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YOUTH RISING Noah Burlison Derek Hagar Billy Moyer Jr. Andrew Scheid
SUCCESSFUL INNOVATIONS Cutting Edge Parts
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Going GREEN FROM THE EDITOR
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Contributors Brady Alberson Richard Allen Flynn Azure Brandon Flannery Kevin Newsom
Jeff Huneycutt Dave Argabright Cindy Bullion Billy Moyer Jr.
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OneDirt is published semiannually to promote the growth of dirt track racing as well as recognize the parts and services from participating manufacturers. The magazine consists of dedicated information from partner companies with the mission of disseminating unfiltered editorial on companies, products and services directly to dirt racing participants and fans. Editorial content and advertisements for each issue can originate from partner companies participating in the magazine. OneDirt is a hybrid of content that was originally published at OneDirt.com and original content that was created for this biannual print magazine. Magazine distribution occurs through direct distribution from parent company Xceleration Media and partner companies. OneDirt is a property of Xceleration Media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent from Xceleration Media. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. ON THE COVER DAVID GRAVEL AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK (Photo by Justin Fieldler). Inset: McCreadie gets slideways! (Photo by Steve Schnars)
PHOTO FRENZY
• Speedweeks • World Short Track
Championships
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YOUTH RISING Noah Burlison Derek Hagar Billy Moyer Jr. Andrew Scheid
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he calendar has successfully reset itself for yet another year. Changes are everywhere. We have new lawmakers. We have new representatives. Last, but not least – unless you’ve been living under a rock – you know that our country has a new president. With any presidential campaign comes promises of hope, Ben Shelton change, and improvement. While this editorial for the Spring 2017 edition of OneDirt will have zero to do with politics, I am most definitely going to talk about my hopes and dreams for a new racing campaign. There were so many great highs in 2016, but I would be sadly mistaken if I didn’t say the lows were much more extreme. We lost great competitors and amazing friends in tragic racing accidents. Bryan Clauson, Charlie Floyd, and Shane Unger all left this world much too soon. The untimely passing of these drivers left our sport heartbroken. As we sought to pick up the pieces, one thing stared us all in the face: Safety initiatives needed to be improved across the board. From driver safety to track safety, no stone needed to be left unturned. While this is clearly still a work in process, there’s a whole new focus on making dirt track racing as safe as possible. My first and highest hope for the new year is that this season will go tragedy free. None of us want to lose any more of our beloved men and women. My next hope for the new year involves a prosperous year for our sport. It’s no big secret racing has battled ups and downs for the past decade. However, early into the 2017 season, I’m already noticing increased car counts and fan counts at several events. While the first few months of the year definitely don’t make an entire season, I’m cautiously optimistic our dirt track racing forecast is on the upswing. Walking hand-in-hand with my wish for a prosperous year comes my hope that tracks and series will do their best to work together this season. I still watch time after time as we work against ourselves. So often, track owners and promoters are quick to blame our leaders and the economy when a show loses money. However, more times than not, I see the source of the problem as something much closer to home. Pride can be a powerful thing. Similarly, pride can be a destructive weapon. Unfortunately, the latter most often applies to our sport. One guy gets his feelings hurt by another guy, so he decides he’s going to book a big show against their big show. The typical outcome of this clash is two shows that lose money, and fans in the stands that are cheated out of a quality show. I’ve seen it play out over and over, and it seems we just can’t learn from our mistakes. Perhaps though, the 2017 season will mark the return of our ability to see the err in our ways. Realistically, this is probably a long shot, but hey, a guy can dream. My next hope for the new season is that Mother Nature will be a race fan. This is clearly a situation none of us can control, but maybe if we hope hard enough, we’ll get the results we desire. My big concern is most of the country was omitted from having much of a winter. It seems like most of us just got a glancing blow of cold weather and the frozen stuff. Before we knew it, temps were way above normal. With the increased temps also came increased moisture. Races that haven’t rained out in decades – or in some cases ever – have fallen victim to rain already this year. Hopefully this isn’t a preview of what we can expect for the rest of the 2017 racing campaign. My final wish is a simple request, but it’s one that sometimes we all forget. I hope that we can all remember what it is that made us first love racing. I hope we can all recognize the camaraderie, fun, and quality time our sport represents.
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UNDERCOVER SECRETS #OneDirt
GATEWAY DIRT NATIONALS Q&A
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AFFORDABLE FUN RETURNS TO RACING
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CONTENTS FEATURES
TECH
14 TALENT BUILDING
16 FUELING THE
46 PASSION TO
20 OLD-SCHOOL SUPREME
VP is on the cutting-edge of race fuel development
Total Seal’s success is born on and off the track
18 PRO SHOP PLUS
50 KEEPING UP WITH
Noah Burlison epitomizes racing with your head 30-year-old Arkansas oval simply succeeding
30 STOCK CAR STEVE
FUTURE
Fun is ageless for Steve Sims
A veteran engine builder unveils his secrets
36 GEN NEXT
24 SPLISH SPLASH
Figures forecast future of fans in the stands
44 HEY PICTURE GUY
Learn about the guy behind the camera
48 GOLDEN GROWTH
South Georgia oval is on the rise
54 UNDERCOVER
20 questions deep into the Gateway Dirt Nationals
66 SHOCKING SUCCESS
A marine legend gets its feet dirty
34 ROCKY ROAD
Ignition technology without bounds
40 DOING IT THE
WRIGHT WAY
Barry Wright and Jonathan Davenport share speed secrets
PERFORM
THE JONESES
Jones Racing Products leads the way to winning
70 OIL EDUCATION
Correct oil for crate engine make the difference
76 TECH MADE SIMPLE BMJ explains the J-Bar
84 COOL NEW CAMS
Lunati expands its catalog with custom grind camshafts
Derek Hagar excels in every aspect of the racing world
72 WORLD HISTORY
OneDirt brings grassroots racing to the big stage
78 YOU DECIDE
A life lesson on perseverance
80 SPEEDWEEKS SUMMARY Relive the sights of Speedweeks 2017
86 BEYOND HIS YEARS
Michigan’s Andrew Scheid is making racing history
90 FRONT WHEEL FUN FWD brings fun back to racing
93 4-LAP DASH
Veteran announcer Bryan Hulbert gets candid
94 IN HIS OWN WORDS
Donny Schatz talks racing diversity
Even more tech, features, & videos
@OneDirt.com 2 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
SPEED SHOP
Iron Cylinder Heads Quicksilver............................ 60 Hustler Fans Jones Racing Products...................... 60 Clutchless Bellhousing Kits Quarter Master...... 60 Rack Boot Cover Etheridge Race Parts................. 61 Flexplate Safety Shields TCI Automotive............ 61 Ultra-Thin Ring Packs Total Seal......................... 62 MaxJet Precision Carb Jets FAST...................... 62 Lightweight Titanium Retainers COMP Cams..... 62 SuperBox CD Ignition ACCEL............................... 63 Circle Track Engines Quicksilver.......................... 64 Oil Pump Pulleys Jones Racing Products.............. 64 SR50 2-W-50 Driven Racing Oil............................... 64 Circle Track LS Ignition MSD............................... 65 StayWet VP Racing Fuels........................................ 65
DEPARTMENTS 01 GOING GREEN Letter from the editor
04 LEGENDS ALONG THE WAY Memories of Mario
06 SPEED NEWS
The latest “dirt” from the racing world
08 DIGITAL GUIDE
The best sites, apps & social media centered on dirt
10 SOCIAL MEDIA SOUNDOFF Your online comments to OneDirt topics
12 VIDEO REWIND
Racing, product, and entertainment videos
60 SPEED SHOP
Hottest products to hit the dirt
96 PARTING SHOTS Until we meet again
SPECIAL THANKS
The staff of OneDirt would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the talented photographers that supplied the images found in this issue. Without their talents and willingness to help, there would not be a OneDirt print magazine. Richard Allen insidedirtracing.com Paul Arch Todd Boyd photosbyboyd.smugmug.com Jamie Brabson JBHotShots.com Tyler Carr Lloyd Collins fasttrackphotos.net
Jim DenHamer denhamerphoto.smugmug.com
Seth Lacewell slpracingpics.smugmug.com
Steve Schnars Schnarzy.com
Justin Fiedler Scott Frazier scottfrazierphotography.smugmug.com Eric Gano epa-photography.smugmug.com Woody Hampton Zack Kloosterman zskphotography.smugmug.com
Heath Lawson heathlawsonphotos.com
Chris Seelman chrisseelman.com
John Lee highfly-nphotos.com
Frank Smith Rick Schwallie Latemodelphotos.com Mike Spieker Speedway-shots.com Glen Starek Glensphoto.net
JB Racing Films Chris McDill Mike Musslin checkeredflagphotography.smugmug.com
Photo by Heath Lawson
OneDirt.com 3
Legends Along the WAY BY DAVE ARGABRIGHT The Man. The Myth. The Mario.
I
t was probably six or seven years ago that our paths first crossed, and since that time it seems as though I’ve seen Ben Shelton everywhere. He’s a busy guy, and people have really begun to see the results of his hard work at OneDirt. During the past couple of years, Ben and I have often tossed around the idea of sharing some of my experiences here. Sometimes you talk about an idea long enough and finally say, well, let’s just get it done. So, here we are with the first installment. First, some background. Writing about motorsports has been at the center of my work life since 1980. At first, I balanced the racing gig with a real job in the corporate world, but of course, the real job was constantly making things complicated. That anchor went away in 1998, and the throttle has been wide open ever since. Through the years I’ve covered just about every form of motorsports, and I’ve also done some work on television and radio. Several good people collaborated with me on book projects including Brad Doty, Jack Hewitt, Earl Baltes, Chris Economaki, Doug Wolfgang, Speedy Bill Smith, Larry Moore, and Rex Robbins. Along the way, amidst all those deadlines and bylines and first drafts and rewrites, an enormous number of people left an impression on me. Some I wrote a little bit about, others, a lot. Some were famous, while others were more obscure. All were damned interesting. That’s what Ben insisted OneDirt readers enjoy: hearing more about people who are damned interesting. So here, in each issue (and maybe more online at onedirt.com, if Ben thinks you can stand it) we’ll look back at some of those interesting people. At first, Ben and I talked about remembering the “legends” I’ve known, and there have been more than a few. But sometimes, the legends aren’t as interesting as the little guy who did something special. So, while we will definitely talk about legends, we’ll also recall some people you’ve probably never heard of. Either way, we hope you’ll
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find them as interesting as I did. Today, though, our subject is a legend – in all caps. Mario Andretti is among the greatest racing drivers of all time, literally an icon of the sport. His career inspired and fascinated three generations of Americans, and he remains the only man in history to win both a Sprint Car feature and a Formula One race. My initial encounter with Mario came at, literally, my first professional visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I had attended time trials at Indy as a kid, so my first writing assignment there for the Anderson Herald (my Indiana hometown daily newspaper), brought a lot of butterflies. Indy is the kind of place that swallows you up and makes you feel small. Since its inception, it has attracted the biggest of the biggest, but ultimately none were bigger than the Speedway itself. Even after all these years, Indy still makes me feel small; you can imagine how intimidated I was on that day in May 1981. It was a weekday, and the track was open for practice. I needed to get a couple of quotes about a race at my local track – the Little 500 at Anderson Speedway – and I figured on approaching Johnny Rutherford and Mario. Rutherford sat on the pole at Anderson in 1962, and he was eager to recall the occasion. Mario never ran the race, but he had a Sprint Car background, and I was fairly sure he had attended the race in the late 1960s as a spectator. Approaching Johnny and Mario was like an out-of-body experience. I had idolized both, and it was surreal to consider they would talk with me. I was as green and raw as a sliced cucumber. Mario was standing in the doorway of his garage, watching his crew work on the race car. There were very few people nearby, and Mario and I made eye contact. Notebook in hand, I asked if he had a minute. He nodded. I introduced myself – I noticed he didn’t insist on writing down my name for future reference –
By Dave Argabright
and asked him about the Little 500. I can’t remember what he told me, but we spent a couple of minutes talking about the race, and Sprint Car racing. Just then, a TV crew came rushing over. It was as if I wasn’t even standing there; the guy said, “Hey, Mario, we need a quick interview.” And the guy stepped alongside Mario and got into position, held the microphone, and faced the camera. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” Mario said, looking the man right in the eye. “I’m not finished talking with this guy.” And he nodded at me. He doesn’t know it, but at that instant Mario Andretti made me feel like I was something more than just another nobody with a notepad. The TV guy looked at this skinny kid whose hands were shaking, and then he and the camera guy and the others stepped a few yards away. Mario and I talked for another minute, and I thanked him and walked away. I’ve never forgotten his kindness. That’s why it was so unsettling years later when I wrote a tough column in National Speed Sport News, taking Mario to task for a derogatory comment he made. It was 2002, when the deep wounds of the split in Indy car racing were still open and bleeding. Emotions ran high, and it was as though everybody had chosen sides. Nobody close to the situation – NOBODY, and that includes nearly everyone in the media – was without bias. I definitely leaned toward the side of the Indy Racing League be-
cause it had given a number of short track racers – Steve Kinser and Jack Hewitt, among others – a shot at the Indianapolis 500. Mario was a strong advocate on the opposite side, with CART. He was quoted in a story where he made a derogatory remark about the IRL drivers, and it touched a nerve. I immediately dashed off a column in which every word was composed in anger. I wish I had that column back, and I wish I could take every surviving copy of that issue and put it under the cat’s litterbox. To be clear, I still disagree with Mario’s comment, and I still feel it was wrong. But I too, was wrong. I was guilty of the same thing as Mario; I allowed my emotions to lead me to say inflammatory things that didn’t help the situation in any way. I see that today; I didn’t see it at the time. Our paths crossed again at Indy a
few months later. Now, nobody in this business can assume a man of Mario’s stature reads their stuff. However, the piece was in a national publication and I was fairly confident somebody probably brought it to his attention. If so, he was probably not very happy. Probably. But on that day, nothing was said or acknowledged and life went right on. A few years later – August 2009, to be exact – Mario came to Knoxville Raceway for a press conference to unveil the STP sponsorship of Donny Schatz at the Knoxville Nationals. Mario and STP had a long history together, and their logo was on his winning car at Indianapolis in 1969. I was invited to emcee the press conference and lead a detailed interview session with Mario, Donny, Tony Stewart, and an STP rep whose name I can’t recall. As the day approached, a thought occurred to me: I wonder if Mario ever
saw that column from 2002, and I wonder if he might be pissed at me? When Mario saw me at Knoxville, he stuck out his hand and greeted me warmly as though we were lifelong friends. During the next couple of hours, I watched as this world champion treated everyone on hand with class and genuine enthusiasm. He enthralled a large gathering of people and made them feel like they were all his personal friends. It was an extraordinary thing, watching Mario’s amazing gift of dealing with people. Nothing was said that day about the words of 2002, and I was glad. I didn’t want one negative thing to infringe upon a wonderful moment, a wonderful day, and a wonderful memory. Legend? Mario Andretti is more than that. He’s a good, kind man. He helped a raw, skinny kid feel a little better about things way back in 1981. I’m still grateful.
Official Spark Plug
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Speed NEWS NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS Hoosier Tire goes Continental In October 2016, word hit the streets that Lakeville, Indiana-based Hoosier Racing Tire Corporation had been acquired by Continental. “The acquisition of Hoosier Racing Tire is an exciting next addition to our product portfolio and will support our growth strategy, especially in the ultra-high performance segment,” said Nikolai Setzer, Executive Board Member for Continental’s tire business. “Hoosier’s management team has built an impressive business,” Dr. Jochen Etzel, CEO of Continental, added. “We believe Hoosier Tire is well-positioned to continue its strong growth, and we look forward to supporting that development through our complementary knowledge and extensive footprint. Hoosier’s management team will continue to run the racing tire business. We are committed to the employees and the communities in which Hoosier operates.” “Continental and Hoosier share a similar vision for continued growth and sales excellence,” Joyce Newton, Hoosier’s president and CEO, said. “Hoosier has fantastic brand recognition, a high-performing team, established customer relationships and a great lineup of products. This acquisition will provide a stronger and more sustainable organization for Hoosier moving ahead.” Continental and Hoosier have worked together during the past several years on a variety of technical and motorsports projects.
Racing world says farewell to Capitani Legendary promoter and visionary Ralph Arthur “Cappy” Capitani passed away on February 27, after a battle with cancer. He was 84 years old. Capitani was instrumental in growing the sport of Sprint Car racing and, more significantly, in the overall growth and development of the legendary Knoxville Nationals. His love and passion for racing was undeniable to all who knew him. “Ralph was a visionary promoter in the Sprint Car racing world,” said World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter. “I enjoyed the opportunities I had to learn while working with him. We will miss him.” In 1978, while Ted Johnson was launching the World of Outlaws, Capi-
tani commenced his dirt track racing career with Knoxville Raceway as director of racing. During his tenure there, Capitani focused on ramping up weekly racing and turning the Knoxville Nationals into the marquee event it is today. He also helped found the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum in 1985 and the National 360 Sprint Car Council in 1993. “Cappy has been voted the National Sprint Car Poll’s ‘Promoter of the Year’ on three occasions (1985, 1990, 1991), and has consistently been named one of the poll’s top three most powerful leaders in the sport – with Ted Johnson and Earl Baltes – since its inception,” reads his 2014 award profile on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame website. Godspeed Cappy.
Keep up with dirt racing news, updated daily at OneDirt.com. 6 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
National Sprint League ceases operations In November 2016, Tod Quiring made the decision to immediately cease operations on his National Sprint League (NSL). “I’m not going to say the NSL is done, but we are not booking shows in 2017,” NSL Series Coordinator Chuck Zitterich told writer Jeremy Elliott. “We are concentrating on Jackson Motorplex.” But with Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, Badlands Motor Speedway in South Dakota, and Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota sanctioning weekly 410c.i. Sprint Car action, teams in the area were left with plenty of options to race in 2017 after the NSL departure. “The whole idea of the NSL was to bring more 410 shows to the Midwest,” Zitterich continued. “With Knoxville, Badlands, and now Jackson stepping up, we just felt there was no reason to continue in 2017.” In 2016, Dover, Missouri’s Danny Lasoski claimed the NSL series championship for the second-straight season in a Tod Quiring-owned entry. Quiring continues to own and operate Jackson Motorplex.
Speed NEWS
NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS
OneDirt supporting our troops
At OneDirt, we know we wouldn’t have the opportunity to freely enjoy the greatest sport in the world if we didn’t have brave men and women defending our rights around the globe each and every day. We are always looking to do whatever we can to support our troops. We know there’s no way to fully show our appreciation, but feel anything we can do will only help. As a result, we have teamed up
with Operation Care Package to provide OneDirt magazines to our men and women who are serving our country overseas. Operation Care Package was formed in March 2003 by Debbi Smothers, Debbie Durrawa, and Pat Curran. All three of these individuals have close relatives who have served or currently serve in the armed forces. “Some of the soldiers don’t receive anything in the mail, and they exist on little supplies,” Smothers said. “I don’t think any of them should go without something from mail call.” Operation Care Package collects various items through donations and then prepares and ships packages to troops around the globe. Their goal is
Tracks get back to business Rarely do you hear positive stories of tracks rallying to reopen. However, that’s just the type of news we’ve been featuring at OneDirt.com lately. Here are a few swinging open the gates in 2017. Again, it’s a great sign to see these tracks reopening. We wish them the best of luck and hope it’s a trend that continues. Mansfield Motor Speedway (Mansfield, Ohio) started its life as a dirt track in 1959. Then, it was converted to asphalt in 1999. For 2017, the facility will return to its dirt roots. North Carolina businessman and racing promoter Cody Sommer finalized the purchase of the facility in early 2017. Sommer’s staff immediately began removal of the pavement surface. The facility opened in late March and will host roughly a dozen events throughout the 2017 season. Scheduled programs include the AMA Flat Track Bikes, Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) Sprint Cars, Monster Trucks, and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS). After more than a decade of no circle track action, The Dirt Oval at Route 66 (Joliet, Illinois) is also reopening for the 2017 season. With Sherri Heckenast at the helm, the state-of-the-art facility – located just outside of Chicago – will reopen with a new layout and an aggressive schedule. The track has been shortened to a more racer-friendly 3/8-mile oval. World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Models, World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars, TORC Off Road Trucks, and a Demo Derby are just some of the events scheduled. Once regarded as one of the top dirt tracks in not only the South, but the entire United States, Columbus Speedway in Columbus, Mississippi, reopened late in 2016 and has a full docket planned for 2017. The facility, known as “The Baddest Bullring in the South,” is operating under the direction of local businessman Rod Taylor. For the first time in three seasons, the historic Greater Cumberland Raceway (Cumberland, Maryland) will host racing action. The sprawling, half-mile oval will play host to more than a dozen nights of racing throughout the 2017 season.
to support soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen through care packages and letters of encouragement. The organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) charity. At OneDirt, we love what Operation Care Package represents. To show a small token of our gratitude for everything these men and women do to protect our freedom, OneDirt is teaming up with our fellow publications that fall under the Xceleration Media banner to regularly send magazines to United States troops. Each quarter, we are sending thousands of magazines from Xceleration Media to our armed forces. We hope to expand the program in the coming years.
