Question? Tacky track vs Black Slick track.

nathans1012 · 4/29/16, 4:37 PM

Just a question? Tacky track vs Black Slick.
I'm sure most prefer a tacky track. But is there ever a good sprint car race on a black slick track?
I noticed at Plymouth last Saturday that the DIRTcar Wing Pro Sprint #36A Kevin Atkins was a good bit better then the rest of the drivers and a lot faster. Some of that maybe due to experience but how could the rest of the cars there be that far off the pace Atkins set in the feature winning by half a lap and that's with a few cautions when the cars are supposedly pretty equal?

xoxide · 4/29/16, 4:49 PM

Nothing better than a muddy track with a big ole' cushion.

from a drivers perspective at least lol.

BrentTFunk · 4/29/16, 4:54 PM

I prefer tacky. I also prefer 2 groove, side by side racing over slidejobs lap after lap. I have seen some good races on slick black track. A couple of years ago at Putnamville midgetweek comes to mind.

staggerman · 4/29/16, 4:56 PM

Kevin Atkins is a verteren driver and spent many years running SOD 360's in 2000's, hence why he was able to run away with the show. Personally I think a slick smooth track that allows a top, middle and bottom to develop puts on a great show. Hammerdown tacky track usually becomes follow the leader as the fast line is on the cushion. I think it depends on the size of the track also.

Racer1n · 4/29/16, 5:24 PM

I agree. A slick track has a lot more potential for creating multiple grooves

Mastering this requires plenty of throttle travel and finesse. Slowing down actually makes you faster !

rclaridge · 4/29/16, 5:29 PM

I don't mind slick as long as it doesn't take rubber!

treecitytornado · 4/29/16, 5:45 PM

From the driver's seat I like a slick track because it's easier to pass! I like a tacky track to stand on it and be fast, but a locked down track makes it hard to pass. I hate rubber down tracks! You gotta stay in the rubber to be fast and it eats tires!

Blueracer123 · 4/29/16, 5:49 PM

Sounds like the current concenses is slick. I think it's personal preference I prefer any track that brings good racing. Slick or tacky, don't care. I've seen great races at Kokomo and Gas City with both conditions.

Two grooves like Plymouth was Saturday, I loved. Even though the track was slick the mod race was great. Guys were fast at the top and bottom.

chop · 4/29/16, 5:58 PM

Good question. But it has many levels to the question. If you have a track that is slick-black. If the racing is one groove, no passing, dust blowing all over the place. cant see the cars on the track, every 2nd lap a race does a 360 and brings out a yellow, no thanks.

I am from Michigan, the dirt here has a lot of sand in the clay. Hard to get a track to stay tacky all night long. This being more of a LM- modified car racing state. They seem to like a smooth, black track. They are used to setting up a car for that type of a race. Is this because of the clay- a track that does not do any prep work all week long. It all goes hand in hand.

The worst dirt race as far as track prep, is the end of the season dirt race at Berlin. Slick, black top to bottom from the start of the night. But having said that I have seen some great racing from both sod and world of outlaw races at Berlin.

You have to go back a few years but Butler in the 70's was a oiled clay track. Jet black, was like racing on pavement that had coke syrup, but was the place was sticky. No cushion or dust. But if you walked across the track, it would pull your shoes off. Great racing every week there.

Charles Nungester · 4/29/16, 6:15 PM

I've seen great racing on both and I've seen follow the leader on both. If the tracks super tacky, Everyone's running qualifying laps and you can only close maybe a car length a lap even if your faster.

I was at a I believe sprint week race at LPS about four years ago and that track got slick top to bottom but still had a cushion that Cummins was running. Shuman was leading down low until the 29th lap in the 4 car and Stanbrough who had fell back to seventh at one point ran the middle and won off the last corner.

Last year at Burg track was pretty slick, But wide. Dickie Gaines, Abrams, Andretti all diced for the lead with Dickie winning and Moffatt who started 18th after breaking in the heat came from 18th to 3rd.

If the track locks down with one groove of rubber and nothing else works. The track is actually tacky. But its also rippin the rubber off your tire.