It was a little bigger when they ran dlms on in the 90's. EPJ won the inaugural Gator 100 in '97.
Now its used just for go karts. Still dirt though.
you can still see the outline of the old dirt track,it was definitely a train race that night in '97..only way to pass was to drive thru the guy ahead,I remember someone running over Timmy Hitt but he kept going with a torn up car running second.
maybe it was BlackJack Boggs? 20 bucks and you could go to either track running at the same time..Hooters Cup Lates and Super Mods or HavaTampa and Mods,Asphalt track then is now the dirt track.
The short track was originally a dirt 3/8 to replace the big track when it was paved. Then when they turned the big track back to dirt they paved the small track and ran weekly for a year or two. Then it was shortened and turned back to dirt for go carts.
Last time we were there, some of the crews and other campers and fans were hot lapping there 4 wheelers around the short track................until security showed up.
For a year or two after they tore up the asphalt on the 1/2 mile and made it dirt again they did pave the 3/8's and used it similarly to the Petty Driving Experience where you could pay your money, suit up and make some laps on it. I don't think that lasted too long and they tore the asphalt up.
I remember when the New England super modified's ran on the 1/2 mile when it was asphalt. Dam were they fast!!! I don't like asphalt short track racing but those guys were scary fast!!
We went to Volusia before the 1/2 mile was paved back in the mid 1980's. There were some great racing with guys like Purvis, Boggs, Moyer, Simmons, Duvall and many, many more of the biggest names in dirt late model racing at that time raced 6 nights in a row. IIRC there were no support classes for those shows in those days and if you didn't get there before hot laps you were going to be way down low in the stands. The place was packed all 6 nights.
Then they paved the 1/2 mile and we had to drive up to Putnam County in Satsuma for a few years and the track at St. Augustine opened somewhere in the time period and they had some big shows. Then they built the 3/8's mile just off of turn 4 of the 1/2 mile. That was a cluster f*** train racing with about a thousand legends cars that took an hour to run a 10 lap heat race. Then they smartened up and tore out the asphalt on the 1/2 mile.
That 1/2 mile track could use some work. Bring the back straight closer to the front straight and make it straight. Reduce the radius of the turns. Get much better racing action out of it then with more gas/brake pedal action.
Pretty safe in saying, you've never been to Volusia have you?
For a year or two after they tore up the asphalt on the 1/2 mile and made it dirt again they did pave the 3/8's and used it similarly to the Petty Driving Experience where you could pay your money, suit up and make some laps on it. I don't think that lasted too long and they tore the asphalt up.
I remember when the New England super modified's ran on the 1/2 mile when it was asphalt. Dam were they fast!!! I don't like asphalt short track racing but those guys were scary fast!!
We went to Volusia before the 1/2 mile was paved back in the mid 1980's. There were some great racing with guys like Purvis, Boggs, Moyer, Simmons, Duvall and many, many more of the biggest names in dirt late model racing at that time raced 6 nights in a row. IIRC there were no support classes for those shows in those days and if you didn't get there before hot laps you were going to be way down low in the stands. The place was packed all 6 nights.
Then they paved the 1/2 mile and we had to drive up to Putnam County in Satsuma for a few years and the track at St. Augustine opened somewhere in the time period and they had some big shows. Then they built the 3/8's mile just off of turn 4 of the 1/2 mile. That was a cluster f*** train racing with about a thousand legends cars that took an hour to run a 10 lap heat race. Then they smartened up and tore out the asphalt on the 1/2 mile.
Supermodifieds are a whole different breed of race cars and race car drivers. They really are scary fast, and the guys driving them are half nuts.
Way back when they paved the legendary Flemington Speedway the first show had supermods on the card. The track record on a dirt had been mid 16's in a winged 410. The DIRT/Asphalt modifieds broke that first night out. Supermodifieds come out and run mid 14s. In a passing light sprinkle. It was sick.
If any of you remember, they used to run the supers on the 1/2 mile asphalt. I got my first impression of Jeff Purvis when he came from the rear to win the big finally the last year they ran there.
EPJ's win on that 3/8 track put him on the map, as he went on to win ROY in the HAT series that year.
I grew up watching the ISMA cars at Lee USA Speedway, and STAR Speedway in NH. Saw more than a few of their shows at Thompson, and Waterford as well. Once saw one go flying off turn one at Oxford Plains and literally sail into the trees. Scary crash.
Supermodifieds are a whole different breed of race cars and race car drivers. They really are scary fast, and the guys driving them are half nuts. Way back when they paved the legendary Flemington Speedway the first show had supermods on the card. The track record on a dirt had been mid 16's in a winged 410. The DIRT/Asphalt modifieds broke that first night out. Supermodifieds come out and run mid 14s. In a passing light sprinkle. It was sick.
They compare those winged asphalt super mods to indy cars. Not very often do you hear about an asphalt car being faster than a dirt car when on the same configuration. Was supposed to go to Cedar Point last year when they had there ISMA mods in town but didn't end up making it. Haven't ever seen them in person but would like to.
The year i was there the small track was asphalt Watch a race on it.. it may not be now but at one time it was...
Yep, they paved it after the big track was put back to dirt. They ran it for a few years and then converted it back to clay. Im not sure why they did that, as during Speedweek it drew a lot of cars.
Supermodifieds are a whole different breed of race cars and race car drivers. They really are scary fast, and the guys driving them are half nuts.
Way back when they paved the legendary Flemington Speedway the first show had supermods on the card. The track record on a dirt had been mid 16's in a winged 410. The DIRT/Asphalt modifieds broke that first night out. Supermodifieds come out and run mid 14s. In a passing light sprinkle. It was sick.
Josh, your assessment of the guys that drive those beasts is spot on!! Those super modifieds we watched at Volusia are still the quickest racecars I've ever seen on a track smaller than a 1 mile. I gotta' believe the supers would be nearly as quick or quicker than Indy Cars on a track the size of Volusia.
One of the more impressive things about them at Volusia was the vapor trail that came off the wings. Those wings that they use flatten out on the straight away's and pop back up in the corners. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think those things were all injected big block engines, too. NASTY!!
Josh, your assessment of the guys that drive those beasts is spot on!! Those super modifieds we watched at Volusia are still the quickest racecars I've ever seen on a track smaller than a 1 mile. I gotta' believe the supers would be nearly as quick or quicker than Indy Cars on a track the size of Volusia.
One of the more impressive things about them at Volusia was the vapor trail that came off the wings. Those wings that they use flatten out on the straight away's and pop back up in the corners. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think those things were all injected big block engines, too. NASTY!!
They are injected big blocks. The non-wing supers up at Oswego put on an impressive show too. It's a bit different, though, they're more racy. They don't handle nearly as well as the winged cars and obviously, they're not quite as fast, but they are super racy. It's not unlike winged 410s to non-wing 410s on dirt.
Last edited by Josh Bayko; 02-20-2015 at 07:12 PM.
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Volusia County Speedway Arial
Originally Posted by Clayton_Wetter
Pretty big track. Does anyone know what they run on that smaller track?
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