Eldora was basically an asphalt track with a LOT of dust.

[fryefan]

They need to spend less on fireworks and buy some water trucks that work.

Also, the time management was absolutely horrible.

[golddirt]

Kleenex time!!!

[Krooser]

I'm not a fan of those dry slick and dusty features...

Didn't see it but I'm always amazed that track conditions can be so good after a couple days of rain and everyone is amazed... happened this week at our local tracks. Luxemburg was especially good Friday from what I hear... four wide racing in all the mains.

When I was there I darn near lived on the water truck Wed. and Thurs. nights during the hottest part of the summer. I learned from a couple of road builders who specialized in building and maintaining dirt/gravel roads. I also used calcium chloride and another 'water wetter' that I got from a Chicago company ($900/55 gal drum) ... even when we had dry conditions we didn't have a dust problem. Guys tell me it's illegal to use calcium today buy they use it for dust control on construction jobs and gravel roads everyday so I don't buy it.

You'd think today's promoters (and racers who love that slippery cr*p) would figure it out.

Anyway congrats to Bloomer...

[chupp n bloomer fan]

They need to spend less on fireworks and buy some water trucks that work.

Also, the time management was absolutely horrible.Would you say the same if someone else had won? There was racing, while I too don't like skating rinks, that's how they prep Eldora anymore. A lot less torn up cars I know that.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

I'm not a fan of those dry slick and dusty features...

Didn't see it but I'm always amazed that track conditions can be so good after a couple days of rain and everyone is amazed... happened this week at our local tracks. Luxemburg was especially good Friday from what I hear... four wide racing in all the mains.

When I was there I darn near lived on the water truck Wed. and Thurs. nights during the hottest part of the summer. I learned from a couple of road builders who specialized in building and maintaining dirt/gravel roads. I also used calcium chloride and another 'water wetter' that I got from a Chicago company ($900/55 gal drum) ... even when we had dry conditions we didn't have a dust problem. Guys tell me it's illegal to use calcium today buy they use it for dust control on construction jobs and gravel roads everyday so I don't buy it.

You'd think today's promoters (and racers who love that slippery cr*p) would figure it out.

Anyway congrats to Bloomer...They do still use calcium chloride, and it's horrible on vehicles, and I'd venture to say lungs. My previous employer used it once in a blue moon to control dust. It does work. Personally, I'd go with some of the track prep stuff, something made for tracks. But, with a clear SDS sheet. A manager at a dirt track I know wanted to use one, and either couldn't get a clear SDS sheet, or the stuff in it you sure as he!! didn't wanna breath. I know Atomic used some for a bit when Nier had it. They had a banner up for the stuff, and it sure seemed to work.

I work in excavation. Water, disc, water, disc, sheepsfoot, water, maybe grader or drag box, water and sheepsfoot. Something along them lines. I've seen that one fancy machine that is PTO driven and the tines spin in a circle, so maybe that?

[Crashmagnet]

It's been sunny and hot all week man

[zyoung25]

I thought the racing was good. I made the dumb decision to sit where the wind was blowing in my face, which a lil rough, but I have sat through a lot worse. The first 20 or 30 laps were the worst.

They didn't dig the track up very much all weekend, maybe a foot each night. They would grade it top to bottom then, sheep foot the pi$$ out of it, and after then water it. It was obvious to anyone that watched this take place, they didn't want it to be fast to where it was tearing stuff up.

No track in the nation will be perfect for fans and drivers....ever. To me if I can go watch a race where there's plenty of passing, and cars wall to wall, it don't get much better than that. Most of this is just my opinion, I'm sure some won't agree, but I could careless.

[race14]

Dry slick= boring. They need a nice big cushion and hammer down.

[MaverickSprints]

Congrats to Bloomquist, Mission Accomplished.
Loved the track conditions, perfect surface that rewards driving and setup over horsepower, just the way I like it. Great racing, lots of passing, dicing, multi-groove, you couldn't ask for anything more.

[Cardirt0]

Dry Slick= dont give a $hit about Fans...

[MI Dirt Fan]

Sounds like a few didn't have thier boys win.

[CIRF]

We watched via the PPV and that sometimes gives a somewhat different perspective from actually being there. As a whole the racing was good. What was very odd in contrast to back when we were attending Eldora's biggest late model races was the leader of most of the race was committed to the bottom most of the time. That hardly ever happened in years past.

Congratulations to ol' bloomy. He just keeps adding to his late model legend. Like everything else his day will pass but it's been a treat for all of us dirt late model fans to have watched him all these years. Love him or hate him he's special in a lot of different ways.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Dry Slick= dont give a $hit about Fans...


