Every form of racing and each individual track have their own unique challenges. Some tracks, however, have specific challenges that are well known.
Every form of racing and each individual track have their own unique challenges. Some tracks, however, have specific challenges that are well known and difficult to master.
Typically, the most successful drivers, especially at a particular track, have figured out how to conquer or, in the least, curb the effects of these obstacles.
Below are, in my opinion and based on my experiences, some of the biggest specific challenges in open-wheel racing.
TURN TWO AT ELDORA: While the current configuration of Eldora Speedway allows winged sprint cars to run across the entire surface of the track, non-winged sprint cars are usually confined to the top of the track. When the cushion moves close to the fence, the exit of turn two becomes extremely treacherous.
Just before the straightaway the line seems to move out and flattens slightly and can easily result in your right rear making heavy contact with the outside wall. If a driver is lucky, they may come away unscathed, but more often they suffer damage or worse, find themselves in an infamous Eldora wreck.
This challenge helps heighten results for the bravest and skilled drivers.
BOTTOM OF ONE AND TWO AT KNOXVILLE: Knoxville is one of the most technically challenging tracks in the country. A weekly race or even an Outlaw victory may be achieved by running predominantly the top of the track but, when it comes to the Nationals, a driver must have a car capable of running the bottom to put themselves in the mix to win.
Knoxville has one of the best surfaces, and it features drastic differences between parts of the track that have moisture and those that do not. This makes running the bottom at Knoxville extremely difficult, with turns one and two usually having a smaller margin of error, and one flinch or misstep can leave you spinning your tires and losing valuable momentum.
Decorated drivers like Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, and recently Brad Sweet have invested vast amounts of effort into perfecting this art.
SURFACE AT HAUBSTADT: Tri-State Speedway has one of the most unique shapes in dirt racing, with extremely tight corners, but the dirt itself is perhaps even more unique. Tom Helfrich takes pride in keeping his track full of moisture and works it often throughout the night.
While it appears that the track should have ample grip, quite the opposite is true. The surface is extremely hard to get ahold of and can humble nationally touring drivers both with and without the wing.
BOTTOM AT GAS CITY: The tight bullring of Gas City Speedway produces some great racing, with the bottom groove often coming out ahead. Once the track slicks off, running the bottom can take a painstaking amount of patience.
Getting back to the throttle a split second too early can be devastating, and it can feel as though you may come to a complete stop as you have to slow down so drastically to hit your marks.
Shane Cottle is a master of running the bottom there and finds himself towards the top of the payout sheet on nearly every visit.
CUSHION IN THREE AND FOUR AT ATTICA: Attica is a frequent stop for the All Stars and has a solid field of regulars as well. The track is known for getting slick, and typically builds a large cushion in turns three and four. The cushion can provide great traction and speed, but it can get razor thin on the edge of the track.
Choosing this line can be compared to “flirting with disaster,” and I have personally fell victim to falling over the edge here on several occasions. Nobody runs the top of three and four at Attica as hard as Jac Haudenschild.
CORNER ENTRY AT LAWRENCEBURG: Since its reconfiguration in 2008, Lawrenceburg Speedway is extremely fast and high-banked. The transition from the straightaway to the high-banked corners is very abrupt and can cause the cars to bounce. If this begins to happen the cars can dig into the track and start to create a series of “whoops.”
Drivers have to find a way around them if they develop, which can produce some of the most hair-raising contests of bravery, as going above this part of the track means going above the cushion and extremely close to the wall. The high speeds only magnify the challenge and highlight the best drivers‘ skill and courage.
While there are many tracks containing unique and challenging aspects, these are the ones that have shown themselves prevalent to me, perhaps because of the difficulty I have had in attempting to conquer them.
Different styles can allow each driver to adapt differently to each track‘s distinctive traits and it can be very interesting and even entertaining to observe.