Vintage Dirt Track Racing...A driver's perspective. Hammerdown Speedway, October 17, 2009
Update: Cape Fear Classic Auto Racing Show at Hammerdown Speedway, Red Springs, NC. Vintage dirt track racing Oct 17th; We had 7 cars that raced and Doug Meyer from Concord took the checkers followed by Kieth Creswell, Bill Tripp, Rick Lovette, Jim Wilmore, Bobby Williamson and Dave Blankenship. Great racing,The night started out cool and breezy, it had been raining in the area but just like the races the months before we were blessed with overcast skies but no rain. The club got to the track early like we usually do to have some fellowship time and make any last minute tune-ups. One by one we lined up our trailers, seven vintage steel horses waiting for the sound of the gun and the gates to open. We drew numbers and lined up in the grid, each driver still thinking about how the car handled in practice. The track was still slightly wet, not the way we'd prefer it (our cars like the track to be somewhat tacky) a little grip would be nice tonight.The yellow flashes indicating there's one more lap until the green flag. Green flag GO! I'm on the pole tonight and my car feels good, but when the green flag dropped it hesitates, coughs and sputters. My carburetor was giving me fits again. "Darn it" as the field splits me left and right, I've gone from first to worst in the first 50 feet! Finally it gets enough fuel and air in it's lungs to burst to life and the race is on.The first couple of laps are the most tense, everyone is making moves, cars are going high and dropping low, it's like the Kentucky Derby on steroids, who's going to fill the next hole? "There's nothing but the front end of a 36 Chevy in my mirror! How's the car going to handle back in turns 1 & 2 ?" Turns one and two seem to be as one, it's more like a point than a turn, a 90 degree angle and the car's rear end wants to lead a lap in that turn but you know that ain't a good thing so you pull the reins and get it to run straight again all the while trying to stay off the car that has just dropped below you. "Man! That guard rail comes up quick!"Three and four is this long sweeping turn...before I'm even in the turn the car is starting to sweep out in this long controlled drift through the corner, it's like a county fair ride on some big long swing and then....whooosh! Your back on the front stretch, the momentum of the turn has carried you right up near the wall. As you pass under the flag stand glancing up you get the feeling the flagman is really enjoying his view of this "blast from the past." Down back into Pikes peak and turns 1 & 2...they're like those little red-haired annoying creatures in "The Cat and the Hat", they just keep coming back.Meanwhile, the pack has spread out some, the leaders are battling for first, a couple mid-pack cars are trying to decide 3rd place and then there's the old "obstacle cars" in the back that are about on the threshold of disaster in every lap. Ill handling, won't cooperate, want to slip and slide and the steering wheel feels like it's about to come off sometimes. We are out there to make the other drivers better...if you can get around Me, you've accomplished something because I'm whats between you and the checkered flag.Last lap, my arms are tired, the race is almost over and nothing has gotten tore up, it's been a good...BAM! The second place car just dove into the peaks and made contact with lead horse. Metal bends under stress and wheels touch and bits of aluminum chip off as the rims grind away at each other and before you can whistle dixie one of the horses rockets up the bank and smacks the wall. The checkers wave, it's the visiting team from Concord that's taking the Mutt Powell trophy home tonight.This is what we do, we are the latest vintage stock racing club to hit the tracks in the Southeast. We are Cape Fear-CARS, the only dirt track racing series in the Sandhills, Peidmont, and Coast Plains. Heck, we're the only club IN these areas that races on dirt. We don't race for trophies, we don't race for points, and we don't race for money. What we do race for is the satisfaction knowing that whether your first or last you've just experience a part of history, we're living it and in color. Racing out there with these fellow club members is the funnest thing I've ever done and it's only just begun.Keep looking for event times and news on the "Events" board on the right of the Main page. We'd love to have you come and see what it was like when real men drove steel horses.
Hi Jim,What fun! I'll keep watching the "Events" board. How many laps are you running for each race?
Devin, we run one 5 lap practice however, last night they gave us two practices sessions and the feature is 20 laps.
Jim, what you have describes what happened almost every nite of the week back in the day,kids and most grownups dont have a clue of what was missed by not being there but "if" we can recreate the show,kind of like the way we did it and entertain the crowd enough to get them to pass the word maybe the Word will get around-----A G A I N THEN EVERYONE WILL GO HOME WITH -------------------------------------------------MEMORIES
Johnny, I was thrilled to meet some folks that came out just to see the vintage race, looks like all the hard work of marketing the show is paying off. Plus, on local race chat the feedback is all positive, some are saying it was the best race of the night over all classes. This is so encouraging, it has exceeded all expectations. Thanks for your support and the same goes to everyone that has given us encouragement, it means a lot.
"Tense"...........to say the least! There were 4 cars that a blanket could have covered........one slant 6 powered '39 chevy, a '34 Ford flathead powered coupe and a couple of sbc powered coupes. Mix all of that on a 1/4 mile clay bull-ring...........AWESOME. Don't get much better. Can't wait until next time!