Support the RPM Act
In late January, the U.S. Senate joined the House of Representatives in reintroducing the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017 (RPM Act). The bipartisan bill (S.203), introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), protects Americans’ right to modify street cars and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles, as well as the industry’s right to sell the parts that enable racers to compete. The RPM Act is co-sponsored by 14 members of the U.S. Senate and ensures that transforming motor vehicles into racecars used exclusively in competition does not violate the Clean Air Act. “SEMA extends its thanks to Senator Burr and the other co-sponsors, and looks forward to working with Congress and the Trump administration to enact the RPM Act into law this year,” said SEMA President & CEO Chris Kersting. “We call on the entire enthusiast community to again reach out to their federal lawmakers to request support for the bill. The RPM Act is the only solution that will ensure that this time-honored tradition and livelihood for millions of Americans will be preserved for generations to come.” To write a letter to your members of Congress, visit www.sema.org/rpm. OneDirt.com 7
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Social Media SOUND OFF FACEBOOK / TWITTER / MULTIMEDIA We like to provide photos and topics that promote good-natured debates amongst our more than 174,000 fans on Facebook, so we recently posed a simple question. We asked which type of format was preferred for determining race line-ups. As always, our patrons at OneDirt provided some great feedback.
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Do you prefer passing points or qualifying to determine race line-ups?
FACEBOOK A FEW OF OUR FRIENDS
BRENT WILMOT: I prefer the IMCA inversion. Having the best 2 guys start 11th and 12th makes for better action. That’s what the track I go to every Friday uses, and it makes for fantastic racing. SCOTT STEINBERG: I really don't have a preference. What I want is for the track to be properly prepped before the races start. That way they don't have to stop multiple times during the night for track prep. I hate that!! GERALD CLINE: It needs to be like the old school racing with the top guys in points to the rear of the field.
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TINA COUCH-LANDON: Passing points JOEY HIATT: Group Qualify AMANDA JEWELL: Qualify RON WARNER: Pill draw for heat races and then passing points. Saves the track and keeps things moving. JON WORCH: Whatever makes for the better race. JIMMIE TAYLOR: Qualify, heats, and no inversion DAVID MCCALL Qualifying is the best way.
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Video REWIND RACING / PRODUCT / ENTERTAINMENT Video Rewind is where we point out interesting videos found on the Internet — whether historical, funny, dramatic, or technical. We like them and thought you might, too.
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OneDirt.com/video-rewind IN THE GROOVE
Veteran crew chief David McCall shows us how to properly groove and sipe a right front tire (above).
YOU MAKE THE CALL
In this thrilling Street Stock feature finish from Illinois’ Macon Speedway, you the viewer are left to decide who’s at fault. Sheet metal and feelings seem to take the brunt of the pain in this instant classic.
CAUTION TO THE WIND
In a OneDirt exclusive, Ben Shelton and Chris Douglas embark on a no-holds barred live show on the third Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. CST. If it’s dirt track racing, then it’s fair game. Viewer questions are encouraged and rewarded with prizes. If you don’t catch the show as it happens on Facebook Live, fear not as we archive it here on the OneDirt website.
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Click on one link and see all nine finales from the inaugural OneDirt World Short Track Championships from the Dirt Track at Charlotte. Some of the best grassroots racers in the business wage war for big money and bragging rights in these great videos.
For more videos, search “Video Rewind” at OneDirt.com. 12 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
LET’S GET PHYSICAL
Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Bob Pierce joins OneDirt to talk about the latest and greatest in dirt track racing body technology from AR Bodies. See if he reveals any of the speed secrets that powered his son to the coveted 2016 World 100 victory at Eldora Speedway.
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"WE HAVE TO RUN STOCK ROCKER ARMS, & THE XP9 OIL TRIPLED THEIR LIFE. THE OIL MORE THAN PAYS FOR ITSELF." DENNIS WELLS, WELLS RACING ENGINES
To support lab tests with real world results, Driven had to look no further than Dennis Wells of Wells Racing Engines, who actually mailed in a bag of used rocker arms. Dennis’s class rules require stock rockers and he was hesitant about spending a little extra for oil on his claimer motors. HighRPM circle track racing creates extreme heat and scorched oil that breaks down, burns off and gums up on parts with the carbonized, heat-retaining residue. Reduced viscosity causes heat friction that changes the properties of the metal, making it brittle and fail.
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After repeatedly replacing failed parts, Dennis switched to Driven’s mPAO-fortified synthetic racing oil and was impressed enough to mail that bag of parts to show before and after making the switch. That’s real-world feedback no lab can beat. Change to Driven or change parts. It’s that simple.
RACER SPOTLIGHT
NOAH BURLISON By Kevin Newsom
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he sport of dirt track racing has a long-storied history of drama, rivalries, and familial passion. Through the years, we as fans have seen racing legacies handed down from generation to generation. Most recently, the likes of Billy Moyer Jr., Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Kraig Kinser have had overwhelming success in carrying the family torch. To say dirt track racing has a bright future with regards to our champions’ shoes being filled is an understatement. Heck, we even have little ones like Van Oliver (son of Wade Oliver) and Landon Crawley (son of Tim Crawley) burning up dirt ovals in the Go Kart ranks. There are those occasions, however, that our eye catches the success of a “kid” that seems to have come from nowhere.
One such story is that of 18-year-old Mini Sprint racer Noah Burlison. During the lengthy race season, Noah’s familiar blue #18N 600 Mini Sprint can be found nearly every weekend at a track in the Mid-South – most particularly his home track of I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas. Noah’s race team is self-funded. No, not self-funded by mom and dad, but funded from his own pocket. Noah, a senior at Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is the sole proprietor of Red Head Pressure Washing — a commercial pressure washing service. He started the company at age 13 to support his racing hobby. Without further ado, let’s get to know this young man from Malvern, Arkansas.
PHOTO BY SETH LACEWELL
PHOTO BY SETH LACEWELL
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and the race team has given me a totally different outlook on my driving style. I’m an aggressive driver to an extent. I will drive the car as hard as I can, but the minute I feel or hear something going wrong, I will park the car. I’m not one to go out and run over anything or anyone because I know how much it takes to build the cars, especially on a tight budget. I don’t do retaliation on the track. That’s doesn’t solve anything and only costs both people hard-earned money. I am very grateful that my business allows me to race. So, I treat everyone on the race team with the same gratitude.
PHOTO BY SETH LACEWELL
Why dirt track racing? Dirt track racing fits my style. I have fun running 80 mph an inch away from someone or a wall in an open-wheeled race car. It’s an adrenaline rush like no other when you’re sliding sideways around a wall or banging a cushion. I love everything about it. How did you get started? I actually started with a Go Kart when I was 5, but right after that, my dad [David] had knee surgery, so I had to stop. The Go Kart sat idle for about six years until my uncle [Charlie Armstrong] and Casey Findley got it running again and we went to Atoka, Tennessee, to race. I knew it was what I wanted to do! How did Tim McKenzie come into the
PHOTO BY SETH LACEWELL
picture? What has he meant to your racing operation? Tim got in contact with me at the end of the 2013 race season. We had some trouble that night, and he helped us change a motor. In 2014, he helped us get changed over to the Factor1 Chassis, as well as helped us with learning how to set it up that season. When the 2014 season was over, he asked me to drive his car the next year. That’s an offer you don’t turn down. With Tim in our corner, we won the I-30 Speedway track championship in only our second full year in the Mini Sprint. Not many 18-year-olds own their own business. How has owning your own business translated to the race team? Owning the business and being responsible for the bills for both the business
What have been your career highlights to date? Well, we have been fortunate, to say the least. We have won the track championship at I-30 Speedway three times. We have won seven races, including the USCS Fall Nationals at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas. We’ve also been able run the Tulsa Shootout and the High-Banks Hustle, where we picked up a heat race win. I also won the 2016 KDN Racing Group Driver of the Year award for the Mini-Sprint Division. What’s next for Noah? I would love to make the step up to a Midget program. Hopefully, we can find the sponsorship to make that happen. The Midget program is an expensive endeavor, and we will certainly need help with it financially. We are also looking at getting started in an IMCA Modified for the upcoming season. We will still run the Mini Sprint in the bigger events like the High Banks Hustle, POWRI, Outlaw Nationals, and some USCS stuff.
PHOTO BY SETH LACEWELL
OneDirt.com 15
VP Racing Fuels focus on continuing development, helping racers By Ben Shelton Photos by Jamie Brabson
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he 2017 racing season is officially here and has hit the ground running. Race cars are burning up tracks across the country each and every weekend. Everyone is looking for that next technological advantage; they all want to be the first to find the next speed secret. The research and development staff at VP Racing Fuels is no different. They have been diligently working around the clock to improve and design new race fuels for the 2017 season and beyond. It’s no big secret many of VP’s race fuel formulas on the market have a heritage of 40-plus years – and those still satisfy
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the majority of the applications. However, technology in racing keeps advancing at a rapid rate. What works today might not be the best option tomorrow. That is why VP has developed more than 70 different blends to meet the needs of all forms of racing. With this taken into account, the design and development of new fuels can prove to be quite the challenge these days. Oh, and let’s not also forget you have to carefully consider how all of the elements of the design work. Whether it’s induction design, combustion chamber configuration, or basic engine build parameters, VP Racing Fu-
els – as a fuel company – is constantly working with engine them compete against superior designs. builders and manufacturers to design the optimal fuels for There is a long list of oxygenates; one of the most popular their needs. designs you’ve probably seen is ethanol. This fuel can proThis is definitely not an easy process, especially when you vide gains in torque and power if properly formulated. take the action-reaction procedure into However, there are notable side effects consideration. Gaining maximum powwith many of these oxygenates. Many of er in an engine after changes are made them require a much higher fuel supply, to the build can be an in-depth process. and this demand can tax a racer’s existing The equation then becomes exponentialfuel system. ly more difficult when you toss multiple These oxygenates can also be corrosive restrictions into the mix. and cause damage to multiple parts withThere are sanctioning body rules, in the system, like rubber hoses and carfederal and state laws limiting the use of buretors. All you have to do is look at all certain chemical components, and varythe small engine problems we hear about ing price points of the components — it to know that it is doing the same thing all becomes mindboggling at times. That to your fuel system. In addition, they all is one reason why VP has setup specialty carry a shorter shelf life than conventiontech support lines to help, no matter what al race fuels; separation can be a problem line of racing you are in. with some ethanol blended fuels. VP’s Tech Support staff is readily With most of these types of fuels, fuel available by phone or email, and in many management becomes critical compared cases can work alongside racers at the to what many racers are accustomed to track or at their shop. If you have quesexperiencing. The VP Racing Fuels tech tions about selecting the proper fuel for staff works hand-in-hand with customers your application, tuning, or other fuel-reon a daily basis to sort out problems, while VP Racing Fuels has more than 70 blends to lated issues, VP’s staff is happy to help. also educating racers so they have a better meet your specific racing fuel needs. You’ll want their help to navigate all understanding of what is occurring. the different choices out there. Some new It doesn’t matter if you’re a professionproducts on the market may seem like the hot new ticket. al racer or just a grassroots guy or gal, the VP Racing Fuels However, the reality is if you are not careful, you can quickly staff gives everyone the same opportunity to maximize their do much more harm than good. performance through a highly detailed, technical process. For example, many of you have heard about oxygenated This makes VP Racing Fuels a step above the competition. fuels. Some of these formulas provide a great deal of power in- The only thing the staff at VP Racing Fuels enjoys more than crease over conventional-style race fuels. In fact, the fuels can winning is seeing their customers win. In fact, the company’s produce an effective fuel charge in a not-so-efficient engine motto is “We’re racers helping racers!” design. This becomes cost effective for many racers and helps Source: VP Racing Fuels, vpracingfuels.com OneDirt.com 17
Pick a Pro’s Brain:
DAVID MCCARVER, COMP CAMS By Brandon Flannery
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avid McCarver might know a thing or two about racing – his job depends on it. As a specialist in the COMP Cams Engine Builder Sales department, his advice plays an important role in keeping customers competitive in all forms of racing. One wrong recommendation could easily spell disaster. Fortunately for his customers, McCarver’s not just an “Internet Scholar” who deals in theory. He earned his position by doing exactly what they do – racing. McCarver began driving a buddy’s Hobby Stock off and on in 1985 while the guy was in the service. After he caught a few rides in other cars, he decided to build his own car with his father-in-law. Through the years, he worked his way through Late Models and into Modifieds, but feels the Hobby Stocks are the most fun with their reduced stress levels and cultivation of the next crop of drivers. He found a natural interest in engines and took advantage of an offer to work for a local race engine shop. After a year, he joined Dyno-Tech Race Engines in Memphis and worked his way through cylinder heads to building engines, then tuning them on the dyno, and eventually running the dyno himself. Though he hung his hel-
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met up after a final win in 2012, he continues to build engines for local customers in his spare time. McCarver says his dyno-tuning experience is invaluable for showing him where to look for more rpm or horsepower, while his racing experience helps with understanding how it all works together. “At first I was like everyone else,” he says. “I went out and raced without thinking too much about it. But as we learned more, I started paying attention and studying ways to make the car smoother and faster. We wanted to run at the top, and doing my homework really began to pay off as the wins increased. I had several championships and many, many wins. To this day, nothing can beat proper preparation and a chassis dyno. A chassis dyno session is the single best investment a team can make to properly dial in a car. Engine dynos are good for numbers; chassis dynos are good for where those numbers go.” The chassis dyno can identify other problematic areas not related directly to the engine, such as ignition, fuel delivery, or even a poorly adjusted throttle cable. On the preparation note, he is quick to stress the importance of post-race inspection. “Everyone wants to put the car away on Saturday night and forget about it until Thursday,” he says. “I would take a minute on Sunday to pull the plugs and run through the valve lashes to look for trouble, and then I’d go do my family stuff.” This has allowed him to address any problems from the night before while they were still fresh in his mind, and allow time to order and install parts during the week instead of thrashing in haste at the last minute on Thursday night. Routinely checking plugs and valve lash will identify problems in their infancy before they grow into bigger ones. If the lash is too loose or tight, find out why. A stretching valve or a collapsing spring is much easier to deal with before it breaks than after. During the week, McCarver says he’d check other things like the carb and timing, change the oil if needed, and put a wrench on all the bolts. Track changes and sheet metal repair came last, after the mechanicals were squared away. He’s learned a few things through the years, one being that different drivers need different cams. In addition to the checklist of mechanical specs (weight, axle ratio, tire size, track, etc.)
needed for cam setup, McCarver will ask about the driver. A new driver will not get the same cam as a seasoned driver who has more foot control and drives with the throttle. Two different driving styles, two different setups. That’s something to think about when hopping in other people’s cars. Another hard lesson to learn was while extreme power numbers sound good, sacrificing a little for the sake of durability keeps cars in the winner’s circle and out of the shop. “If a car has maximum forward bite and can rotate in the center of the curve, that car can do a lot more with a little less horsepower, especially if the driver can drive,” McCarver says. “That engine doesn’t need to be built on the ragged edge.” The return is completing the race and less parts damage. Reliable horsepower is of far more value than max horsepower. He also feels it’s important to gear the car to run in the torque range, and not from dyno sheet horsepower. “Horsepower doesn’t move that car,” he says. “It’s torque that pulls you around most tracks, and the car needs to be set up to run in that band.” Cycling through rocker arms and studs every few years and changing valve springs, rod bolts, and lifters on every engine refresh is also sound advice. Though engine builders are becoming more savvy and involved, camshaft break-in is still a huge issue, and there is no substitute for a proper breakin technique. Remember the spinning crank slings oil that is critical to camshaft oiling. Get the engine started quickly and keep the revs up around 2,000 to 3,000 rpm and vary them within that range. Avoid making any timing changes or tuning adjustments until after the engine is settled in. Be conscious of spring pressure and either use low-pressure breakin springs or the inner springs of dual-spring setups. When asked about an area that has changed with the years, McCarver is quick to cite oil restriction. In days gone by, oil restrictors were used to keep the oil off the top end and force it to stay around the bottom-end bearings. He advises not using them,
or at least enlarging the holes if the builder wishes to keep them. “We want to keep the top end lubricated and cooled,” he says. “A good oil pump and oil pan is the heart of the motor, and won’t burn up the bottom end if set up properly. We want it going up through the pushrods and piped to the top to pull heat away from the springs and rockers for durability and longevity.” Lastly, he encourages drivers to use good judgement when trouble arises. “If it’s on the last few laps and the car is running hot, but the driver is out front, I am the last guy to tell him to pull off,” he says. “But if it’s the beginning of a main and the needle is pegging, by all means save the engine and the expense and find out why. Things rarely fix themselves.” He shares a story of his own: “One time I was running third in a Late Model race, and it was near the end. A cylinder dropped and after a few laps, I knew I wasn’t going to have enough power to catch the leaders, so I pulled off. It turned out to be a plug wire that had fallen off. It was an easy fix, but just could have easily been something worse that could’ve caused more damage. At the risk of incurring an expensive repair, the reward or even chances of me winning wasn’t worth it. Pulling over early if something’s not right is far less worse than staying in it and causing even more damage.” When asked for advice to give builders, he feels having a set procedure when building engines is paramount to success. Work without distractions, and if you are distracted, back up and double check your steps. Many builders use log sheets to track clearances and specs as they go, not moving to the next step until the blank is filled. Don’t let something as simple as a missed rod cap bolt wipe out a week’s worth of work and expense. In the end, take your time and develop a structure that is repeatable, and always double check your work after distractions. Building an engine is like life: You only get one chance to get it right. Source: COMPCams, compcams.com
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30 years after opening, Crowley’s Ridge Raceway still packs the gate By Brady Alberson Photos by Scott Frazier
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n the rural northeast corner of Arkansas lies something that is actually quite common in the area — a homegrown dirt track — void of the glamorous amenities boasted by the likes of Eldora Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, and other well-known racing facilities. At a glance, Crowley’s Ridge Raceway, known by locals as “The Ridge,” may just look like another well-kept dirt track in the South. However, getting the dirt on the track’s history and current health reveals a hidden gem of a racetrack and provides a great picture of how dirt track racing can truly be a family sport. In 2016, The Ridge celebrated its 20 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
30th consecutive year of operation, an impressive feat in itself. More impressive, though, is the fact the track has been under the same ownership since its inception. In the mid-1980s, the Francis family, led by the late Glen Francis and wife Pat, made the move from California to Arkansas to pursue the dream of running a race track as a family. Being a long-time racer and NASCAR veteran, Glen took on the duties of prepping the track, while son Trent promoted it, and their wives Pat and Brenda, dealt with the business side of things. Since the track broke ground in October 1986, the Francis family has
hosted more than 700 consecutive points races without missing a scheduled date, weather permitting. In addition, they’ve hosted multiple special events throughout the course of each season. After 30 years of racing, the track is healthier than ever, and the Francis family is just as involved as it ever was. After his father passed away, Trent took charge of prepping the track, while wife Brenda continues to run the concession stand. Meanwhile, their daughters, Paige and Peggy, who are both school teachers (taught by their grandmother, Pat, through the years), are in charge of everything on the business side of the racetrack.
Whether it be pit entry, scoring, points payout, or paying bills, the young ladies handle whatever needs to be done when it comes to the bookkeeping. Also in the family to help is Paige's husband, John Hill, and Peggy's soon-to-be husband, Josh Greene. The track typically hosts between 24 and 30 Saturday night points races per year. Each week, dozens of cars pass through the gates, which makes for great competition in every class. The COMP Cams Super Dirt Series Super Late Models and United Sprint Car Series have also become a mainstay on the special event docket each year for the tight bullring.
Three generations of the Francis famil y work
together to operate Crowley's Ridge Raceway.
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Trent, who has now been around racing his entire life, is not afraid to say that his racetrack has a touch of old-school dirt track flair. “We’re not your typical dirt track,” he admits. “We still race back to the caution unless there’s a major wreck, and my rules are pretty ‘redneck-loose.’ Other tracks in the area are a little bit tighter. We’ve got about five rules that we enforce for each class, and we’re really strict on those rules, but we don’t get in and start measuring wheelbases and all that.” In a world of political correctness and black and white rules, Trent tries to have some fun with the way he runs his track. A perfect example of this is his philosophy on punishments for fighting. “A lot of tracks kick people out for fighting, but you don’t get kicked out here. If you get in a fight here, you have to buy two arm bands the next week, one for each arm!” he laughs. “If you make it through that week without fighting, you’re back to one arm band the next week.” 22 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
The Ridge’s strategy seems to be working, because Arkansas race fans can’t seem to get enough of it. “The stands are full every Saturday night. This place is redneck-friendly like you have never seen! We’ve had proposals, weddings, family reunions, and there are weekly birthday announcements. All that good stuff in life happens here at The Ridge.” To cap off its celebratory year, The Ridge incredibly recorded its most successful season finale attendance in its 30year history on the last race of the 2016 season. “The last Saturday night we raced, I told everyone that if they wore any present or previous Crowley’s Ridge t-shirt, they’d get a dollar off of their entry fee,” Trent recollects. “The stands and the pits were on overflow with a record car count. There was some other stuff going on that weekend, and I didn’t expect that kind of crowd.” Every year, The Ridge celebrates the end of the season by giving awards and trophies for each class on the last night of the season, and the packed grandstands and record car count made its final night of this celebratory season especially memorable. With a huge smile, Trent proudly
states, “It was a wonderful 30th year celebration thanks to the racers and fans.” He mentions that paying the bills on time and keeping the facility clean, tidy, and maintained are some of the practical reasons his track has been able to endure so many years of operation. However, one of his philosophies may sound pretty outlandish to most racers and fans – they don’t sell alcohol at the track. “The track has always been a family affair, including our racing families that support the track weekly,” Trent explains. “It’s what we are all about, and we want it to always be that way.” Although it makes sense from the standpoint of helping to keep the show under control, many tracks rely on beer sales to make a profit or break even on a given night. Even NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader, an annual visitor and competitor at The Ridge, expressed to Trent that he was surprised by the idea. Trent lists several reasons why the track has been able to thrive throughout the years. However, he believes the most prominent reason for success at The Ridge is the fact the Francis family were racers long before they opened the track and, thus, are able to see things from a racer’s point of view. “We were racers before we came here,
and we treat those racers just the way we would want to be treated.” Thirty years of racing doesn’t come without a good story or two, so it’s no surprise Trent has a few doozies. “Here’s a good one,” he laughs. “About 15 years ago, every week, we were having a fight or a disturbance at the scales. My dad was fed up! Well, that Sunday we all went to dinner after church
and I told dad, ‘I bet you $100 we’ll never have another fight at the scales again.’ He said, ‘Well, I’ll take that bet.’ “The next week, dad was off in Memphis or somewhere, and I took the scales out of the infield, I just took them out. That weekend after the first feature, dad walks up to the scales to tech the cars and when the cars pulled up, there weren’t any scales there. Dad said, ‘Where are
the scales at Trent? What are we going to do?’ I said, ‘No fight, you owe me 100 bucks!’ Easiest $100 I ever made!” Many racetracks in the country face an unstable future, but racers and fans of The Ridge can sleep easy. “The track really does not need to make a lot of money to keep operating,” Trent notes. “My living is made away from the track in the billboard business, so this racetrack is more like a hobby for me and my family.” After so many years of racing, he says The Ridge is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. “Everything’s good. This place is running well and will continue with the third generation. I don’t see why this place can’t run until the end of racing time, whenever that is.” The Francis family and everyone at The Ridge would like to thank the racers and fans for a successful and memorable 30th year celebration, and they look forward to many more in the future. One thing is for sure. If you are looking for old-school racing action, then The Ridge is the place you want to be – no frills and no luxuries, just hard-nosed dirt track action every Saturday night.