Dry slick= boring. They need a nice big cushion and hammer down.You want 10 cars to finish with a bunch of pi$$ed off drivers and torn up sh!t? That's what you get when most tracks are that way, especially Eldora. Been there, seen it. In saying that, I'd like a little more of a happy medium.

But it's not that they don't care about fans at all, the racing was good. They want to also satisfy drivers too. And if you have a hammer down track, you are satisfying a handful of fans and that's it. They prepped the track, it's not like they pulled an Atomic under Schrader, and went with the "Field of Dreams motto".

[zyoung25]

I've seen that one fancy machine that is PTO driven and the tines spin in a circle, so maybe that?

They call those things with circular pinning fingers a "laylay." I may be wrong on spelling, I do know that's how it's pronounced. Those things are old school, and kinda hard to find.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

They call those things with circular pinning fingers a "laylay." I may be wrong on spelling, I do know that's how it's pronounced. Those things are old school, and kinda hard to find.Gotcha man. Your assessment of Eldora was very good. Nice post, once again.

Now that I got a new job, should be able to meet up with ya at Eldora during The World 100.

[CIRF]

The implement in question is a Lely Roterra. It's used to work the soil and produce an adequate seed bed in severe conditions when there are clumps and clods of dirt that need to be broken apart to enhance seed to soil contact to provide for germination of crop seeds.

They can be used very effectively on smaller tracks. They require a lot of PTO horsepower and are generally a high maintenance machine. This is probably why they are not readily used on the bigger tracks. Tony Stewart uses two of them at The Chili Bowl. Quite effectively, I might add. A 100 horsepower tractor would only accommodate about a 12' Roterra used for race track prep. A Roterra is not generally used in solid packed soils such as what is present at a dirt race track. That only adds to the high maintenance situation. Solid soils are very hard on them.

[Nasty55]

We use to Race at a track down in Southwest Missouri that used laundry Detergent on the track and it wasn't to bad it was cheaper and safer to use than the Calcium Chloride was and it made it easier when washing the race car as well.....

[CIRF]

We use to Race at a track down in Southwest Missouri that used laundry Detergent on the track and it wasn't to bad it was cheaper and safer to use than the Calcium Chloride was and it made it easier when washing the race car as well.....

Hey Nasty!! Great to see ya' postin'!

[Nasty55]

The implement in question is a Lely Roterra. It's used to work the soil and produce an adequate seed bed in severe conditions when there are clumps and clods of dirt that need to be broken apart to enhance seed to soil contact to provide for germination of crop seeds.

They can be used very effectively on smaller tracks. They require a lot of PTO horsepower and are generally a high maintenance machine. This is probably why they are not readily used on the bigger tracks. Tony Stewart uses two of them at The Chili Bowl. Quite effectively, I might add. A 100 horsepower tractor would only accommodate about a 12' Roterra used for race track prep. A Roterra is not generally used in solid packed soils such as what is present at a dirt race track. That only adds to the high maintenance situation. Solid soils are very hard on them.

They sure are nice though on the short track's CIRF......make's Saturday night alot easier for track packing and for a Racier track surface that's for sure!

[Nasty55]

Hey Nasty!! Great to see ya' postin'!

Thank you brother I pop in now and then to read racing but haven't posted much of anything as I've been spending alot of time with the wife and family...❤

[chupp n bloomer fan]

The implement in question is a Lely Roterra. It's used to work the soil and produce an adequate seed bed in severe conditions when there are clumps and clods of dirt that need to be broken apart to enhance seed to soil contact to provide for germination of crop seeds.

They can be used very effectively on smaller tracks. They require a lot of PTO horsepower and are generally a high maintenance machine. This is probably why they are not readily used on the bigger tracks. Tony Stewart uses two of them at The Chili Bowl. Quite effectively, I might add. A 100 horsepower tractor would only accommodate about a 12' Roterra used for race track prep. A Roterra is not generally used in solid packed soils such as what is present at a dirt race track. That only adds to the high maintenance situation. Solid soils are very hard on them.Thanks for the lesson man.

Like most equipment, using it properly on the proper soils will prolong the life of the machine and require less maintenance. Have you used one yourself, sounds like ya know your sh!t about them.

[t3r3e3]

They need to spend less on fireworks and buy some water trucks that work.

Also, the time management was absolutely horrible.

They're running three 20's and a 40, it's been sunny and warm all weekend, and the drivers universally seemed to like it. The racing groove was wall to wall. I'd say the track prep guys did pretty well considering. It wasn't fast, but guys could find a groove where their car would work.

