I saw my first sprint car race at Kokomo Speedway in 1974 (I think) when I was 9 years old. Alan Barr won the feature back when he would carry the left front lap after lap. (you can't beat an upright car for twisting and torquing thru the corners) I remember he looked like he was 80 years old even then. I watched Bob Kinser, Barrell Fisher, Mel Kenyon, Steve, on up thru Mockler, Elliott, Butler, Darland and all...I also watched Ricky Hood win like 14 features at Kokomo one summer in the Corsi Cabinet Special...but I digress, I guess...anyway it seems to me like back then the tracks seemed more wet, kinda heavier than what I see today. I don't remember seeing many dustbowl races back then. Now I know on any given night things can change, but were the tracks less dusty than what I am seeing today? Or is it just me thinking too much? I have heard that things like calcium chloride got outlawed and I have heard that stated as the reason for the demise of the old heavy, wetter track days..I dunno, wadda y'all think? Have the tracks become more dry slick/dusty today than they were 30 years ago? (Sorry if this has been covered before, and thanks dad for taking me to see that first sprint car race...
Now I wasn't around back then, but from the countless photographs and old film I have seen, it seems that tracks dumped a whole lot more water on the tracks compared to now.
Tires tires tires now a days they are wide soft and roll tracks in and seal them over back then they were hard narrow and cut curbs and ruts in and made huge cushions too.
That's kinda like my first Hulman Classic at Terre Haute in 1977, when approaching the track from the front parking lot, the first set of hot laps they were throwing sheets of mud 2'-3' long clear in to the pine trees in one and 2....a day race.
Hell, that woulda been a rainout today....
Originally Posted by 4wheelsinthekoosh:
Tires tires tires now a days they are wide soft and roll tracks in and seal them over back then they were hard narrow and cut curbs and ruts in and made huge cushions too.
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There is your answer. I remember Mr Lipkey telling me in the old days he never watered before Sunday afternoon. He told me the tires were the problem. That was the year before Kent Evans took over the track.
I showed a video from Kokomo to a guy earlier this year. He was not a big race fan, and had not been there since the 70's. His comment was I remember it being a lot dustier.
I know I was in 8th grade when I went to the Hoosier Hundred in 77 and that was the first time I ever saw rubber on a dirt track.
As someone stated earlier. You could throw tons of calcium at a track today with little or no difference. the dry slicks of today are a direct result of soft, fat tires; even worse when wings add the downforce. the only rubber down was doing burnouts getting out of THAT on a Sunday afternoon in the summer!
Tires, the EPA , and track prep. A lot of tracks you go to they roll the cushion in. It sure kills a great race track. Man I miss those big cushions a lot of tracks used to have.
Another problem is that they run 4 or 5 support classes, which also kill a racetrack.
Boy it sure seems like deja vu, because I was at those same races when the track was heavier AND had a big cushion! I was even with some guys who dropped an old metal Coca Cola cooler outta their truck on the way home, back in those days when you could actually park right outside the walls at Kokomo..............Hmmmmm
