Eldora racing surface?
 

Didn't go to 4 Crown so what was up with the track? Was it just same old Eldora never any good?

I'm not a track prep expert my any means, but a few factors played into a super slick and dusty track. First- it seems like the surface has changed from the "good o'le days" of Earl. Very powdery and not very clay based. Second- awful weather conditions to run 4 classes. When they started to wheel pack we knew it was going to be a dust bowl. I though when they scratched it up earlier in the night they should of put down a little water. While I'm a fan of an additional class, I hope it goes back to a USAC only Saturday show.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

A lot of times when Earl had it he never graded off the rubber, and that helped keep the dust down. I didn't think the dust was that bad, but I was in the pits until the Silver Crown race. The turns are not dished out like it used to be. I don't think the top is banked any different, but the bottom and middle are banked the same as the top.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

Features were fine, There was no dirt left to throw.
Up to that point I see a complete total lack of respect for the fans and the racers. I guess track prep crew becomes the fireworks crew as soon as the first green flag waves as they couldn't even run some water down pit road or like Earl would do three our for times a event, run the firetruck and water the top to keep all the dust from blowing so bad you couldn't see. I seen a lot of consi's and features there that were dusty as hell. But I can't name a heat race in my 30 years going, that there were places on the track you couldn't see the dust was so bad. I seen at least a dozen fans wearing them little medical mask


I doubt Rico even seen the wall he was about to hit. I was sitting in one and I couldn't see him when he hit it. Then they qualify SC on a track with absolutely no grip


For a change I agreed with Ballou but they let him speek. Brady was a bit critical and they cut the mic on Tmez

Enough with the bad, I actually had a pretty good time. I had a perfect seat that was one of the few places not under roof not getting deluged with dust. The racing was pretty good and not blow outs when you could see it.

I seen a ton of people I had either never met or only see at the track. Had a great group sitting around me as the races were going on and as I said, the features were good and good viewing after it all got blown off.

The highlight of my day was going out to the VARC Vintage showing and seeing several of the cars I watched race as a kid, Like the Maude Smith sprinter and then I met the guy who restored the car I've heard talked about for the last ten years by Richard Hoffman. The 1971 #59 sprinter that they bolted a new front end on Talked with him for at least 45 minutes and a few of the Hoffman Crew actually came around and were pretty sure it was the exact car and Richard later confirmed it. It's a beauty. There is a actual sequential sequence photos of the wreck as it happened before they rebuilt the car. I can't remember his name right off hand but I think he said on IOW his name is RRC.

Congrats to the winners, Bayston, Leary, Bacon and Courtney. Sometime the race for the lead wasn't that great in the feature but it wasn't a blowout in any of em and there were certainly two, three four car battles for second and third all night.

Bacon is a Beast. 3rd, 2nd, 1st and 5th from 20th. Was glad to see DD, Steve and Carla Phillips have a good night. After telling everyone about Holly Shelton all night she wasn't doing so well in only her second time there (I think) then in the feature she drove the wheels off it gaining 8 spots for hard charger. WTG :)


Like I said, I had a pretty good night myself. But being honest. The track itself is every promoter's baby, Not the concessions, not the TV, Not the fireworks. You have to take care of your baby (Slack left his baby sit in a hot car and die). It's the reason fans and racers come in the first place. They should be able to see it at all times. Would you go to a NFL game if you couldn't see what was on the field? Sure, different conditions but still people come to *SEE* it.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

The definition of insane is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result........but I sure do miss the maid rites on the way.

Tony Stewart has done a lot of great things that we all love from racing teams and racing family's. But I think that the racing track changes at Eldora was made to get the nascrap truck racing events there and have never been the same again. Its only my opinion but it's time to do something different not only for the great racing fans but the racing teams and the house that earl built. Thanks.

I've gone to Eldora for a long time and seen the majority of 4-Crown weekends. And I also remember a lot of dust and quite a few times it took rubber. It's always been that way, except now there's a little more bank on the bottom, so guys can run lower. I wish it would have started a little better, and 3-4 needed some love. But 1-2 looked like what you'd want at Eldora.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

I have only been going there since 1982. Used to watch a lot of wing races back in the 80's there. I have only seen the track heavy one time. It was the time Ballou won and everyone on this board was complaining about it. Friday night people were saying that Bloomington was too wet to pass on. I thought it was a typical track for any track I have ever seen in Ohio. Charles it was nice to see you, but we used to laugh when the track was so dusty you couldn't see, and Earl would water the pit lane. I saw worst tracks this year.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

Been going since 87, Watched dozens of races from the infield and even if it was dusty, it was good viewing in there. The dust goes outward. We were sitting in one and it was a solid wall of dust not just every time the cars entered one, but from the blow out from the push off lane too.. Like I said, I think Rico was totally blind going in when he hit. The fans sitting in turn one were watching the TV to see what was happening right in front of them. Enough of that though. Nobody expected anything but a burnt up track by feature time and it was blown off and good viewing for the features.


