of the unhappy fans, for the last 2 seasons track prep has been a joke. Please hire someone that can do the job, I am just one fan, but this isn't even close to the Eldora I grew up watching, even when Earl put down a new surface it might of been rough the first night but at least it was exciting, and I wasn't ashamed to bring a new fan!!!!

Yes it was coming up just as they were coming out of 3. I knew Meyers was going to catch Haud. Haud caught a break early in lapped traffic & Meyers fell back but as soon as they was on open track Meyers was reeling him in & Schatz was coming too. Hauds tires going away was a factor also. I told some folks standing beside us that where ever Tony bought the dirt he needs to sell it back. Lets give it time & see if it comes around.

I'm sure Earl is a consultant. If not, why not? Wonder what Earl thinks?

"Just the facts ma'am", Sgt. Joe Friday, Detective, 
LAPD

The way Johnny Gibson described the racing on the DRN, you would never know the track was terrible. It sounded exciting.

"Just the facts ma'am", Sgt. Joe Friday, Detective, 
LAPD

I was not there,but I have to believe that it was a heavy track with the weather we have had recently, although the first line of the post states that they could not see turn four for the dust. That could have been from the fact that they could not work/pack the new dirt.Was it heavy or dry slick? If it was heavy I am not surprised that they wre running around the bottom. that's the way it has been for some time at the "Big E".  Lets wait until it gets a little slicked off to see if they go up to the wall again. I know in the past 5 to 10 years the racing has been much better when the track was a little slicker and they got up on the fence as long as it did not take down rubber.

slick and dusty,normal.

I could not agree more with you Tommy. The track was terrible I mean absolutely horrible. I dont think I have ever been to a race in April where it has been that dusty for one, and for two everyone at the bottom of the track are you kidding me. What a joke wasted all the time to ruin the track, every good thing earl did and tony already ruins it go figure. Well i dont have much to say besides congrats Jason you one the battle of follow the leader and I will give it one more chance when the all stars are there may 5th and then i may not head back. Horrible racing all night and it is pretty bad when the modifieds are on the cushion while the sprints are hitting the inside wall.

Just a question...would the harder tires have had an impact upon the racing last night? Weather conditions have an effect on the track and tires? It seems there were several things that would make drivers and crews have to do more guesswork than usual.

Seems to be a lot of changes that take some adjusting to right now...

Maybe Tony wanted to make it like a nascar track,were you can't get off the white line.

Eldora just took the really good racers out of the picture! The racers who could run the wall as we seen this season so far at Bulls Gap & Paduccah Kentucky just made Eldora (if they don't change it) the best action tracks to go to and don't forget to put those on your schedule for next year they were the greatest so far (BULLS GAP & PADDUCCAH).

Maybe Eldora should look at the laser system they used to make a great race, but as of right now you could compare their:s with Dixie in Georgia as it flaten's out on the top and has a really good bank but it just does'nt work as Sammy Swindell went above the invisible line where it flattened out in time trials and destoyed his car and was done for the rest of the night. Makes you wonder why Sammy decided to be done for the rest of the night at Eldora?????????????

I believe if Stewart was there he would have seen the problem . I hope he sees the problem with everyone who has been raised & born around this sport and respects all of our opinions. Just add 2 more feet on the top so we don't see that much wall!

If they dont make changes all race fans need to put Bulls Gap and Paduucah on their schedules for next year ( IT'S ON THE WALL), it's the next best thing! Lots of slide jobs from top to bottom!