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New Quicksilver crate engines offer an affordable option for the average Joe By Ben Shelton
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hen you hear company names like Mercury and Quicksilver, the first thing that likely comes to mind is hitting the water on a sweet boat. While this is a more than valid conclusion, your way of thinking may soon be changing. Mercury and its Quicksilver brand are now beginning to make a splash in the dirt track market. Their reason for the expansion is quite interesting. “Over the past few years we’ve had more and more of our boat clientele telling us they are also dirt racers, and they are always looking for affordable engines that are dependable," Mercury Marine Power Train Director Mike Horak says. “Their demand and our ability to meet that demand is really what got this ball rolling.” With the needs of their potential dirt track customers in mind, Quicksilver began developing a pair of circle track crate engines a little more than a year ago. “Honestly, the technology of what we are already making versus what the dirt track market is pursuing is not that much different, so the progress of designing and building the mo-
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tors went pretty quickly,” Horak comments. “On the marine side, we have a different design perspective. We design for durability and torque production. As it turns out, there’s a lot of lower budget dirt track racers looking for these exact specs.” By early 2016, Mercury had a pair of Quicksilver crate engines ready to tackle the dirt. Their first piece was a 357 CT engine, which is comparable to a 350 hp GM crate engine. The second motor was a 383 CT power plant, which falls in between a 350 hp and 400 hp GM crate engine in terms of performance. With the engines ready to hit the track, the next task was to find drivers who might be interested in dropping the experimental engines in their hot rods. Another member of the Mercury team joined the fray to tackle this aspect of the process. “I spent many a Friday night at Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, North Carolina,” recounts Engine Sales Specialist Jay Murphy. “I thought that this place would be a perfect testing ground for these new engines.” During a late April 2016 practice session at Dixieland
Jeff Hunt (right) and his crew member, Kevin Lyons.
Speedway, Murphy took note of a very clean #57 entry in the Super Street division. He ultimately made the decision to approach the driver to see if there was an interest in participating in the program. This decision by Murphy led him to meet Jeff Hunt of Virginia Beach, Virginia. While Murphy knew that the soonto-be 53-year-old Hunt had a sharp race car, there was one important fact he didn’t initially know. “A few minutes into talking to Jeff, he mentions to me that 2016 will be his rookie season in dirt track racing,” Murphy laughs. Hunt told Murphy his only experience in a full-sized car was almost 20 years ago in an Enduro. “Some R&D programs might have thought that a rookie wouldn’t be the best fit, but for us, it was a perfect situation,” Murphy states. “We knew that Jeff was looking for a dependable motor that would allow him to focus on making laps and getting experience, rather than worrying about whether or not the motor would run.” For Hunt, it was a great opportunity to test Quicksilver’s 383 CT crate engine in his hot rod. “I was honored to have Jay approach me about the program, and I’ll be honest that I figured he would lose interest pretty quick when he found out it was my first year, but thankfully he didn’t,” Hunt recounts. With one driver locked into the program, Murphy needed to find a driver who would like to run the Quicksilver 357 CT crate engine. As fate would have it, that driver would actually find him in late May. “We had blown up a motor that only had 10 laps on it in the season opener,” Hertford, North Carolina, racer Ed Lane painfully remembers. “I honestly thought we might be out of racing until late in the season, but then a friend of a friend tells me that I should call this guy named Jay Murphy. The guy tells me that this Murphy fellow might have a great op-
portunity for me.” With some reluctance, Lane ultimately decided to call Murphy, and what he heard almost seemed too far-fetched to believe. “If there was ever a situation where something sounded too good to be true, then this was it,” Lane laughs. “I mean, this guy tells me that he’ll provide me with a motor for my car, and all I have to do is run it regularly and give him feedback. Jay swore to me that there were no catches to it, so I decided to give it a shot. I can honestly say it’s the best decision I made in a long time.” With both drivers competing in the Super Street class at Dixieland Speedway, it gave Quicksilver a chance to see how the different engines responded to different conditions. Hunt had to make a few modifications to his race car before OneDirt.com 25
Ed Lane (No. 33) and Jeff Hunt (No. 57) preparing for action in the pit area.
he could hit the track. While the 383 CT comes stock with a four-barrel carburetor, track rules only allow a two-barrel. As a result, Hunt replaced the four-barrel intake manifold with a two-barrel intake. In addition, a common Holley two-barrel carburetor was implemented. For Hunt, he felt like he had plenty of power to be competitive, but just needed better setups and improved driving styles to contend for wins. “We ran the full season, and for the most part, we ran around the 5th position, but we did have a 2nd- and a 3rdplace finish along the way,” Hunt remembers. “For a newcomer competing against guys that have as much as 15 years’ experience, this engine had plenty of power. In fact, my biggest challenge was getting all the power down to the track, but late in the season, I figured out some setup changes with springs that made a major difference.” Meanwhile for the 48-year-old Lane – who has more than 30 years of racing experience – there were a few different conclusions drawn from his experience with the less-powerful 357 CT crate engine. “With this 357 CT engine, I found that most nights you are going to be around a 5th-place car,” Lane says. “It’s going to be hard to beat the guys, who are running the custom-built $12,000 engines. On the same token though, if you are looking to have an engine that is durable, dependable, and will provide you with the opportunity to race at a fraction of the cost, then this Quicksilver 357 CT will suit you just fine.” While the racers made careful notes of how these new low-cost engines performed, Dixieland Speedway owner Red Swain also paid close attention. “It’s no big secret that tracks across the country have struggled over the past several years,” notes Swain, who has operated the facility for 35 seasons. “A big part of the problem is that a lot of guys just can’t afford to race anymore, so as track owners, we are all very receptive to anything that can 26 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
allow more people to affordably race.” Swain was impressed by what he saw in the first year of competition for the Quicksilver crate engines. In fact, he is already evaluating how he might further implement them as a motor option in other divisions in 2017. “We already allow a crate option in our Late Model division, and this year, we allowed the Quicksilver engines in our Super Street division,” Swain comments. “We haven’t locked anything in stone yet for next year, but we are considering allowing the crate engines in other divisions, as well. At the end of the day, we just want to give as many racers as possible the chance to be able to participate.” The crate engine options aren’t the only place Swain has looked to save money for his racers. “Sometimes, racers don’t initially like rule changes because it costs them more money up front, but in the long run, it saves them considerably,” he states. “An example is our
track allowing the Bert and Brinn transmissions. Initially, guys spend a little more money, but most of them now realize that it’s far cheaper and simpler than having to replace the stock pieces later.” With the Quicksilver 357 CT and 383 CT engines, there’s a considerable cost savings on the front end. As previously stated, some of the custom-built engines in the Super Street division at Dixieland Speedway can cost as much as $12,000. In the United States, the suggested MSRP for the Quicksilver 357 CT engine is $3,743.75, while the MSRP for the Quicksilver 383 CT engine is $4,993.75. “I can tell you I had a whole lot more than $3,800 invested in my engine that only made it 10 laps,” Lane comments. “Again, there are more powerful engines available, but they come at a much higher price. This 357 CT gives you a lot to work with. I’m definitely interested in trying the Quicksilver 383 CT down the road to see how much difference it makes.” For Hunt, the price tag is a no-brainer, especially for a beginner. “It’s plain and simple the way to go if you are limited on funds and want to make your money count for the most,” Hunt says. “The dependability of the Quicksilver engine far outweighs me building a questionable one that may or not make it more than a race or two.” While right now the power plants in the race cars piloted by Hunt and Lane are the only Quicksilver CT engines on the track, Jay Murphy has received a lot of interest from other racers. “It’s really exciting because, while this is still a work in progress, we’ve had so much interest expressed already by other racers,” Murphy comments. “In fact, I had one racer
The 383 CT engine prior to being installed in Jeff Hunt's No. 57.
call me just this week and tell me that he didn’t quite have the money yet, but he planned to replace his custom-built engine with a Quicksilver CT engine for 2017.” Mercury’s Mike Horak is quick to manage expectations with the growth in popularity of the Quicksilver CT engines. “We know that initially we might get laughed at as the new kid on the block, but as changes in manufacturing make the price tags of other engines – both crate and custom – increase over the next few years, I think a lot of people will start to gain
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interest in what we are trying to do here. “We definitely aren’t in the market to compete with or replace high-end engines in top-tier divisions,” he says. “We are simply in the market to provide racers in lower divisions with cost-effective and durable engines that can keep them on the track. Equally important, we want to offer these alternatives to help tracks stay open.” Racers will likely find it interesting these factory-sealed engines may be ordered through any of the more than 8,000 Mercury/Quicksilver dealers around the country. The engines are shipped in a reusable container, so if there is an issue with the engine at any point, they can be shipped back to the factory in the same container. A credit – based on age and engine type – is issued, and a new motor is shipped back to the customer. For those who believe in recycling and repurposing, they will also be happy to hear Mercury operates on this same philosophy. In fact, Mercury has an entire remanufacturing division. Several of these motors are made from repurposed, cast-iron blocks – which prevents core shifting and reduces costs. The repurposed blocks are dressed with new parts that include pistons, springs, cam shafts, valves, bearings, etc. Hunt finished third in the final Super Street standings 28 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
at Dixieland Speedway, while Lane finished 10th, despite missing five nights of racing at the beginning of the season. Hunt looks forward to his sophomore season in 2017. “We’ve learned so much this season, and I’ve got a much better grasp on driving and setting up the car. With this motor in the car, I have no doubt that we can win races next year.” For Lane, he looks forward to moving into the crew chief role in 2017 as his 16-year-old son, Treavor, takes over driving duties. “I wanted to spend most of this season feeling out the car with this new motor in it. From what I’ve seen, I now know we have a quality piece for my son to make the transition from Go Karts to full-sized cars,” he says. “This engine gives a new racer everything and more that he needs to be competitive.” Mercury’s endeavor into dirt track racing with its Quicksilver crate engines is clearly still in its infancy, but there is definite promise in the direction of their program. Jay Murphy best sums up the company’s ultimate goal. “Our biggest goal with our new engine program is to get as many people as possible into racing by offering lower-cost options.” Source: Quicksilver, quicksilver-products.com
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Steve Sims finds comfort in the Stock Car class By Brady Alberson
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ur OneDirt readers are probably used to hearing about drivers in the top divisions of the sport. However, we know the majority of our audience comes from a much humbler background. In fact, the reality is most of the great people who make up our cherished sport are those who do it just for fun. We recently caught up with one such racer. Steve Sims is a busy man. He’s a husband, father of two boys, and a tile contractor. In addition, he’s a pavement
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racer turned dirt addict from Austin, Texas. Sims discussed what racing means to him and how he balances his beloved hobby with family, work, and everything else in life. Last, but definitely not least, we wanted to figure out just how a “yuppie” from Michigan was able to gain the respect and admiration of many fans and racers in Central Texas. Sims grew up in Flint, Michigan – a city once famous for being one of General Motors’ main industrial headquar-
ters. After high school, he and some of his siblings decided to head south for better opportunities and more likeable weather. After several years spent traveling the Southwest chasing commercial tile jobs, his gang settled in Austin, Texas, in the mid ’80s and have been there ever since. It was a long and adventurous journey for Sims, but after nearly 20 seasons of asphalt Stock Car racing and a seven-year break from racing altogether, the Michigan native finally found his
way to dirt. Sims recently completed his third season of dirt racing, competing in the Stock Car class at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas. He has improved by leaps and bounds from where he was when he first hit the dirt track. Beginning anew was a difficult task for Sims, as he had become accustomed to success throughout the entirety of his racing career. From the first time he showed up to the track to race in 1986, Sims knew his team didn’t quite fit in. The story reads just like a comedy script. At Longhorn Speedway, a pavement track in the heart of Texas that was known for its gruff and tough racers and fans, Sims and his buddies (all in their mid-20s and well kept) hopped out of their truck with clean t-shirts and Ocean Pacific shorts and proudly displayed their freshly painted Camaro. According to Sims, the group of “yuppies” wasn’t so quickly accepted into the grungy racetrack family. “It felt like we showed up to a birthday party that we weren’t invited to,” he laughs. Sims and his young group of family and friends took turns racing their home-built Camaro, which only lasted
four nights before the car was untimely totaled in a vicious crash. The abrupt demise came courtesy of their track rival, who was appropriately named “Bubba.” Though shaken, the young team quickly got a hold of a Chevelle to race in the Pure Stock class. “It took a long time to win with the Chevelle,” Sims remembers. “There were a lot of second place finishes, and a lot of disqualifications when we would win.” The young team from Austin final-
ly hit their stride in 1992, when they built a Camaro from the ground up to race in the Street Stock class at Longhorn Speedway. Sims raced this same Camaro for nearly 11 years at a competitive level. He won several races and a track championship as the class slowly evolved from a Street Stock to a Limited Late Model-style class. “As time went on, the class kept evolving and getting more and more expensive, so our last good run was in 2003, where we won a 75 lapper at Houston Motorsports Park in the Texas Super Racing Series,” Sims says. “But two years later, we weren’t able to win anymore. We were really out-classed by storebuilt type cars. They were supposed to be Limited Late Models, but it evolved into a full-on Late Model class, with people competing with Howe Chassis, Lefthanders, and other factory-built chassis. “We were racing against those topnotch cars with the same Street Stock that we built,” he continues. “We just kept throwing parts at it and upgrading it, but we were really out-gunned and weren’t competitive anymore, so I sold it in 2005 and didn’t race for years.” After a nearly seven-year hiatus from OneDirt.com 31
racing, Sims bought a ’75 Nova for his son and wife to compete in a one-off “fun race.” After the race, the car just sat in the shop without a purpose until October 2012, when Sims attended (as a spectator) the first race held at Cotton Bowl Speedway, a dirt track in Paige, Texas. “I watched it one time and I thought, ‘Well, I know what I’m doing with that car,” he recalls. “‘I’m going to put my number on it and we’re going to race dirt.’ I always knew that it was more exciting as a fan to watch dirt. However, I didn’t like how the cars got so tore up in dirt racing.” Sims took a leap of faith into the dirt world and was immediately hooked after a 2nd-place finish his first night out. “It’s been more fun than I could have ever imagined; the driving part of it,” he says. He also found the stereotype of dirt cars getting beat up every weekend wasn’t entirely true either. “Knock on wood, we’ve been able to keep the car very clean and not banged up,” Sims says. “Our track is really wide with multiple grooves, and there are places to pass all the way around the track. Honestly, I don’t have as much contact here as I did on asphalt.” It’s a well-known phenomenon that asphalt racers and dirt track racers often have very different character 32 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
traits. A walk through Sims’ race shop screams “Asphalt Racer,” as every tool is in its place, cabinets are neatly kept, and there isn’t a speck of dirt on the floor. The walls are covered in NASCAR pictures, all signed and framed, as well as pictures of Sims’ own Asphalt Stock Cars from days past. It seems the only thing in the shop that belongs at a dirt track is, well, the race car. Sims concluded the 2016 season with a pair of wins and a runner-up finish in the Cotton Bowl’s track championship. “We haven’t won a championship in 22 years, and I really wanted this year’s title, but we came up a few points short,” comments Sims. “I think it’s time we get one, so hopefully 2017 will be the year.” Like most dirt track racers, there’s more to Steve Sims than being a driver. While he adores his hobby of racing, it is just one of his many passions. Sims told us, “I love to snow ski, that’s my favorite hobby. Living in Texas though, racing is a lot easier to do than snow skiing, so I take a couple of ski trips a year.” Sims also enjoys traveling in his RV with his wife and friends. Whether it’s to see a concert, a NASCAR race, or to watch his nephew, Garrett Alberson, race Dirt Late Models, the Sims gang will take any excuse to hop on the road
and have some fun. Most hobby-racers face this question on nearly a daily basis: How do you balance family and racing? Sims admits that it isn’t easy, but possible. “It is a tough balancing act to keep everybody happy. I’ve done it for so long, my wife and kids could really be burned out on it by now. Luckily, they go to the races when they want to go, and they choose not to when they don’t want to go. “Fortunately, my sons are trying to make their schedules work to where they can come watch me race, and my wife comes when it’s convenient,” he laughs. “We were only scheduled to race 14 times in 2016, so we laid out those dates on the calendar early on. This is the first year in a long time that I intended to make every race and I told my wife that from the get-go, and she’s been perfect about it. That way we were able to schedule our vacations and any other activities around the racing season.” Although Sims has never strapped into a Super Late Model or Sprint Car (nor does he ever plan on doing so), he has a surprising amount of wisdom to impart on younger aspiring racers who want to try their hand at the sport. “Get out there and make friends with the guys you’re racing against,”
he says. “They will help you more than you know. All you have to do is ask. It’s important to have trust among the other drivers. After all, it is a dangerous sport. You’re better off to give and earn respect with the guys you’re racing against so you don’t have any enemies on the track.” Sims attributes much of his success to the advice received from asking for help when he needed it. He readily admits the mechanical side of racing never came naturally to him. “I’ve been in the construction field for almost 40 years, so I’m probably not the most mechanically-inclined person,” he says. “I’ve always surrounded myself with guys that can offer a lot of help. I’m fortunate that a lot of my close friends operate their own automotive shops, and they are all the best in town at what they do, so I get their expertise and talents applied right to our car.” For Sims, racing has been more than a simple adrenaline fix or something to do on a Saturday night. “One of my favorite parts about racing all these years are the friends that I’ve made, through people that I race and the people that just come to watch the races,” he says. “It still blows me
away when, out of the blue, a fan picks you as their favorite because of your driving style or your car color, or whatever reason they pick. I love the way people come up to you afterwards. “Racing has made me a lot more social, and it’s given me confidence that I never had before. I used to hate having to get up and talk in front of people, but once we got successful in racing, it was just part of it and I figured out a way to
enjoy it.” As for the future, 58-year-old Sims is not interested in advancing up the ranks in dirt racing. In order to maintain that healthy balance of life, he says he is perfectly content to remain in Stock Cars, but he plans on sticking around for quite some time. “I plan on racing until I can’t climb in that window, hopefully,” he laughs.
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BUGGY UP! EFI infiltrates Rock Racing By Brandon Flannery Photos by Brandon Flannery and Image Off-Road Photography
O
ne sport just waking up to the benefits of EFI is Rock Racing. The rigors of rock racing have long created fuel delivery problems. However, there’s new fuel ignition technology on the market that is changing the game for competitors throughout the highly-demanding sport. Carburetors work well on flat ground, and have for a century. However, their floats and bowls don’t like being violently bounced, shaken, or put at odd angles - let alone upside-down. For many buggy owners, the solution has been a switch to propane. When correctly plumbed, the pressurized liquid gas gets into the engine, regardless of angle. While that solves the delivery issues, it comes with its own set of problems. Propane has a lower Fuel Energy Constant (FEC) than gasoline and requires more air to burn. Given an engine’s set operating volume of air, and needing more of that space to burn less fuel, well it’s easy to see why propane is not exactly a “performance fuel.” Another complication plaguing
34 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
many buggy owners is the propane system freezing up below 40 degrees, making cold-weather riding a bit of a challenge. When Clyde Bynum received another engine for his “play” buggy, Venom, it came with a self-tuning FAST EZ-EFI system. Unfortunately, once installed, the EFI ran erratically. Unfamiliar with tuning, Bynum was a little discouraged. “It was supposed to ‘learn and tune’ itself,” he says. “But, while it did run good wide open, it would load up and run real rich at idle and part throttle. It fouled plugs quickly and was sluggish off the line. I began questioning my decision and put it on propane. It ran decent on the LP, but it would freeze up when the temperatures dropped.” Bynum is a part-owner in Spyder Off-Road in Memphis and runs the Southern Rock Racing Series, a rock-hopping series quickly gaining in popularity. (Guys from Iceland have come down to bounce through the South’s gullies.) He’s also friends with Nick Kortenber, who owns “Warfare,”
The Oxygen sensor can get false readings and increase fuel if the EFI isn’t set up for open headers. Placing it upstream in a primary tube is suggested, though the system’s settings will be based off of that particular cylinder’s performance.
Once started, adjustments were made to dial in the off-idle, part-, and wide-open throttle to make sure the rapid response demands of rock racing are met.
The switch to EFI in rock hoppers can be done on an existing four-barrel intake. No more floats, bowls, or erratic running under extreme conditions.