[Black I]

They need to spend less on fireworks and buy some water trucks that work.

Also, the time management was absolutely horrible.

Been this way since the change of hands. How long has that been now? Racing there now is like watching old people f#;k.

[25jrjr]

Thanks for the lesson man.

Like most equipment, using it properly on the proper soils will prolong the life of the machine and require less maintenance. Have you used one yourself, sounds like ya know your sh!t about them.

They're not made for deep tillage like some people think. That's for harrows or rototillers. They're made for the top 2-6 inches.

Theres a lot of used ones around on the net. Two of my local tracks, Volusia and BRP, use one successfully.

[Krooser]

Here's a quick shot of what they use at Tri-State....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BNWSGBNors

[Bill31]

I thought I saw some pretty decent racing. Especially when you have a 25-35 mph stead wind gust all day long (I sat in turn three and actually thought it would be a lot worse than it was with the direction the wind was blowing). Last time I was there when it was that windy it was a horrible race. Freddy over Cook I believe. Must be doing something right, I did see a car come from 24th to 5th in a b-main. If you don't like it and just want to complain, STAY HOME ! More room for me. Booohooohooo I got a little dirt on me. OH PLEASE !

[20fan]

When I helped prep a 1/2 and 1/4 mile tracks up here in michigan in the 80's, we used liquid laundry soap, (whatever was on sale) and basic h from I think shacklee. Helped with the dust alot.

[CIRF]

Thanks for the lesson man.

Like most equipment, using it properly on the proper soils will prolong the life of the machine and require less maintenance. Have you used one yourself, sounds like ya know your sh!t about them.

cnbf, I have used one but it's been a decade or more and have never actually owned one. IIRC I rented one in a year that soil conditions were untenable. It is a very special and unique situation that we would need one for seed bed preparation in our neck of the woods. In other words where we're from they are used more as a last resort to be able to make a viable seed bed so as to be able to plant. A Roterra, in an agriculture situation, will reduce baseball sized chunks and clods of soil to marble sized soil tilth.

To rip up a 3/8's or 1/2 mile dirt track with 2 12' Roterra's would take a long time. In an agriculture situation your forward speed could be around 5 miles per hour but given my experience with a Roterra I would say on a hard packed dirt race track around 1 mph would be tops. Anything faster than that would only be wasting time and fuel.

[golddirt]

What bill31 said

[3 wide]

Ever time I have ever been to elders it's been dry slick even before tony took over I remember a couple years ago when brownstown Jackson 100 got rained out and they ran it the next day and everybody said what a great race it was and they ran it in the daytime can't they see this and understand all it takes is water.

[Pennsboro23]

Give me dry slick from top to bottom over hammer down conditions. Better racing when the entire track is slick.

[25jrjr]

Give me dry slick from top to bottom over hammer down conditions. Better racing when the entire track is slick.

X 2^^^^^.......better drivers/set-ups shine on a dry slick racetrack!

[HoosierDirtFan]

Considering the HOT weather they had all week, I thought the racing was darn good. What did you expect with hot weather all week and a good wind gust all day on Saturday with more hot weather. There was racing all over the track. I sat in the pit grandstands on the hill in turn 3 by the cross over. Pierce was great in the 2nd b-main. I think the track prep though big Bob and Bobby a curve ball before the a-main started. He was great for about 25 laps and after that he just didn't move up much more after that. Believe Bobby finished about 13th. Part of that is I think his tire went away after that hard charging the 1st 30 laps or so. Bloomquist, Overton, & Sheppard put on a good show for the lead in the middle of the race. For a while there I thought McCreadie was going to catch the top 3 and make it a 4 car battle for the win. In the end It was just like I thought I was seeing it play out. It looked like Bloomquist was saving his tires for the last half of the race and just keeping pace with Overton until about 45 laps to go. when he passed Brandon and took off and left the field behind. His car was good and you could tell that the car was working just like he wanted it to. Where ever he seem to put the car it was working. For as hot and windy it was on Saturday I thought the dust problem would be a lot worse then it was. Think the track prep crew did a good job. Overall It was a good night of racing and I think we all saw why Scott is shoulders above most of the late model competition. Great driver along with a good chassis, good engine, good set-up, & being able to drive the car and save tires to make them last the distance of the race.

[CIRF]

Here's a quick shot of what they use at Tri-State....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BNWSGBNors

Krooser, although very short that is a good representation of what a Lely Roterra will do in regards to digging up a track. The Helfrich family are big farmers in Southern Indiana and it's no surprise that they have a Roterra on hand both to work their racetrack and in case they need one for their farming operation. As you can see, if used correctly it will do a very effective job of working the top 4" or 5" inches of soil but used in that context it is relatively slow procedure.

