36 replies to this topic

[KO_23]

First off I wanna start this out by saying good show last night great racing, track was decent, and my friends and family really enjoyed the show. I had a buddy who got married Wed in Utah and he flew back to Ohio to see his family and introduce us all to his new wife. Neither of them had ever been to WRP and she had never been to a dirt track. They loved it and are wanting to come back for more. with that being said I have a few concerns/questions and im not trying to start anything or bash WRP just wondering 1) What was with the mound of dirt at the top of the track in turn 3 and 4? All through hot laps people were bouncing off that and tearing stuff up, couldnt you guys take the tractor out and at least level off the mountain of dirt by the wall? 2) Are drivers not allowed to change tires and come back onto the track during the features? If not I think that needs to be changed and changed quickly. These guys work their tails off all week long to race at WRP every weekend and should not have their feature taken away because of a flat tire. I heard the reasoning is because theres no room for them to re enter the track so how about instead of lining them up side by side at the track entrance how about lining them up in order but single file? This way the next race is still ready to head out but if someone gets a flat tire then their night is not done. Give the crew 2 laps to get the new tire on and then go green. The show would still move quickly and the drivers would be that much happier. 3) This is more of a concern than anything else but last night after the races were over we decided to walk through the pits because my boy wanted autographs and to sit inside the cars. As we are walking through the pits one of the staff members jumped on a 4 wheeler and sped as fast as he could past us sideways and kicked a bunch of rocks at me, my 5 year old boy, my wife and my 2 friends from Utah. It was very disrespectful and should not have happened I tried yelling for him but as i said he was speeding away about as fast as he could get that 4 wheeler to go. Whoever was on that 4 wheeler needs to realize that after the races the kids are walking through the pit area and needs to watch what he is doing or needs to stay off the 4 wheeler

Edited by KO_23, 17 June 2012 - 10:04 AM.

[double checkered]

First thanks for coming out. And we were sure glad to have your friends and family. There is no real answer to your first concern. I'm pretty sure the hotlap session went caution free except for one class which had a few issues. If the track was really the problem, i feel we were just trying to keep the show going. Hot laps is just a quick 2 lap session to check the mechanicals of the car. We try to keep up on track conditions during actual racing events. We were still under the threat of weather. Second, your third concern actually is the reason for no rentry. Imagine a full size car racing through pits with limited visibility. Two laps go by quick and are pits are just too small. We have tried to let cars change tires and it really caused problems. Valid concern, but with out current layout, we just can't do it. Finally, whether its a track employee or not, there is no excuse for that persons actions. I will simply apologize for them. With that said though, the pits are ALWAYS a dangerous place. You have to be the cautious one. Trucks/cars backing out or people on atvs, golf carts, rynos, etc. Most without lights or the concern for others. It shames me to say, but just about every track I've been too has been the same. Thanks again for coming out and posting your concerns. Hope to see you again. Jeremy

[WootenRacing17]

just a idea how about if you have a flat tire and have to pull in the pit to get it changed how about have a staff member on the side where normally you would pull in from the track and direct a person back out on that side instead of coming out of the normal entrance of the track but only under caution of course just a idea. but great racing all night for sure

Edited by WootenRacing17, 17 June 2012 - 10:48 AM.

[skinnykenny]

As far as the dirt mound between 3&4....the cushion was very high, within a foot or so of the wall. As a stock car "lost it" in hotlaps. he stood on the breaks, which caused his low nose to dig into the cushion as he bounced off the wall. That kinda shoved some of the cushion into a mound against the wall. It really didn't look like any problem from where I was standing (infield). It kinda looked like somebody had dumped a wheel barrel of dirt up against the wall. Maybe it looked worse from the stands?

[Dr. Speedy]

Well, Jeremy I have a question about the mod A. Tim Cornett #35 spun going into 3. Was at the very edge of the track. No yellow until 2 laps later. Then was told on the radio not to return to the track. Got a reason for that? He didn't go in the pits, but was in danger where he spun out. And then could not return to racing, explain that to me please.

[KO_23]

The mound we were talking about was there when we got there it looked like someone just pushed dirt straight up to the wall and left it there. It was right by the wall but still was a concern. I know the pit area is dangerous and we were keeping an eye out the guy on the 4 wheeler just had no real reason to speed through the pit area. But no one was hurt just kinda agitated me that my boy got hit with a couple rocks. The tire situation I agree with Wooten racing if you are afraid to let the cars change and re enter the track in the normal spot then allow them to re enter on the back stretch. Regardless of lay out every track except WRP will allow you to try and change a tire and get back out on the track. they allow it at Fremont and Attica and they have about the same style lay out as WRP. It needs to be addressed and there needs to be a rule allowing you to change a tire. If you were spending a ton of money on a race car and then had it in because of a flat tire you would be mad also.

