As the title states, probably a stupid idea, but it will be fun to throw it out here and let it get beat to death. Has any track operator ever thought of going the other way with track times, meaning, as opposed to starting earlier and finishing earlier, but in the heat and dust, to maybe start everything later, at dusk, so that by the time the racing starts it will be cooler and the moisture will be coming back up on the track? Needless to say, racing that starts at 9 instead of 7 ends at midnight instead of 10 but i can't see it hurting attendance during these 100* days. Probably only Friday and Saturday night tracks could do this, and again, only those in rural areas (otherwise the neighbors will complain). So there it is, stupid idea of the day, now i'll let the piranhas out...enjoy. bob
Originally Posted by HARFprez:
As the title states, probably a stupid idea, but it will be fun to throw it out here and let it get beat to death. Has any track operator ever thought of going the other way with track times, meaning, as opposed to starting earlier and finishing earlier, but in the heat and dust, to maybe start everything later, at dusk, so that by the time the racing starts it will be cooler and the moisture will be coming back up on the track? Needless to say, racing that starts at 9 instead of 7 ends at midnight instead of 10 but i can't see it hurting attendance during these 100* days. Probably only Friday and Saturday night tracks could do this, and again, only those in rural areas (otherwise the neighbors will complain). So there it is, stupid idea of the day, now i'll let the piranhas out...enjoy. bob
Down here in the Houston, Texas area, tracks have been moving starting times to 8:00 PM during the summer. Battleground Speedway is doing it this weekend. I am not sure that I agree with it. That is largely because they never start on time when it is supposed to go at 7:00 PM, and still can't seem to get it together for 8:00 PM. That means a long night for me, personally, since I start editing my pictures when I get home. With 5 to 6 classes of racing, that can be 1 to 2 in the morning. Fans seem to be staying away because of the late hour, too.
When we were kids we didn't have AC. We played outside until mid night in the hot summer days and our parents sat on the front porch drank cool drinks and watched us.
Worked pretty good back then, and I wouldn't have to be in a big as= hurry to get to the race track. When I got home from the race I would just go to bed and get up late. It would sure be nice to slow down the pace a little.
Is I really "Global Warning" or is it what we called it back in the old fifty's "Nutin but A Heat Wave"?
Originally Posted by DAD:
When we were kids we didn't have AC. We played outside until mid night in the hot summer days and our parents sat on the front porch drank cool drinks and watched us.
Worked pretty good back then, and I wouldn't have to be in a big as= hurry to get to the race track. When I got home from the race I would just go to bed and get up late. It would sure be nice to slow down the pace a little.
Is I really "Global Warning" or is it what we called it back in the old fifty's "Nutin but A Heat Wave"?
Honest Dad himself
Back then, hardly anybody worked on saturdays or sundays. and there really was'nt anything else to do but go to races. Times have changed. Some of my best memories was going to races and being there until 2am and loving it!! I was a kid and it was cool to be out that late.
Have a great weekend!! and stay cool!!
Originally Posted by Dave Rudisell:
Back then, hardly anybody worked on saturdays or sundays. and there really was'nt anything else to do but go to races. Times have changed. Some of my best memories was going to races and being there until 2am and loving it!! I was a kid and it was cool to be out that late.
Have a great weekend!! and stay cool!!
I find it interesting that tracks are shutting down for hot weather now. What did they do in the past when temperatures hit 100 or more? While there may be record setting temps now, it is only by a degree. One degree can't make THAT much difference, can it?
Oh, and Dave, growing up in California and going to a fairgrounds track meant a late night was about midnight; what with the curfews and all. That and cool summer nights. Something completely alien to life on the Gulf Coast.
OK****So they are looking out for their fans, competitors and their wallets. It cost just as much to run a race with 1000 people in the stands as it does with 100 people up there. If you havent noticed, We have become a little soft in the last few years, and low fan and car counts can bring about low or negitive profit for the guy putting on the show and it is pretty hard to run a racetrack right now.
What if they had a race and nobody came.
I sure don't blame them.
Now if we could get some ac gaurages, and maybe ac inclosed stands it might work, maybe even "flush" comodes. "Lawrenceburg" is one third way there now.
They used to throw more calcium on flemington then you can imagine. It would get disked during the week and calcified. watered real hard. races would start at 7, just as the calcium was coming back up after the sun went low. Thats why it was the fastest 5/8 mile dirt track anywhere. The last few posts about calcium went both way's, some guys said you couldnt use it. Then I believe someone posted they still do. Good Black clay and calcium, thats what god races on.
Originally Posted by backitin:
They used to throw more calcium on flemington then you can imagine. It would get disked during the week and calcified. watered real hard. races would start at 7, just as the calcium was coming back up after the sun went low. Thats why it was the fastest 5/8 mile dirt track anywhere. The last few posts about calcium went both way's, some guys said you couldnt use it. Then I believe someone posted they still do. Good Black clay and calcium, thats what god races on.
I know some Indiana tracks use additives on their tracks, We are all natural, because we have to be, all the water for the city comes from underneath the track itself. Its pretty obvious who uses additives and who doesn't. I feel we do fine being all natural. Just wish daylight was'nt around so late.
Thanks, Dave
