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

Ding ding ding ding we have a winner. Check your 2008 sprint week video and watch usac black flag ballou when he was leading the first night at the burg for a left rear going down. It wasn't near as flat as Levis was last night and he wasn't given 4-5 laps to fix it either....and it was same people making decisions at that show as it was last night. So now I would love to hear usacs interpretation of their rules and how they apply.

Greg
Posted via Mobile Device

Wow... sounds like the tow trucks guys finally got there 15 seconds of infamous fame since they leave the race track with more money in their pockets than many of the racers ( after the drivers/owners pay all the entry fees/pit passes).

Joe, thanks for coming on here and explaining. very informative post. I don't understand why they limit you to 6 push trucks. Doesn't seem like it would take a rocket scientist to know you would need at least 8 trucks...like you said,a truck for every car in the heat races.

Tim Wolffrum aka Cowboy

I agree

Got there at 5p for the advertised start time, feature was over a little before 11 - for 32 cars

My home track had 141 cars last night, 15 heat races, 3 B mains, and 4 features...took less time

I'm glad someone other than myself realizes this same deal, they immediately black flagged me...I spoke with Kevin miller this afternoon and he stated that both Bill Carey and the TSR team claimed the tire wasn't flat when it was clearly on the rim....my tire was the left rear and it wasn't on the rim was just low.....I may have made a bed that makes me get the short end of the stick most of the time and I know that and I have to live with that I know some of the battles I pick are wrong but I am just very passionate about what I do and when I feel the rules are not applied to the same degree to everyone it frustrates me, $100k team or $5k team everyone should have the rules applied equally... Neither Miller nor Jason McCord could give me an answer...as far as the fuel deal we all know that usac doesn't have a fuel stop policy...and every speed shop sells 33 gallon tanks I went out with 33 gallons and came in with 4 gallons....so right or wrong with all the yellow laps everyone could have made it if they would have ran a 33 gallon tank.

Sincerely,
Robert Ballou

Looks like the short end just got shorter

A question for Rob Hoffman...

Why do you run a midget (27 gal.) fuel tank on your sprintcar? Not only is it ugly as hell (doesn't anyone else agree that these small tanks are ugly) it also cost you the race. If the rule is that you can have up to a 33 gal. tank and you choose to run a 27 gal. tank (or you only put 27gal. in) then how can you complain about running out of fuel?!! I've got an easy solution...mandate AT LEAST a 33gal. tank. Doesn't anyone care what these cars look like? Get rid of the midget fuel tanks and get rid of the ugly "splash" paint jobs sprint car owners. The things are getting so ugly I can hardly look at them anymore. They aren't late models for pete's sake!!!!!!

Joe Stroehle

Joe,

The USAC Rule Book does not provide for a minimum or maximum size for the fuel cell in a Sprint Car. We run a 38 gallon fuel cell on the pavement cars so that we can carry the fuel load required to complete a race lower and thus lower the Center of Gravity (CG) of the car. We choose to run a smaller tank on dirt for two reasons: 1) to raise the CG to obtain additional side bite on slick dirt tracks and 2) to lower the overall weight of the car.

Our dirt car is about 25 pounds over the minimum weight when it is empty of fuel. The difference in weight between the two tanks is substantial. 99.9% of the time 27 or 28 gallon tank is more than sufficient to run a feature. The fans at Terre Haute got to see the .1% time when it is not.

As far as aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I remember when cages were required in the late 60s - early 70s and the tremendous outcry from many on how they ruined the look of a sprintcar. The same was said when the downtubes became popular. I guess it is whatever you get used to.

Rob Hoffman

[QUOTED in part=Robert Ballou;134933]I'm glad someone other than myself realizes this same deal, they immediately black flagged me.....as far as the fuel deal we all know that usac doesn't have a fuel stop policy...and every speed shop sells 33 gallon tanks I went out with 33 gallons and came in with 4 gallons....so right or wrong with all the yellow laps everyone could have made it if they would have ran a 33 gallon tank Sincerely,Robert Ballou[/QUOTE]

Thanks Robert. I'd think most fans and the complaining competitors already knew this. It's a trend today to blame someone else for one's own mistakes. We know from the past that you're a stand up guy....I wonder who else will be now that the "heat of battle" is over.