[double checkered]

Speedy, I will do my best to explain this. First off I felt absolutely horrible about what happened to Tim. I walked into the pits immediately after the races were over to personally apologize to him. He was already gone. Where he was sitting I didn't even see he was there. He was "hiding" behind the ambulance. NO EXCUSE, I know. I hate making mistakes and once I was told there was a car there my heart dropped. The reason he wasn't allowed to return, is because he was off the racing surface. It's explained if you leave the racing surface, you are done for the event. (Continuation of no re-entry from pit rule). It was just a bad situation made worse. If I had seen him spin, caution would be thrown, he would rejoin. But since he was lapped, he was technically out of the race. Again I'm very sorry. If you talk to him please extended my apology to him. About the re-entry off track exit? I can't imagine going wrong way on a one way. Catastrophe waiting to happen. Two seconds after cars hit head on, we will get hammered for allowing cars to drive the wrong way. It's not the way you go on or off the track, its the size of our pits. Cars speeding through pits with flat tires/broken suspensions are already a danger. I can't see them rushing to try to make quick repairs and racing back out. And although some cautions do go longer than two laps, some don't. And that waiting time turns into another discussion.

[KO_23]

What im saying is WRP needs to figure something out because these guys are busting their tails for WRP and to make them end their night cuz of a flat tire is ridiculous. Change it give them 2 laps from the time they get to the work area. Take the staging area and split it in half keep the left side for staging and the right side for a work area. Race tracks do not succeed without race cars and race car drivers, which means you should be doing everything in your power to make the drivers happy. A rule change like this would make the drivers a lot happier. Look at every other dirt track that you can think of in this area, every single one of them lets cars change tires and come back out during the feature. Limaland, Eldora, Attica, Fremont Gas City they all let them. WRP is a great place to race and the cars will come with the right kind of treatment. If you are thinking about keeping it the same because of the time, think about last night. Only a couple of flat tires all night so a couple more pace laps (nothing more than what was done with the 35 mod and the push truck guys standing there doing nothing for 3 laps) and that show is still over early. 5 extra minutes a night is not that big a price to pay for happier drivers

[Sparky1967]

JMO If your not going to use the go-cart track open it up and make the pits bigger-----------Problem solved

[Dirtracer48]

I have more than just a couple concerns, I've just emailed them privately as I feel that is the correct way to handle it. Since there is speculation, and some people who feel they know what happened....I was the one who smoked the wall in the stock cars, bent up both ends of the car. I have no idea what happened, but skinny kenny's prognosis is incorrect. I went in fairly high, and it just took off on me....the back end heading to the wall which hit first smashing up my rear tubing. I tried to drive away from it, but the front end came in hard enough to bend the clip over and start climbing the wall. I thought it was going to roll. I wrote it off as, I am a dumb ass and must have went in harder than I though. Just after me, the #100 mod did the same thing and completely destroyed the car. My only question with this is - why is the track THAT shitty in hotlaps? It rained quite a bit and it was still that shot. I hope I get some reasonable explanations on the other concerns I had....I'm MUCH looking forward to this next saturday off.

[Dirtracer48]

And for the record, I agree on no tire repairs...there is too little room, and far too much congestion through there to have speeding cars trying to get back on. I was one last night who couldn't change a flat tire, and am OK with that.

[double checkered]

I did a quick peek at other "local" tracks. No track can compare themselves to Eldora for anything so they simply have to be taken out of the equation. I did 6 other tracks. I looked at a skyview of the track to get a size comparison then did recent track results. WRP is by far the smallest pit size and its a straight line. The others have more rows/room for access. Of the 6 tracks I did, 1 ran 3 classes and 80 cars, 1 ran 4 classes with 75 cars, 1 ran 5 classes with 69 cars, 2 ran 3 classes with 65 cars, and waynesfield ran 6 classes with 115 cars. I agree that there are "potential" fixes. But its ultimately one persons decision to change. As always we do listen and know its a valid concern. We have run 6 of the past 7 years this way. It's not done to hurt the drivers in anyway. Jeremy

[KO_23]

What about Fremont? compare WRP to Fremont Fremont is very congested in the pit area but yet they allow you to change tires

[mod13]

When the cars are staged, there is still a lane on the right. Push trucks and wreckers use this lane to re-enter the track when cars are staged. So there is an open lane with which to re-enter the track. As far as the cars going too fast trying to change the tire, just try moving after a sprint car heat or feature. Some of them are going faster in the pits then they did on the track. And the people on 4-wheelers are the worst of all. So if no one is concerned with the speed that the sprints come into the pits, why be concerned with any other class. I'm not really for or against tire changes, just making an observation. I don't understand why they put water on the track before a feature, when the track is dusty concrete. The reason we don't race in the rain, is because the water makes the track like ice. So putting water on the track and throwing the green makes for a dangerous mix. Watering the track hasn't been a concern all week, so why do it now. I know Greg has some farm machinery, put a disk to that concrete and turn it back into a dirt track. Dusty, hard, slick, is not what a dirt track should be. It rained for an hour, and was dust when the first green was thrown. All that being said. I still think WRP is a great track, and that they are doing most things right. Just making some conversation.

[Dirtracer48]

Fremont pits are tight, but it is also almost ALL one way traffic through there. I think they have a designated work area as well. Mod13's second paragraph was a major issue I have as well.

Edited by Dirtracer48, 17 June 2012 - 05:34 PM.

