Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

The track at Bristol was the worst that I have ever seen , Rubber coming up all the way down the track . Track was not preped nor was it safe for racers . Never saw them drag and spray the track once . After it rained they ran the tractor down and started racing . They did hand spray the starting line a few times .

From what was said there was no track equmiment there for the D2 staff to work with. Shame on Bruton Smith for letting his tracks be in such bad condition. After almost losing the car at the 1/8 mile yesterday we packed up and left . Hope everyone has a safe race today

Wont see me at Charlotte or Bristol track's in the future .

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Totally agree track conditions were unsafe ..they did nothing to fix it today !!! They just kept sending cars to put down rubber..... Bob Lang would not have sent down cars in those conditions!!!!!!

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Bet they were using VP traction compound. All d3 tracks are now using VHT .

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

The traction compound has no effect if the track is prepped properly for the glue they are using. Are you sure there's VHT in the drums or just assuming that if the drum lable says so?

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

I don't know where you race but the traction compound has a huge effect. I can tell the difference by walking the starting line. VHT is sticky and will try to pull your shoe off and vp is dark black and you can slide your foot across it like a garage floor. The vp stuff can work fair in a limited temperature range but the VHT works in any temp range. NHRA had to change to VHT for national events because of so many problems with vp.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

I totally agree with Greg. That VP stuff is crap. I had one stick shift guy tell me he couldn't tell the difference, but they need wheel speed.
It sure gives you plenty of that. LOL

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

....In division 3...like Greg said....our director decided to give us a consistent track at all our races....

Even at Columbus....we were able to start at 8:30 am when the temps were low (I had 47) and damp........

I heard the left lane in Bristol was pretty bad....


Rock Haas

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Mission Raceway Park has been using VP for several years. It's not black, the stuff sticks to your shoes, cars hook and go fast there. Plenty of records set. I will agree that both have good and bad properties and stick cars seem to prefer VHT but track prep is more that just spraying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U8oX...feature=relmfu

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

The track was terrible to say the least, cars in every class were loose luckly no one crashed.
I guess the Division Director thinks thats a succesful event. Not a good way to take care of your customers. I guess traction compond is to expensive to apply when you see cars loose run after run. They finally applied some before the second round of T/D and it looked like it made a big difference. Sure would have been nice if they did it as soon as cars were all over the track early on. Not a good way to keep racers coming back.

Steve Cohen

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Steve: Did any racer mentioned to The track personell that the track was junk ??. If they did then the track should have been sprayed? It is the track resonsibility to have a safe track if, not ???

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Don , when I talked to track personnel they stated they had no equipment to work with . The track was in very bad shape from start to finish . I think VHT is the product that should be used by all tracks . The division 3 races I have attend the track's has been great , The Div 1 races that have used VHT have been great as well .

Even the events in Div 1 that they use the VP product they have kept the track in great conditions by spraying and draging the track between classes .

I have been to some races were they will spray the starting line with VP product "AND EVERY TIME I SPIN " . The fact is the track at bristol was not taken care of for what ever the reason and was not safe

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Bo,
I can tell you its not the first time the track was unsafe for racing. The last points race they held there the left lane was total junk. I watched the five cars in front of blow the tires off, Joe Tysinger was right in front of me and almost took the tree out. At that point I shut my car off in the water and my wife checks the lane the bald spots were bigger than my car. She shows the starter he calls the tower and they told him to run us, at this point I am not very happy. I said I wouldnt run till they fixed it and and there answer was if I didnt stage I was out. So I stage let go of the button and the car spins the worst it ever has. The rest was not so pretty but when I was done at least the rest of the cars behind me had a track they could race on. They just dont get it that we are paying customers and deserve better

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Worst surface I've raced on in a long time- Bald spots in the right lane about 600ft out, Left lane- loose Just drove through it- Chirping the same - each run. Guess our division reps didn't complain loud enough.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Columbus was the best I've ever seen it last week. A year ago when we got there of the sportsnationals it wasn't safe because of the vp traction compound. They bought 3 drums of VHT and the track came around by Saturday .

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

If the rubber is peeling off the track it doesnt make a difference which compound is on it. That being said if the track is prepped correctly the VP works great.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

This is not about VP or VHT it is about lack of track prep period the track was supposedly scraped and there was not sufficient prep done when it was obviously necessary. Bottom line we have to have correct safety equipment new belts every two years ect. but a safe track is to much to ask for.

Steve Cohen

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Anybody remember when old Bruton was rumored to be buying NHRA and being the second coming?

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Bristol track surface was Crap!

2nd Qual Pass we spun before the front tires cleared the ground.

1st Rnd we spun with the front tires 2 feet in the air, and the wheelie bar not even on the ground yet.

Question, if the track is unsafe for TD, TS, or the 90 classes...is it unsafe for stockers on 9 inch tires?

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

The track personel just stood there and watched probably half the SG cars get loose never stopped to check the track once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!If you look at SC just look at 1 rd winners times !!!!THAT TRACK SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!! My car never gets loose but in Bristol it did!!!!!!! I will say that Bob Lang would have never sent cars down !! Rich Shaefer wherever he was hiding did with out regard for safety of drivers !!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Bruton runs a business only, catering to the Nitro, Monster Truck and NASCAR group. He doesn't need to have all his customers satisfied to make a profit so this is what you get. But rather than venting on here you should email Rich, his EMail address and FB page is right on the D2 website so make input....I know Ed will do all he can to make Reynolds a great track to race on.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Sounds like Bristol may get removed from a few bucket lists. Cannot blame any racer for refusing to ever return to a track as bad as that. But then some racers seem to have a short memory. Next year's attendence numbers will tell the story there.

