LPS track conditions
 

I read this board and try to restrain from commenting on track condition posts. But I am at the point I gotta speak up.
People on this board always post begging for tacky track conditions. They want no dust and a giant cushion. They think racing is fantastic when sprint cars can race hammer down and on the cushion. So now Lincoln Park has started prepping the track to be heavy heavy heavy. We get to the track about 4 or 5 and they are laying tons of water down. When it comes time for the sprints to pack the track, the track is almost flooded. There was standing water most the night in turns 1&2. So the sprints pack about half the track for a while and then they hot lap and tear it back up. Then the next session comes out and does the same thing. Then the support classes go pack and tear it back up again. When its time for the heats there has been one groove worked in that is raceable by all the classes. So if your a support class car and you start in the back you stay in the back. By the feature time the sprints work the track in enough to make the sprint feature good and people on this board praise the track. However the track still is not nearly worked in and the support classes get to race on a bad track.
In the heat races the track literally only had one groove that was raceable. For the features the bottom of the entire track was slime for about a groove or two, and the top of 3&4 was rough enough to bounce the front end off the ground.

My intentions of this post are not to bash LPS, but to raise awareness that there are three other classes that have to race on the track each Saturday night. I'm happy that LPS has put on great sprint car shows, but the track doesn't have to be extremely tacky and slimy to make for a good show. I understand fans don't want dust, but fans aren't the ones that have to race on the track. Tracks like tonight's tear up a lot of equipment and are not very passable for other classes than sprints. In my opinion LPS had an awesome track earlier in the year. It was smooth, slightly slick, was fast from top to bottom, and was passable in the heats. If they want to keep putting water down like they have been, than get something to pack the track good before the sprints go out, and make sure it is packed from top to bottom without much slime. Or have all the support class cars go out at one time and make laps until the track is packed solid. I wouldn't mind one bit if I had to go out and pack the track, because I know it's going to make the racing better early in the night. I remember they over watered the track for the Patriot modified race a couple years ago, and they sent all the cars on the track at once. We were three wide all the way around the track. But in 15 minutes the track was great. They ran three wide for the lead almost half the feature, and it was a great show.
I just hope LPS can get their track prep right before its too late. They messed up the track for the first Thursday night deal with super stocks when they had 20 cars and next week we only had 10. And they wayyyy over watered it for the summer-nationals race, and I bet a lot of the new mod guys they got will not be coming back. Car counts are dropping at LPS in the support classes because guys don't like running a track they cant pass on. It kills the entire night when you start in the back of a heat and the tracks one lane. Hopefully tonight was enough of an eye opener to prove something needs to change. Love supporting LPS, but they have to be willing to provide a track that is good for ALL classes, not just the sprints.

P.S. if you weren't racing a car tonight don't say the track was great. Race tracks look a lot different when your out there than when you are in the stands. It usually looks great in the stands, but you get out there and its a lot different looking. This goes for all tracks not just LPS.

Hotshoe I totally agree. I'm not sure why we even run heat races anymore. All it is whoever makes it to turn 1 wins and everyone else just jumps n line follows the leader. You have to remember a lot of these people on this board have no dogs in this fight. They dont have to pay for torn racecars at the end of the night. And when it as tacky as its been you tear a lot more cars up. Tacky tracks don't show driving skills, slick tracks do as the case to night.

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Re: LPS track conditions
 

If you don't want to race for spectators, I suggest bying a sportscar, joining a club, and have the club rent someplace like Putnam Park. You will never have to worry about paying spectators. It is all about the competitors. Lincoln Park has a large grandstand. I am sure part of the business plan is to fill it up as much as possible. Keeping customers happy, gives you a place to race. Just as spectators have lots of options, so do you. Do what makes you happy.

Re: LPS track conditions
 

When there is no passing in the heats how is that fun to watch?

Re: LPS track conditions
 

When you car counts start dropping because of track conditions, your fan base will too. It is not fun to go to a track to watch a train run in circles. It is hard enough to bring in fans with the way the economy is, but if you can not prep the track to be a good track top to bottom all night you will start losing cars then the stands will start becoming empty. This has happened all over the country over the years. I understand it cost a lot of money to promote a track but when to cant get cars the fans are not interested.

Re: LPS track conditions
 

so why not run the whole track in from top to bottom in hot laps all the drivers jump to the top and go, they should make all drivers pack the track from top to bottom or start on tail of heat but that is jmo

Re: LPS track conditions
 

its stupid to make the drivers to pack the track when some racin fuel is 9bucks a gallon, all because they want to overwater it.

It is hard to pack it top to bottom when on the bottom is standing in inches of water. They will be spending more time pulling people out. Why not put a little water on it and Sheeps foot it and add more water until you get a good smooth surface with good moisture I believe almost all the track I have been to there is not a place on the track before the heats that you can bring in boggers to have a pre race show.

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Re: LPS track conditions
 

Part of keeping the spectators happy is keeping the pits full of cars. Lest we forget the Hopton years followed by everybodys favorite D-bag Dave Allison. Don't for one minute think I'm comparing Joe to these guys, but their past history proves crappy tracks run racecar drivers and owners off and when they leave fans leave. Track prep is a fine line to walk, majority of drivers will tell you a little dust ok and slick is even better, and every fan wants to see passing and lots of it from the heats to the feature.

About like watch late models and wing sprints no passing..cannot please every driver yes it was a little slimy and maybe they should have scraped the bottom like they would have for the late models..jmo

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---------- Post added at 12:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:59 AM ----------

Got way over watered for summer nationals but according to track radio traffic ump officals called for more water

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