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

If you are going to Eldora this week don't forget your googles and dust mask, Sure to be a dry slick dusty track as usual. Shame that after 50 years they still haven't learned how to prepare the track. Maybe they should ask Knoxville, 34 raceway, Granite city, Gas city or other tracks for advice, as those tracks are rarely dry slick or dusty. First thing you have to do is dig up the track so the water can soak in, which Eldora never does. You then water it for days up until race day, then pack it and you're tready to race. Eldora only puts water on top of a hard track and it cannot soak in. 

Different dirt. Different ways to prep it. Different results. IDK if you need flo or have flo to watch the link below but worth your time. As a farmer I can promise you different dirt responds differently. Even in the days of Earl when they supposedly watered it more it still blew dust bad. 
https://www.floracing.com/video/7088201-dirt-track-101-the-dirt-on-the-dirt

Wow, three days before the races even start and people are already crying about track prep.

First off I am not complaining about anything and quite possibly Eldora does this too but I seems like before the 410 Winners interview is over at Knoxville, Chris Dunkin is on the track with his Grader rolling that racing surface under with the blade. Even on Saturday nights when there are no races the following day.

Wow is that StrawserJr speaking???

I've walekd Eldora multiple times, during Earl's reign, after the races and look into the sheep's foot divot, what'd I see.... WATER.

The divots were holding 1/2" or so of water. The shear speed and sheer slide action, create the dust.

And guess what, I still love it...keeps me thumb over my beer can hole...tried and true pratitioneer.

We walked the track after Let's Race Two and couldn't believe how much grip was let in the track.  It was dusty that night but the track was awesome.

They tear the track at Eldora up all the time. Ohio's dirt is just dusty, I've lived here my entire life and it's just the way it is. 

Everyone is capable of making mistakes and it happens sometimes at Knoxville too but I really don't know how they prep Knoxville so well Week in week out. Even this last Saturday I thought man idk how this track doesn't lay rubber tonight with most the 410s timing in the 16 second range and 94 cars. It didn't. Some nights it's barely showing signs of rubber and you think wow that track had maybe 10-20 laps left in it at best but often the track is the best when it's dry and used up but just before it takes rubber. To get it that close many weeks with all the factors of car counts, temp, humidity, sun or clouds etc it is impressive. Like I said mistakes happen but at some tracks it's just really rarely.

Eldora track prep seems pretty decent to me anyways. Now the removing banking from the top and evening out the bottom is a change I think can be debated depending on preference but it's still a pretty racey track no matter what side your on.

I don't believe it will be a problem. I'm sure most everyone in attendance will already have the Googles right there on their smart phones.

OK, but when Eldora has one of their world famous Darke County rain storm monsoons about 5 minutes before hotlaps are to begin, and it's hammer down 1 lane freight trane around the bottom, I don't want to hear any complaining. 

Google is on smart phones. Do not know why anyone would need it at the racetrack.

Damn it sap... why you gotta jinx us?

Dammmmnnn Sahead didn't know you had an industrial strength Crystal Ball.

Lemme know who wins Cubs Red Sox today I'll pop over to Grand Falls today for a $5000 wager!

The worst president of my lifetime:
Ronald Reagan

I apologize for the jinx, but it's just science. 

I will vouch for the "it's just the type of dirt they have" statement.  I have been to Eldora for several big late model shows & a few sprint shows.  Have seen the start hot laps as late as 11:00pm after a 4 hour rain delay & the track is blowing some dust in hot laps.  It is a "thin" dirt for lack of a better way to describe it.  You don't see big dirt clods being thrown in hot laps like one sees at a Knoxville or some of the Illinois tracks.  It is more of a fine mist of dirt.