Sommaire pour April 2017 de Circle Track

After I had paid a visit to my parents’ house for dinner the other night, my dad and I sat down to watch some TV. He fired up his on-demand and played a broadcast of the USA Nationals from Cedar Lake Speedway. In the opening cut scene, there were sights of fans crowding the concourse area and souvenir trailers with lines. Immediately, my dad posed the question. “What are they doing that asphalt racing isn’t doing?” Before I get into some of my ramblings of asphalt racing versus dirt racing, I’ll pass on a caveat: This is my opinion based on things I’ve seen and experienced. Right, wrong, or indifferent, it’s just a few observations: So, here we go with the ramblings… I sometimes hear people say dirt racing is…

Sponsorship Question When I ask for sponsors, I always get interest and asked how much. Then, I send them a diagram of car with highlighted areas with the cost and tell them pricing is negotiable. That usually ends the conversation. Am I asking too much? —John Hey John, You may want to see what the potential sponsors are willing to spend first and work from there. Sometimes companies underestimate just how expensive our sport is. It’s good to know what they’re willing to spend and be able to get those dollars. If it goes well, you might get more next year. Sending Content to Circle Track Hi! I am the reporter for Tucson Speedway, and we just crowned Brandon Schilling as the 2016 Super Late Model and Late Model Champion.…

 I’ve been aware of this problem for some time and decided now is the time to speak out. Traction-control products are advertised in certain media, and I have a problem with that. As a part of the racing community, publications should—and do for the most part—promote a healthy racing environment and that health is based on making racing more affordable, safer, and more equally competitive. It’s the last of those items that I have a problem with in relation to traction control. And I will explain my thinking on this in more detail. But for now, I can tell you I had a very interesting and informative discussion with a fellow editor and friend of mine (at least he used to be) where he and I discussed the ethics and…

More Radio Power and Distance The new RM-60 mobile radio from Rugged Radios packs 60 watts of power, cranking out 20-percent more distance than traditional 50-watt radios. Loaded with programmable options, the RM-60 is a powerful, featurerich two-way mobile radio that delivers the biggest bang for your buck. It’s a perfect choice for off-road, UTV, and racing communications. The radio features a backlit programmable hand mike, channel scanning, power-level selection, squelch adjustment, keypad lock, scan skip, time-out-timer, and more. For more information call (888) 541-7223 or visit www.ruggedradios.com. More Fuel, Faster Although Baker/ProCam’s mechanical fuel pump may look similar to others on the outside, the internal components of the fuel pump have been re-engineered to reduce leaks and maintain pressure. The pump also has been completely reworked to increase flow,…

After a local Pro Late Model team posted an in-car video of their last race on their Facebook page early during the season, I knew immediately they had some serious problems. The car was very tight-loose and the driver was really struggling with the car, but doing an amazing job of holding on. I couldn’t help myself, and I commented, “I can fix that.” Blaise Hetznecker, the driver, said he would love for me to help, and so began a journey that taught me a little more about what I already know something about. This may be of great interest for those who have already converted from conventional to bump setups and are struggling, or anyone who contemplates making the change. The car in the video had been involved in…

Ever since NASCAR introduced the Truck Series in 1995, there has been a roller coaster of interest in short-track Trucks nationwide. The general interest level may be on the upswing, partly due to the series that now exist around the county and the resurgence of the class in the Midwest. Aside from the growing Truck count in races like the Midwest Truck Series, there appears to be a newfound interest from chassis manufacturers, too. The lion’s share of the MTS chassis have been built by Pathfinder Chassis. Next season, you will also see an influx from Lefthander Chassis and some machines by Hamke, as well. Lefthander decided to unveil its new (maybe more accurately called a re-introduced) Truck chassis at Dells Raceway Park’s Falloween 150 this October. Lefthander has several…

PRESENTED BY BEST VALUE IN SAFETY SINCE 1975 Order Online at www.racequip.com All Star Circuit of Champions www.allstarsprint.com Winged 410 Sprint Cars Chad Kemenah American Modified Series www.americanmodifiedseries.com Modifieds–Dirt Trent Young American Canadian Tour (ACT) www.acttour.com Late Models Nick Sweet ARCA (Automobile Race Club of America) www.arcaracing.com Full Bodied Stock Cars Chase Briscoe ARCA Midwest Tour www.arcamidwesttour.com Super Late Models–Asphalt Ty Majeski American Sprint Car Series www.ascsracing.com Sprint Cars, Midgets Sam Hafertepe Jr. Badger Midget Auto Racing Association www.bmara.com Midgets—Dirt Brandon Waelti Big 8 Series www.big8series.com Super Late Models—Asphalt Michael Bilderback Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series www.buckeyesprints.com Non-inged 410 Sprint Cars—Dirt Shawn Westerfeld CARS Tour www.carsracingtour.com Super Late Models and Late Model Stoc k— Asphalt SLM: Raphael Lessard LMS: Deac McCaskill Carolina Clash www.carolinaclash.com Super Late Models—Dirt Johnny Pursley Champion Racing…

Sometimes learning why or how certain engine modifications work can lead to a clearer understanding about related changes that can also be helpful. For example, I benefitted a significant amount by having a chance to do periodic projects with an engine “thinker,” who almost always asked me what I thought certain modifications would do before specific tests were run. This forced me out of the let’s-just-seewhat-happens comfort zone into a what-can-weexpect-to-see-and-why box. It made me think about the results before we pulled the trigger. I benefitted a significant amount by having a chance to do periodic projects with an engine “thinker,” who almost always asked me what I thought certain modifications would do before specific tests were run. Over time, that changed the way I thought (and still think) about…

In many ways, crate racing has become every bit as competitive as the openmotor big leagues. Except where the big guys are still fighting the hp wars, crate racing is all about efficiency. It’s fair game to find just about any way to help transmit more of the limited power made by the crate engines to the rear wheels. So, of course, we were interested when the folks at Diversified Machine told us the company is now putting a lightweight 8-inch ring-and-pinion gearset in their oval-track quickchange rear ends. It’s called the Bulldog SS-1, which stands for “Super Short 1,” and it has been designed specifically for crate-powered Modified and Late Model classes. What’s cool about the SS-1 is it appears to be a standard bell size, but inside it…

Innovation and service are cornerstones for Turn One High Performance Steering Systems. The company’s boxes have been researched and developed to be among the best in the marketplace. These boxes are 5 pounds lighter than most traditional boxes and provide a direct, bolt-in replacement for the Sagniaw 700 box. Turn One offers a host of ratios, including its own inventions in 6:1, 7:1, and 8:1 ratios. A Turn One technician certifies every box before it leaves the facility. Its rack-and-pinion valve technology is guaranteed to give you more control and on-center feel. Turn One also provides custom valving to enable you to fine tune your box exactly the way you want it. In addition to its boxes, Turn One provides other offerings, including reduced hp/fluid temp pumps, power-steering fittings, and…

If you will, return with us to the conclusion of the 1960 Indy 500 when Jim Rathman piloted the #4 Ken-Paul Special to take Smokey’s first win at the Brickyard as a chief mechanic. Although this term, as you’ll recall, became somewhat suspect in Speedway’s record books. It seems the car’s initial crew chief, Chicky Hiroshima, managed to avoid getting his title as chief removed from the official entry materials for the car, and therefore, remained as the chief of record. To say this displeased Smokey isn’t even within shouting distance of how he really felt. “Let’s go back to this ‘chief’ crap. The first 350 miles of the race, the rice burner is not in our pits,” Smokey says. “He shows up in street clothes after two hours of…