Wide-open pulls were made to dial in the right air/flow ratio and check the performance of the injector duty cycles. This one was running right at the top of their capacity on the Red 114 Ignite ethanol blend.
driven by Danny Sullivan, and handles the maintenance on “Screaming Blue,” a wildly popular buggy driven by Bobby Tanner (do yourself a favor and look up Screaming Blue on YouTube; prepare to be amazed). That buggy was recently converted to FAST EFI, and went on to run the King of the Hammers competition in California, with a significant increase in performance. Kortenber assured Bynum the FAST system was the way to go, and that he just needed to make a few changes. One of them was to upgrade from the EZ-EFI to the FAST XFI Street system. After closer inspection, they found the Oxygen sensor was causing the overly rich condition. EZ-EFI is designed to work with a full exhaust system, and the buggy’s open headers allowed enough reversion to occur that oxygen was pulling back up to the sensor, fooling it into compensating for a lean condition. XFI Street is a little more forgiving with open headers, and the O2 sensor was moved deeper upstream in one of the primary tubes. Now, with an accurate reading and the proper tuning in the XFI, the rich condition was resolved. Concerns when tuning a buggy like Venom include more focus on throttle acceleration enrichment. Since rock racing is basically drag racing uphill, drivers need instant and accurate throttle response, often in stabbing bursts rather than long periods of wide open throttle like a regular race car. Fuel pressure is another concern, and Venom’s needed to be slightly increased to compensate for the required flow Bynum's ethanol needs. With the injectors running at the upper levels of their duty cycles at wide open throttle, there is always room for more, but Venom is not a competition buggy; it’s a weekend stress reliever for Bynum’s family and friends. Another aspect of the FAST XFI is the option to run different fuels if the parameters are known. Bynum picked up Excite Fuels as a sponsor, and they suggested he try their 114 Red, a 90-percent ethanol/gasoline blended race fuel that has
Kevin Winstead of FAST set an initial tune based on known engine data, such as displacement, compression, and fuel type.
“Warfare” is owned by Clyde’s friend, Nick Kortenber, and driven by Danny Sullivan. It’s always a crowd favorite.
Bobby Tanner in Nick’s “Screamin Blue” has been setting the buggy world on fire and recently switched to FAST EFI. Bobby is a wildman behind the wheel and does very well when he heads out west to run the King of Hammers competition in California.
shown 10 percent power gains in dyno testing. Its Fuel Energy Constant (FEC) is around .68, and the suggested “safe base” Stoichiometric Air/Fuel ratio for the 11.5:1-compression 355 was started around 8.5, with the advice to pull a little timing out. FAST EFI tuner Kevin Winstead came in to help set the tune. The Stoichiometric A/F mixture is the ideal rate a gasoline engine burns all fuel with no excess air. For example, gasoline’s mixture is about 14.7:1. This means that for every one gram of fuel, 14.7 grams of air are required. The A/F ratio for the Excite 114 Ethanol falls in the 9.5:1 range, requiring 9.5 grams of air per gram of fuel. This means you can pack more fuel per volume of engine air for combustion, increasing power. It also has a lower burn rate that creates a cooler engine charge. The engine’s warm-up time was even a little slower under the new fuel. The FAST XFI allows variables to be entered for FEC of common fuel and adjusts the ratios to suit. Ethanol-enhanced fuels are quickly gaining popularity by burning cooler and making more power at lower prices than similar-octane gasoline. If racers wanted to switch back over to propane (or keep their system intact and better manage it), FAST XFI has settings to do just that. Another benefit of the FAST system is the rev-limiting that cuts both the fuel and spark at the same time. This is much easier on the engine and valvetrain, and offers smoother transitions back to operating rpm, without the additional fuel left in the cylinders of an ignition-cut limiter. As more racers overcome their fear of “fuel infection” and learn more about the tuning, EFI should grow to be a popular choice in rock racing. With buggies like Warfare and Screaming Blue leading the way with success, other racers are sure to follow. Sources: FAST, fuelairspark.com; Spyder Off-Road and Performance, spyderoffroad.com
OneDirt.com 35
By Richard Allen
I
think it's safe to say anyone who is taking the time to read this article is a fan of dirt racing. It’s probably also safe to say those reading this post have the best interests of the sport at heart. But after a look at some of the information presented in this piece, the concern going forward is there may not be as many fans to care about dirt racing in the future. Throughout the recent off-season, I have used my Twitter account (@RichardAllenIDR) to conduct a number of poll questions about racing. A couple of those queries were specifically aimed at the future of this sport, and the results of which will be discussed in this article. Specifically, the questions asked to provide information for this column focused on the ages of dirt racing fans and the introduction of new fans to the sport. In one question, I asked, “Dirt racing fan: What age bracket do you fit in?” The answers to that posting were interesting, and possibly disturbing. A total of 286 votes were registered from the tweet.
36 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
Only 13 percent of the respondents reported their age to be 21 or younger. For multiple reasons, that number is worrisome. First, the simple fact such a low percentage are in the youngest age grouping indicates the possibility that the well may be drying up in terms of new fans coming to the sport. Without young spectators, there will be no one to replace those who go away in the coming years. What makes the low percentage of those 21 and younger even more bothersome is the fact this is the age group most active on social media. Thus, it would seem logical to guess the percentage of answers to any poll question on Twitter would be weighted in favor of the younger ages. In other words, that 13 percent may actually be a lower number than it even seems. Granted, there is the possibility the Twitter account of a 49-year-old man may not be followed by a large number of young people. However, it would seem if a young person is a fan of dirt racing,
they would be more inclined to follow said account, even if the tweets do come from an “old man.” To offer some degree of hope, the percentage of respondents rose dramatically for the 22-35 age group. A total of 32 percent claimed to be within that bracket. The law of averages says this particular batch of dirt racing fans should be followers of the sport for many years to come. It must be noted that to this point in the poll, less than 50 percent of those who answered the question are under the age of 35. Further, I believe that visual evidence in the grandstands and pit areas of the tracks I visit most often provides proof of these numbers. I see far more people at those facilities who look to be in their 50s than those who look to be in their teens or 20s. Imagine your local short track in 15 to 20 years with more than half of the fans who currently attend not there. To complete the report of these results, 38 percent reported they belong
to my age category, which is between 36 and 49. While these folks should still have plenty of good years left to attend races, their time is obviously more limited than that of those in the lower brackets. And finally, 17 percent of respondents reported themselves to be in the 50 and older grouping. Just as the teenage numbers may be skewed to the heavy side in any social media poll, this percentage may be just the opposite due to the fact this age group represents a lower number of people who are active on social media, particularly Twitter. A second question, also posed on Twitter but at a different time, further delved into the topic of fans who will attend dirt races in the future. The question asked, “When you go to a dirt race, how often do you take children 16 and under?” A total of 341 people responded to this question, with 29 percent answering they never bring youngsters with them to the races. Another 23 percent stated they rarely are accompanied by someone under the age of 16 when they visit their local speedway. That’s more than half of those polled who, at best, only rarely bring kids with them. This piece was not written to condemn folks for not bringing kids to the track, however. Instead, it is merely stating the fact young people are not pop-
OneDirt Editor and Announcer Ben Shelton makes a young fans day.
OneDirt.com 37
Jimmy Owens signs a young fan's shirt. PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
Devin Moran signs an autograph. PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
ulating the grandstands of dirt tracks as much as older fans. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the results of this numerical fact will start to show themselves in the not-so-distant future. To complete the final results of that poll and to show that those results were not entirely bleak, 21 percent of those who responded said they usually bring someone under the age of 16 to the track with them, and 26 percent reported that 38 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
they always have youngsters in tow. Furthermore, this piece was not written to simply provide a dark view of dirt racing in the future without offering up a few suggestions to help the situation. While I do not profess to be an expert on the subject of young people, I am a father of three children and work as a high school teacher in my “real job,� so I do have at least some understanding of those under the age of 18 who live in to-
day's society. My first suggestion is one that Michael Moats and I have already made numerous times on my site, InsideDirtRacing.com. That suggestion is to run racing shows in a more concise manner. Young people, and quite a few older ones for that matter, do not like to feel their time is being wasted, and they will not continue in something they feel is doing that very thing. They have short attention spans compared to earlier generations and need almost constant stimulation. Things such as long and meaningless hot lap sessions, single-car qualifying, and seemingly never ending heat races that are dragged out by multiple caution flags are not the things to keep their attention. Sitting on a wooden or concrete bleacher for two or three hours before the first feature ever begins is not their idea of a good time. As a result, they will grow restless on that particular night and will have little or no desire to come back the next week. Also, you don't have to be an expert to know teenagers love their cell phones more than just about anything else. This was recently confirmed for me when I asked my classes at Seymour (Tennessee) High School which they would give
up first, their car or their cell phone. By a rather large margin, they answered they would give up their cars before parting with their phones. To folks of my generation who lived for the day when we would finally be able to drive on our own, this seems completely foreign. However, it's the reality of today. People my age can complain all they want about teens and PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON their phones, but it is what it is. No cell phone reception at a track will equate to no young fans. And further, they are also keenly useless, it is what teens do to pass the time aware of the amount of data they are us- when nothing else is going on to keep their ing to play the gaming apps they have or attention. If they get bored, they will be to communicate with their friends, and ready to leave whenever they are in search they will not frequent any place that caus- of more entertaining options. es them to go over the limits set by their And lastly, race tracks could take lespayment plans. sons from minor league baseball. Providing free Wi-Fi at the track is Smaller kids love things like bounce not a terribly expensive or difficult thing houses and goofy mascots who interact to do if the track already has internet ser- with them. And to the benefit of the track vice, and it could go a long way toward owner, play areas and bounce houses could assuring young fans will return on a reg- open up an entirely new revenue stream, ular basis. as a charge of a couple of dollars could be While those of us older than 40 may assessed for a few minutes in the play area. think playing games on a phone is silly and And more, such areas could help take the
restless energy out of those kids, which would no doubt be worth a small charge to the parents and grandparents. It's no secret young people must become fans of dirt racing, or any other sport, to ensure the survival of the sport. At present, the average age of those who visit their local race tracks appears to be climbing. To combat this, dirt racing may have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the modern era or it may face tough times in the relatively near future. So, where will the next generation of dirt racing fans come from? Obviously, there's only one place they can come from, and that's the younger ranks of our society. But, the generation in question is unlike those who have come before it, and racing – like all other sports – has to find a way to capture their interest before it's too late. Richard Allen is a writer/editor for InsideDirtRacing.com. The site presents feature stories, photos, and live updates as part of its coverage of dirt racing in the east Tennessee region, as well as throughout the Southeast.
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AIR FORCE Lessons in the science of aerodynamics in Dirt Late Model racing By Jeff Huneycutt Photos by Jeff Huneycutt
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hese days, it’s only the most ignorant of Philistines who believes aerodynamics only apply to asphalt racing. Dirt track race cars, especially the Late Models, have come a long way in the last few years. Yes, Sprint Cars make excellent use of aerodynamics with their absolutely massive wings. But, Sprint Cars have mostly looked the same for decades. Dirt Late Models, however, have evolved quite a bit in the last 10 years. They may still retain the same wedge shape of their predecessors from the previous decade, but there’s actually been a great deal of development on these cars. At first, the changes may appear subtle to the untrained eye, but you’d better believe practically every angle and crease is created for a purpose. We thought we’d take a closer look at some of the tricks Super Late Model chassis builders and race teams are currently employing. Most of these tricks came about during a recent trip to the shops of Barry Wright Race Cars to check out
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Wright’s new Icon DLM chassis. Driver Jonathan Davenport, who is returning to drive for Wright after a very successful couple of years with other teams, was also in the shop, so we had an opportunity to hit him up for some info, as well. Both Wright and Davenport say creating downforce in Dirt Late Models is critical these days if you expect to be able to keep up with the competition and have any success on the track. Interestingly though, Davenport says that as a driver, he doesn’t need different aero tricks depending on whether he’s driving a Super or a Crate with approximately half the horsepower. (The suspension setup is a different story, however.) The difficulty when it comes to developing a comprehensive aerodynamics package for a dirt track race car is it’s quite difficult to gather useful data from a wind tunnel test. Wind tunnel testing is no longer prohibitively expensive, and asphalt teams can take advantage of them to fine-tune their aero packages. But, it isn’t as effective for dirt teams because
Father-and-son duo Barry (left) and Lance Wright with one of their new Icon Dirt Late Models. Wright says Late Models have gotten so effective at producing downforce during the last few years that no matter if you are racing Supers or Crates, you have to pay attention to aero if you hope to have success on the race track.
Driver Jonathan Davenport (right) takes a big role in the preparation of his race cars. This is a customer’s crate car he “borrowed” to win 20 grand during Thanksgiving weekend at Swainsboro Raceway’s Turkey 100 event. Davenport says it is always important to consider how a car will behave in traffic when contemplating any changes to aerodynamics.
The driving force for all Dirt Late Models is the modern nose. It is so effective at creating downforce over the front of the car that everything else must be driven off of it. Wright uses an MD3 Evolution nose and fender kit from Performance Bodies. Notice how the right fender (left in this photo) isn’t as tall as the left side. The purpose of pulling the fender down is to allow more air to flow across the front of the car as the race car slides through the turn.
the cars are yawed so extremely through the turns that it is impossible to replicate the conditions in a wind tunnel. They simply aren’t designed to test cars that are practically sideways. Aerodynamics on the straights simply aren’t important compared to the need to create downforce to help keep the car planted through the turns. “These cars are so big now,” Davenport says. “They move a lot of air. Going through the turns, they yaw so much that they take up about 15 feet of track. So you want to look at how they
react when following other cars. You’d love it to lead every race from the green flag to the checkers, but we all know that isn’t going to happen, so how the car handles in traffic is important.” Check out the photos and tips we’ve gathered for you. Much of what you see comes from our conversations with Wright and Davenport, but others are from what we’ve gathered by just keeping our eyes open at the race track – so don’t blame Wright if everything doesn’t work for you. Wright also allowed us to photograph practically anything OneDirt.com 41
we wanted of two new cars going together in his shop. Both are Wright’s new Icon car design, and the #49 that is practically complete is a customer’s car Davenport borrowed to win Swainsboro Raceway’s $20,000-to-win Turkey 100 Crate Late Model race during Thanksgiving weekend 2016. That, by the way, was Davenport’s first race back with Barry Wright Race Cars, so it appears from the outside that this matchup will be paying big dividends in the future. Source: Barry Wright Race Cars, barrywright.com
Check out how far the fender sticks out beyond the door panel just behind it. The door panel flares out from front to back to help create more side force, which allows the driver to dive into the turns that much harder.
Here’s a look at the underside of the nose. There is so much downforce created, care must be taken to make sure it is properly supported and won’t buckle. Wright also makes the bumpers height adjustable so they won’t drag the track, depending on your suspension setup.
Tight wheel openings help keep air from getting underneath the car where it can add drag and reduce the car’s ability to create downforce. A small lip in front of the wheel pushes air away from the tire, while having the sheet metal rolled in behind the wheel helps pull air out.
One last look at the fenders before we move on. Notice how every line is designed to add rigidity to the nose, as well as additional downforce. 42 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
Racers use the lower support on the right side of the car to push the bottom of the panel out just a bit. If the bottom of the panel gets pushed in, it will allow air to funnel down the door panel and underneath the car.
Check out how the left side of the body bends back toward the right as it gets to the rear spoiler. That’s because sanctioning bodies will have a maximum width that they will check at the rear of the car. You always want the spoiler as far to the right as possible so that it catches maximum airflow as the car is yawed through the turns.
Speaking of the rear spoiler, Wright says he adjusts the spoiler angle practically every night of racing. As a general rule, as the track dries off and goes slick, more spoiler angle can help keep the car from getting too loose.
You can take advantage of the acreage of sheet metal that makes up the deck of the car to help funnel more air to the spoiler. Notice how it drops in the center from the sides to help keep the air from falling off the sides of the deck. A sharper angle on the left side also helps trap air while the car is in yaw.
Race teams learned a few years ago that making the quarter window as large as possible, to practically eliminate the C-pillar, may cut down on the side force developed by that panel, but is more than made up for by the additional air that now is able to hit the rear spoiler. In general, make the quarter window absolutely as large as your rulebook will allow.
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Editor Note: There’s no shortage of awesome photographers in dirt track racing. This is a fact not lost on our staff at OneDirt. As a result, we are starting this new feature profiling some of our sport’s brightest photogs.
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lanton, Alabama’s Heath Lawson has been on the photography scene for only four years, but he’s quickly made a name for himself. He’s currently the series photographer for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and also freelances for various publications, series, and tracks. We recently caught up with Lawson to get his thoughts on life as a racing photographer.
Would you have ever believed that you would make a living as a racing photographer?
Not at all. Had you told me four years ago when I began that I would be where I'm at today, I definitely wouldn't have believed it. I'm very thankful for how far I've come and the people who have helped me along the way. So many people have helped me get to this point, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me.
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PHOTO BY LLOYD COLLINS
When and where did you get your start in the racing photos business? What inspired you to try it out?
I come from mainly an asphalt background. My grandfather, father, and one uncle raced. I also had another uncle that was a crew chief for an asphalt Super Late Model team that toured the Southeast. I grew up around the track and always wanted to be involved, but never really had an interest in driving. I wanted to continue the family name, so in October 2012, I bought my first camera. I then shot my first race at Talladega Short Track during the 2013 Ice Bowl, and it quickly grew from there.
PHOTO BY ZACK KLOOSTERMAN
At the beginning of your photography career, who did you look up to the most?
One person that helped me from the beginning was Glenn Katauskas. I really admired his work as a fan of the sport and reached out to him prior to shooting my first race. He actually invited me to shadow him the entire weekend of the 2013 Ice Bowl and continued to mentor me from that point on. Rick Schwallie was another person whose work I always admired, as well as Joey Millard. Those three guys were at the top of the sport when I first started, and I'm proud to call all of them my friends now.
PHOTO BY LLOYD COLLINS
What’s your best piece of advice for someone trying to break into the photography business?
Be different and stand out from the crowd. If a group of photographers are all bunched into Turn 3, then go to Turn 1. That's one thing I pride myself on is having a different style of shooting than others. One other suggestion is to shoot as much as you can. Shoot, shoot, and shoot more! You can always delete pictures, but you can’t make them appear out of thin air.
What’s an event you’ve never shot that’s on your bucket list?
I've always wanted to shoot the Indianapolis 500. The pageantry and hype leading up to the race, along with the race itself, is something I've always wanted to see and experience in person.
What’s your favorite track to take pictures? If you didn’t work full-time as a photographer, what would be your job?
Honestly, I'm not sure what I would do if I didn’t work as a photographer in racing. At this point, it's hard to even think about life without photography or racing.
When not taking photos, what is your favorite pastime? I'm a diehard race fan. I'm 100 percent racing all of the time. I eat, sleep, and breathe it. I'm a huge history buff, as well. I love learning about how our sport started. I'm not as familiar with dirt racing history as I’d like to be, so that's something I've been researching a lot lately.
What’s the hardest part of working as a touring photographer?
Traveling is always hard. The windshield time is pretty grueling. I spend anywhere from six to 12 hours, traveling one way on weekends. It wears on you and your sleep schedule after a while. Another thing is always having to adjust to new places each week. It's a lot harder than people think, because you only have so many chances to try different angles and shooting positions. If you don’t quickly get a good game plan once you get to the track each day, it could be the difference in getting the shot of the night or missing it altogether.
My favorite track to shoot is Brownstown Speedway in Indiana. With it not having a wall around the majority of the track, it provides lots of different angles to capture the event.
What’s your biggest pet peeve as a photographer?
Photographers who don't understand how to properly use their equipment to take photos drives me crazy. Knowing your camera gear inside and out is key to capturing great images. You can have the nicest equipment on the planet, but if you aren’t familiar with using it, it just won’t matter.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever had happen while shooting an event? I've actually been hit by a race car. In 2014, I was on the front stretch of Talladega Short Track, behind the infield catch fence waiting to capture the "checkered flag shot.” A car spun coming off of Turn 4 and proceeded to jump the infield wall and come through the fence. I was struck by a fence post that was lodged in the left front wheel area. Fortunately, I was paying attention and was able to move and escape with only a bruised sternum and a few bruised ribs.
To follow along with Lawsons photography work — past, present and future – point your browser to heathlawsonphotos.com or on instagram at heath_lawson. OneDirt.com 45 OneDirt.com 45
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TOTAL INVESTMENT Total Seal has a passion for racing seven days a week By Ben Shelton
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PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
t’s no secret Total Seal has long since established themselves as “The Piston Ring Authority.” From their signature Gapless technology to their Ultra Thin Ring technology, Total Seal is constantly on the forefront of cutting-edge piston ring products. While you are likely aware of the company’s passion for developing parts that maximize your hot rod’s performance, you might not know many of their employees also enjoy going fast. This seven-day-a-week desire to win is part of Joey Moriarty what makes Total Seal so good at what they do. “I’ve been racing since I was 18 years old,” recounts Total Seal President Joey Moriarty. “It was 1989, and really, it was a random deal that put me behind the wheel. My dad had built an engine for this Late Model Stock. The racer was having issues with the car, so we went out to do a test. After a few laps, my dad asked him if I could take it out for a few laps to shake it down. “I went faster than him, so the guy – who had been racing for like 15 years – decided to retire on the spot, and I bought the car from him,” Moriarty concludes with a laugh. “From that
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moment, I was hooked.” Moriarty, 47, firmly believes the passion he and his employees hold for going fast on the weekends is directly tied to the innovations they make during the week. “Our company is full of guys who love to compete,” he says. “For instance, you have me and Jason Noll, who love playing in the dirt, and then there’s Matt Hartford that drag races. We are always looking for that performance edge, so it keeps our gears constantly turning on what we can develop next.” Moriarty goes on to note his love for grass roots racing has actually helped their company’s products become more appealing to the upper echelons of motorsports. “It definitely doesn’t hurt your company’s image when racers see you at the track every weekend with your own car,” he elaborates. “Ironically, even though none of us race in NASCAR or Formula 1, those guys started getting more interested in our products when they found out that several of us raced. Customers tell me all the time that they prefer doing business with a company that is run by guys who also like to go fast.”
