Late_Model_Mark
01-09-2019, 06:32 PM
The day by day view from the announcing booth that Racing Promoters Monthly awarded previously as the best Independent Short Track Event in the country, the Ice Bowl at the Talladega Short Track.
Wednesday January 2nd.
Teams started arriving to park all day in the rain in the gloom and rain that has gripped Alabama for weeks. No on track action scheduled.
Thursday, January 3rd.
More teams arrived once again in the gloom and solid all day rain to park on the very wet and challenging grounds. No on track action as the rain was still coming down saturating the entire facility while track crews diligently work hard on the grounds. Any practice was cancelled. It would be a 3-day event.
Friday, January 4th.
Teams poured in all day with on and off showers turning the grounds into a near quagmire. Track workers stayed on the track packing it in, trying not to lose the day or the event. An incredible job for hours.
Practice was scheduled for 12:00pm. That wasn't going to happen, still teams lined Speedway Blvd for at least a mile in "each" direction, amazing! Practice was pushed back till 2:00pm. That did not happen as the track had experienced 6 separate light rain showers. Practice was then scheduled for 4:00pm. We were going to have a long day and night but the rain provided a base for the entire weekend.
At 4:12pm. the first cars rolled out on the track. The pits were so muddy and sloppy, the racers went with it and never fussed, they dealt with it in style and class. The ranks had swelled to 290 cars on Friday that were registered, more were there but unsigned up.
Session #1 had 35 separate flights of 10/12 laps. Some classes had 4 flights while a few had 5. Session #2 ran 36 flights, a grand total of 71 practice flights for the day and into the night. The track was billiard table smooth, wet, fast, and multi-grooved. The Hot Shots and the new Factory Stocks ran a total of 6 heats. We wrapped up at 11:00pm. 71 hot lap flights and 6 heats for a days total of 77 times cars were on the track.
Saturday, January 5th.
The longest day started 50 minutes late at 10:50am. due to extensive track prep including intense grading, sheep's foot work and massive water and run in by packers. The car count had swelled to 322 registered, 337 actual on the grounds.
All classes got one practice round of only 4 laps, had some wrecks, blown engines, cars flying off the banking and more. Practice had 36 separate flights. Time trials started at 1:30pm. 6 of the classes had time trials consisting of 4 cars, 4 laps. The KMSA did 5 cars, 4 laps.
At 5:30pm after a break to get line ups and track crews a small break, heat races for the 7 classes that were to run on Sunday. Supers, Limiteds, Durrence Layne 604, 602 ,Modifieds, and Street Stocks all heat raced to determine Sunday's starting position. Many wrecks due to some wild action, rough driving and impatience took it's toll on the clock.
At 9:30pm. The Factory Stocks put on a very entertaining feature. The huge Hot Shot field killed the clock with many first lap crashes finally wrapping up this long day and night before 11:00pm.
Sunday, January 6th.
Championship Sunday at the Ice bowl began under gorgeous sunny shirt sleeve weather began late due to once again extensive all morning track prep by "Dr. Dirt" Johnny Stokes. Racing began at 1:00pm. Each of the remaining 7 classes ran by mains,after each class, a locked-in hot laps session ran as well. Just before the last KMSA B-Main, the track was watered up top, ran in and we raced. Boy did that work!!!!
At 5:00pm it was Championship Ice Bowl Main Event time! It wrapped up at 8:33pm. with the last checkered flag, Ice Bowl 28 was in the books.
***A few personal notes***
The racers endured very wet and soggy grounds. Track crews used every tractor and means to help the racers in the pits. The crowd especially Sunday was outstanding, thank you. We had track operators from numerous speedways join us thru the weekend and all were in awe of this event, saying they wish they could have something like this.
Thank you FASTFORD for that ultra yummy hot bowl of food you brought me. I was up in the tower for more that 11 hours and it hit the spot. The concessions were booming and ran out right at the end of the event. Also in closing, thank you to all the people who came up to me complimenting on my announcing, it was humbling to say the least. Folks came from all over for this that indeed does matter for the racers of the Southeast, thank you!
Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track
Wednesday January 2nd.
Teams started arriving to park all day in the rain in the gloom and rain that has gripped Alabama for weeks. No on track action scheduled.
Thursday, January 3rd.
More teams arrived once again in the gloom and solid all day rain to park on the very wet and challenging grounds. No on track action as the rain was still coming down saturating the entire facility while track crews diligently work hard on the grounds. Any practice was cancelled. It would be a 3-day event.
Friday, January 4th.
Teams poured in all day with on and off showers turning the grounds into a near quagmire. Track workers stayed on the track packing it in, trying not to lose the day or the event. An incredible job for hours.
Practice was scheduled for 12:00pm. That wasn't going to happen, still teams lined Speedway Blvd for at least a mile in "each" direction, amazing! Practice was pushed back till 2:00pm. That did not happen as the track had experienced 6 separate light rain showers. Practice was then scheduled for 4:00pm. We were going to have a long day and night but the rain provided a base for the entire weekend.
At 4:12pm. the first cars rolled out on the track. The pits were so muddy and sloppy, the racers went with it and never fussed, they dealt with it in style and class. The ranks had swelled to 290 cars on Friday that were registered, more were there but unsigned up.
Session #1 had 35 separate flights of 10/12 laps. Some classes had 4 flights while a few had 5. Session #2 ran 36 flights, a grand total of 71 practice flights for the day and into the night. The track was billiard table smooth, wet, fast, and multi-grooved. The Hot Shots and the new Factory Stocks ran a total of 6 heats. We wrapped up at 11:00pm. 71 hot lap flights and 6 heats for a days total of 77 times cars were on the track.
Saturday, January 5th.
The longest day started 50 minutes late at 10:50am. due to extensive track prep including intense grading, sheep's foot work and massive water and run in by packers. The car count had swelled to 322 registered, 337 actual on the grounds.
All classes got one practice round of only 4 laps, had some wrecks, blown engines, cars flying off the banking and more. Practice had 36 separate flights. Time trials started at 1:30pm. 6 of the classes had time trials consisting of 4 cars, 4 laps. The KMSA did 5 cars, 4 laps.
At 5:30pm after a break to get line ups and track crews a small break, heat races for the 7 classes that were to run on Sunday. Supers, Limiteds, Durrence Layne 604, 602 ,Modifieds, and Street Stocks all heat raced to determine Sunday's starting position. Many wrecks due to some wild action, rough driving and impatience took it's toll on the clock.
At 9:30pm. The Factory Stocks put on a very entertaining feature. The huge Hot Shot field killed the clock with many first lap crashes finally wrapping up this long day and night before 11:00pm.
Sunday, January 6th.
Championship Sunday at the Ice bowl began under gorgeous sunny shirt sleeve weather began late due to once again extensive all morning track prep by "Dr. Dirt" Johnny Stokes. Racing began at 1:00pm. Each of the remaining 7 classes ran by mains,after each class, a locked-in hot laps session ran as well. Just before the last KMSA B-Main, the track was watered up top, ran in and we raced. Boy did that work!!!!
At 5:00pm it was Championship Ice Bowl Main Event time! It wrapped up at 8:33pm. with the last checkered flag, Ice Bowl 28 was in the books.
***A few personal notes***
The racers endured very wet and soggy grounds. Track crews used every tractor and means to help the racers in the pits. The crowd especially Sunday was outstanding, thank you. We had track operators from numerous speedways join us thru the weekend and all were in awe of this event, saying they wish they could have something like this.
Thank you FASTFORD for that ultra yummy hot bowl of food you brought me. I was up in the tower for more that 11 hours and it hit the spot. The concessions were booming and ran out right at the end of the event. Also in closing, thank you to all the people who came up to me complimenting on my announcing, it was humbling to say the least. Folks came from all over for this that indeed does matter for the racers of the Southeast, thank you!
Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track