Eldora Track Record

[Highbanked]

On a different post, about the cost of racing LM! In1995 Boggs set the track record! 20 years later 2015. Ferguson beat that record by 1.2 seconds! Point being, that's not much of a gain for the money spent now. It's on Eldora's website.

[Roundtown21]

It's a half mile track, there is only so much speed and time you can gain. What do you expect now for money spent? 12 second laps?

[Mindwalker]

Just another good reason to ask yourself why and to who's advantage they run the cars and motors they do today...

Must be a good one.

[Highbanked]

Mindwalker that is exactly the point! The numbers don't add up! I have no idea what a car was worth back then. Know it's not what it is today!

[Clayton_Wetter]

They have a history in recent years of not allowing the track to be heavy for qualifying. The surface is packed very hard. It's a matter of them making their best effort to have a smooth and light track.

If by some freak accident that the surface got enough moisture in it to make the track spongy and tacky, then the track would be broken by a lot and by many cars.

[ZERO25]

1.2 seconds in racing is HUGE!

Theoretically, you could get lapped every 15 or so laps!

[tiger]

1.2 seconds in racing is HUGE!

Theoretically, you could get lapped every 15 or so laps!

Also if you put these current cars back on Open tires it would be a different story.

And on top of that, the cars now are probably 3-4 seconds faster at eldora in the slick.

[TTS_JF]

Clayton is 100% correct I can remember several years back the track being hammer down when the guys went out to qualify in recent years that has changed dramatically. The only time they qualify under wet/heavy conditions now is if you have a bunch of rain leading up to qualifying to force them to qualify under those conditions.

[Highbanked]

Your right! Tracks back then were heavy. Been going to dirt tracks for 60 years! Everything has changed! Days of going to local places to buy shocks are long gone.

[tsand]

when fergy sat the current record Thursday night was rained out so Thursday show was ran Friday morning. It rained heavy overnight and the track was heavy and fast. he went in an early group by the time the last group went out the track slowed 1 to 1.5 second a lap. so the only way to keep it fair is to have the track hard and slick so there is little change between the first group and the last group.

[over4T]

When I ran there in the late '60s the sprint cars (non wing & basically non caged) were in the 17s, late models ( new Chevelles Chargers, Torinos, etc.) were in the 19s, the early sportsmen ( pre-war coupes/sedans, flatheads, inline sixes, 7-1/2" tires ) in the 21 second range. Eldora was a much heavier track and the racing was terrific and much less expensive, although still out of proportion to the Dolly Parton purses.

[MotoMatt]

I can't recall the year but it was about 2008 or so that Knoxville prepped Thursday or Friday night like it was a sprint car night and there were some really fast laps in qualifying and several flips in heat races. It was the year EPJ broke the record for late models there by around 1.5 seconds. People on here p!ssed and moaned about that too. These cars are likely capable of end of straight/corner entry speeds near 140-150 mph if they let the big tracks stay heavy and though I think that is awesome I also think that's totally unsafe and not necessary. If they let Eldora go heavy they would likely have the same thing Knoxville saw in 2008.

[Highbanked]

I was there! They rolled four cars in just the heats! Those guys were flat out flying around that track

[Highbanked]

Meant hot laps

[Barbecueboy]

Also if you put these current cars back on Open tires it would be a different story.

And on top of that, the cars now are probably 3-4 seconds faster at eldora in the slick.

Open tires?? What's that????

[chupp n bloomer fan]

I always go to the World 100. And while I like Eldora heavy, man, these cars these days just cannot take it. They either flip, or tear them up. And while we are on that conversation, I remember quite a few where only around 14 cars finished.

[golddirt]

Have you ever noticed when you walk across the track at ElDora after the race that dirt is still very sticky

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

The track conditions for qualifying at Eldora have varied greatly over the years. A rain at the right time has made it very fast on a few occasions. And in more recent times, the track is kept slicker.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Also if you put these current cars back on Open tires it would be a different story.

And on top of that, the cars now are probably 3-4 seconds faster at eldora in the slick.

Come on now, if that were true then the features would be turning 14 second laps not 18 + second laps. How old are you anyway???? 900 horsepower cars spin their tires on hard and dry surfaces, nothing there for the tread to bite into.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Come on now, if that were true then the features would be turning 14 second laps not 18 + second laps. How old are you anyway???? 900 horsepower cars spin their tires on hard and dry surfaces, nothing there for the thread to bite into.

I have been there when 19.9 seconds was a good qualifying lap on a slick track. Now, even with severely overheated lm20s on, you are a good bit better than that. I would think 2 seconds is a good estimate.