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
Moriarty’s love for burning up dirt tracks is shared by Noll. The 33-year-old from Phoenix has been racing for 17 years. Working at Total Seal as a sales consultant is a dream scenario for the accomplished racer. “Like everybody in our sport, when I was growing up, I wanted to race for a living,” Noll comments. “As you get older and responsibilities get in the way of dreams, you have to alter your priorities. However, working at Total Seal is like the best of both worlds. During the week, I get to help other racers select the parts needed to make their cars win. Then on the weekends, I get to take my own car out to the track to chase victories.” Noll echoes Moriarty’s thoughts on the importance of being constantly involved with the racing scene. “Being at the track on a regular basis keeps you attuned to what racers and engine builders are needing from their cars,” he comments. “Staying accessible to the racing community is really important too.” Moriarty often uses his time at the track to look for new connections. “I often find myself in staging, checking out every car around me to see which engine builder they use,” he says. “If there’s a builder that I haven’t dealt with previously, I’ll make a note to reach out to them the following week. Many times this can lead to new customers.” Both Noll and Moriarty have enjoyed considerable success behind the wheel. Noll’s proudest driving accomplishments include a track title at the now defunct Manzanita Speedway, a track champi-
onship at Canyon Speedway Park, and a qualifying race win during the annual Duel in the Desert at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. For Moriarty, his proudest moment in racing wasn’t a win or a championship. Early in his racing career, he was living in New Hampshire with his family. One night, he wanted to go race at New York’s Oswego Speedway, but the family’s racing budget was tight, so his dad suggested it might be best to sit out that week. It ultimately led to a heated debate, and finally – against his father’s wishes – Joey left to make the six-hour trek to Oswego alone. “I can remember it like it was yesterday,” Joey reminisces. “I felt so empty during hot laps because it didn’t feel right to be there without my dad. So, I’m sitting in the pits before the heat races, and they had the track’s crossover gate open. I look up, and here comes my dad walking across the track. After I left, he decided he needed to come and support me.” With a pause, he continues, “That’s probably the most special moment of my racing career. It was then that I realized exactly what I meant to him and exactly what he meant to me.” Racing is a sport that is led by innovators who have a passion for competition. Individuals like Joey Moriarty and Jason Noll exemplify the heart of motorsports. With a staff that includes these two gentlemen, it’s no surprise why Total Seal continues to be an industry leader in the motorsports world. Source: Total Seal, totalseal.com
Jason Noll is a top competitor in Modified.
Joey Moriarty in action in his Modified.
PHOTO BY STEVE SCHNARS
PHOTO BY STEVE SCHNARS
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Golden Isles Speedway prepares for the future By Ben Shelton
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n a day and time where it seems like dirt tracks are struggling more than ever, it’s refreshing to hear about a facility on the rise. This is definitely the case for Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Georgia. Like many tracks, the history of Golden Isles Speedway is not without struggles, trials, and tribulations. However, the future of the southern Georgia facility looks brighter than ever. “The past year or so has been a time of constant improvement and growth for Golden Isles Speedway,” Facility Assistant Manager Luke Voigt notes. “We have a great team in place, and our focus is on maximizing the fan and racer experience.” Improvements during the past few years include a newly configured track surface, new catch fence, expanded grandstand seating, VIP suites, trackside parking, and many other new amenities. In addition, a new concession stand has been built next to the grandstands, as well as a new smaller concession
stand that is located behind the backstretch for large events. “It’s truly amazing to see what this place has become,” Voigt says. “Sometimes I catch myself pulling up to the track and doing a double take, because it seems like there’s improvements being made almost daily. This is a place where you can definitely bring your family and friends for a night of great fun.” The track layout was reconfigured a few years ago and has received rave reviews from both drivers and fans. Shortening the track created tighter and more exciting racing. On the fan side of things, Golden Isles Speedway has relentlessly been making improvements. As NASCAR tracks struggle to fill seats – like they once did – some dirt tracks are actually adding seats. Golden Isles Speedway is one such place. “We actually purchased some of the grandstands that were disassembled on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway, and we’ve added them to the front stretch,” Voigt comments. “We now have seating for over 2,500 people.” In addition to the added seating, the track has expanded its trackside parking. This area allows for fans to tailgate and enjoy the racing programs from the comfort of their vehicles.
Those with campers have not been forgotten in the constant improvements. The facility now offers 150 camping spots that include water and electrical hookups. Even better, half of the spots also include sewer hookups and 50 amp connections. “Fans really seem to be enjoying the amenities that our campgrounds offer,” Voigt says. “We were almost completely booked for the Super Bowl of Racing in February, weeks in advance of the event. Not many tracks offer any campsites with hookups, much less 150, so we are really proud to be able to offer this feature.” In a technologically-driven age, Golden Isles Speedway is doing everything it can to stay with the times. A new phone system, new scoring system, and other features have been installed throughout the facility. “We expanded our phone system to make it easier for fans and racers to reach our staff at any time,” Voigt says. “The new credit card machines at the ticket windows, apparel stand, and concession stands allow more flexible payment options for our fans and racers.” Golden Isles Speedway will also be implementing the Race Monitor scoring program for the 2017 season, which will allow racers and fans alike to get real-time updates as the racing action happens.
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
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PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
“We are doing our very best to leave no stone unturned when it comes to maximizing the fan and racer experience when you come to our track.” Fans can also receive race-day updates and other event notifications on their mobile devices by texting GIS to 313131. In addition, track patrons visiting the track’s website at GISDirt. com can subscribe to a e-newsletter, which includes results and updated point standings after each event. With countless improvements in place, Golden Isles Speedway is now focused on their most lucrative season to date. The 2017 campaign got off to an early start when the gates opened on February 9-11 with their annual RhinoAg Super Bowl of Racing. This signature event at the facility saw its own fan-friendly change for 2017. “We wanted to make it affordable for our local fans to see the national stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tackle our track, so we cut grandstand prices way back for this event,” Voigt proudly states. “Grandstand admission for Thursday’s practice night was free,
while Friday night grandstand admission was just $10, and Saturday night grandstand admission was only $15. “These prices were half what fans typically pay to see this type of show. Fans definitely took note of the significantly discounted prices, because we saw massive crowds on the grounds all weekend.” The lid-lifting weekend also had the track’s E-Mods and Street Stocks as a featured part of the special programs. This was an aspect of the weekend that was extremely important to Voigt and the track’s staff. “A big push for 2017 is to really highlight the weekly racers,” Voigt notes. “We plan to have over a dozen weekly shows this year. We want both the local racers and fans to know that we are here
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
to stay and without their great support, this couldn’t be possible.” Golden Isles Speedway will host weekly shows every other week from March through October – with the exception of the month of July, when there will be no action at the facility. Various special events dot the 2017 calendar, along with their signature Showdown on the Coast to wrap up the season on October 12-14. “It’s been a very busy and hectic off-season here at the track, but I’m confident that all of the hard work will pay off when racers and fans immediately notice the improved experience here at Golden Isles Speedway,” Voigt says. “We couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds for our facility.” Source: Golden Isles Speedway, gisdirt.com
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
OneDirt.com 49
ENGAGED Jones Racing Products’ total involvement supports its solid reputation By Ben Shelton
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ou see their product decal on the side of countless race cars. You also notice their logos on various parts of race-winning engines throughout the pit area. But, do you really know Jones Racing Products? We thought it would be a great idea to dive into just who this company is and what exactly drives their desire to create so many innovative products. The family-owned and operated business was created in the early 1980s with the objective of producing complete belt drive kits that would supply teams with all of the parts needed to install their belts and pulleys. “Jones Racing Products has operated with the goal of improving race car efficiency,” company President CJ Jones notes. “Over the years, that desire to be creative and successful has grown and grown.” Jones Racing Products knew the most important factor was to tailor the belt drive kits to the high rpm of a racing engine. Understanding each pump had an optimum speed to produce positive results was key — whether it was a water pump need-
ing reduced speed to keep the water temperature in check, or a certain pulley size and speed to give drivers a good power steering feel in the corners at a low engine rpm. “I can honestly say that the core to our company’s success has always been understanding the need for the correct pulley ratios, reliability in all of our products, and a focus on customer service,” Jones says. Customers’ on-track results during the 2016 season once again proved the company is directly meeting all of its goals. Not only did Jones Racing Products provide race-winning parts for hundreds of drivers, but they were also part of dozens of championships. In fact, the champions of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series, and the United States Modified Touring Series all utilized Jones Racing Products components on their engines. For the top engine builders in the country, it’s become a no-brainer to implement the company’s technology into their engines. For the past several decades, South Carolina’s Clements
PHOT BYTODD BOYD
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An impressive look at Jones-outfitted Big Block Modified engines at the LJL Kevlar engine shop.
Racing Engines has been an industry leader in Dirt Late Model engines. Glen Clements, co-owner of the company, is quick to attribute some of their success to Jones Racing Products. “We had used parts from Jones Racing Products at various times when they first got started, but we really began to focus on exclusively using their products when the serpentine pulley rig came to the forefront with Dirt Late Model engines,” Clements states. “A lot of vendors were struggling to produce a dependable pulley system, but Jones just raised the bar. We switched to them exclusively at that point, and there’s been no looking back.” For Clements, his biggest concerns are both performance and durability for the customer. Jones Racing Products has been able to put these worries to bed. “How an engine holds up at the track is most important,” he says. “You expect to get 1,300-1,500 laps on a high-performance engine these days, and how it both performs and survives is crucial. The setup from Jones Racing Products allows us to meet all of these goals. That’s why we only use Jones drive systems on the front of our engines.” In a world where customer service seems to be a dying breed, Clements also finds great solace in the support he gets from the staff at Jones Racing Products. “So many times, I get a customer who waits to the last min-
ute to order something, and it leaves me calling CJ and putting him on the spot,” he says. “It’s not his fault that this guy waited until the last minute, but ultimately he’s the one that gets left having to compensate. He never lets me down; whenever I’m in a pinch, I know he’s going to take care of me. You can’t put a dollar value on service like that.” Clements definitely doesn’t stand alone in his view of what Jones Racing Products brings to the table. Andy Durham with Durham Racing Engines, who builds the power plants that propelled Scott Bloomquist and Josh Richards to Dirt Late Model national championships in 2016, exclusively uses Jones Racing Products. “It’s been a no-brainer for me to use Jones Racing Products for my belt and pulley needs,” Durham says. “Those guys were there with us from the beginning, when Roush Yates was developing the RY45. When I went full-time with my own business in 2013, I continued to use them on all of my engines.” One to always be observant, Durham took note of what he was seeing at the track and in race conditions. “I quickly noticed that many of the top engine builders were using Jones products on their engines, and I wasn’t seeing any failures whatsoever,” he says. “As a result, I knew if I was going to build top-notch engines that I needed to be using their parts.” PHOTO BY RICK SWEETEN
PHOTO BY RICK SWEETEN
Jones Racing is a trusted source for belt-driven accessories, like this popular 55-amp alternator kit.
Jones Racing Products President CJ Jones in Victory Lane with fiancée Melanie Trimper. OneDirt.com 51
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
Clements Racing Engines customer Chris Madden in action.
PHOTO BY TODD BOYD
Top builders like Mullins Racing Engines use Jones Racing Products on their championship-winning engines.
Two-time defending USMTS Champion Jason Hughes is a Jones Racing Products client.
From pulley drivers to oil pump gears, to gear guards and all points in between, Durham takes advantage of all Jones Racing Products has to offer. “I can honestly say I’ve never had a single issue with any of their products,” he adds. “Plus, there’s nobody better to work with than those guys, because they are going to bend over backwards at all times to do anything and everything to help you out.” Jones Racing Products has made a big splash over in the Modified ranks, as well. Mullins Racing Engines has long been touted as a pre-eminent engine builder in Dirt Late Models and Modifieds. However, their success in the Modified ranks has been truly undeniable. With drivers that include the likes of Jason Hughes, Ryan Gustin, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jeff Taylor, and so many more, Mullins Racing Engines has laid claim to countless wins and championships. Jones Racing Products has been a part of their success for more than a decade. Much like Clements Racing Engines, Mullins Racing Engines really started to take notice of what Jones Racing Products had to offer when the serpentine drives on the front of the motor became prominent. “It was around 2003 or so and these serpentine drives on the front of the motors was becoming the new ticket,” Chad Mullins recounts. “There were only a few companies that were attempting to produce the pulley systems, and it quickly became apparent that Jones Racing Products really had a great product.”
From that point forward the relationship between Mullins Racing Engines and Jones Racing Products began to quickly grow. Now, more than a decade later, the engine builder almost exclusively uses Jones parts. “Really, the only time we don’t use their products is when a customer has something else already in place with their engine program, and that’s not just real often,” Mullins says. “We tend to focus primarily on products from Jones because the engines definitely run cooler with their systems — sometimes as much as 15 to 20 degrees. In addition, there is no slippage with their belts, which allows racers to run their belts tighter for better performance.” Mullins concludes, “The technology that goes into their systems is incredibly impressive. The way that they develop pulley and belt systems that automatically have the fan speed and water speed set correctly is a real big deal. We handle so many different types of engines and rules packages that this type of technology is crucial. “You just can’t beat those guys. They are great people who go out of their way to meet your exact needs.” The products Jones Racing Products develops aren’t just inspired from within the walls of its state-of-the-art facility. Rather, they are also developed from on-track experience. Weather as drivers or crew members, Jones Racing Products employees are heavily involved in racing. In fact, CJ has been racing since the early 1990s. From GoKarts to Asphalt Modifieds, Northeast Crate Dirt Modifieds, and Big Block Modifieds, Jones has raced in a wide array of
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PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
Josh Richards claimed an unprecedented fourth World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series title in 2016.
divisions. This has helped spur his vision for optimizing the performance of race cars. “Having a staff that lives and breathes racing gives us the edge to develop and produce products that we can all be proud of and very knowledgeable about,” Jones comments. “I know when a racer calls with questions that odds are pretty good we have been in their shoes and will be able to guide them in the right direction. We have always taken a lot of pride in the fact that we are hands on in every aspect – from the R&D and machining process, to taking calls on the tech lines, or helping at the race track.” During the course of more than 25 years, the company has grown by leaps and bounds. From the confines of a small shop, it has catapulted into a full-production facility. Jones Racing Products’ resources at its Pennsylvania location now allow them to have total control over the entire manufacturing process. From the sawing of the raw bar stock to the precision cutting by CNC lathes and mills, the company intricately monitors each step of the manufacturing process to guarantee exact precision in each product. In fact, they even handle the final steps of the laser marking to indicate part numbers and serial numbers. This attentiveness to detail has been a major catalyst in the growth of Jones Racing Products. For CJ though, the growth of the company is overshadowed by the pride that he and all of his staff continue to take in their products. “It’s true that the company has grown a lot since the begin-
ning — in fact, it’s kind of mind blowing when I do think about it,” he says. “However, honestly, I don’t ever really think about that unless somebody brings it up. Instead, I think about how after all these years, we are more focused than ever on hard work, dedication, and long hours to give the customers exactly what they need. To me, that’s our proudest accomplishments.” Hearing from and talking to customers is one of CJ’s favorite aspects of the business. “A lot of people assume because we stay so busy that I don’t have much time to talk, but honestly, I absolutely love talking to racers,” Jones notes. “It’s very gratifying to talk to our great customers and hear how they are doing and what successes they’ve had. Other times, they might want to just pick our brain on an idea. “Just a few days ago, Jason Covert texts me at 7 a.m. on a Sunday to tell me he won a pair of races over the weekend and to thank me for my products. There’s nothing cooler than receiving news like that.” Indeed, Jones Racing Products is living proof of what can be accomplished through hard work and a relentless vision. Their success and reputation on and off the track is something to hold in high regard. One thing is for sure. That small decal you frequently see on cars at the track that says Jones Racing Products definitely represents much more than most could ever imagine. In fact, it represents drive and determination, and that’s what makes Jones Racing Products proud to be “What Drives You.” Source: Jones Racing Products, jonesracingproducts.com
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BEYOND THE DOME What it took to make the Gateway Dirt Nationals a success By Ben Shelton
I
n February 2016, North Carolina businessman and racing promoter Cody Sommer made an announcement that turned the racing world upside down. The then-29-year-old entrepreneur revealed details for the inaugural VP Racing Fuels Gateway Dirt Nationals. The unique event would be held in mid-December 2016 inside of the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. A hefty purse for Modifieds and Super Late Models would be on the line. Naysayers immediately began questioning whether the event would actually ever happen. Others relentlessly bashed the concept. Sommer and his staff diligently remained focused on the task at hand. Not only did the event happen, but it was an instant success. More than 200 race cars and 15,000 fans participated in the inaugural indoor program. The racing action also proved to be quite entertaining. As the event prepares for its second year in 2017, OneDirt recently caught up with Sommer to ask about the behind-the-scenes details of such a massive undertaking.
1) Heading into the event, what did you think was going to be your biggest challenge? There was a mixture of things that were on my radar, but if I had to pick one, it was air-quality control. I knew that both the monitoring and actual control of the air quality was going to be key for making the event work. I had definitely learned my lesson from the Indy Invitational back in 2015. My staff and I were focused on doing everything within our power to not only manage the fumes, but to also minimize any annoyances and inconveniences for the fans and the racers. That’s why we would take advantage of red flags or extended cautions to allow the dome’s ventilation system to do its job. The last thing we wanted was to have to throw cautions during racing action for air issues. It wasn’t easy, but we worked hard and were able to make it work quite well. OneDirt.com 55 OneDirt.com 55
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2) What actually proved to be your biggest challenge with this event? It’s rare that what you expect to be the biggest challenge actually ends up being it, but it was indeed the air quality management. There were so many challenges with an event of this nature, but I honestly believe this was indeed the biggest undertaking. I’m very proud of how we were able to manage it. 3) Scheduling a race in St. Louis in December, you knew the weather could be bad. However, this weather seemed extreme. There was unexpected freezing rain on Friday and then 12-degree weather with snow on Saturday. What was your reaction to that? I felt like I was getting the biggest-possible curveball right out of the gate. I remember thinking, “Can you not let me have an easy deal for just once.” The weather threw a lot of new challenges at us. We had to coordinate for salt to be regularly placed around the perimeter of the building. We had to account for employees having to work in extreme elements. Not only were we facing all of these issues, but we were facing them on the fly. All of that said, we didn’t let it affect what we were doing. Our job was to put on a show, and that’s what we did. Those that probably had the roughest end of things were the fans who had already bought tickets, but couldn’t make it to the dome on Friday because bridges were temporarily closed due to icing. If there’s any bright spot to these weather challenges, it’s that I felt like we overcame the worst-case weather sce56 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
nario in year number one. We proved we can make this event fly at all costs, and we are now much more prepared for future weather challenges.
4) How impressed were you with everyone’s patience? Because we were all learning what did and didn’t work in this first year, there were a lot of hurdles to overcome. While there were some small complaints here and there, I was blown away by the patience and understanding that both the teams and the fans exhibited throughout the weekend. It quickly became glaringly obvious to me that this was an event that everyone wanted to work and grow for years to come. 5) When the first load of dirt was dumped on the dome floor, is that when the reality began to set in that this massive undertaking was indeed happening? Actually, not at all. During the event, things were happening so quick that it was all like a dream. The magnitude of what we did never really sunk in until I got home a week later. I remember sitting at home on Christmas Day when it all suddenly became real. At the time the event is happening, you are so dedicated to the task at hand that you don’t focus on the enormity of it all. 6) How key was Kevin Gundaker’s track prep knowledge in making the event go well? Kevin had a huge role in it. But I think it goes even deeper than that, and I have no doubt that Kevin will agree. Kevin’s wife, Tammy, along with their head track
prep guy, Bob Lienemann, and all of the staff, really busted their tails to make the track racy. It was a total conglomerate to make it happen. The bond and level of respect between our whole team was so key in the success of the event.
7) Was there ever a point leading up to the event where you thought for a second that this isn’t going to happen? No, there honestly wasn’t. I know there were a lot of rumors out there that we wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I sensed it, and I heard it. Some folks just thought it was never going to really happen. By October, those rumors were going away, and any negatives I heard were just about whether or not the event was going to be any good. For me, I know when I say I’m going to do something that I’m actually going to do it. The one and only thing that we faced that could stop the event was the possibility of the dome being torn down since the NFL team had moved to Los Angeles at the end of the previous season. That’s a danger we’ll always face because the property is owned by the city. Obviously, that’s out of our control, so we are just taking it year-to-year and keeping our fingers crossed for the best. 8) How much of a toll did the event take on you mentally and physically? I lost 18 pounds in the 29 days leading up to and during the event. Between the Gateway Dirt Nationals and trying to finalize the acquisition of Mansfield Motor Speedway in Ohio, I was wide open and very stressed. I looked pale and had
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
really baggy eyes. When I got home from St. Louis, I think I slept for like four days straight. I’ll admit that physically and mentally it was incredibly brutal on me.
