Can trucks actually run at Eldora?

Leaving aside the soft walls question, can you run thirty-five 3500 pound trucks around a dirt track for three hours without destroying the track? Seems to me that Eldora would only work if you made it a 100 mile race.

I realize that they used to run Sixties stock cars on dirt tracks, but a Sixties full size car weighs about as much as a Honda Accord today. I don't know what the minimum weight was for a Grand National car, and wonder if the dirt tracks weren't built and maintained differently back then.

I'm not a big truck guy, and the idea of racing them seems ludicrous to me. But if you're going to race trucks, it seems like dirt should be the predominate surface. Maybe Detroit can even learn something from racing like they used to.

Hmmm. Not sure which 60s cars you are speaking of Andy.Some of them that ran on the dirt weighted closer to 4000 pounds. But, I too wonder how that track is going to hold up. It has a tendacy to get rougher than most dirt tracks during a race. Those earlier stock cars rode a little higher, too. I think there will need to be some basic adjustments for racing trucks on dirt.

Having said that....I'm all for the exercise. I think it will be very popular and a good test to see if it brings out a new (formerly the old) fan base.

As Bruton Smith said in a recent article..."truck racing might make it they raced with a 200lb hog in the back". The series needs some help.

Being a country (hillbilly) farm boy, I like the trucks and would like to see the series make it. I think they need to bring it and the Nationwide series back to the smaller venues...and to throuw in some dirt racing gets my support and vote.

I grew up around and raced on dirt tracks. That is where racing began for me. to see one (or two) of NASCAR's top series on dirt excites the hell out of me.

Dirt track preparation has advanced, too, since the '60's. The modern dirt super late model cranks out 800 hp and hooks up like glue. 'The Dirt Track' at Charlotte recently played host to the WoO world championships..........sprints, big-block mods, and late models. Activity began on Thursday, concluding Saturday night. Most drivers considered it 'slick' but not rough. Obviously, track prep is an on-going activity, and most major venues, can 'farm' a dirt track, between races, in as little as 20 minutes. Granted 'farming' may not be possible in a NASCAR event, but the race's distance could (and probably would) be shorter than a typical truck race. The truck's ride height would need raising, and various other suspension changes would be necessary, but the entire concept is not out of the question, or realm of possibilities. IMO, the novelty and excitement the event would surely generate, would more than off-set any discord resulting from a shorter race distance.

This is what I was getting at:
1960 Chevy BelAir curb weight 3505-3580, wheelbase 119.0, length 210.8
2013 Honda Accord curb weight 3192-3559, wheelbase 109.3, length 191.4

A 1965 Ford Galaxie runs up to 4000 pounds in stock form so I see your point as well, but a 1969 Torino is back down to 3100. Basically, I was saying that although we think of those cars as huge compared to today's, they were lighter than one might think.

I'd also like to see some dirt races. Both Nationwide and trucks need stronger differentiation from the cup series, and dirt tracks are one way to do so. If I had my druthers, neither of the lower series would run the same track on the same weekend as cup cars but three or four times a year. Also, if I were in charge, I'd dump Nationwide. Too many series dilutes the product. Since the trucks are distinct from cup cars, they'd be the ones that I kept.

You make me smile, Mama....

Comments by ZingerBug.com

Our half-mile Richmond dirt track ran 250-lap and 300-lap NASCAR GN races in the 60s. The track drove more like asphalt than dirt after a hundred laps or so. It turned completely black. During the latter stages of the races there you no longer had the cars broadsliding. We'd walk the track after the races and there was just an amazing rubber cushion built up. No ruts.

Motor grader, water truck and calcium chloride prepped that track.

Track and truck preparation?? This might be a case where Nascar can borrow a page or two from the ARCA series. ARCA races a couple of 100 mile + races a year with their 3500# cars. Of course, let's not forget, Tony Stewart, Eldora track owner and promoter, knows a thing or two about dirt track surface preparation.

The secret for insuring a Truck Series victory at Eldora??

If I'm Kyle Busch, I'm putting 9 time ARCA Champion Frank Kemmel and his dirt set up in my Toyota for this race. Bada-Bing. Done deal.

Can't wait to see this one.

I've run a few tracks that ran in like that, Dave. More often though, they became really dusty after longer runs. I still think it is a great idea to give it a shot. If we have to put a hog in the back...so be it.

The calcium chloride treatment was classic, and it got the job done. Used motor oil was also a technique for dirt tracks........ Langhorne Speedway had thousands of gallons applied to its surface over the years, but our friends at the EPA would not take too kindly to that idea now.....ARCA and the mile-long-sweeping-turn dirt events, while similar (in that both are dirt) would not exactly be a fair comparison with a shorter 1/2 bull ring. Modern dirt track-philosophy involves the challenging concept of "soft" for bite, yet durable AND dust free. The grader and water truck are still staples, but the "sheep foot" packer has become a major tool in the arsenal. Of course, all of this is preaching to the choir as far as Tony Stewart and Earl Baltes are concerned. many of the current tricks of the trade were developed at Eldroa. If the perfect situation exists for this NASCAR-dirt-truck experiment, Eldora is it. I mean, not counting putting a hog in the back.

Quite true Dave, if ARCA can do it, NASCAR should be able to also. One thing that ARCA cars don't have to deal with are the splitters that all top-3 NASCAR series use so that will have to go in favour of a flexible valance type solution that won't dig in like a splitter. Might have to do something about the low-cation of the exhaust pipe too and get rid of the sideskirts.

Sandeep,

Thinking that splitter might come in handy if Bruton's hog idea ever caught fire. It could work like the "cow-catchers" on locomotives. Ya know in the event somebody lost hog in the middle of the race.

LOL. Indeed it would be quite useful in conjunction with Bruton's idea Jeff.

Hogs, trucks, and dirt.........perfect!

The answer is yes the trucks can run Eldora and any other dirt track.. I watched the Grand National cars race on the dirt in Columbia SC, Greenville Pickens SC late into the 60's and put on a great show. 100 mile races were the best. The cars weighed 9.5 lbs per cubic inch. with a minimum weight of 3400, thanks to Bobby Allison and his 302 cu in giant killer.

The only problem will be the preppy little I have to keep my fire suit clean drivers, enough said about the rich kids.

Not only should the trucks run dirt the other series should have at least 5 stops a year on dirt and some quarter mile tracks mixed in as well.

To the na-sayers do you not keep up with the ARCA cars and the Springfield IL state fair races.

Amen, Mike.

As I see Kyle run on dirt he may be one to show others the fast way around

I will Second Mike on this ! ! !

thanks Mike. I couldn't remember the LB per C.I. ratio.