2021 NASCAR Big 3

[fieldodreams79]

Go to an actual dirt track.

[Alfisti]

Smoke was saying at the time they announced the Bristol dirt race that they should have gone to Eldoro (sounded like that anyways, not somewhere I know of what or where it is!)

[Alfisti]

...and now it's postponed due to flooding and health and safety. All looking like a bad idea that sounded good on paper.

Out of interest, how heavy were NASCAR Cup cars back in the days when they used to run on dirt? I'm guessing a mere fraction of what they are nowadays.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Smoke was saying at the time they announced the Bristol dirt race that they should have gone to Eldoro (sounded like that anyways, not somewhere I know of what or where it is!)

He owns Eldora so I am not surprised he prefers that track over anything else.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I asked a few months ago, wouldn't putting some dirt on tarmac just end up with a slightly dirty tarmac surface? I assume there is a better way of doing things than what NASCAR has done.

Bloody funny though.

It's about 3' of clay on the surface and it's done fairly often there just usually for actual dirt cars. Think grand have claimed 18" down low but still plenty of surface

The front coming through was supposed to be vicious here and dumped hard in Georgia but does look like it was worse further north. Friends in Va and Tenn got months worth of rain this morning in some areas, river rise was called on most of the rivers in the mountains. I don't think tomorrow is much better, but it's been a changing forecast every day this week.

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Smoke was saying at the time they announced the Bristol dirt race that they should have gone to Eldoro (sounded like that anyways, not somewhere I know of what or where it is!)

Cup cars would be murder on Eldora, reports from Smoke's guys was it was destroying the track beyond the returns. The track did not renew with Nascar not the other way around. It was rumored, and Tony hinted at it, that the track wanted a lot more money to get the Cup and Truck show late in the season and use that to improve everything around the track and facilities. It appears Nascar didn't want to fund that and thought he should welcome them rather than get paid for it. It was not the best attended event at the track no matter what Nascar thought.
It appears there is a lot to both sides of the story as is usual with Smoke and Nascar both. But either way, trucks maybe, Busch and Cup no. Trucks have a second race later in the season at Knoxville Raceway, an actual dirt track again. Doubt we'll see them back at Eldora any time soon.

[rustyfan]

Easily the best race at Bristol since the rap... err... reconfiguration.

#NeverForgetthe36Degrees

[Adam43]

Apart from Lagano winning. Grumble grumble.

[joeb]

Apparently a safety vehicle hit a truck

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a3...0Non%20Openers

[broadrun96]

Oops, need better tires on the safety equipment

https://twitter.com/BMSupdates/statu...ace-somehow%2F

But good news everyone, they will be back next year at Bristol with both Cup and Trucks.

[S griffin]

Idk, the pickup trucks seem alright on the dirt. Maybe because we’ve seen plenty of pickup trucks in offroad racing, so it seems to suit this sort of thing

[fieldodreams79]

I've still seen nothing from this weekend, but I'd like to continue dirt talk.

I think the issue with going to an actual dirt track, keeping jokes aside about fan attendance, there's probably not a track that could hold more than a few thousand folks. Rattling off the top of my head, since the New York Fairgrounds track was shuttered a couple of years ago:

Eldora
Springfield Mile is probably the biggest (ARCA used to run there annually)
Knoxville (Iowa)

I'm sure there's a handful of others with similar attendance capabilities to these

[Alfisti]

I've only just got caught up, was impossible for me to watch on Monday.

I enjoyed both races, but the Trucks had me more on the edge of my seat. Can't put my finger on it as to why, but well worth watching if you can.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

I've still seen nothing from this weekend, but I'd like to continue dirt talk.

I think the issue with going to an actual dirt track, keeping jokes aside about fan attendance, there's probably not a track that could hold more than a few thousand folks. Rattling off the top of my head, since the New York Fairgrounds track was shuttered a couple of years ago:

Eldora
Springfield Mile is probably the biggest (ARCA used to run there annually)
Knoxville (Iowa)

I'm sure there's a handful of others with similar attendance capabilities to these

Yeah, all the dirt tracks of my youth in Jersey has closed. They followed the bad plan of expansion without the need.

They were a decent dirt track with good Friday and Saturday night racing and reasonably full fields. Thought if we expand we'll get more of this, that will be great. And what did dirt tracks do to expand?? They effing paved the things. Great, now all the dirt guys on a budget were screwed with cars that can't run and costs that shot up, including my old boss in hs, the media center nerd for the district so you know his budget was huge right? Oh, he paid his pit crew in popsicles so yeah, great budgets. The with a paved track and smaller fields the attendance fell and continued to fall until they closed.

All the dirt tracks I can think of locally, North to Middle Georgia, are smaller and definitely the best of amateur and local pro racing but nothing more than that. Think the track on the southside of town closed twice last year, maybe 2019, because cars hit the light stanchions and took them out. So yes, safety 800th for them. I believe the corners are also back in with your car load and sit on the tailgate trackside and have your race evening picnic, so fan friendly experience I've heard.

[broadrun96]

Oh, and there's this fun. It has been tested before with the REAL #5 Kellogs and Terry Labonte.

https://racer.com/2021/03/31/nascar-...-martinsville/

Rain tires at short course could be interesting to watch the testing but the racing? Solid meh and just picturing the pits completely soaked and every car bashing pit wall trying to come in. Just seems like a pointless endeavor, but hey it's their money.

[broadrun96]

They could have held off on that "wet" track testing and used the downtime yesterday to test and dry the track during the red flags. And an actually damp track even