9) What was the most satisfying part of the weekend for you? The last three laps of Friday night’s Super Late Model feature were just amazing. In my opinion, not just one thing truly defined the event, but those laps were what defined us and the event as a success. So many people said that there was no way that the track would be racy. Those last few laps proved that our team’s vision to have a racy track had become a reality. Hearing the crowd’s reaction over the roar of the cars was just amazing. 10) What was the most disappointing part of the weekend? That’s a tough question. I would say that
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
Thursday night’s program would be my choice. It was purely a struggle because it was such a learning curve. But, we stopped and regrouped and made it happen. The night obviously ran too long. Conversely though, if we hadn’t experienced all of those issues right out of the gate, then maybe the rest of the weekend wouldn’t have gone so well. So with that said, I can’t be mad, because that adversity made us a better team and showed us what we were capable of accomplishing.
happy and we were all on the same page – at all times – kept me away from helping with things like registration, event management, and track prep. However, that responsibility comes with the territory. It just gets very stressful because you want to be everywhere. The non-racing, business aspects of this event are just massive, so it takes countless hours to manage. I’m experienced at handling stress, but this was a whole new level with a very fast pace.
11) What ended up being your most stressful aspect of the weekend? There’s a stress and burden that comes with the role of being the guy who is spearheading the event. In everything that I do, I’m very particular on a lot of things and want them a certain way. Dealing with the dome representatives and officials to make sure they were
12) How many days did you have to clean up after the event? Was it a bigger mess than you had expected? Originally, we were supposed to be out by midnight on Sunday night, but there was just no way we could be packed up by then. Luckily, I was able to restructure the deal, and get an extension until Monday evening.
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
PHOTO BY TODD BOYD
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As soon as the checkered flag dropped, we began demo and clean-up. In fact, 15 minutes after the final checkered flag flew, we were already demoing the catchfence. Unfortunately, it ended up being a much bigger mess than what was expected. We had a very detailed budget for the event because it was such an undertaking. On Monday morning, while meeting with the dome staff, I was notified that our original expected expense was significantly lower than the actual cleaning cost. With this in mind, we are actively pursuing plans and options to reduce the mess and associated clean-up costs for 2017.
13) Once the event was completed and you had finished cleaning, was there any part of you that wasn’t sure if you would want to do the event again in 2017? No, never even once did I have a second thought. However, I did have the business responsibility to do my due diligence to make sure that it could happen again. First, I had to make sure the dome was good with us doing it again. Once I knew they were good with it, I had to lay out our logistics. That’s the main reason why we didn’t have the 2017 date ready to be announced at the race. This is an event that I’m committed to for the long term. In fact, I sold my brewery business in May 2016 to commit my career to not just the Gateway Dirt Nationals, but motorsports in general. It’s definitely my passion. 14) On the A-F scale, what grade would you give the event for its first year? 58 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
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If you are grading the VP Racing Fuels Gateway Dirt Nationals, by comparing it to other established racing events or entertainment in general, then I would give us a B. If you grade the event as what was expected for the first year of something new, I don’t see how you can’t give us an A+. We did what many said was impossible. We provided great entertainment and a very unique product.
15) What are some of the things you want to do differently this year? From a track prep standpoint, we learned so much from last year. I fully expect this year to make improvements each and every night from last year’s event. I expect Thursday’s show to eclipse last year’s show on Friday. I expect Friday to outdo last year’s Saturday show. And, I definitely expect Saturday’s program this year to outdo the whole weekend from last year. There’s just so many things that you don’t know until you do something the first time. Heading into this second edition of the event, we are already so much better prepared. There’s always room for improvements in efficiency. There’s nothing major, but we want to fine tune and add to the event. We want to improve the run of the show, the track prep, and every aspect. In addition to adding more than $100,000 to the purse and more chances for racers to make money, we’re also adding more pyrotechnics. We’re leaving no stone unturned when it comes to maximizing the entertainment factor for the attendees. 16) Adding $100,000 to the purse
this year – how much more stress does that put on you to make the event grow fan wise? It’s not necessarily stress as much as it shows how committed and confident that I am in this event. We could’ve added just a little bit of money to the purse, but I felt like I wanted this event to be on an even bigger level for the second edition. The racers told me last year they needed more money, so I told them if they beared with me that we would get there. After last year, I really think that dirt racing fans will do whatever they can to be there to see the event in person this year. We had 15,000 attendees at the event last year. This year, I expect there to be at least 20,000. If there isn’t at least this many people there, then I’m going to be left scratching my head. This is such a unique event that I just think racers and fans alike will definitely want to be part of year number two. 17) Will the track be any bigger or more banked this year? There’s nothing set in stone, but we are weighing out different options on tweaking the track. It’s really hard to say one way or the other at this point. I will say that people should not be surprised either way – whether we leave it the way it was in 2016, or we tweak it a few different ways. There’s a reason we are doing everything we do with this event. My best advice is just stay tuned and see what happens next. 18) Is there ever a situation down the road, where this event could expand to include more cars/
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
moments that they will never forget is my biggest goal. From the crazy finish to Friday’s Super Late Model feature to Bloomquist doing the “crotch chop” to the crowd during driver intros on Saturday night, I want more moments like that. I want people to have fun and experience memories that will stick with them forever.
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
classes or be stretched out over more days? As of this very moment, the answer is no. I would love to one day expand the event. However, there’s only so much space and so many days to run the event, so you have to stay within your means. Logistics are the biggest challenge with the event. The dome and the attached convention center have a lot of other events throughout the year. I have to carefully
plan and coordinate our event around the other scheduled happenings there. It’s unlikely at this point that the event would expand in days or divisions, but I never say never.
19) When the final checkered flag drops on this year’s event, what is the #1 thing that you want to have accomplished? Leaving competitors and fans with more
20) It’s sales pitch time. If someone didn’t come last year and is thinking about coming this year, what is the biggest reason to attend? I hate to be cliché with this answer, but I honestly believe this. You can watch the pay-per-view from home and have a good time. However, nothing can replace the experience of seeing and hearing it all live in person. Until you walk into this dome and experience what we all saw at the inaugural event, you just can’t imagine the feeling of it all. Last, but not least if you don’t come you are going to regret it. This is an experience like no other. The 2nd annual VP Racing Fuels Gateway Dirt Nationals will be held December 14-16, 2017. For more information, please visit GatewayDirt.com.
Lose Weight. Run Faster. Star-Cut Rear Flange
THE LATEST CRANKSHAFTS FROM LUNATI® PROVIDE THE UTMOST IN WEIGHT REDUCTION VOODOO ® LIGHTWEIGHT CRANKSHAFTS On the racetrack, every ounce matters. That’s where Lunati® Lightweight Crankshafts come in. These revolutionary components are perfect for Sprint Cars and Dirt Late Models. The cranks utilize gun-drilled mains, pendulum-cut counterweights, lightened rod journals and a star-cut rear flange to provide the maximum reduction in weight and rotational inertia. The components also feature unmatched durability and straight-shot oiling for optimum flow and bearing lubrication.
FEATURES:
• Reduces weight & rotational inertia • Long-lasting durability • Optimum oiling • Perfect for dirt racing
Lower weights equal faster speeds – these cranks can help you find the fastest way to Victory Lane.
LUNATIPOWER.COM • 662.892.1500
OneDirt.com 59
9695k
* A variety of popular strokes are available for two-piece rear seal Small Block Chevys in both 350 or 400 main sizes.
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES
SPONSORED BY
OneDirt has compiled a list of some of the hottest products to recently hit the dirt track market. On the following pages of our Speed Shop, be sure to check out the variety of racing products offered. Product and company contact information is provided should you see something you wish to purchase—and we know you will!
Solid cylinder performance Quicksilver, Iron Cylinder Heads Quicksilver has added to its extensive list of iron cylinder heads an assembly that fits the GM 5.7L engines, using an 8-bolt intake manifold. It also freshly tooled many of the discontinued GM OE iron cylinder heads for 2.5L, 3.0L, 4.3L, 5.7L, 7.4L, 8.1L, 8.2L, and 8.9L engines. They are assembled with screw-in rocker studs, hardened seat inserts for both the intake and exhaust, and brass core plugs. Additionally, they feature exclusive Black-X Composite valve technology to use with any fuel. Quicksilver’s iron cylinder head assemblies are compatible for racing, marine, truck, RV, and industrial applications. Available globally from Mercury Marine dealers and through LNS Distribution in the United States and Canada to independent dealers. quicksilver-products.com 800.432.7652
Cool the engines Jones Racing Products, Hustler Fans Hustler Fans by Jones Racing Products are engineered to meet the demands of race applications with three-blade technology that offers a more balanced rotation, while keeping the engine cool. The ultra-lightweight pocketed design of the center mounting hub is paired to three aluminum blades designed to produce extreme air movement through the radiator, while still keeping the overall moment of inertia at a minimum. The powder-coated finish adds to the overall strength and durability of the design. Fans are available in 15, 17, 18, and 19 inches. The 15inch Hustler Fan weighs in at just over a pound. The 15- and 17-inch diameter fans can be used on either dirt or asphalt water pump-driven applications. Lightweight black anodized billet aluminum fan spacers are also available in 1-, 1.5-, 2-, 3-, and 4-inch lengths to ensure the perfect fit and placement (sold separately). jonesracingproducts.com 610.847.2028
Even more new products
@OneDirt.com 60 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
Rising to the challenge Quarter Master, Clutchless Bellhousing Kits While the popular Bert/ Brinn transmission allows dirt racers to ditch the traditional clutch and use a smaller flywheel to cut rotating weight, the use of a high-torque starter can lead to bellhousing damage and eventual failure. Quarter Master’s Clutchless Bellhousing Kit has been designed to weather such a scenario. CNC-machined from either magnesium or aluminum, the bellhousing features lightweight top- or side-mount pump brackets for unmatched support and strength. It comes with a Quarter Master Ultra-Duty Reverse Rotation Starter as well as a 91-tooth flywheel that eliminates the need for idler gear components. quartermasterusa.com 888.258.8241
Best boot protection Etheridge Race Parts, Rack Boot Cover Etheridge Race Parts is now offering race teams the brand new Rack Boot Cover from Allstar Performance. This neoprene cover fits most steering racks and helps protect against damage from rocks and debris. In addition, the hook and loop closure makes installation and removal simple. This Rack Boot Cover is a must-have for any team to ensure protecting the steering rack from damage during racing conditions. etheridgeraceparts.com 877.371.RACE
Certified safe TCI Automotive, Flexplate Safety Shields A flexplate or starter ring gear failure on the track can not only ruin your finish, but send parts flying and even cause injury. A SFI 30.1 certified Flexplate Safety Shield from TCI is designed to protect drivers and spectators if and when those parts fail. Mandatory in many classes of racing, such shields fit over the front part of the transmission bellhousing. The TCI shield is manufactured from high-strength steel and available for Ford and GM applications. Some transmission trimming may be necessary. tciauto.com 888.776.9824
RACING IS BETTER WITH LESS DUST IMPROVES VISIBILITY FOR RACERS & FANS
race track dust deterrent
IMPROVES SOIL ADHESION ENHANCES RACING WIDENS RACING LINES PREVENTS HOLES & RUTS IN TRACK NON-TOXIC VP Products are readily available throughout North America, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Pacific Rim, Australia and South America! For more detailed distributor information: VPRacingFuels.com/find-a-dealer Dealer & Distributor inquiries are always welcome.
VP World Headquarters: P.O. Box 47878, San Antonio, TX 78265 T: 1.210.635.7744 F: 1.210.635.7999 vphq@vpracingfuels.com
VP West: P.O. Box 1319, Wildomar, CA 92595 T: 1.951.696.5100 F: 1.951.696.5577 vppacific@vpracingfuels.com
SAVES WATER
VP Midwest: P.O. Box 3203, Terre Haute, IN 47803 T: 1.812.466.1175 F: 1.812.466.1675 vpmidwest@vpracingfuels.com
VP East: P.O. Box 9999, Newark, DE 19714 T: 1.302.368.1500 F: 1.302.368.1869 vpatlantic@vpracingfuels.com
(Tech Support) Dane Miller: T: 210.510.8411| Email: dane.miller@vpracingfuels.com
VP South: 217 Outlet Drive, Commerce, GA 30529 T: 1.706.335.3355 F: 1.706.335.3358 vpsouth@vpracingfuels.com
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Get the skinny Total Seal, Ultra-Thin Ring Packs Total Seal’s new AP Ultra-Thin piston ring packs feature 0.9mm and 2.0mm ring sets that include AP steel top rings, ductile iron Napier 2nd rings (in most sets, where available), and new oil rings available in standard low- and high-tension configurations. The sets offer more than 50 percent total weight reduction, coming in at only 19.3 grams for the 0.9mm set vs. 52.1 grams on a 1/16-inch set. The AP steel top ring features the C-33 PVD coating, applied using vacuum deposition that won't flake or chip off, while the ductile iron Napier 2nd ring offers increased durability and improves oil control. The thinner combination of these rings dramatically reduces friction, along with featuring a 0.126-inch radial depth for excellent bore conformability. Customers report typical power gains of 10-15 hp when compared to .043/.043/3.0mm ring packs in the same engine. Available in most popular bore sizes and offered in both gapless and conventional types. totalseal.com 800.874.2753
Get it right FAST, MaxJet Precision Carb Jets Getting the proper air/fuel mixture in a race car is a science all its own, with even the smallest of fuel system components affecting the formula for optimal performance. FAST offers its MaxJet Precision Carb Jets in 0.001-inch increments for fine tuning with all known race fuels. The jets are manufactured with narrow tolerances and without a slot (found on many competitor versions) that can create turbulence and affect fuel flow by as much as 50 percent. Available in sizes 0.050 to 0.120 inch for gasoline and 0.0121 to 0.0140 inch for alcohol, FAST MaxJet Precision Carb Jets are easily matched to Holley jets. fuelairspark.com 877.334.8355
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Shed the weight COMP Cams, Lightweight Titanium Retainers New titanium retainers from COMP Cams feature a significant reduction in total weight when compared to other retainer offerings, allowing for improved valve train performance. The Lightweight Titanium Retainers feature a high strength-to-weight ratio and are CNC-machined from 6AL-4V alloy to exacting tolerances using the latest CAD/ CAM software. The contour design both optimizes stress flow and reduces mass. Featuring a high-quality surface finish and laser-etched part number for easy identification, the new retainers consolidate options by replacing six of the brand’s top-selling retainers. They are available for most popular applications. compcams.com 800.999.0853
Sparking success ACCEL, SuperBox CD Ignition For a powerful, reliable ignition at an affordable price, ACCEL's SuperBox CD Ignition can't be beat. It puts out 43,000 volts for more horsepower and torque, better throttle response, increased mileage, and easier startups. Compatible with 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder applications, it maximizes spark energy —especially when used in conjunction with a powerful ACCEL coil. This multiple spark ignition system easily connects to almost any distributor and offers plug-and-play installation with available accessory harnesses. It even has a built-in rev limiter that's easily adjustable in 100 rpm increments. holley.com 866.464.6553
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Dusting the competition Quicksilver, Circle Track Engines Ready for another winning season, the 383 CT Quicksilver 7148M0113060 all-iron engine delivers 375 hp, 455 lb-ft of torque, and revs to 5800 rpm to leave the competition in the dust. Using a seasoned 5.7L block, Quicksilver inserts a proprietary 4340 stroker crankshaft into a fully-machined case using performance bearings, hypereutectic pistons, iron cylinder heads, and a full 1.6:1 roller rocker valvetrain. This engine uses 1.94-inch intake valves to keep the torque, durability, and affordability high. Flexible and functional, a 9.0:1 compression ratio allows the use of lower-cost 87 octane fuel, if desired. The 383 CT is fully sealed and delivered with an aluminum dual-plane intake manifold and 7 quart oil pan. It’s available globally from Mercury Marine dealers and through LNS Distribution in the United States and Canada to independent dealers. quicksilver-products.com 800.432.7652
Pump up the power Jones Racing Products, Oil Pump Pulleys Jones Racing Products manufactures a wide range of oil pump pulleys and components to maximize dry sump systems. Low-drag pulley configurations are available in varying ratios, along with hundreds of belts to work with any crank-tooil-pump center line. With today’s race engines reaching higher rpm, the use of radius-tooth pulleys helps ensure a smooth operating system, with lower drag placed on the pump’s shaft and bearings. Each oil pump drive system is tailored to each application. Focus on belt and pulley style and the correct belt length for any center line measurement — whether for a fixed pump location or adjustable — all while keeping the pump ratio correct to the engine rpm. To help with the ease of installation, Jones feature a full line of AN fittings, lightweight braided hoses, remote oil filter mounts, and even an oil pump primer, which is available in square-tooth or radius-tooth configurations. jonesracingproducts.com 610.847.2028 64 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
Affordable protection Driven Racing Oil, SR50 2-W-50 Oil changes are a frequent occurrence in dirt and sportsman bracket racing, to eliminate the build-up of debris or fuel dilution. With that in mind, Driven Racing Oil developed its latest product, SR50, to provide maximum performance at an economical price. SR50 20W-50 is a robust conventional motor oil utilizing a proprietary anti-wear and friction-reducing additive package to fight valve train wear and internal scuffing. Ideal for race engines requiring a 20W-50 weight motor oil, it provides consistent protection for flat tappet engines and prevents lifter skidding in aggressive roller cam valvetrains using both needle and bushing lifters. It is not recommended in engines with stamped steel rockers; instead, use Driven Racing Oil’s XP9 or XP6 for optimal durability. drivenracingoil.com 866-611-1820
Plug-and-play power MSD, Circle Track LS Ignition Designed for the increasingly popular LS engine in general and more specifically CT525 crate engines, the MSD Circle Track LS Ignition is compatible with factory connectors and plug directly into the cam sensor, crank sensor, and coils. A GM-supplied preset timing curve and rev-limiter are already pre-programmed into the ignition. For custom applications, just use your laptop and easy-to-use MSD View software to program your own timing curve and rev limiter. The easiest, most efficient way to control rpm, timing, and all eight coils, the MSD Circle Track LS Ignition is a true plug-in, race-ready component. It comes complete with a full wiring harness and detailed, easy-to-follow instructions. Just supply the unit with power and a ground, and you're on your way. msdperformance.com 888.258-3835
Making the show VP Racing Fuels, StayWet StayWet track conditioner enhances dirt’s ability to hold moisture longer, while allowing water to penetrate more deeply. It also enhances soil’s bonding properties, providing for greater compaction. This reduces dust, and in many cases eliminates it altogether, for a better racing experience. StayWet has raised the bar by adding an adhesion modifier to improve grip on the track surface from bottom to top. Many tracks have used this product to spray or mist the high side to the middle, with a goal of widening the racing surface. This practice has provided smooth surfaces and greater traction in these areas. The water-based material is non-toxic and non-hazardous to the environment, including ground water. vpracingfuels.com 210.510.8411
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OneDirt.com 65
DRIVEN FOR
SUCCESS Derek Hagar has found the sweet spot between work and play By Ben Shelton
I
n racing, there are drivers who achieve excellence behind the wheel. On the other side of the spectrum are their counterparts who enjoy success in the business side of the motorsports industry. Not very often do you see an individual who excels in both realms. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, and Derek Hagar is a perfect example. The 26-year-old from Marion, Arkansas, has progressed quickly in the Sprint Car ranks, and now he’s excelling even faster with his business, DHR Suspension. “Sometimes it all seems surreal that I’m so blessed to get to both race for a living and own a successful motorsports business,” Hagar says. However, anyone who knows Hagar’s personality and work ethic will quickly tell you he’s not the kind of person to give anything less than 110 percent. Scott Frazier “Derek took a whole year off from racing back in 2005 to work on my crew, and I quickly learned then that this kid could go far in the business,” remembers friend and fellow racer Marshall Skinner. “He just got it even back then. I mean, how many 15-year-old kids will park their race car for a year so that they can go learn? I’ll answer that one for you – not very many.” Hagar grew up like a lot of kids in the racing world, watching his stepdad, Kenny Conrad, race Sprint Cars. At about 10, he began racing Go Karts, and in 2004, he ran half a season in a 250cc Mini Sprint at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas. For the 2005 season though, he decided to take a step back from the driver’s seat. His goal wasn’t other hobbies or chasing girls. Rather, his focus was learning all he could about working on cars and being a good driver. “That year I spent working with Marshall [Skinner] taught me so much,” Hagar says. “We traveled all over the place, and I got to see different tracks, how he adjusted the car, and his driving style for each one. I know he probably got tired of having a kid constantly asking him questions, but he never complained. It really helped me get a fast start in racing.” The start of the 2006 season found Hagar making a huge leap. With a background in only Go Karts and Mini Sprints, his stepdad put him behind the wheel of a 360c.i. Sprint Car. “Nervous doesn’t even begin to describe the way I felt that night,” Hagar laughs. “We went to Malden Speedway in Missouri, and we practiced all afternoon. Then that night, they had a race, and I entered it. I drew the front row for my heat race, and I thought I would probably just start on the back, but Kenny [Conrad] looks at me and says ‘Nope, you are starting where you drew.’ I remember starting next to the legendary Mike Ward, and I just kept thinking to myself, ‘Don’t crash the field.’” Derek wouldn’t crash the field. In fact, he qualified for the feature via the B-Main and ran as high as the ninth position before ultimately spinning from contention. From that ambitious debut at Malden Speedway, Hagar hit the ground running. He quickly adapted to the new challenge that had been presented to him. Along with his stepdad and their team, Hagar competed at events throughout the Southeast. 66 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAZIER
OneDirt.com 67
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAZIER
In June 2007 – roughly a year after he started racing Sprint Cars – Hagar broke through with his first career win. He won at East Alabama Motor Speedway with the United Sprint Car Series (USCS) before parking it in Victory Lane again with the series one week later. “To get those first wins in my first year just gave me so much confidence,” Hagar reminisces. “From there, it seemed like they started coming a lot easier. I’m so thankful that I had Kenny [Conrad] there with me, because he helped me so much while I was trying to learn the ropes.” Ten years into his Sprint Car career, Hagar has already amassed almost 100 feature triumphs. His proudest accomplishments to date include winning the Jesse Hockett Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway in his family-owned #9jr Winged Sprint Car in 2014, as well as sweeping both nights of the Wingless Sprint Car portion of the event in 2015 in the Jack Hockett Racing #77 entry. He also picked up a career-best $11,500 payday for sweeping the Park City Cup/Air Capital Shootout with the National Sprint League (NSL) 360c.i. Sprints Cars in early 2016. While Hagar was enjoying great success behind the wheel on the weekends, he spent his weeks working at speed shops around the Memphis area. But by 2015, he was ready to head in a different direction with his professional life. That’s when DHR Suspension was born. “I have always wanted to do my own deal, and I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the shock business,” Hagar comments. “So in 2015, my grandpa gave me a business loan, and I jumped in with both feet.” Hagar bought a dyno and some other equipment as he set up DHR Suspension in his racecar shop. His next step was to reach out to a good friend. That’s when things really kicked into high gear. “Tyler Swank is one of the most respected crew chiefs in the Sprint Car business, and he and I have been good friends for a while,” Hagar notes. “In addition to being Joey Saldana’s crew chief, he handles shocks for a lot of teams. We had worked to68 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAZIER
gether on some shocks previously. Then in 2015, I told him what I was doing, and he immediately was very supportive. He’s just been huge in helping this deal grow, and I’m so very appreciative of his friendship and knowledge.” In just the first two years, Hagar has seen DHR Suspension grow at a breakneck pace. His client list now boasts close to 200 racers and teams. Hagar offers new shock sales, dyno services, rebuild services, and shock repair. He also recently added a new Accuforce Spring Smasher to his arsenal. “In the beginning, I was doing mostly Sprint Car shocks, but the company has grown to handle pretty much everything now,” Hagar says. “I now do work for Late Models, Modifieds, Stock Cars, Mini Sprints, Rock Crawlers, and even Razors. Really there is nothing that we can’t handle.” Hagar is a one-man show in the service department at DHR Suspension, as he does all of the work himself. His mom lends a helping hand by taking care of shipping, billing, and any paperwork. As a result, managing his time between his business and his racecar is the toughest part for Hagar. “If I’m gone racing for a weekend, it’s usually not too bad, but like this February when I was down at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa for a week, it made things kind of tough. My biggest thing is that I never want the customers to have to wait or suffer because of my racing. I’m very proud that hasn’t been an issue to date. There’s been a lot of sleepless nights on my end, but I make sure they get their stuff ASAP.” Another challenge Hagar has faced is sometimes convincing his customers they are getting the same shock service and setups he uses on his own car. “I’ve had situations where a racer will tell me he’s doing exactly what I’m doing and using my shocks, but his car isn’t working like mine,” Hagar states. “I can say with 110 percent honesty that I put the same work into every shock that comes through my shop as what I put on my own car. The big thing I remind drivers is that depending on your own driving style, you might need things tweaked a bit. I always do what I can to
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAZIER
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAZIER
help them find that sweet spot.” Not only has Hagar enjoyed success with his shock designs, but he’s seen his customers notch some big wins. “On the national scene, I’ve had success with guys like Donny Schatz and Kerry Madsen, and then on the local scene, I’ve had guys like Eddie Gallagher win over a dozen races last season. We’ve also seen Late Model, Modified, and Stock Car guys claim a lot of wins. It’s really cool to help people reach their goals.” While he loves taking care of all of his clients, Hagar is also realistic that if things continue to grow at this rapid pace, he will have to hire additional help in the coming years. When asked if he ever sees a time when he quits racing to focus on his business, he’s quick to respond.
