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How we lookin after last night, we gonna make it?

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Queen Sang about this very thing.
"The show must go on"!

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How is track looking Chuck?

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Track has less standing water than yesterday at noon. Pumps are working along with wind helps a lot.

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Postponed till October. Wasted 3 hours of driving, due to the inability of USAC to judge track conditions and if they will be able to race. Unbelievable :14:

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When that big three wheeled vehicle (Terra-Gator) suffered a mechanical failure, we were doomed. With the amount of enormous slabs of mud that were all over the track, that thing, with it's huge tires, hauling ass around the big half mile was the only thing that had a shot of ironing it out. It wasn't due to a lack of effort. When they brought the Terre Haute Regional Airport's fire engine out and were towing the Terra-Gator around the track, they had the right idea, but the tow speed was so much slower than the three-wheeler was capable of, on it's own. It just wasn't able to go fast enough to put a dent in the monumental task that lie before them. They tried. It just wasn't meant to be, apparently.

Jerry

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Jerri, What time did the Terra Gator break down?

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I'm not for sure on the time of break down. But, as unforgiving as that track always has been, once Mother Nature took it, the Terra-Gator was the only chance of getting it back. And they had no back up for that thing. That poor road grader was way overmatched by the circumstance it found it's self in. I'll probably go the rest of my life and never see a fire engine towing a Terra-Gator, again. Since I've never seen it before.

Jerry

Inability of USAC and/or Fair board to make educated decisions on when to have track prepared and ready to go. You do Not wait until 3 hours before race time to start track prep. Your decisions today are not the kind of decisions made to promote the sport. Unbelievable…….. As we drive 2 hours south staring at the sun shining……

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We got there at 5 pm and it was apparent that track had no chance tonight. I agree. Either start prep earlier or call earlier.

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As Jerry previously indicated, the only shot they had was the Terre-Gator and when it went down (anything mechanical can, and will break at the most inopportune moment). Whether or not the Terre-Gator would have saved the day, we'll never known, but without it there was zero chance. A bit of slack could/should be cut. When things go bad it's easy to apply blame.

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I travelled 2 hours 45 minutes to a track that was obvious was unworkably wet. That should have been obvious to the people making the up or down call earlier in the day. I made the trip specifically to support a track I feel is on life support. This type of incompetence is hard to overcome.

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Ballou took four pictures. On his facebook page. Two were early showing a well prepped track that could be run in. Apparently it drizzled and misted for awhile and without a terrigator the track couldn't be recovered.

On the brighter side, we got to grab some DQ with our Michigan friends, AND made it back home in time to watch the Pacers make another incredible comeback win game 1 vs the Knicks!

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Always a problem with tracks that don't get used regularly. They can't take/hold the moisture very well as they aren't being worked in regularly. Similar thing happens at the dirt mile in Springfield IL. Not getting regular work seems to just magnify the problems. And things like equipment getting ready to give up the ghost don't reveal themselves until one of the rare race days comes around.

Places like that are spectacular when they are right but it's a pretty small window it seems.

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Terre Haute Action Track
dSopetnros04g8740c7cm28h8gf441a3156mc509fit1if6891 5g64u3m42u ·
Chris Kearns
dSopetnros04g8740c7cm28h8gf441a8156mc509fit1if6891 5g64u3m42u ·
I would like to apologize to the USAC Racing and Terre Haute Action Track fans & racers for last night's cancelation. USAC & the Wabash Fairboard trusted me with make the right decisions for the best possible racing experience at the The Action Track. Ultimately it was my decision to press forward to try and get the event in and clearly it was the wrong decision. Zero excuses. I just made a mistake. At 8am yesterday morning, not even 1% of me thought there was a possibility of us canceling. But after hours and hours of the track prep crew trying everything they possibly could to get the track ready, it became apparent that we were not going to be able to have a safe race track. I am sorry for the inconvience, time and money it cost everyone.