[racechasser]

1. As far as the tire changes, WRP needs to designate a work area! These Racers are supporting your race track, and from what I have seen YOU NEED THEM!!! So that being said, without these guys all you have is a Friggin cornfield just like it used to be, so treat it like a race track! Another post was right, you have wreckers and push trucks moving out onto the track, so there is a lane there, but it is up to track personnel to keep that lane open and ready! 2. I arrived at 5:05 and that dirt mound in 3 and 4 was there, I noticed it upon sitting down! I have been going to dirt tracks for 35 yrs and I never seen a race track NOT grade off the marbles from the previous week and that is what that mound was, and Jeremy you can argue with me till I exhaust you, because I will, there was no excuse for that, there were cars torn up from that deal and it happened in Hot Laps because they had NO CLUE it was there!!!! The racers once knowing it was there then avoided it, but shouldn't have too, they are there to race, and you are to provide them the facility to do so!!! I also noticed that there are 3 rails on the guard in 3 and 4, but only 2 are now visible deep into 3 and out of 4 (where your marbles are always accumulated) due to the lack of recycling the race track from the previous week, and if you take note, there are now weeds growing on these marbles in turn 4 and entering 3!!! WRP has some of the best racing around, but I think there are things that need addressed now and not over the winter. There is a lot of talk of the six classes, and some I have talked to think you are more worried about getting the show in before 11 so you can brag that, but are lacking on supporting your supporters and the safety of those!!! I also think you need more officials in the infield and the pits, one per corner on the track and several more in the pits. Then maybe you won't have to apologize for missing something, even though it's your job, maybe one of them will see it and alert the tower? I like WRP, but unless you want the reputation of the Lima regime, up your game!

[Dirtracer48]

Did you happen to watch hotlaps and see the 48 stock hit the fence hard? I never saw the dirt pile, and I've probably ran high through there hundreds of times and never "lost it" or hit the wall. Ever. I just know I tried the high lane once and it took off on me hitting the wall pretty hard. I woke up with a sore body, and a ton of work to do on the car.

Edited by Dirtracer48, 18 June 2012 - 12:31 AM.

[kartracer229]

I love WRP, and everything they do to enable me to race, but Ive seen some serious issues that need resolved. 1. The track conditions are far from desired. The only glimpse of hope this track has to hold moisture after hotlaps is if you get a couple rain delays through the night. Im not going to blame the track for all my latest screw ups in driving, but heres the issue. I run compacts, and we are sent out first to basically run in the clods of dirt that just got watered. During these 2 laps, I noticed dry spots already developing going into turn 3 and coming down the backstretch. I know someones going to cry and say "well six classes wahh", but when you have already lost the track before the first car rolls on track goes out, this only makes for one dry, black, slick mess. Im sure when you were a kid, you never dreamed of racing a car at half throttle. 2. This water the top before a race is the dumbest thing you can do. You claim it keeps the dust down, and it does just that...for one freaking lap. This also makes the top one big slimey mess. Ive watched track upon track think working and watering a track for hours (eldora) after the track has already started to slick off, so they water it thinking water is gods gift to dust control at that point and boom what do you know, the track is slimey, greasy, and goes back to slick immediately. Theres no reason to do this unless, you take 5-8 laps to let the cars currently on the track to run in the areas you just watered. 3. Compacts. I race these, and thank WRP for allowing me to not only race, but help me in all ways possible to keep the car on the track. Last night we had an impressive field of 8. Now I understand that 8 cars is a joke, but Ive seen the stock cars have the same count, and they get heat races. Last night we were given 2 laps of hotlaps, and then "oh sorry, a-main only". That is crap. I paid my 25 dollars to support Waynesfield, and get laps in the car. Im still very new to this so trying to get a handle on this is difficult, and you take laps away from us? I understand our count sucks, but the compacts brought 8 race cars to support you guys. Heat races dont pay money, but I know there are family and friends (mostly friends on my part) that pay to come watch me and others. Your also pushing this show through like the world is about to end. You gave us no heat race, and Derflinger has his feature winner picture taken in daylight, so whats 8 laps of a compact heat going to hurt? I know some guys work very hard on their cars to come race, not line up by pill draw. Id really like to sit down for an hour or two, maybe a mid season officials/drivers meeting some night, and WRP needs an open mind. If theres no racers, theres no track because no one will come watch. For what its worth, Erik Wolleson

[KO_23]

WRP the drivers and fans are talking to you please dont let this fall on deaf ears like Limaland does. Im not saying cater to everyones needs but if you start listening to the reasonable things that drivers are telling you then, in time, more will show up.

[double checkered]

Keep voicing your comments and concerns. I will continue to say that WRP does listen. Now that doesn't mean you will get the response you want. And just because there isn't an immediate change that we didn't hear you. Please keep in mind, WRP is 8 years old (I think). We are still growing and learning. Just about every track still makes mistakes. I know we have adapted and made changes over our short time to make it better for everyone that attends WRP. About the tire change deal, although its not my decision, it probably will not happen this year. Since it can potentially affect the points. It wouldn't be fair to those that ran under the current rule. That's just my opinion though. Thanks again to everyone that came out. Glad we got it in after our shower. Hope to see you again soon. Jeremy