PHOTO BY SCOTT FRAZIER
“I’ve honestly thought about it, and what I would do if it ever comes to that point,” he says. “However, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. I just need to keep plugging away with what I’ve got because it’s working on the track and in the business. This is a tough endeavor, but I’m proud to make it work so well.” Hagar also offers a final piece of advice to racers thinking about starting their own racing business. “I’ll be honest that it’s a tough deal to get going. You need to have a good customer base already built to make it work. You also need to have a reputable name in racing before you go full-time with your business. Last, but not least, if you want it to work, you’ve got to put your heart and soul into it and give 110 percent at all times. The rest will take care of itself.”
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Be Slick How the right oil can improve crate engine performance By Cindy Bullion
T
he crate engine. It invaded the dirt racing world promising affordability and fewer mid-week maintenance requirements, compared to a custom-built engine. But with those positives came somewhat of a leveling effect in terms of on-track performance, with driver error (or lack thereof ) often more at play than mechanics in finishing well. Squeezing out extra horsepower and torque to gain small advantages means smartly choosing components, such as a carburetor, distributor, alternator, and even lubrication. Selecting the improper engine oil for any application can not only lead to increased engine component wear and overheating, but also zap horsepower and torque output. Pick the right one though, and you could increase engine performance just enough to power around the leader and take the win. In inertia dyno testing conducted by Driven Racing Oil, a 602 crate engine picked up 5.3 hp and 6 lb-ft of torque when running Driven’s synthetic XP3 10W-30 versus the factory-recommended oil. Driven’s heavier synthetic XP9 10W-40 was also tested and resulted in gains of 3.3 hp and 3.8 lb-ft of torque. Certified Lubrication Specialist Lake Speed Jr. notes the testing method was designed to provide results as close to what you may find in a real racing situation. Instead of doing a long pull on the dyno, the operator pushed power close to the engine’s rev limiter then backed off quickly and, in close succession, accelerated again.
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
70 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1 1 70 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue
“We did it just like if you were driving on the track, on and off the throttle,” he says of the 25-lap simulation, adding that data from only the last five laps was used for comparison. “The horsepower and torque differences are more accurate due to the engine’s operating temperature being similar to the real world at that point. Also, the data is more significant because it is an average of five runs instead of a single run.” The recorded increase in performance can be attributed to several factors, including lower viscosity and chemistry. “You’re not compromising anything by changing viscosity, because it’s formulated as a race oil,” Speed says of selecting XP3 or XP9 instead of a factory-recommended 15W-50 from your local retail store. “Off-the-shelf passenger car oil chemistry is not ideal for race applications, so that’s why the factory recommends a higher viscosity to compensate.” An exception to the recommendation for decreasing viscosity is in the case of a rebuilt crate engine. Speed says a conversation with your engine builder would be needed since looser clearances typically mandate a higher viscosity. He elaborates that - contradictory to popular belief, a higher viscosity oil is not necessary to prevent lifter collapse at high rpm. While lifter collapse is possible when “banging off the rev limiter,” a lower viscosity oil allows lifters to more quickly recover on the track. A lower viscosity oil also promotes better cooling in crate
Crate engine dyno – Inertia dyno testing of a 602 crate engine showed an increase in performance and decrease in wear when using two lower viscosity synthetic oils from Driven Racing Oil than when using a factory-recommended conventional 15W-50 oil.
Figure 1
engines, which due to their wet sump, tend The improved cooling is due to a synthetto run hot. By more easily cycling through ic oil’s higher specific heat capacity, which the engine, a lower viscosity oil can better also allows for the oil to absorb more heat regulate engine temperature with no need from the parts it is protecting and cooling. for a cooler. It’s important to not overfill Another temperature-related benefit of synthe engine, however. thetic oil is greater oxidation stability, which “That kills horsepower and makes the means the oil is less likely to break down unengine run hotter,” Speed says. “It’s better der high temps — up to 320 degrees versus to be ½ quart low than that amount high, 240 degrees for conventional oil. especially if using a higher viscosity oil Speed cautions against choosing a racing because that compounds the issue. When oil simply because it is synthetic and lower filling, allow time for the oil to drain down viscosity than what the factory recommends. to the sump.” Be sure to consider an oil’s complete chemHe recommends adding six quarts, istry. then moving on to something else for 30 "By utilizing high viscosity index base oils Driven’s XP9 and XP3 feature minutes. Continue to add ½ quart at a time, and the proper level of ZDDP, a properly forsynthetic mPAO (metallocene with a drain interval in between, until the mulated 10W-30 can reduce wear compared polyalphaolefin) as a base oil, which proper oil level is reached. to a 15W-50," he says. has twice the viscosity index rating Regarding oil chemistry for crate enScientists use a viscosity index to rate the of conventional oil and allows for a lighter weight, but with the same gines, a high operating temperature and quality of different base oils, with convenprotection. That equates to better shorter drain intervals in dirt racing lessen tional crude oil rating at 100 compared to cooling in crate engines that tend to the need for a high level of detergents in the synthetic mPAO (metallocene polyalphaolerun at higher operating temps due to oil. fin) at 200 — that’s two times higher. Thus, their wet sump design. “Detergents clean away dirt and deformulations containing mPAO allow for a posits from oxidized oil and fuel,” he says. lightweight oil with the same protection as a “Synthetic oils are more stable, so you don't need a high level higher viscosity conventional oil. Driven’s XP9 10W-40 with of detergents to keep the engine clean. And the engine is runmPAO as a base delivers the same sheared bearing oil thickness ning hot enough to not worry about sludge.” as a conventional 20W-50, for example. However, it is recommended to change the oil filter on a In Driven’s recent 602 crate engine inertia testing, the prescrate engine after every race and add fresh oil, preferably synence of wear metal iron was cut in half (from 4ppm to 2 ppm) thetic. with XP9 compared to the factory-recommended 15W-50 “Crate engines are very underpowered for what the chassis conventional oil. The amount of iron was further reduced to is, and that results in a lot of open throttle time,” Speed says. 1 ppm (a 75-percent decrease) when synthetic XP3 10W-30 “You need an oil to handle the hard throttle. Synthetic is betwas used. Refer to Fig. 1 for additional testing data, including ter than conventional or semi-synthetic because it is better at ZDDP formulation comparisons. Source: Driven Racing Oil, drivenracingoil.com cooling.” OneDirt.com 71
W RL OUT OF THIS
By Ben Shelton
I
n 2016, OneDirt inked a multi-year deal with the World Racing Group to become the title sponsor for a new mega-event. This new race would pay homage to the weekend warriors of dirt track racing. The men and women who are the backbone of our sport would take center stage for three days at one of dirt racing’s premier facilities. Dubbed the OneDirt World Short Track Championships (WSTC), the inaugural event was scheduled for October 20-22, 2016 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, North Carolina. While the racing world began to instantly buzz as soon as the event was announced, no one truly knew what to expect from the first year. All of these questions were quickly answered when the pit gate swung open on the first day. More than 300 competitors in nine divisions jam packed the pit area at the state-of-the-art facility. From Mini Stocks Buck Stevens won Saturday night's Pro Modified feature.
to Modifieds, Late Models to Sprint Cars, and all points in between, drivers from across the country flocked to the 4/10mile oval. The three-day affair played host to great racing, great times, and non-stop camaraderie. When the final checkered flags dropped, champions in all nine divisions received cash prizes, as well as customized event helmets from RaceQuip. A great time was had by all, and most importantly, grass roots racing gained a much-needed signature event. Planning is already well underway for the 2017 edition of the OneDirt WSTC, which will be held October 26-28. More racers, more fans, and more good times will all be a part of the festivities. In the meantime, enjoy these images from the inaugural event. Ronnie Davis in Victory Lane in the Sportsman Modified class.
Corey Gordon won the Pro Late Model feature.
72 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
LD Mitchell Duvall enjoying Victory Lane in the Crate Sportsman ranks.
Sladen Parson in Victory Lane in Friday's Pro Modified class.
Danny Gagne won the Northeast Sportsman Modified All-Star race.
Dylan Brown picked up a Pro Late Model win.
Evan Taylor won the UMP Modified All Star Invitational.
Austin Mintz posing in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Mini Stock feature.
OneDirt.com 73
Kevin Atkins wired the field in the Pro Sprint feature.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
Andrew Smith topped Saturday's Hornet finale.
Kyle Strickler won the UMP Modified finale.
Washington's Trey Starks was the top performer in the USCS Sprint Cars.
PHOTO BY GLEN STAREK
74 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
Eric Boozel was victorious in the FWD Hornet feature on Friday.
PHOTO BY GLEN STAREK
PHOTO BY GLEN STAREK
PHOTO BY GLEN STAREK
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
PHOTO BY GLEN STAREK
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
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OneDirt.com 75
TECH
MADE SIMPLE The mysterious J-Bar explained By Billy Moyer Jr.
I
n this article, we are going to talk about the J-Bar on a race car. It is sometimes called the pan-hard bar and is located on the rear of the race car. It connects to the left side of the frame and goes across in the shape of a “J,” which is what gives the part its name. The other side of the J-Bar connects to the differential housing, adjacent to the drive shaft (pinion side). We have different options when it comes to a pan-hard bar, such as the straight bar, bud bar (also known as the Rayburn
76 OneDirt.com 76 OneDirt.com // Vol. Vol. 4, 4, Issue Issue 11
bar), and the most popular J-Bar. We use the J-Bar to keep the rear end of the car in the desired position. The placement of the J-bar controls several settings on the rear of the car. With it, we are able to set the side-to-side measurement, which allows us to define the placement of the rear end from one side or the other. The placement of the rear end directly affects how and where your shocks and four-bar rods are attached. As you can already see, the J-Bar can have a major impact on how well or how poorly the car handles. The J-Bar can vary in length from roughly 18 to 22 inches from center to center. We have numerous adjustments on our race car, and moving the J-Bar left to right can really change the handling characteristics. Moving the J-Bar to the left side of the car tends to make the car tighter, which creates more traction. Conversely, if you pushed the bar to the right, it would result in a freer or looser handling car. A longer – 22-inch – bar tends to stick the car harder in the corners. You have to be careful because this can also create a “push” in certain conditions. A shorter J-Bar makes the car react a little quicker, but tends to make the car looser. I usually run a long BSB Manufacturing J-Bar on my Billy Moyer Victory Chassis. I like the feel of the car sticking harder on entry and try to adjust the car elsewhere if I am stuck too hard, or if the car is too tight. You can adjust the J-Bar with the measurement on the frame side or the pinion side. However, it’s just as important to be consistent on how you are documenting it. Otherwise your notes might not always match, and you could be in for a big surprise the next time you hit the track. The higher the measurement from the frame side, the harder the car sticks and the tighter it is in the corners. The lower the measurement, the easier the car turns with less stick. You can lower the J-Bar on the pinion side in order to tighten the car on corner exit, which gives the car more traction.
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
Too tight If I am at a track like Tri City Speedway (Pontoon Beach, Illinois) — which is known for being a “tight in” type of racetrack — I would take a look at my J-Bar placement on the frame if I was too tight getting in the corner. I would lower the J-Bar on the frame with hopes of it making my corner entry freer, which would allow me to carry more speed into the corner. Too loose If I am at a track like Belle-Clair Speedway (Belleville, Illinois) — which is known for being a “looser” type of race track — I would think about dropping my J-Bar on the pinion. It is a very low-speed track, and you need all the scotch you can get. If I drop it on the pinion, it would tend to give me more scotch and allow more traction since I am stuck harder in the center of the corner and on exit. A standard setting on the frame-side for most J-Bars would be eight to nine inches from the bottom of the frame to the
center of the J-Bar heim. The standard differential-side setting on the J-bar would be the center of the pinion. Hopefully, this article gives you some insight on exactly what a J-Bar is and its function on a race car. Dirt Late Model veteran Billy Moyer Jr. has a regular column at OneDirt. com, where he explains different racecar setup and tuning aspects. OneDirt.com 77
CREATE YOUR FATE Hard work and a positive attitude lead to success By Ben Shelton
I
sat there nervously staring at my lunch as I wondered if I was making the right decision. No, I wasn’t worried I had made a bad decision by going with the pulled pork instead of the ribs. Rather, I was concerned if I had made a bad decision in my professional life. Two weeks prior, I had turned in my resignation notice at the engineering company where I had worked for more than 10 years. There were good times, and there were bad times along the way. This is the case in any job. My family and pretty much everyone – except for my awesome wife – thought I was making a mistake by giving up a good-paying and stable job to chase what might be a pipedream. However, I knew I wanted more out of life. I knew I wanted to pursue my dreams. I wanted to find a way to make a living in racing. My zombie-like stare into my plate during my “farewell lunch” was interrupted by one of the owners of the company. “So, now tell me again what exactly you are going to be doing?” he said. Despite my limitless jitters, I felt like my instant reply was strong and true. “I’m going to work full-time in the racing industry. I’m going to build and maintain websites. I hope to expand my announcing resume too.” Not finished there, I added one final note. “Maybe, one day you’ll even see me on TV as an on-air personality,” I proclaimed. What happened next eternally ignited the fire and drive inside of me. Without even looking up at me from his own lunch, he simply laughed under his breath and muttered the words, “Yeah, sure, OK.” The date was March 10, 2010, and the time was 12:17 p.m. CST. 78 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
I know these details because I instantly looked down at my watch and burnt the facts into my memory. I didn’t know how long it would take, but from that moment in time, I was determined to one day prove him wrong. Fast forward to Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 1 p.m. CST, and I made my television debut on CBS Sports. It took almost seven years to prove him wrong, but by God, I did it. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a rough and rocky road to get to where I wanted to be. More than once I wanted to give up, but those negative words that were dropped on me back in March 2010 kept me digging. Maybe they were just innocent words from him – with no real harm intended. However, for me, it was all I needed to confirm a passion to pursue my dreams. Along the way, he’s not the only naysayer I’ve encountered. Let’s face facts; there are people who only get enjoyment out of failure by others. I don’t care if you work in racing – like me – or any other job on the planet. Odds are pretty good somebody is rooting against you. In the racing world, I see it every day on social media and internet forums. People who are miserable in their own existence get their jollies by bashing and putting down other people who are trying to make a difference. Whether it be announcers, officials, racers, tracks, series, companies, and even fans, the haters seem to love to line up and root for your demise.
I still encounter them in my life on a regular basis. I’ll be honest – it used to really get to me. It would bother me that people would bash me or say I was doing a poor job. I spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out how to impress everyone. I wanted to find a way to get everyone on board with what I was trying to do. Then, about a year ago, I literally woke up one day and thought to myself, “No matter what you do, you aren’t going to appease some people.” With that realization, I again just put my head down and worked diligently on reaching my goals. However, this time, my motivation was a little different. I wasn’t doing it to gain their approval. I was doing it to gain my own. At the end of the day, being at peace with what you do is really all that matters. Deep down inside, you are the only one who knows whether or not you are giving something your all. Everyone else’s opinions of you are just trivial. I also began to do my best to filter the negativity out of my life. Life’s way too short to be miserable all the time. That’s a reality. As a result, I cleansed my social media lists of those who only seem to exist to drag others down. It sounds like a simple solution, but I can’t begin to describe how much happier things are when you aren’t reading non-stop negativity. I know we all have bad days, and we need to vent. However, if every day and every thought is filled with negativity, how can you ever expect to achieve
happiness? I don’t expect those folks to change their ways. That’s their right to say and express what they want. Similarly, it’s also my right to not want to be exposed to it. There’s no hard feelings there. I’m just trying to find the healthiest ways to live my own life. From my experiences, I also developed a principle that I now try to live by daily. I decided that haters can only win if you allow them to win. No matter how much hate, disdain, or ill intent they project in your direction, they can’t beat you if you don’t let them. Try as they might, if you stand strong and keep driving forward, they can’t possibly stop you. Speaking from experience, there is no greater satisfaction than achieving a goal that someone else has told you is impossible. So, with all of these thoughts, I share this article here today. No matter what type of work you do, odds are pretty good you deal with someone doing their best to hold you back. Sadly, this is part of life in our society today. Those who would never dream of taking a risk in their own life are ironically the first ones to cast a stone at someone who actually takes a chance. Sometimes it’s incredibly hard to turn the other cheek and ignore them. However, if you want something bad enough, you cannot be stopped. I wish you all nothing but the best as you work diligently to prove naysayers wrong in the pursuit of your dreams. OneDirt.com 79
Sights of Speedweeks T
he 2017 edition of Speedweeks was definitely one for the record books. During the almost one-month slate of events in Georgia and Florida, we truly saw a little bit of everything. From increased crowds, to increased car counts, to great racing, there were so many amazing memories made. On the flip side, there were wild wrecks, unprecedented rainouts, and even a fog-out – which came at Volusia Speedway Park. However, when the final dust settled on the early-season southern pilgrimage, the positives definitely far outweighed the negatives. Once again, Speedweeks reminded us all that year after year, it continues to be an absolute must-see for any racing fanatic. Now let’s take a visual tour through some of the sights and scenes from Speedweeks 2017.
PHOTO BY FRANK SMITH
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
PHOTO BY CHRIS SEELMAN
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PHOTO BY SPEEDWAY-SHOTS
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
PHOTO BY CHRIS SEELMAN
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
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PHOTO BY JUSTIN FIEDLER
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
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PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
PHOTO BY PAUL ARCH
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PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
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PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
PHOTO BY CHRIS SEELMAN
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
PHOTO BY JIM DENHAMER
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Lunati releases line of former custom grind camshafts By Cindy Bullion
Lunati’s new LLH and LHS camshafts were once private custom grinds run by winning dirt racers.
L
unati, long referred to as the racer’s company, has gone public. No, we’re not talking in terms of trading and the stock market. Rather, it has turned once private-labeled camshafts into numbered, off-the-shelf parts for dirt racers. “Our new Oval Track LLH and LHS camshafts evolved from years of race-winning custom grinds,” Lunati’s Kirk Peters says. “Since those racers have moved on and retired, or up to other classes, and no longer are using them, the cams are no longer proprietary. Lunati has issued them part numbers.” For current racers, that means access to track-proven camshafts, dialed in by racers and engineers, for a variety of smallblock Chevrolet dirt racing engines and tracks. Available as either flat tappet (LHS) or solid roller (LLH), the newly numbered camshafts with custom ramp designs make the power and torque of other very aggressive profiles with similar specs, but with less impact on valve springs. “The ramps are designed for quicker acceleration and deceleration, more torque, and smoother transitions,” Peters says.