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Respect for Mr. Kearns

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I swear most of you have no clue what it takes to do a track. You got to try to give it time to dry as much as possible. Let mother nature do her thing. It sucks that tera terra gator broke. How many of you have missed work because your car wouldn't start? USAC and the fair board were in a no win situation. If they would have canceled at 8am most of you would be on here bashing them for not trying. They tried, they failed, THEY STILL GET BASHED! I miss real dirt track fans!!!!

For the idiots complaining. Do you do any research at all? Like even a little bit? This is a fairgrounds, not a weekly racetrack. They are not going to have the equipment most tracks have. Promotors of the past would not have even tried. They would have thrown in the towel first thing. Anyone who did any research at all, before they left, knew this was at best a 50/50 chance of happening. You all know racetrack rain out policy's suck. Does the situation suck, YES. The entitlement to perfection is mind blowing. Spring has really sucked this year. For a place that normally throws in the towel, I give them a lot of credit for trying. I just hope the internet crying does not stop them from trying in the future. If your time and gas money are so important, you had the flo option.

Rant of the year candidate!
Myself, I had to use a vacation day and drive 4 1/2 hours for a chance to experience greatness that didn't happen. Oh well, that's life! I'd do it again in a heartbeat any time THAT is on the racing calendar.

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BS about the Springfield Mile. You haven't a clue.

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Man, When I was hot and heavy going to three races a week in the late 80s. Early 90s I bet one third of the time I showed up to tracks that didn't race. I'd be going to Eldora up 127 and see haulers going south. When I seen that. I just turned around and save whatever gas I didn't use yet.

Whitewater was famous. Show up. Race cancelled. Burg happened often if the river had been up.

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Didn't mean my comment as an attack on track prep or anything of the sort.

Was just an observation from attending events there over the years. Seems the track turns to instant mudhole when it rains & takes forever to dry out.

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I had vacation in for Thursday. As soon as I got off work Wed., I started looking on the big net, 2 hour drive. We had misty rain here all day. My plan was TH then CC Thursday. Knew it was going to be a gamble, and very unlikely I will be able to make rain date. I chose the Flo option on Wed. Would I've went to TH, if there was no Flo, honestly no. CC canceled early Thursday. That was a wasted vacay day. Not complaining or crying. AM I disappointed, sure. But looking back, I'm also disappointed I put that $100 bill in the slot machine last week. Lost that damn thing to! Have a great weekend.

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It's so rare to see an Eldora show canceled without the all nighter effort put in. Of course I only have gone there for the big late model races, a Kings Royal & the Mopar Million & the Mopar Thunder the following year. I'm sure they were much quicker to pull the plug on a standalone USAC or outlaw show like they used to have back in the day. Very few standalone events there these days. Looking at this year I think it's only the Ohio sprint speedweek show in June that is a 1 nighter with a major sanctioned group.

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First off if your trying to get a point across, name calling is not the way to do it. We did our research before we left, thanks to the tracks Facebook post several hours before we left, that said they were racing tonight. That to me is NOT a 50/50 chance of racing. Yes, I give them credit for trying, but there needs to be a reasonable time to call it. Waiting till 7:30 is unacceptable. Can't speak for everyone, but I would prefer a track that's in questionable condition cancel early to save fans and teams the expense. I'd much rather watch a race at the track than on Flo, but this type of incident is a sure way to keep people home. I'm sure we can all agree would be a death blow to THAT. I do appreciate Kearns issuing the apology and taking full responsibility. Lessons learned and mistakes happen. Looking forward to being @ THAT for Sprint Week and the make up date on October 3rd. Now I've got to get ready to head to Bloomington :23:

Oh, and I've never missed work due to car not starting :D

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Earl was a bit different. He'd decide a few minutes before gate opening if the weather was iffy. But if he did open the gates, He'd go all night to get it in.

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Kearns's positive attitude is a good thing and it's something I hope this deal doesn't take from him. As long as some lessons were learned from this attempted race night. It's not the first time this big oval has humbled a track prepper. She's done that many times, over the years. I Look forward to the two remaining events there, this year.

Jerry

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It HAD to be getting very unlikely that it could race long before 730.