The Terre Haute Action Track is limiting me to only six push trucks per show this season. The same number we will be using this Friday at Bloomington Speedway for the MSCS $5000 to win show on a much smaller 1/4 mile track. In past seasons we provided between 8 to 10 trucks per race at THAT. A number much better suited for a large half mile track which has limited entry and exit points.

We had one truck break a U-joint prior to the heat races when the track was still very wet and rough and another truck ran over something on the track and punctured a tire prior to the A-main (which rejoined after changing the tire). These uncontrollable circumstances would have gone unnoticed with the recommended 8 to 10 trucks. That number of trucks allows me to put a truck on every car in each heat race and reduces the number of laps required by the trucks to start and restart the A-main.

All of our trucks are radio equipped and under the direct control of USAC during these events. Pushtrucks are not allowed to enter the track or push and car until told to do so by USAC. The show could have been pushed off much faster had our trucks not been held by the USAC official until he could check off each car and do a raceceiver check one by one before each car was pushed for every event. Those are their rules, we live by them. Our crew is very experienced and travel extensively working for many sanctioning bodies and many race tracks throughout the year.

Drivers were given instructions in the drivers meeting about the push off area and the proper entry and exit off the track. They are to enter the track through the turn four gate and exit off the backstretch exit to return to the pits or pull into the infield if they have a problem, yet several of them attempted to make a 180 degree right turn in turn four and return to the pits through the track entrance. Unfortunately their cars cannot physically make that turn and there is a closed gate at that location as well. That too caused some delays. Our pushtruck drivers only have control of their pushtruck steering wheel... the race car driver is still in control of his. We are simply following where he steers. That situation may have been avoided had USAC given the race car driver instructions over the raceceiver as to where they should be steering their cars to.

The push trucks and the wreckers are in no way connected. The two wreckers are provided to THAT by Durr's Towing. We can all agree the slow response time, slow hookup and slow removal of cars from the race track was totally unacceptable by the wreckers that were there.

We apologize to the pit crews for the dust we created pushing off the sprints through the pits for warming motors, but the normal push off area on track at turn four had been flooded by the water truck and it was impossible to push any cars in that area. Once the cars rolled it in somewhat we were able to move the push off area back to turn four, however, it was less than ideal conditions still being very wet, heavy and rough. The track and push off area "came in" nicely about feature time.

It was a strange and bizaar series of events in the A-main. I totally don't understand leaving a car on the track with a flat right rear. Kudos on a fine showing by Chase Stockon leading several laps of the A-main and holding his own with some of the nations best sprint cars. Congratulations to Jon Stanbrough on hanging in there for the win. Another thanks to Mother Nature for finally giving THAT some decent weather on race week.

Joe Chambers
Official Push Trucks