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He explains dirt racing engines undergo abrupt drops in rpm as the driver enters a corner and then high revving upon exit, creating intense valvetrain motion that can lead to valves slamming and bouncing on the valve seat. So, Lunati engineers designed these cams with lobes that provide for more controlled valve motion. LHS cam part number 30120903, for example, is designed for 350c.i. restricted engines with a four-barrel carb and higher compression on larger tracks with higher rpm corners. Its description highlights it as a “great solid lifter cam for less restricted engines.” A reduction in harmful harmonics in the engine also leads to more power production throughout the entire rpm range and less breakage. “They are as close as possible, engineering wise, to the max ramps and lift without crossing the line of negative harmonics,” Peters says, referring to the camshafts’ ability to maximize area under the curve.
In hobby stock or entry-level classes, where there are restrictions to limit speed and costs but keep the competition level high, he says one of Lunati’s three LHS solid flat tappet cams would be ideal. They are available for both two- and four-barrel carbureted Chevrolet engines from 327c.i. to more than 350c.i. Picking the right one should be easy, as other racers have already put the different lift, duration, and lsa combinations to the test. Lunati has it all spelled out. The same applies for the LLH solid roller camshafts, which are available in standard or .900-inch base circle for 355c.i to more than 415c.i. small-block Chevrolet engines. “The solid rollers are designed for short track, IMCA, or small-motor Late Model and Modifieds, as well as for higher rpm racetracks consistently running over 7,800 rpm,” Peters says, noting the small base circle part numbers are on the opposite end of the spectrum from the LHS flat tappet options — for big engines and those in open classes. For example, the description for LLH cam part number
40121113 reads: “Great torque off the corners for larger engines on tacky tracks, while still providing excellent high end power and control.” If you’re thinking that kind of sounds like something an engine builder or racer would write in his log, remember this cam was once a custom grind held in trust for one racer. Its specs and description have just been pulled from the vault. “Racing is easy, but winning is hard,” Peters says. “So, for the racer who’s not sure what camshaft to use, Lunati, with the help of some of the top racers and our own engineers, have made the choices easy. We also have the option to tweak our camshafts for the more advanced engine builders, when needed.” Spanning rpm ranges from 2,500-6,200 to 4,000-8,200, Lunati’s latest LHS and LLH cams do well to cover the needs of most any dirt racer. While custom grinds are available, there’s likely no need to tailor your own camshaft. Lunati and previous racers have already done that for you. Source: Lunati LLC, lunatipower.com
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RAW TALENT This Phenom appears to be on the fast track By Brady Alberson
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or most guys – myself included – being 12 years old was one of the most awkward and confusing times of my life. You’re not quite a boy anymore, but you’re definitely not a man yet. You’re in the thick of navigating the treacherous waters of middle school and, even worse, girls. For Andrew Scheid, a Lightning Sprint Car racer who captured 10 feature wins during the 2016 season and was crowned as the youngest track champion in the history of Michigan’s Merritt Speedway, being 12 hasn’t been so bad. Young Andrew reminisced fondly on his recent championship weekend, stating, “We had to dig ourselves out of a hole from earlier in the season and ended up winning the race and the championship on the final night. It was such an adrenaline rush!” He may have won the track championship in his first full season of competition in a Lightning Sprint Car, but winning certainly isn’t anything new for Andrew Scheid. Andrew, who has been described by his peers as a “racing phenomenon,” began his racing career at age 5 in the competitive BMX world. He raced and trained hard – even to the point of being ranked third in the nation in his age class. He enjoyed a brief stint in Motocross before eventually landing in Karts at the age of 9.
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“We pretty much won everything in Karts,” Andrew’s father, Jason Scheid, proudly recollects. At 11, Andrew was ready for his next challenge. In July 2015, he hopped out of Karts and strapped into a used 1000cc Lightning Sprint to race at Merritt Speedway in Merritt, Michigan, and other nearby tracks. The team planned on just running five races in 2015 to help Andrew get a feel for the car to be ready for the 2016 season. However, they were shocked when Andrew ended up in victory lane in just his fourth start, and then again the following week. With confidence and anticipation high, Scheid Racing continued their winning ways in 2016. Andrew finished off his record-breaking season with 10 heat race wins, one Dash for Cash win, and 10 feature wins in just 18 starts at four different tracks. During his impressive debut in Lightning Sprints, he became not only the youngest race winner, but also the youngest champion in Merritt Speedway’s 47-year history. According to Jason, young Andrew has been wired to win since the beginning. “He just rises to the occasion,” Jason states.
Reminiscing on Andrew’s incredible performance at the BMX Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Jason notes, “He was third out of 79 kids in his class. His first time there, he just rose to the occasion against all these kids who were, in all honesty, probably better than him at the time. He just found a way.” “That’s what it takes in racing,” Jason adds. “When you don’t have the best car
or best tires or motor, but you still find a way to win. When we first threw him in a Kart, he just won right off the bat. We’d go to a track he had never seen before, and I would give him the best setup I could, and he would just win. He always finds ways to get to the front.” For Andrew, the switch from Karts to Lightning Sprints took some adjusting. “In a Kart, you’re really just smooth OneDirt.com 87
and steady, there’s little movement and corrections,” he says. “In the Sprint Car, you’re just cranking on the wheel and using both pedals all of the time. The feel of getting it sideways all the way around the corner and just the speed difference; it was kind of hard at first, but I got the hang of it with the help of my dad and other people’s coaching.” Most young racers these days, especially talented ones, descend from a line of racers before them. You’ve seen them – names like Pierce, Moyer, Swindell, Haudenschild, McCreadie, and the list goes on. The story of Scheid Racing is unique because, well, they’re relatively new to the game. Jason Scheid grew up watching racing, but the only real experience he had in the sport before jumping in with Andrew was racing a Front Wheel Drive car at Berlin Raceway for three years. “Hands on, I have zero experience beyond the little racing I did and what we’ve done as Andrew has progressed,” he explains. “The first time I saw a Go Kart was basically when we bought one for Andrew to race. We’re both completely learning as we go.” Fans and fellow racers aren’t the only ones who have been impressed by Andrew. Kevin Striegle, general manager of Merritt Speedway, has been in the racing business for many years and knows talent when he sees it. 88 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
“It’s cool to admire the natural skill and ability of a racer – whoever it may be,” Kevin says. “Whether it’s a Late Model driver, Modified driver, or in this case, Andrew, you just see it and you know it’s raw skill and ability. Even if the car isn’t dialed in perfect, Andrew still manages the race. He always seems in control of what’s going on around him and never overdrives the car.” Kevin also mentions Andrew is equally as impressive and well-mannered off the track as he is on. “Andrew also plays football and is an honor roll student,” he adds. “To this point in his young career, he has worked for and earned every bit of success that he has gotten and always tries to promote a better atmosphere at the track.” If you ask Andrew what his goal is in racing, he won’t hesitate for a second to answer. “Definitely NASCAR, that’s my ultimate goal,” the ambitious pre-teen blurts out. “I just want to progress through the sport and get there somehow.” Jason shares his son’s enthusiasm, but is still processing the last season and figuring out the best path to take. “The results our team achieved in 2016 were such a shock to be honest, so we’re still fine-tuning our exact plans for 2017 and beyond. “We initially planned to move up a class, but local Boyne Machine Company stepped up to the plate to sponsor
our team, which allowed us to advance faster than expected,” Jason continues. “With their support, Andrew will now be making at least 16 starts in a Winged Sprint Car in 2017. We will chase Rookie of the Year honors with Sprints on Dirt, and will even make our first start with the Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars.” When not piloting the Winged Sprint Car, Andrew will also compete in Lightning Sprint Car events, as well as Karting events. Jason states, “We know we want to stick with dirt for the next couple of years, then beyond that, I don’t really know. Boyne Machine Company does a lot of pavement stuff. Ross Kenseth was the last driver for Boyne Machine, so that’s huge for the future.” The general plan is for Andrew to follow a natural progression up through the ranks. Although that is a task easier said than done, Jason believes Andrew already has a leg up on the competition. “The cool part is how good Andrew’s skill and maturity are developed already,” he says. “I honestly believe that this will continue to grow this coming year, which will allow him to keep progressing as he continues to truly learn and fine-tune his craft of racing.” In a sport that is so extremely competitive to make it as a professional, Scheid Racing believes time is on Andrew’s side.
“He’s 12, so we’ll continue racing short tracks for a little while and progress,” Jason says. “If you look at someone like Chase Elliot, he started young and was able to race pavement Super Late Models for a very long time and become
successful. So, even though Andrew seems to be fantastic already, there’s always more to learn and fine tune.” If there’s one thing every racer can agree on, it’s this: racing is expensive. The cost is a necessary evil, one that
we’ve all had to learn to accept – if we choose to continue racing, that is. There is likely no more of an expensive prospect in racing than the plan to progress through the ranks. Scheid Racing has a tall task ahead of them to put Andrew in a position to succeed. Although Andrew has garnered an impressive level of interest for his age, progressing through the ranks will undoubtedly take a combination of increased sponsor and fan support. “It takes so much support to race, and I definitely want to thank my sponsors, which include Boyne Machine Company, Kingdom Fire Protection, Straight Drive Fasteners, AJ’s Family Fun Center, and PPG,” Andrew notes. Reaching the top level in any type of competition is no easy task, but there is a common theme among the select athletes who do make it. In his short, but successful racing career, Andrew has displayed the raw talent, dedication, and will to win that is required to succeed. Toss in his genuinely likeable personality, and this young man is truly exceptional. Keep an eye out for Andrew Scheid in the coming years as he chases his dreams of greatness.
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FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
RACING Bringing familiarity back to the grandstands By Flynn Azure Photos by Zack Kloosterman
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or decades in auto racing, many fans came to the sport because of their automobile brand loyalty. In other words, they drove a Chevy during the week, and in turn rooted for those same Chevys on Saturday night at the racetrack. It seems much of that brand loyalty has come to be lost in recent years with the advent of custom-built cars and chassis for dirt racing. However, as of late, there has been somewhat of a resurgence of that mentality. This rebirth comes from the growing popularity of Front Wheel Drive racing. Known by many different names –
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including Compacts, Renegade 4, Super 4, Hornets, FWD, and U-Cars – this relatively new division of racing features the same cars being driven on the streets finding their way to the racetrack on race nights. As racing has evolved and become more technology-based, most of the race cars went from a car built in the backyard to one built by a custom builder or speed shop. But, with the proliferation of Front Wheel Drive classes at racetracks across the country, the backyard build is once again becoming popular. Dirt racing promoter Kelley Carlton has embraced the class and is helping to
promote events all across the Southeast that feature the Front Wheel Drive division as the headliner. “Redd Griffin at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Georgia, got us involved in it,” Carlton says. “This idea really was his in our region. He was doing this big money show and attracting 70 or 80 cars from all over the country. It got big quick, and he asked us to come in and help out running the shows.” The division has grown at weekly tracks throughout all regions of the country, as well. In the area around his home base of Cincinnati, Ohio, racing enthusiast and videographer Jody
Kelley Carlton (left) chats with Casey Shane. Shannon has bolstered the Sport Compact division through his Dirt Racing Connection and Southern Ohio Sport Compacts Series. Shannon and his DRC co-founders, Matt Merrill and Wade Logan, began their promotion of the division by creating and sponsoring the King of the Compacts in 2010 at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio. “We saw the need for the economical class to grow,” Shannon notes. “It seemed like the classes that were supposed to be for the budget racer kept costing more and more. Then, we start-
ed paying more attention to these Compact guys. They were killing it every week. We kept telling our friends to stay until the end of the night because the Compact guys were really putting on a legit show. The racing was close and it had storylines. Every week, more and more people stayed and saw what we were talking about. “And that is how the King of Compacts (KoC) was born. The first one paid $300 to win. This year, it was $1,500 to win and $100 to start. The division, and the KoC in particular, continues to grow every year.”
Though the rules vary somewhat from region to region, the fact remains people in the grandstands can recognize the cars as Hondas, Nissans, and Saturns. And, yes, there are plenty of Chevys, Fords, and Dodges competing in the class, as well. “I believe this class reaches a lot of young people in the stands,” Screven Motor Speedway owner and promoter James “Redd” Griffin says. “These kids today know all about the tuner type cars that run in this class. They see them in a movie like Fast and the Furious, and that is the types of cars that guys are building into the hot rods of today’s times.” Carlton believes the cars can stay evenly matched with a few basic rules. “We try to keep the rules simple so that they are easy to tech and understand,” he says. “These guys are racing on DOT street tires, and we allow very few modifications to the cars. The engines are stock appearing and require the original exhaust manifold or header, along with the stock air breather box or a filter connected directly to the throttle body. The concept is that they can work on the engines internally but there is only so much you can do with the amount of air flow and the amount of grip the street tires can provide.” Carlton and his KELCAR Motorsports team began working Screven’s Georgia State Outlaw Championship event in 2011, when the race paid an unheard of $6,000-to-win. The event OneDirt.com 91
paid a whopping $12,000 to win in February 2017. “The race at Screven increases an additional $1,000 to win each year, and it has steadily drawn about 80 cars on average. In 2016, there were 96 entries, and we started 44 of them.” The success of the event led Carlton to connect with other promoters, like Scott Childress of Travelers Rest Speedway in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, who wanted to host similar events. With interest on the rise, Carlton created the Sport Compact Dirt Racing Association (SCDRA) for the 2016 racing season. “These events are really all about great drivers and teams,” Carlton says. “A lot of those drivers we were seeing at all these money shows encouraged us to put together a tour or championship type deal. So, we were able to book a few shows and get some sponsors, and now we have a pretty neat program for those guys.” The SCDRA will feature as many as six events paying at least $5,000 to win each season. The popularity of Front Wheel Drive racing is more evident than ever. Just recently, the World Racing Group announced Sport Compacts (Hornets) as one of the divisions that would be participating in the inaugural OneDirt World Short Track Championships at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Front Wheel Drive world was 92 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
immediately abuzz on social media anticipating what rules package would be used as they eagerly began to prepare for the event. The higher-paying Front Wheel Drive events are certainly marquis-type events. However, there has never been a bigger or more talked about stage than that of the Dirt Track at Charlotte. The event, which was held in late October, featured good purses and an unmatched level of prestige.
Oh, and by the way, the racing was pretty awesome all weekend too. It offered a big stage on which to showcase how good Front Wheel Drive racing can be. And those are the things all these guys are seeking. So, if you are looking for a fun and economical way to enjoy racing, you may just want to consider the Front Wheel Drive class. It’s gaining popularity at a rapid pace, and is putting more people back in the driver’s seat.
4-LAP DASH Bryan Hulbert ANNOUNCER, LUCAS OIL AMERICAN SPRINT CAR SERIES
Bryan Hulbert is the series announcer for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). We recently cornered him to take a 4-lap dash with us.
PHOTO BY HIGHFLY-NPHOTOS.COM
1
How did you get started in announcing? Did you ever dream you would make a living doing it?
2
What’s your favorite track(s) and why?
3
What’s the craziest thing you have ever seen happen at a race track?
That’s a long story. My parents made it clear when I was a kid that I could be involved in racing in any aspect possible, as long as it wasn’t behind the wheel. They had a very good reason, but that’s for another day. So, I found a way to work in racing as an announcer. I began working as a pit reporter in 2007 at Southern New Mexico Speedway and El Paso Speedway Park. I started traveling part time in 2011 with the Lucas Oil ASCS and was hired full time in November of that year. As far as doing this for a living, I dreamed of being able to travel and announce, but I never thought it would really happen. I always assumed I would just work at the family business with my brothers. I have several, but here’s a few of them. Knoxville Raceway is on that list because, let’s face it, we’re talking about Knoxville Raceway. That’s kind of like Tulsa Expo Raceway for the Shootout and the Chili Bowl. Don’t ask, just go. Lucas Oil Speedway truly lives up to the moniker “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks.” The atmosphere, facility, the staff, just everything about that track makes you feel welcomed. Devil’s Bowl Speedway has such a feeling to it. When you walk in, it’s like Knoxville in that you can feel the history that surrounds the place. That and the burritos at the concession stand are fantastic. Riverside International Speedway, aside from the history of the facility, is home to some of the best slide jobs I’ve ever seen.
This actually happened the first year I was an announcer, and even made it to a caught-on-camera show. Final race of the regular season in Las Cruces, during the Southern New Mexico State Fair. The X-Mods had a guest driver. We just didn’t know it until the race was almost over. I can’t recall who was supposed to be in the car, but it wasn’t him. It was Curt Barnett, who was the car owner. Curt ends up winning the race, but not before really getting under the skin of Dusty Riggs, who lets Curt know about it – poking the bear even more, so to speak. Curt gets behind Dusty and starts pushing him around the track. This ends with Curt parking on the front stretch with Dusty in pursuit. It took four grown men to keep him at bay and by this time, Curt is on top of the car, crowd is going nuts, and there is a line of crew members walking his way. Among those is Bumper Jones, who walks up and lets Curt know how he feels. I won’t describe what Curt’s gesture towards Jones was, but it ended with Bumper running up the front of the car and tackling Curt off the back of the car. They get everyone untangled, start clearing the track, and Curt climbs back on top of the car to the roar of the crowd.
4
What’s your best piece of advice to an up-andcoming announcer?
Never rest, be humble, and don’t forget this is supposed to be fun. Don’t just walk into the booth expecting the information to be given to you. If you want information on the teams that are racing, you need to get to the track early, ask questions, take notes, visit with the teams, and talk with the promoter about their facility. Bonus tip: If you find yourself around people who don’t like tacos, get away from them as quickly as possible. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.
PHOT BY JBRACINGFILM
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IN HIS OWN WORDS Donny Schatz DRIVER During the past decade, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz has become a dominant force in the Sprint Car ranks. With accolades that include eight World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car championships and nine Knoxville Nationals Sprint Car titles, Schatz has composed quite a prolific resume. Never one to sit on his laurels, Schatz has begun testing the waters in the Dirt Late Model ranks during the past few years. While the learning curve has been steep, he’s already enjoyed success in the new division.
PHOTO BY FRANK SMITH
ON HIS FIRST TIME DRIVING A DIRT LATE MODEL
It was one of those things that was very new to me, very different, and I didn’t like the feel of it at first. ON DECIDING TO PURCHASE A DIRT LATE MODEL OPERATION
There seemed to be a lot more of that type of racing around home that I could go do during the middle of the week, when I wasn’t racing Sprint Cars.
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
ON THE DIFFERENT DRIVING STYLES BETWEEN A SPRINT CAR AND A DIRT LATE MODEL
The wing plays a big part in Sprint Car racing as to making everyone a little more equal. It’s definitely an eye-opener when you get into Late Model racing. You get in that car and you don’t have that wing. You don’t have all that aero, you don’t have all that feel like you do in Sprint Car racing. You just have to figure it out and keep doing different things, whether you back your entry up or drive this way or that way. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SETUP
In the Late Models, you heavily rely on the car setup, and the car setup there seems to be a lot more technical than in Sprint Car racing. The tricks are probably a little more few and far between in Sprint Cars. ON LEARNING THE ROPES OF A DIRT LATE MODEL
It was kind of like getting kicked off a horse; when you get kicked off a horse, you keep getting back on that thing until you get it tamed. And in doing that, I kind of fell in love with the Late Models, and I got to know a lot of those guys really well. ON APPLYING TECHNIQUES ACROSS DIVISIONS
It really opens your mind to new ideas and new ways of doing things when you come back and race Sprint Cars. It’s kind of like coming home from work one day and all of the sudden your tool box all has 30 more drawers in it. ON CONTINUED LEARNING IN A DIRT LATE MODEL
I enjoy doing it. Like I said, it is a challenge, and it’s something new. It kind of opens your eyes to new things, and I think that’s what a guy needs from time to time.
PHOTO BY HEATH LAWSON
94 OneDirt.com / Vol. 4, Issue 1
PHOTO BY JOSH JAMES
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Parting SHOTS WHEN THE CHECKERED FLAG DROPS, IT IS NOT THE END. IT IS SIMPLY THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT RACE. PHOTO BY TODD BOYD
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96 OneDirt.com 96 OneDirt.com // Vol. Vol. 4, 4, Issue Issue 11
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Proper Belt Size Provided, no tensioner is required, increasing efficiency & reliability
Dual-dowel front design allows pulleys to be added for race or dyno
2001-CS-WC Add-on Tandem Pump Kit
1020-PS Add-on Power Steering Kit
Positive-Engagement Radius Tooth Belt Drive w. Billet Aluminum Pulleys
1/2" Thick Billet Alum. Bracket Supplied with Proper Length Billet Spacers & Hardware
Mini One-Wire Alternator 75 Amp High-Ouput 6 Lb. Lightweight Design
WP-9104-17-H3
602/604 CRATE
Large billet crankshaft nut. Independent balancer bolt for strength & weight savings
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Torque Torque
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225 3800 3800 RPM
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357 CT 357 Engine CT Engine 8M0113057 8M0113057
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383 CT 383 Engine CT Engine 8M0113060 8M0113060
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2800 2800
357 CT 357 Engine CT Engine 8M0113057 8M0113057
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383 CT 383 Engine CT Engine 8M0113060 8M0113060
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Power (HP)
350
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Torque (ft-lbs)
407
455
Redline-RPM
5500
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Minimum Octane
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Rated Octane
91
91
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