privilege

[jhanson]

I am not at Cedar Lake except a time or two per year, but I was privileged to be there the nights that lap records were set. On a September evening some years ago I saw Terry McCarl blister the three-eighths Cedar Lake track at 10.775 seconds---125.29 miles per hour. Then I was there the night I saw Jason Rauen set the super late model record at 12.972 seconds on the Cedar Lake track--104.07 MPH
I will never forget those two amazing nights. Perhaps others might like to mention track records from around the country. I'm guessing that some half-miles might not be that much higher in MPH
P.S. Terry McCarl was in a 410 sprint. I can't even imagine the G force in the corners.
Jim Hanson
--east central Minnesota

[BloomerWon]

😁"
https://youtu.be/QQjJWjENZo4

[golddirt]

So what does tazewell have to do with cedar lake

[BloomerWon]

So what does tazewell have to do with cedar lake

Don't you worry about it Mr. Grant... hahahahahaha

[jhanson]

Yes, Bloomquist was really hauling the mail at Tazewell. Fun. I have walked the track at Tazewell and measured banking with a magnetic protractor, as I have done at Volunteer (Bulls Gap), Bristol, and Florence. I've watched a couple races at Eldora but I can't remember being able to get on the track. I visited the old Atomic outside of Knoxville, TN but no race was going on at the time. It looked like a fast track along with Bulls Gap (years ago). At Tazewell even the straightaways are banked. It is obviously a shorter track when you stand on it. They say it is a .33 track but it seems smaller to me---small and fast. My banking measurements are buried in one of my drawers and I'm not looking for them. I remember getting in a scrap with one of the big shots at Bristol over their banking claims. They accused me of trespassing---ha ha ha--I told him some electrician had the gate open and my son and I walked in. They asked me to use discretion about my findings.
Track measurements are at best an inexact science.

[B_K]

Atomic’s best was incredible. I miss that place.

[BloomerWon]

Since we're on the topic of speed, check this blast from the past out.


https://youtu.be/YRYkwCfCY_s

[BILL47A]

Great video BW! Thanks for the link.

[jhanson]

Love the radar gun---fun--thanks. I don't know what the straightaway speeds are for those track records at Cedar Lake.

[jhanson]

Remember back in 2000 when they covered Bristol with dirt for a WOO sprint race, also Late Models ? Sammy Swindell actually has the track record at Bristol--on DIRT--at 13.86 I remember the Late Models were breaking wheels. Can't remember the sanctioning body for the Late Models at Bristol.

[153J]

that was the hav a tampa series , 2000 & 2001 , you can find videos on youtube of them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4NKQUBSQuM

[B_K]

Nothing I’ve seen matches the speed of the old configuration of Golden Isles. It had to be almost frightening to drive.

[jhanson]

Thanks 153J for the info and video---great stuff

[jhanson]

attention B_K Golden Isles was five-eights back then, right ? What did they change it to ? I visited West Virginia Motor Speedway when no race was going on. I think that was a five-eighths. Hard on motors if I remember right.
You had to drive under a narrow bridge to get into the place. Is it gone ? Do I have the name right ? ---was many years ago

[BloomerWon]

Great video BW! Thanks for the link.

Love the radar gun---fun--thanks. I don't know what the straightaway speeds are for those track records at Cedar Lake.

Welcome! That's one of my favorites...

[JDZ]

Thanks for the story, jhanson.

When I was young, we went to Cedar Lake for the USA Nationals for several years. Qualifying speeds for the late models were usually around 15 seconds, and fast cars and fast years, they'd be in the 14s. I started going to more weekly shows there and they ran 360 sprints, but weekly Wissota shows never had qualifying. The 360 sprints looked only marginally faster than the late models. In maybe 1997 or so, my brother and I went to Cedar Lake for the World of Outlaws Sprint show, which was always on the Tuesday night after they came from 2 or 3 nights in West Fargo, ND. It had rained off and on all day and was threatening rain that evening. Hot laps with those Outlaw cars looked like the fastest thing I had ever seen in my life. They started qualifying and one person broke the previous track record, then a few more broke the record that was only minutes old at that time. I think Mark Kinser laid down a 11.511 before it went to raining and they had to postpone the show.

[jhanson]

thanks--great memories--I remember a time at Cedar Lake when they worked and worked in spite of rain and finally got the time trials going. Steve Kinser set a track record and then the skies opened again and the night was done. Steve Kinser's lap never counted---bummer. I think it was around 11.1 or something like that. Of course Terry McCarl later set the record at another event. Where is Mark Kinser ? He was crazy driving with his right rear inches off that high bank wall. I know they are all crazy but he was really crazy. ---ha ha ha

[B_K]

attention B_K Golden Isles was five-eights back then, right ? What did they change it to ? I visited West Virginia Motor Speedway when no race was going on. I think that was a five-eighths. Hard on motors if I remember right.
You had to drive under a narrow bridge to get into the place. Is it gone ? Do I have the name right ? ---was many years ago

Had to be close to that. I believe it’s approx 4/10’s now. Always heard they got guys around 170mph at the end of the straights, but I never actually saw the gun. I just know they were hauling a$$. Still fast, but not like that.

I only saw one DTWC at WVMS and it was a day race. Good enough race though not a speed show like I’m sure it was at night. Murphy Speedway (now I-75 in Sweetwater, Tn) was a car killer and ridiculously fast before being shortened as well.

Taz is quick. Watched numerous people go around North Georgia in the 11:80’s in hot laps about a decade ago. It’s 1/3 mile track. They never got below 12 in qualifying though.

If you ask me what absolute perfection looks like it’s Moyer’s 12:78 at Rome. The most impressive lap I’ve ever witnessed and I’m not really a Moyer fan.

[jhanson]

I came across a quote by Jason Rauen, late model lap record holder at Cedar Lake. I believe he is a Birkhofer teammate. Rauen likes being full-bore at Cedar Lake. Quite some time ago he said, "I say this all the time to everybody--I'll take a hundred laps around Knoxville (Iowa) before 50 around Cedar Lake. It's just such a tough place. You're always turning, you're always on the gas. You don't have any time to sit down and think. (funny) There's some tremendous speed carried there when the track is good. It's a show that people shouldn't miss if they like racing."
Cedar Lake couldn't have done a better commercial than this impromptu one by Jason Rauen. I guess he's saying wusses need not apply. ---ha ha ha

[Barbecueboy]

The surface and size of the golden isles back then was scary fast.