As for Columbus...many racers said they would never race there again. When word got out that Div 3 had switched to VHT, racers showed up. The track was great. Stock had 102 cars and S/S had 97. Talk all you want about VP vs VHT but Columbus has gone from snotty to sticky by switching to VHT.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Denny,
I was in the stands when you did that. I hate it came to that, but looking back that is my favorite Bristol memory.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

The right lane for Stock in Indianapolis was total crap. Big bald spots everywhere.

A lot of racers got eliminated because of a bad track, and nothing to do with cars or drivers as racing should be.

It is one thing to get beaten by a faster car, or a better rt, but when you pay money and all they give you to run is a crap lane, that just isn't racing.

I absolutely don't understand how that can go on at a National event. But it did!

David
The New Hemi Guy

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

I went right down the middle 11 times, using both lanes, on 10 inch tires with about 800 HP. Launched at 4400 in S/ST and 5400 in 10.0, never spun. Maybe the weight (3230#) was a favorable factor.

I know we have a lot of "hitters" complaining here, but that's just not the track I experienced. Flame away.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

9 inch tires
close to 3800 lbs
Short of 600 hp
launch less than 3000 rpm

Your dad can beat up my dad any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Wasn't there a time that Gainesville traction sucked on bracket nights because of VP? What are they using now, it's been a while since I've been there.

As for some cars working well, there are lots of variables in the chassis, including tuning for a marginal track. My compliments to your set-up. But when people go to a national or divisional race and spend quite a bit of money, the expectations are higher. Often they are met, but then the occasional disregard for proper prep causes the obvious issues. I run radials all the time and I can't remember the last time I had ongoing issues at an IHRA event. I found that at local races I do have problems because their prep isn't as thorough and radials are more "sensitive". That's expected so I add weight and make the best of it. But issues at any national or divisional event are inexcusable. Why should I spend even more time and money to make up for someone else's deficiencies and/or laziness? If I pay for a 5 star hotel, I expect that level of service. If I pay for a 3 star motel, I go in expecting less. This isn't meant as a slam on local tracks/events, even though some can do better. But the smaller tracks don't have the resources that a national or divisional event SHOULD have. Yet, there are some local tracks with traction that put some of these nationals and divisionals to shame on a CONSISTENT basis! Pun intended! :p

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

What kind of converter you have in that thing?

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Throttle stop, 1.76 power glide , soft converter, a lot different than a stocker or super stocker.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

3200 lbs @800hp 10.0 sounds slow for that hp and weight . Not disputing anything but just seems slow for the power. My stocker would not leave the line at 3000rpm with 8 degrees of timing pulled out for 1.75 seconds

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Should hook in a car wash. Can't imagine how long the throttle stop would have to be on to slow a 800 HP 3200 lb car down to 10.00. Same weight as mine, runs about the same times with over 200 more HP.

Put an 8" ATI Treemaster converter in it and get back to us on that. LOL

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

The NHRA 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0 classes do not allow any "timed" throttle stops or other engine related settings. Only pre-set mechanical adjustments. Not sure if that includes trans shifters. Trans-brakes and 2-steps ok, but no delay boxes.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Yes, important point - the 10.0 class is an "all out" launch with no timers, just like a Super Stocker (transbrake, high RPM, no throttle stop). You could say I run this class so I can fantasize about having a Super Stock budget for 10 seconds at a time, that would be pretty accurate.

This car runs 9.70 all out, so about like a SS/GA setup except for the skinny tires.

Thanks for the opportunity to plug FTI, who makes my ridiculously consistent converter, on the stop or off. It stalls to 6200, shifts at 7600, falls back to about 6400. It is a Glide but a 1.80 straight cut. Also I keep the gear ratio down to 3.90. I guess that's all those years of bracket racing on crappy tracks showing.

Yes, the throttle stop setup is rarely subject to tire spin and not relevant to the discussion; it comes off about 100' in low gear with no problem at any track.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Good to know, Myron. I gotta wonder how it could be that slow if it really has 800 HP. Should be about a 9.0 car. Must be a really soft converter. Like I said, put a converter like we run in it and let us know how it hooks.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

I don't think they were using VHT or VP in the right lane. It seemed more like Mobil 1.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Felt like it to mine also. I spun in both lanes before I loosened it up. First time I have had to go that direction after Dewayne & Vic Custer worked on it, other than to keep it off the bumper. A lot of disappointed racers up there. Only the index cars were hooking. We know why.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

My stocker is one of those that comes close to hooking up in a car wash. It just won't spin. It was a dead give away that the track was the problem rather than the set up on my car when it would hook to leave then go dead left or right. That is a track issue.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

I expected better of Indy.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

Just a guess but with a 1.80 low, and a 3.90 gear, you're not hitting the starting line near as hard as most stock and ss cars

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

No offense guys, but I could sit here and take apart all your setups too. You're missing the point - if you want to win, you have to build a car that will go down the track. Think military - adapt and overcome. Spend your time and money wisely instead of sitting here. This is the drag racing economy and weather conditions we have to live in - no facility wants to spend more than they have to on the track, and nobody wants to rain out races and force people to waste another $1,000 in diesel coming back later.

Re: Bruton Smith's - Bristol Track Condition's
 

John,
To quote Painter and GEICO,"Come on in the water is plenty deep!" - "It's so easy even a caveman can do it"

Bill