"Live" from Atlanta double points race 2013

[Larry Hill]

Well it is another beautiful day here in Commerce, GA! It started out at 46 degrees this morning, but we are up to 57 now going up to a high of 79 this afternoon. A few more cars have come in overnight to run Race 2 of the double points race. Hopefully the starting line crew will get the track in shape today for time trials and again tomorrow for eliminations.

We had a great time last night watching eliminations and cheering on all our friends that were still in racing. They were still in but we were watching enhanced by alcohol so I am sure we were having just as good a time as they were. I did discover that Absolute bottles do not hold up very well whenever they come in contact with the granite countertop. And it was a brand new bottle! I had to change clothes before I went back out to watch. My shoes and socks were even soaked. Larry thought about wringing out my socks since that was the last bottle of Absolute, but since I had been wearing them all day, he decided not to! LOL

Well they should be calling us up soon since we run right after Super Street. There should be some quicker times this morning!

[chevy620]

There is a lot of frustration about track prep all across the country.
I am interviewing track managers for an editorial in our magazine.
The general agreement by these guys is "they use whatever product" they have consistent results with and the choice has to be made early.

$1000.00 a drum!! is the going price for traction compound. Add that into event costs and you can see why track owners are trying "new methods" of track prep.
A normal LODRS prep probably eats up two drums of spray-on traction compound, five gallon pail of rosin, three or four sets of tires on the track-drag, $200 in fuel for track prep equipment, 30 to 40 hours of labor before the event and two extra guys on the start line during the event to put rosin down. Then do it again Friday night and then Saturday night again.....

We are lucky at our local track, the manager does a fantastic job" prepping and maintaining the start line. He uses about 1/2 a drum for a two-day bracket race but it is the "pre-race prep that provides the results.

It is a lot more than just spraying more. It is proper scraping, washing the oil residue off, dragging with the "proper tires" for that track and then finding the "combination" of all those factors to make it good enough for 600 H.P. 9" tire cars...see the issue?

It isn't that this track or that track don't care.... since us racers don't want to change our cars at all we just demand a perfect starting line. What if there was no track prep anymore and we had to figure out how to race without the wheels in the air every run?

More fun? Different winners? Maybe no more $125,000 Stock Elim. cars?

Who knows..but when traction compound hits $1500 a drum; I bet we find out.

1.30 60' on 9" tires (I have to admit) is fun... but the cost is HIGH!

Good luck this weekend.

Jok Nicholson
ETDragRacing.com magazine, editor

[Larry Hill]

Just made our first run and all cars seemed to hook a lot better today. Hopefully the track prep will stay good for everyone the rest of the weekend. The air went from 2800' yesterday with a 10 mph headwind to 1048' this morning and no wind. So people picked up a lot over yesterday. DRC should have results up soon.

[astikhossw]

chevy620 then if it cost so much maybe they should just go to 1/8 mile racing only.that should cut the price by half,then they can cut the entry by half.That works for me

[J.R. Haddad]

Boy oh boy, would I like to see the financial statement from the business
you run!!

[Chris Hill]

Please be on the look for a iphone5 with a Pink otterbox at the Atlanta race.

Someone has stolen Mom's phone.

Thank you,

Chris

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

secret squirrel in Atlanta sent me this picture of Michael Bryant into deep thought before eliminations, glad it wasn't in elimination's, Ralph & Rich is wearing him out with the new car, good job Michael going into Rd 3,btw don't be looking at the tree like this next rd, lol

[Ralph Cardamone]

Well it looks like he best not sleep seeing as he has a Bi into the next round . And yes he and Rich both have me worn out . But good to see the old car go that good . Good Luck Mike

[442OLDS]

Originally Posted by chevy620

More fun? Different winners? Maybe no more $125,000 Stock Elim. cars?

If anything,I think it might lead to more $125,000 Stock Eliminator cars that incorporate some sort of traction control system.

[Ralph Cardamone]

Well we got Mike Bryant down the track , he is 1.025 under at 138mph lots more left in the car. He was heavy for the class, only if he would listen to Rich & me he can even go alot faster . Only his 4th pass in the car. Boy is he happy . He will be a car to recon with.

Rich broke a valve in the Yellow Bananna so we are done for the weekend.