Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Some 30+ years ago we first ran at Rattlesnake Raceway, some 50 miles past Reno, Nevada.  Nevada isn't exactly known for having good clay but good dirt for its' gold and silver content.  A hose in the pits was used constantly by the locals and we thought everyone was fighting heating problems in the blazing summer sun.  We just knocked the big chunks off the car and headed home to northern California. 

Went to clean up the car the next day and litterally had to use chisels, hammers and get real cretive to get the rock hard stuff off. It was like petrified cement.

Fast forward to a few years ago and our touring Super Stock group visited Rattlesnake again.  They'd had a couple of weeks between shows and had disced it up pretty good and brought in many tons of manure from a local ranch.  Made the track a little stickier but stunk to high heaven.  Got home the next day and didn't even get off the trailer and all our dogs were all over it lapping the crap off the wheels and body.  They probably smelled us coming from 3 hours away.  We were all ready for double showers by the time we cleaned the car up.

To be clear this isn't just to throw rocks at Husets I love the place. Plenty of complaints about Eldora last night and Lucas Oil a few weeks back for the Show Me 100. We get prep of dirt tracks is an inexact science.

The worst president of my lifetime:
Ronald Reagan

Nothing against Knoxville, but give the crew from Haubstadt a shot. Sometime a fresh set of eyes is all you need.

If I remember correctly there is/was wood chips in Haubstadt's surface to help with moisture. They'll certainly try to fgiure something out!

People better look out. This is a touchy subject with Tod. He doesn't like it when you complain about his race tracks. That was one of my big complaints about Jackson when they started farming the track. Instead of prepping it right from the get go, I remember when Doug Johnson told somebody that if the races got over after midnight the following week, the races would be free. And I brought that up, and I was told by Tod not to attend his race track anymore. But it seems like the days of. Putting water on a racetrack for three or four days leading up to the race. are gone. I honestly don't think Knoxville is doing it anymore by the looks of their race track this year. It's the worst racing surface I've ever seen at Knoxville. It's still smooth, but it. looks like a mirror by the time. Time trials. are over. basically the 360 sprints at Knoxville are only a few tenths of a second slower than the 410's So it's just not Husets that's having a problem. with their racing surface or not prepping it right it's Jackson, Knoxville. The list could go on and on. There's so many race tracks that you're seeing dust coming off the surface after hot laps that it's pitiful. Hopefully everybody watched the High Limit race from Eagle. And saw a racing surface that was prepared correctly. Sure, it developed a hole in turn one. From what I understand, that's been there for years. But you could tell that racetrack was watered for days in advance of the show. It had good moisture in it, absolutely. No dust. and it was a good race. Just shows what a promoter can do if they want to put the time and effort into it. If you go to a racetrack and you start seeing Dust in Hotlaps, you know, they only went out. the day of the race and put water on it. and that's it. There's no way they put water on anytime before that. Don't let him bs you that they did.    Glen Murra

Excellent racing surface tonight at Huset's. 

Totally agree. Fantastic racing- heats and features.

Day and Macri really coming on late.

Congrats Goodno on the win.

The worst president of my lifetime:
Ronald Reagan

Great race last night at Husets!  Top and bottom were both working .  Home by 10:17!  We're really looking forward to High Banks!

Tons of good information and comments here.  I am confident in one thing though, this will be fixed or attempted to be fixed.  If the rubber in the dirt theory is true I wonder what the effects would be of replacing all of the dirt?  I began going in 1990 and remember the track taking rubber back then and I can only think of a couple of times that it didn't take rubber that I've been there.  Anyway I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think some rubber in the racetrack might be a good thing?  And maybe replacing all of the dirt with fresh dirt might not be ideal either?  I'm not sure, but I'm certain it won't be this way long.

What kind of track are we getting for the high banks? A over watered 1 laner? Or a rubbered down 1 laner?

An interesting stat would be how many laps the tractors and water trucks make this week.  I couldn't even guess but I hope they have plenty of diesel fuel on hand.  And plenty of beer for the folks to partake while watching them.  Oh and plenty of Hoosier tires.  

Im not trying to be mean about it but you obviously dont know what a rubbered up racetrack is. When a race track is rubbered up its not slick its like driving on pavement there is so much traction. The lane is usually only a little over a car width wide. It is very hard to pass and is mostly single file racing. 

To expand o that, when Husets gets rubbered up, it usually turns into a tire-eater.

Maybe Fred will go help em out???

Fred?  Flintsone? 

Just a guess, but it may be in reference to Fred Buckmiller

Well Knoxville is, though. I drive by the place 5+ times a day and can see the truck out there. I think they could use some new dirt as well, as I believe it's been a while since some was actually brought in. That being said, it's hardly rained as of late, been hot/dry. No humidity, thus no moisture in there, doesn't make track prep easy. 

I think Huset's is a multitude of factors. I think the surface they have is worn out, and they aren't on it 3-4 days a week, just the day of. 

I'm thinking that Fred's days of track prep are behind him, although I gotta admit, if his ghost showed up to help that would be impressive.

Lol. Putney

You better help me out. Who's Fred Putney?

Former Lincoln track prep guy until 2 races ago.