The Helfrich family has the wherewithal, power equipment and expertise to use one to the advantage of the show. But remember, Tri-State is a 1/4 mile bull ring but even on that short of a track I'd venture a guess and would be surprised if during the course of a racing program they use the Roterra on more than the corners.

[ptown]

They need to spend less on fireworks and buy some water trucks that work.

Also, the time management was absolutely horrible.

15k people waiting for the feature to start and we had to watch screaming Ben Shelton walk up to every single car and ask who wanted to see them win, that was painful and a waste of time.

[3 wide]

Well I guess it is what ever you like but we're I live we like the faster hammer down race track like bulls gap a few weeks ago when they broke the track record 6 times and then had a great race with 3 different leaders.

[rickybrown1952]

Some people are going to complain no matter what

[25jrjr]

Some people are going to complain no matter what

LOL....my uncle used to say "they would bitch with a titty in their mouth"!

[3 wide]

I'm not complaining I don't go to elders I'm just saying what I like.

[25jrjr]

I'm not complaining I don't go to elders I'm just saying what I like.

I gotcha.....I really think some tracks race better wet and tacky and others dry and slick! As long as I see a good race, I don't care either way!

[CIRF]

15k people waiting for the feature to start and we had to watch screaming Ben Shelton walk up to every single car and ask who wanted to see them win, that was painful and a waste of time.I wondered exactly the same thing. The drivers had already been introduced and someone decides they all need to be introduced......................again.

[NormP]

It can't be compared to an asphalt track if it was dry slick.

Asphalt has more traction than dirt. So if you were going to compare a dirt track to asphalt, that track would be a tacky track, not a dry slick one.

[golddirt]

For the part of the camera shots of all the drivers, they were all buckling in. Any other complaints?

[Bubstr]

We can complain all we want but at the end of the day, they race on what is given them. I like tracks that are in between dry slick and hammer down. The best are the ones that can make a good cushion, low side for the Catfish and a smooth center for those that excel at that line. When one of these groves is missing, it handicaps a group of racers. We had a good center for this race, about 25 laps of cushion and bottom feeders had a hard time because of the push. The dust has been at Big E from the first time I was there in the early 70s. It's not good for people with breathing problems or new fans.The dust bowl at the premiere track in the country, could be the last one they ever see.

[CIRF]

For the part of the camera shots of all the drivers, they were all buckling in. Any other complaints?

Nope, no other complaints. The 2 driver intro's within 5 minutes of each other is plenty legit enough. The way the announcer's/yeller's were talking it seemed they wanted again to incite the crowd so they could hear the cheers and/or boo's for certain drivers.

[Clayton_Wetter]

It's been sunny and hot all week man

That's no excuse. It would have bee just the same if it was cooler weather. Spare the disc and water truck and spoil the track.

Don't see them making ANY changes unless the fans actually stay home.

[Mantis]

I was happy to see the extra track prep/delay because I was running low.

Perfect time for a cooler fill up and a couple Camels.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Congrats to Bloomquist, Mission Accomplished.
Loved the track conditions, perfect surface that rewards driving and setup over horsepower, just the way I like it. Great racing, lots of passing, dicing, multi-groove, you couldn't ask for anything more.

I'm a Bloomquist fan, but I hate to see races like this that depend on setups where a car sticks a little better than the others and therefore just a little less feather footing.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Here's a quick shot of what they use at Tri-State....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BNWSGBNors

Thank you. That's good track prep!!

[slingindirt83]

"I'm a Bloomquist fan, but I hate to see races like this that depend on setups where a car sticks a little better than the others and therefore just a little less feather footing." ........im confused then what would you like to see determine the race????? If setup and driver running the throttle are taken out of the mix, then whats next motor??

[Clayton_Wetter]

"I'm a Bloomquist fan, but I hate to see races like this that depend on setups where a car sticks a little better than the others and therefore just a little less feather footing." ........im confused then what would you like to see determine the race????? If setup and driver running the throttle are taken out of the mix, then whats next motor??

You are not getting what I said by any means.

The driver need to use the throttle not feather foot on a skating rink like that. Tacky clay rules!

[TerryM]

Dry Slick= dont give a $hit about Fans...
Most fans just want to see good racing. It doesn't matter if it's dryslick or tacky wet. You're in the minority.

[3 wide]

Dry slick tracks are a lot slower that wet tacky track your not going to break a track record on a dry slick track I can look at the time trials and tell if the track is any count.i like the speed.