But i think starting at advertised time and taking a couple 20 minute light water and packs would have made the viewing better, the racing safer and we'd of ended at the same time.

My view isn't the only one that matters. I said my piece and I also said I overall had a good time.

Charles you obviously didn't check the weather. The wind was out of the northeast. Worst seat to have was in turn one. Was it dusty? Sure it was but to say it was so dusty you couldn't see is a bit of a over statement. I sat in middle of 3 and 4 and saw every car on every lap. Did I want to see a track like I did on Friday? Yep sure did. Did the racing suck? Nope not really. Plenty of passes made. Could it been better? Yea it could of been better but don't sit here and tell me you couldn't see and the racing sucks when you swear every post your not going back blah blah blah blah blah

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

Where did I say the racing sucked? Blah blah, now ya just make stuff up to take a shot. :8:

No need to get into personal insults.
The track Saturday was disgraceful....huge bellowing clouds of dust( I'm still coughing it out) and medicore racing.

Not bashing. He always complains about Eldora surface but keeps going back and then complain afterwards.

I didn't see where he complained. He called it what it was and said he enjoyed himself.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

It was a great weekend. I saw race cars. It didn't rain. It didn't snow, and I wasn't at work. See, Damn near a perfect weekend!:6:

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

That's why the previous post hit the nail on the head about being insane & expecting a different result. Insane on Chuck. I guess Ballou is also. I opted to stop just shy of St. Mary's to go to a little girls benefit. Maybe I'm getting my sanity back.

I suppose we sprint car fanatics are a bit insane. I've sworm off E more times tham I can count , yet keep going back, allbeit less often, in hopes seeing a race like " the good ole days". Then, I get home with the sunrise, covered with dirt and kick myself.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

Not true, If you find the thread from a Eldora-USAC special they ran honoring the relationships 50th or 60th anniversary race, I heaped nothing but praise on a track that on a 90* day never took rubber, no dust. Ballou and Stockon from the tail of the A to top four until Ballou broke. It was a great night.

I guess telling the truth is taboo and if someone don't agree, ya just hurl insults.
It's ok, Rich H been going to races at eldora and elsewhere long before I was born.

I guess giving a track, second, third, and 15th chances to impress you like the place did for 15 years straight is wrong. I didn't miss many big shows from 87- to about 2004, winged or non winged.

I guess expecting the "Worlds Greatest Dirt Track" to live up to it's name, not just in racing but racing surface etc is asking too much. As it's been in my experience I've seen about 2 great tracks in about 15 visits under Smoke. Not saying there haven't been a lot of good surface races, just saying of the races I've attended.

Not bashing BOOS in any way, the marketing, presentation everything there is top notch. And yet all this equipment sits once the green flag drops and not a finger's lifted to try to improve it.

Charles I'm talking about other threads other years that you said You wouldn't go back unless something changed. The biggest beef with ya is saying it was so dusty that you couldn't see cars on the track. Ya I'm sure if you was sitting in turn 1 that might be the case but then move because there was other parts of the track you could see every thing.

More water throughout may have helped. Was hoping they would re work before features. They used to diligently water the infield. Not sure y not last night. I was not in pits if it was bad or not. I enjoyed preliminary races. Joey was bad fast up top. Thought people complained about the top not being fast there anymore. Nothing stays the same. Would the track been as dusty in the Earl days with the equipment as fast it is now. How bout that little girl singing the anthem. Oh yea my four and six year old enjoyed their first time seeing midgets and big cars at eldora

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

I had the perfect seat, I was just beyond the roof on the top of the patio seat four in a lawn chair with legroom, cooler, even though I was buying water and power-aid instead of the pop I brought. I could see everything except right there in one where the dust cloud was piling in. All that dust was going beyond me into those stands in one and two and the hillside seating. still had to take a good shower and have a car that is still covered in dirt after 130 miles of driving (That I expect at about any dirt track. But not walls of dust) Like I said many of them Earl shows had waves of dust in the features but it was pretty even and you could still see. Just seemed last night that every time the cars cut into one it just threw plumes up.into the wall and it was just a blind spot to us up there until the consi's and features when the track actually quit blowing dust and sealed over..

