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

Last time I checked it was okay to say "I'd like to see...", Regardless if it makes financial sense to bring in wingless cars to Knoxville, or Osky. 

To me, as a fan, I would think it would make the most sense, in this area, or two tracks, to have a race with wingless and winged cars. If my memory serves me right, hasn't there been a few races this past year with USAC and winged sprints. Some of the best racing I've ever seen was at Osky's track when the wingless cars were there. 

TMAC & LORI: I'd still think the racing would be better, winged, or not, at Osky if the white tires on the inside of the turns were moved in 50'. 

I honestly don't care if it's USAC or not b/c if the purse is there the cars will be there if their schedules allow. 

The only wingless racing I'm able to see now is if I travel to Missurah....calling Casey. 

Keep It Real

I agree. And you would think with him owning a couple buisnesses that make huge profits off a large number of individuals living paycheck to paycheck he would understand that his ticket prices are too high. He may prove me all wrong, but I think he's an idiot when it comes to operating a dirt track. Quite frankly I hope less than 1000 people show up for that event!

So you want the tires moved in why? You want cars racing on the grass? Or just don't want cars hitting them?

Doing nothing to draw the cars wasn't working... something had to happen. . Until the dust settleso only time will tell how it really works out..  for me owning a car. I like to see the money go up.. 

The racing surface in the corners at Osky needs to be just a little wider. Its very tight getting in and with the corners turning quickly at first followed by a long drawn out apex. There is plenty of room in the grass to extend the track 10 or so feet. I think this would allow for some more slide jobs in the corners. Could be wrong but it would be interesting to test the differences.

Another thing is that the top side levels out instead of a continued banking all the way to the fence. Its hard to see from the stands but if you walk or drive on the track you will notice this. It seems on a weekly basis of IMCA classes and when the sprint invaders come, the cushion moves up to this point and then the cushion is useless once pushed over the brink of the banking. Once you lose the cushion ON the banking it becomes more of a one laner near the tires.

Cars hitting the tires there also isnt cool. The further you push them in probably wont change how many run just outside of them. An all around inside berm is preferred but is not likely in the near future. Even still a wider racing surface on a high speed half mile would give more opportunity to pass.

They caused Tony Stewart's broken leg. Car in front of him hit the tires & Tony couldn't avoid hitting that car

Like others have mentioned, A. so they cars don't hit them and then bounce back onto the racing surface, and B. to make the turns wider. I'm not sure every turn needs this but in my opinion turn 1 and 4 could be wider. I think it can be done with out an inside barrier. There is one in Osky, but it's yards from the actually racing surface, plus if the degree of inside banking is less than, say 90 degrees, a wall or barrier wouldn't necessarily be needed. 

And yes, grass should be raced on, in all forms of racing, Nascar, drag, boat racing, track and field, airplane racing and racing to the restroom during intermission, or when the doorbangers are racing.   :S 

Keep It Real

Been going to Osky since the late 60's and seen a lot of good racing there. And the turns have always been that width. A few years back they built a burn around the inside where the tires are now. But bladed it down & went back to the tires. I do not like them either but with grass inside them it will take more than moving them back 50 feet to widen the turns. And since Terry only leases the track for 2 nights a year and they have other races there every Wednesday night all summer I doubt the Fairboard is gonna let Terry modify the racetrack.

Maybe Van Genderen/ fairboard, can step up to the plate and make it happen. 

Keep It Real

There is also a drainage problem. The area behind  the tires in turns 1 & 2 becomes a lake after a rain as all the water runs down the turns banking. I would imagine the same happens in the other corner. A drainage system would need to be put in (at large expence) or your extra 50 feet would be unusable often after a good rain the night before or morning of a race.

If the Southern Iowa Fairboard is going to spend money I would prefer they replace the grandstand, which is the most cramped and uncomfortable I have ever sat in!

"Cramped & uncomfortable".... true dat!

My first visit there, I had reserved seats, moved to lower seats to breathe & avoid claustrophobia

Should have been there for some of the early years when it was sold out and there were no empty seats to move to. Plus being hot & humid with no breeze. I actually think those stands are why the FRC crowds are down more than anything else.

Sat in them once. Never again for me. Infield only from then on. On a possitive note the person that sits in front of me had 2 nice arm rests, (my Knees). :-)

Dave Boy

As someone that has raced at Osky more than i wanted to. The tires need to go. The fashion they are in now is dangerous trust me i've hit them. They also make the bottom groove useless most nights, partially because they filled them with dirt. you hit them now it will destroy the front of your car and you have no clue where you are going to end up. There's other ways to fix the issue but it won't happen. ive raced with buried tires, tractor tires, inside fences, berms, and nothing and the worst of all of them are the tractor tires. They either cause cautions when not filled with dirt or cause issues when someone does strike them. 

Totally true. Years ago they had half buried passenger car tires. Tore the oil filter off my cousins car one night. I heard the regular Wednesday night racers didn't like the burm and that's why they bladed it off and went back to the tires. 

Actually at the FRC the cushion usually is right up by the fence in the A main. Maybe the nights it doesn't get past mid track the track is wetter?

Tried finding some video supporting my opinion but the only videos that did were there weeky IMCA shows (which I attend but dont tell anyone). Maybe thats clouding my vision and my main beef. Last years sprint invaders show was a good show. The FRC was okay but the track chunked out bad in places if I remember right making a rough track with little side by side action. For many reasons though I feel I see a better sprint race at Knoxville and Burlington on a regular basis. Could have something to do with the frequency at which they host sprints but I think it has a lot to do with the tracks as well.

I saw an interesting alternative to tires a few months back.  A track that races 4 wheelers and such buried pool noodles (foam, brightly colored) and had them sticking up about a foot out of the ground to show the inside of the track.  My guess is that you would know if you hit one and it would upset your car enough that you wouldn't want to driver over them repeatedly (to keep you up on the track), but they have no realy substance to them, so they wouldn't cause a car to crash when hit or throw a car back up onto the track.  Might be worth trying in lieu of tires.  if they don't work, try something else.

Interesting idea. I doubt pool noodles would hold up to a sprint car hitting them but using a similar logic Im sure someone could come up with a more rubberized object in the shape of a pool noodle that a car could run over but really wouldnt want to. Doing things like that helps drivers utilize more of the racing surface safely. I like it.