Track Prep At National Events
 

Has anyone noticed a difference in the sportsman prep? The reason I ask is that I have noticed cars that "never spin", spin and loose the round or waist a Q run.

It will be interesting to know what is happening.

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

Larry, those are the cars with the Hoosier C06 tires that always hook.

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

I have seen all three brands have spins. I observed, Bristol race winner, Ed Jr. light up 10' out and he runs the "H" tires. I had the best seat in the house to watch Ed Jr. smoking run to the tree, I was in the water box. Seeing someone spin in front of you always gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It could be the reason some racers have elected to go from big block power back to a small block.

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Larry, you are making some big ponies with that 440. I always stare into the stands until the cars ahead get past 330'. That helps.

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Larry, I talked to a seasoned D 2 racer at the Sports and he alluded to the NEW national event track prep.....and it wasn’t good news....

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Larry, My poor little 270hp 350 Corvette spun so bad at Atlanta I thought it broke something. It has a set of Hoosier ZO6s with about 25 runs on them. I never had any trouble with spinning before The first race at Charlotte last year. Bob Benders wagon was in front of me and it spun. Then the same thing happened to me. The track prep has to have changed. Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

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Could it be another enhancement for the sportsman racer??

Just so you know, this is meant as a joke.

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Being slow has it's advantages after all.......

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Lawyers made them back off on the track prep. Fuel cars were going too fast (again) and they had to make them slow down.

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I was surprised to see quite a few good runs by the Factory Shoot out cars at Bristol.I read somewhere about the traction compound has been cut by 30%.But I don't think that was on the starting line.

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I can't believe that NHRA has two different spray rigs for the starting line (say...100% VHT) and another for down track (say 75% VHT). That would be way too complicated to keep track of...
Dan

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

Correct!

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

[QUOTE=voltdr;565532]I can't believe that NHRA has two different spray rigs for the starting line (say...100% VHT) and another for down track (say 75% VHT). That would be way too complicated to keep track of...
Dan[/QUOTE

Don’t know exactly what they changed but it is most certainly different!

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

So let me get this right, less prep=loss of control. and this is safer why????

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Less grip, less traction - less clutch, less horsepower, less speed. Lots of aborted runs and cars up in smoke last few events.

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Whats the other 25% ? Water

Kenney Kelley

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

Methanol

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Don’t quite understand how the FS cars can 60 foot reasonably well but Bender’s wagon spun? Concerning the theory that they are just trying to slow the fuel cars I’m a little dubious since Cruz and others have talked about NHRA turning the tuners loose but if the weather at Norwalk is fairly good (promises to be cloudy anyway) then the theory will be tested but I predict fuel cars will be back flying again, NHRA is primarily just running a circus for the casual fan. Still wish they had adopted the Garlits proposal from many years ago that if it won’t refire at the top of the track then its disqualified...then you’d see some real racing.

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It is a stated fact NHRA in agreement with the fuel cars decided to reduce the prep on the back third of the track, there reasoning for safety was the crew chiefs will tune there cars for the new prep and that will slow down the speeds and be safer. They claim it is the best way because of cost to the racers every other way cost money. The starting line should be the same but I find it hard to believe running a FS/AA Copo with a 9 inch tire it is always hit and miss. Yet they think running stock super stock combo is fair when one runs a 9 inch tire max and the other can run a 16 inch tire somehow it seems to me the small tire car has a harder time being consistent. I know the fuel cars can tune for less prep down track but not the same for most other classes. At least they are thinking about safety and cost to the racer.

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

Well no prep is popular right now lol I had too lol!

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Keith I'm surprised you haven't had trouble since it looks like you come off the stop somewhere around half track. 😂

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I was told by a part time Funny car driver and a tech official here in California that they are watering down the VHT on the back half of the track to slow down the Pro cars.

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

Jim, Ask Bob. His car spun so bad he pulled over to the wall and stopped. My car never moved just spun. Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

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Wonder if the NHRA lawyers are prepared for the negligent track prep lawsuits when back half crashes and collisions happen? Who would pay for a ticket to see even fewer side by side races?

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Don’t doubt what you said Mike, should have simply asked if track prep was different for the FS cars...with that kind of track temps did they do extra prep for those cars and not for the rest of Stock? If that’s the case then it’s not about treatment down the track but how they managed bald spots and the first 330 and for which classes.

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I don't think we can compare what happened at Charlotte with any of the other problems. I think everyone has come to expect the first few pairs at Charlotte will have issues since there hasn't been a car down the track in who knows when at that race when we are down on on Friday morning. However I have seen instances this year first hand when cars have spun out like my round in the semis against Strickland at Atlanta this year. We came up and ran right after a round of the Pros and Jeff blew the tires slam off the thing and even though that's a high horsepower car I don't ever recall seeing him doing that anywhere else. Fortunately for him I had already redlighted.

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This was the rumor I have heard from a few sources... Hope it’s wrong.:eek:

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Quote from Competition Plus article titled "HAGAN REMARKS TRIGGER TRACK-PREP DISCUSSION" ........ "What the NHRA did was change the compound-to-alcohol ratio, from 75 percent compound and 25 percent alcohol to 65 percent compound and 35 percent alcohol." That is what has changed.

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Mike was right, I thought I broke an axle pulled over the starter came running down and said hey why'd you pull over you spun really hard and I said what did you just say but that goes to show you the lack of track prep on a car that can hook in a car wash spun the tires so hard they had smoke coming off them

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Don’t know exactly what they changed but it is most certainly different![/QUOTE]

I agree.

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Seems like there are several other methods to slow the pro cars down, that would be a lot safer ways to do it.

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They are trying to bring the average down before the end of June, so they don't get hit with the AHFS. jk

Yes, it is slower

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I agree, but the issue is the fan base. The fans have been paying to see TF run low 3.70s @ 330+ and FC run 3.80s @ 330+. The fans would not show up (look at the grandstands at Bristol) for slower runs.
Dan

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

We spun in the semi's at Atlanta after making 6 good runs on the weekend. It looked like Strickland in the Copo stocker spun in front of me. We have a similar tire size and run the same ET's, so I chalked it up to track temp and bad luck. But one can only wonder if the reduction in track prep played a role.

You would think you could cross track prep off the list of variables at a National Event.

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Unless I’m misremembering, an earlier post said only the last half or third was cut, if so, that shouldn’t affect start hit

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Have they been spraying the track with two different rigs? I can't see that happening.

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They don’t seem to be dragging and preparing the track between classes

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Shouldn’t 2 rigs, nozzle or mixture switch
Easypeazy

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I haven't seen anywhere that they are using 2 different mixtures. Just the cut down on glue percentage as previously stated. If you check the Fuel Classes, there's been very few good side by side runs with lot's of cars going up in smoke at the hit, hazing the tires, dropping cylinders and grenading engines since the change.

I know, some are going to say that's a normal weekend for a fuel car but this is way worse and not in any particular lane. The idea was to force these guys to take power out. Pretty much ruined the show for the fans and cost racers a lot of money. Next enhancement please...…….

Re: Track Prep At National Events
 

GOOD ! I like that as I am not a fan of nitro cars at all. ! Would it not be safer and simpler to cut down the percentage of nitro, get rid of one fuel pump, cut back on blower boost or blower size. Cut back the engine size over the down time this coming winter to say 426 or 400 cu. inches for the 2019 season? Then they could go back to racing in a real 1320 ft (1/4 mile) again.