I don't think there is anything wrong with asking for things to be, or get better. Most things have, except the surface itself IMHO.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

hold on guys they just had their weekends mixed up a little, they prepped the track for late models...j/k :3:

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

We attended 4 Crown at Eldora about 3 or 4 years ago and had to leave when sprint car race began, couldn't see the cars the dust was so bad no use in staying. We were sitting in turn 4 and dust just lifted and fell all over us. We are dirt trackers formerly from the great dirt tracks of New York and there were dust problems there also. and there still are at some tracks. But I didn't expect at Eldora cfould be that bad. I could remember the night at Volusia Speedway Park when Earl B. was heading out of the grandstands and said "I can't stand this _______." There is material that can be bought now that helps to keep the dust down that is approved by EPA. But you have to buy it and USE IT!
I paid my $29.95 and sat in my living room and watched the whole live video streamed show - Absolutely NO DUST and hit the bed at 1:30 and didn't even have to hit the showers!!!LOL I do think it would have been appropriate to put some water on, during some of the down time and it may have helped a little with the racing. BUT WE ENJOYED IT!! and Thank everyone for putting it on, there was some really good racing.:deadhorse:

To much talking the tracked prep sucked. Went Terre haute the weekend before no dust on the first set of hot laps.Tony should be ashamed.

I don't know what the happy medium is anymore. Many of the same folks complaining in this post about the track preparation at Eldora have also complained about Tom Helfrich's tractor show at the best prepared dirt track on the planet -Tri State Speedway.....

Proof that some folks would complain if they were hung with a new rope....

Folks say they aren't going back to Eldora, yet they always go back! I learned my lesson about Eldora years ago... when I opened to the door to a porta potty and there was a pile of poo heaped up about 18". Swore I'd never go back and I never have. I attended many races at Earl's place, but between the porta potty experience and the drunk fest that is usually the norm, I haven't been back since 1990. I don't feel like I've missed a thing.... it's just not my cup of tea.

Tony likes your money, he is not going to change anything.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

Hell I remember asking Bigelow after hot laps in 79 or 80 how the track was and he said same old dry slick track. So I think you boys wear rose colored glasses.

I'll keep on saying it because I guess I like to be different, but I really enjoyed it. Track wasn't ideal. Most of the time, when I go to a race track the track is never ideal. Super hot day made it what it was. They tried and they kept everything moving. Had a great time watching holly go from 14th to 6th. Tmez was the one to watch in the sprint feature until bacon caught Leary and I thought the champ cars were great. Hats off to joss moffatt and the roger Williams team. Joss took a hard kick in qualifying and they put that thing back together and ran great in the feature. Loved that. Windom, cottle, Leary and Dave were racy the whole feature and ballou threw some haymakers even if they weren't sticking through the rubber. And hats off to nemires crew. He put the sprinter and the champ car in the fence and they got them both fixed. That was good work.

Re: Eldora racing surface?
 

Track prep is like Obamacare-everyone complains about it, everyone has a solution, but few can agree on what the fix is.

The realityIMO, is that many tracks have the fix-Haubstadt, Kokomo etc-- have the "fix" but for some reason Eldora chooses not to apply it. Why?

I could talk a lot about this subject but going to try to condense it. Friday night was good. The track was fast enough to get a couple sub 13 laps in qualifying, and that's when I appreciate the speed of the wing cars. I don't care where you stand on W vs NW, the speed is breathtaking. Going to Saturday the track was basically 2 seconds slower. I don't think it had to be that way, but obviously someone wants it that way. Not me. Anyway, you know it's going to be a good night when you randomly sit down next to a friend you made on IOW. Great to visit with kydehart and his wife during the races. We sat down towards one about 3 rows below the reserved seats. While we did get some dust,it wasn't bad. My complaint is that if we aren't going to get the old Eldora back, which we're not, then they have to figure out how to lower the infield or move the pits. Wasn't as much of a problem when everyone had to get up the track to go fast, but now that the bottom (regrettably) has become a factor, if you're not up in the top few rows, you can't see the cars running the low groove. I would say from where we were, it was at least a third of the track if not more was visually impaired. And about the dust and some of what Charles said, I think the effects of the dust, as far seeing through it are greatly affected by the angle of the lights and the way the lights reflect off it. For example you mentioned you wouldn't be surprised if Rico didn't see the wall, and from your angle that may well be true, but where I was the visibility didn't look terrible. Anyway, overall it was a good weekend of racing. As some of you said, could it have been better? Absolutely. But after last year's track rework problem, I think they were kind of playing it safe as far as adding water once the show began. I love Eldora, and probably always will, let's just hope that the powers that be continue to tweak things to be as good as it can be. One last thing, does anyone know if there's a good video with audio of Ballou's interview, I only heard parts of it

Great to see you too. Nice bit of luck with our choice of seats. The wife and I had a great time, for the most part all weekend. Shane Stewart's 12.899 was certainly breathtaking and we definitely didn't get breathtaking Saturday, but as I've said in numerous posts I still thoroughly enjoyed it. As always, cant wait for the next race.

In regards to the visibility issues when cars run the low groove down the backstretch..... we didn't have those problems back in the day.... back when they brought the cars to the track with pick-up trucks and open trailers..... 😂 I'm afraid those visibility issues are here to stay!