HoseHeads.com | HoseHeads Classifieds | Racer's Auction
Home | Register | Contact | Verify Email FAQ |
Blogs | Photo Gallery | Press Release | Results | RacersAuction.com | HoseheadsClassifieds.com
Hoosier Tire Great Plains | Hoosier Mid Atlantic | Racing Warehouse | Performance Race Parts | Xtreme Race Parts

Welcome Guest. Already registered? Please Login

 

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

Topic: Wheel Packing
Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
First | Previous | Next | Last Reply 1 to 16 of 16
staggerman
June 18, 2018 at 04:32:55 PM
Joined: 12/01/2004
Posts: 636
Reply

Remember back in the day when sprint cars used to have to out and wheel pack a track before hot laps because the track would be opened up and watered? Why don't we see that today anymore. Guess it is the difference in track prep today versus 15-20 years ago. Heck after watching Waynesfield last night the track was black entering the corners at hot laps. Yeah you can say it was hot out but come on. Do any tracks wheel pack anymore? Thoughts?



fiXXXer
June 18, 2018 at 05:50:30 PM
Joined: 10/26/2014
Posts: 2475
Reply
This message was edited on June 18, 2018 at 05:53:09 PM by fiXXXer
Reply to:
Posted By: staggerman on June 18 2018 at 04:32:55 PM

Remember back in the day when sprint cars used to have to out and wheel pack a track before hot laps because the track would be opened up and watered? Why don't we see that today anymore. Guess it is the difference in track prep today versus 15-20 years ago. Heck after watching Waynesfield last night the track was black entering the corners at hot laps. Yeah you can say it was hot out but come on. Do any tracks wheel pack anymore? Thoughts?



I remember those days well. Robert Ballou has been very vocal on Twitter about garbage track prep lately and I totally agree with all of his points. Seems it's happening a lot these days. I'm not sure why but so many tracks seem to be obsessed with making the surface hard, black and slow. Not sure why but it's getting old. I've been attending less races the last couple of years and spent more of my money/free time on other interests as a result. I went 2 decades without missing as many races at Port Royal as I have in the last 2 seasons alone. Same with Williams Grove although if the last few weeks are any indication, it would appear as though they've figured out that adequate moisture and a nice cushion makes for good sprint car racing. 



Hooper31
June 18, 2018 at 06:54:16 PM
Joined: 09/03/2017
Posts: 364
Reply

Skagit here in the northwest does a good job. All the push and tow trucks spend quite a bit of time runing laps pre-racing. 



SprintFan16
MyWebsite
June 18, 2018 at 07:20:37 PM
Joined: 05/03/2007
Posts: 1612
Reply

Knoxville does a fantastic job at this and I think the typical track and racing proves it. 



revjimk
June 19, 2018 at 12:33:10 AM
Joined: 09/14/2010
Posts: 7594
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: SprintFan16 on June 18 2018 at 07:20:37 PM

Knoxville does a fantastic job at this and I think the typical track and racing proves it. 



Some tracks seem to have it figured out, on a consistent basis. Kokomo also....

Maybe its the local soil they use? Red clay in Pennsyltucky is what they make bricks out of, no?



carol14
June 19, 2018 at 02:37:22 AM
Joined: 12/01/2004
Posts: 633
Reply

And remember when they packed the track going clockwise.  I was told, and the reasoning made sense to me, that the packing was done in that direction as it laid the clay down going in the direction of wheel spin when racing, thus less of the track would be peeled up.  I think that the wings and bigger tires (and possibly insurance and something as simple as the price of fuel for the water trucks and packing venicles) has something to do with the drier tracks.   That and the WoO raced so much that the drier tracks didn't seem to create as many flips, thus cutting car costs down and keeping more cars on the circuit.

Just some of my observations through the years.  I liked the racing when, after the races, when you walked across the track and your shoes stayed in the track it was still so tacky.  That was before "drag tires" or "humpers".



Shortie12
MyWebsite
June 19, 2018 at 04:44:24 AM
Joined: 12/11/2008
Posts: 775
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: carol14 on June 19 2018 at 02:37:22 AM

And remember when they packed the track going clockwise.  I was told, and the reasoning made sense to me, that the packing was done in that direction as it laid the clay down going in the direction of wheel spin when racing, thus less of the track would be peeled up.  I think that the wings and bigger tires (and possibly insurance and something as simple as the price of fuel for the water trucks and packing venicles) has something to do with the drier tracks.   That and the WoO raced so much that the drier tracks didn't seem to create as many flips, thus cutting car costs down and keeping more cars on the circuit.

Just some of my observations through the years.  I liked the racing when, after the races, when you walked across the track and your shoes stayed in the track it was still so tacky.  That was before "drag tires" or "humpers".



Knoxville had a policy that anyone that raced needed to help  pack track before hot laps.It is an honor to many to be part of the push off and packing crew.There was an old Dodge that was a crowd favorite much like Workin Woody and I think they both had T-shirts for sale.It was a mess to get mud off cars and many removed top wing .Many members of the pit crews got their chance to drive a real race car.



19 Posse
June 19, 2018 at 06:08:59 AM
Joined: 12/24/2012
Posts: 364
Reply

Ohhh the good ol days....when drivers cleaned their own helmets and even worked in their own cars.  It’s a different game now...different world...



Dlucks83
June 19, 2018 at 06:33:58 AM
Joined: 07/25/2017
Posts: 196
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: 19 Posse on June 19 2018 at 06:08:59 AM

Ohhh the good ol days....when drivers cleaned their own helmets and even worked in their own cars.  It’s a different game now...different world...



Holy shit, the dumb comments whether based on nostalgia or ignorance is pretty amazing.

Clay is saught after mainly due to its mostiture retention. There may be some other qualities based upon regional orgins but it holds water. You want to know what the Gove or Lincoln are without clay? Ohio tracks.



Nickules
June 19, 2018 at 07:08:28 AM
Joined: 08/05/2015
Posts: 1133
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: staggerman on June 18 2018 at 04:32:55 PM

Remember back in the day when sprint cars used to have to out and wheel pack a track before hot laps because the track would be opened up and watered? Why don't we see that today anymore. Guess it is the difference in track prep today versus 15-20 years ago. Heck after watching Waynesfield last night the track was black entering the corners at hot laps. Yeah you can say it was hot out but come on. Do any tracks wheel pack anymore? Thoughts?



I'm fairly certain some tracks in CA (360s) wheel pack with sprint cars before hot laps.  Maybe Pville and a few others. Maybe NWFan or someone from CA / NW can chime in to clarify.   



Hooper31
June 19, 2018 at 07:17:47 AM
Joined: 09/03/2017
Posts: 364
Reply

Another advantage we have in the northwest is a less extreme climate. I doesn't get as cold or hot as the rust belt. Got to 80 the past two days. That's fairly extreme for us. 



SAF92
June 19, 2018 at 09:09:07 AM
Joined: 01/24/2018
Posts: 386
Reply

I went to Kokomo for the first time this year and man was their track prep different than Ohio... Wingless cars were called to the track for "wheel pack." After idling around for 10 laps or so on the wet heavy track they went immediately into hotlaps. It was awesome. Nothing like ohio where 3500+ lb push trucks make countless laps until the track is so smooth and dry it looks like a steam roller did the track prep. I will admit the Attica speedweek show slicked off and became dusty, but there was a huge cushion and multiple racing grooves. 



egras
June 19, 2018 at 09:30:35 AM
Joined: 08/16/2009
Posts: 3913
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: on at


I think your last statement says a lot.  My local track (now a cornfield) would set untouched until race day.  Would drive by Friday night before the races and the same rubber was still on the track from the previous Saturday.  Then, hot laps would roll off an hour after scheduled time because they were still packing the track at 7:15.  



maddog53
June 19, 2018 at 09:39:10 AM
Joined: 03/18/2008
Posts: 1474
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: egras on June 19 2018 at 09:30:35 AM

I think your last statement says a lot.  My local track (now a cornfield) would set untouched until race day.  Would drive by Friday night before the races and the same rubber was still on the track from the previous Saturday.  Then, hot laps would roll off an hour after scheduled time because they were still packing the track at 7:15.  



I know that Wilmot has stepped up their game this year.  The track surface has been phenomenal all year since the one practice they had in mid April.  As I was tearing down my camper Sunday morning, there was a guy already on the track with the grader.  Kudos to those guys for the prep this year.



sprintcarfanatic
June 19, 2018 at 05:01:19 PM
Joined: 11/30/2004
Posts: 1065
Reply

Was a time when the track workers went up & stood on the track so the push trucks wouldn't keep running it in until it was pretty much wasted. 1 would think that since they do it all the time that they could see when to move down.



colgate618
June 19, 2018 at 07:00:02 PM
Joined: 04/04/2018
Posts: 4
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: staggerman on June 18 2018 at 04:32:55 PM

Remember back in the day when sprint cars used to have to out and wheel pack a track before hot laps because the track would be opened up and watered? Why don't we see that today anymore. Guess it is the difference in track prep today versus 15-20 years ago. Heck after watching Waynesfield last night the track was black entering the corners at hot laps. Yeah you can say it was hot out but come on. Do any tracks wheel pack anymore? Thoughts?



Arizona Speedway in the East Valley of metro Phoenix has the sprints wheel pack before their hot laps.  Shows there start on time, and even with 3-4 support classes the sprints A main usually ends around 10:30PM.  Jonah the owner/promoter does a great job on track prep and rarely do you have a dry dusty track for the sprints.  Hearing all the complaints about William Grove I'm kind of suprised as the Grove is one of the best known, and top tracks in the country.



First | Previous | Next | Last Reply 1 to 16 of 16


Post Reply
You must be logged in to Post a Message.
Not a member register Here.
Already registered? Please Login




 

If you have a website and would like to set up a forum here at HoseHeadForums.com
please contact us by using the contact link at the top of the page.

© 2024 HoseHeadForums.com Privacy Policy