Jump to content
British Speedway Forum
Sign in to follow this  
scaramanga

modern track prep

Recommended Posts

I know its hard with the current hot weather 

but whats peoples views on the recent modern way of track prep where more  and more don't like watering anymore

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Biggest problem is the "unavailability" of good shale. it is available but the quarries that have it will not supply speedway - because that have to many bad debts (non payments)

Yet another example how G.B. speedway is in self destruct! 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

One way to appease shale suppliers would be to pay, say, 50% upfront, and the balance upon delivery. No cheques, credit/debit card payments only.

If suppliers have had bad deals then give them confidence with good deals.  If a track cant pay upfront, what chance do they have to pay in 30 days (or whatever).

The scourge of "small" businesses has always been late payers, non more so then bigger businesses being late. 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The IOW was a bit on the dry side on Thursday, but they are suffering from poor shale. They have a mound of the stuff in the pits which they are unable to use. I gather this was sent my mistake, and not because they are poor payers.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Two points ....

Firstly, it's not just the heat itself at the moment that's the enemy of any track watering, it's the warmth within any significant breeze that's the really awkward but much less known enemy of keeping a hot-weather track damp.

At the start and end of the season, there's a barrier around 12-celsius that the temperature needs to rise above for a couple of days to stop a track being permanent sludge with no amount of breezes or gales at that temperature helping out much with the drying process because they're still too cold to make an evaporating difference.

The mid-summer equivalent at the other end of the spectrum is probably about 25-celsius plus any breeze , at which point it's a nightmare trying to stop a track being a permanent dust bowl because now the natural evaporation from the twin-angle of heat-&-breeze is faster than most mechanical watering..

Second point is that far too many tracks racing in the evening wait until far too late in the day to start watering, by which time it's too late to hope the first lots of watering will soak into the base of the track and thus make it harder for later lots of watering in hotter temperatures to tumble straight through the entire surface.

Of course it's costly to have track staff on duty plenty of hours before the start of the meeting, but (especially from mid-June to mid-July when the sun's at its highest level for longer hours) the track-watering really needs to start by 10am to have any hope of enough of the early water soaking into the base rather than already evaporating upwards.

One of the biggest ignorances among most folk (not just speedway fans) regarding the weather is that the temperature directly relates to whether the sun''s up or not - actually, it doesn't because there's a time lag of about a couple of hours.

In the early hours of its rising, the sun's effect isn't yet warm enough to burn through any overnight reduction in temperature which is why it still feels fairly cool around 7am on a mid-summer sunny morning - similarly, the hottest time of the day is around 3pm-4pm even though the sun's own power has peaked around 1pm-1.30pm..

So it's this sunny breakfast-time that's the key time for mid-summer watering of a speedway track.

Get going on it that early and it'll pay off once the riders and crowd turn up a lot later.

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was told one problem is the main suppliers quarry has now had all shale removed and can no longer supply. The new suppliers shale is bit different and not binding as well with the old stuff already on tracks. Plus watering is problem as in this heat you have to start soaking track 2 days before and keep doing it for 2 days to get to base which is expensive and some can t get on track for those days 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 hours ago, scaramanga said:

I know its hard with the current hot weather 

but whats peoples views on the recent modern way of track prep where more  and more don't like watering anymore

 

I think the lack of watering is usually down to riders. It isn't acceptable though that people should be going home covered in dust (we did in the old days) and often having their view of the racing obscured by dust clouds.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
27 minutes ago, foamfence said:

I think the lack of watering is usually down to riders. It isn't acceptable though that people should be going home covered in dust (we did in the old days) and often having their view of the racing obscured by dust clouds.

Absolute bollocks, do you know any riders, do you speak to any riders, they hate dry slick tracks, lack of suitable equipment is the problem from what ive seen and been told.

How many tracks have proper push graders, not ones pulled along behind a tractor, from the footage ive seen i would say Belle Vue do.

Junior

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 hours ago, Ghosty said:

Biggest problem is the "unavailability" of good shale. it is available but the quarries that have it will not supply speedway - because that have to many bad debts (non payments)

Yet another example how G.B. speedway is in self destruct! 

a good track man would mix clay into dry dusty shale to get it to bind

as for shale well I suppose you get what you pay for we all know everything in speedway promotion is done as cheap as poss in most cases

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Get the water in early and let it soak in. If it's dark it's right for water, but when it goes pinky it needs more water. Simple. 

Mark Thorpe used to say that in New Zealand, they went in early, turned the taps on to flood it. and then had a barbecue. Stacks of water and put it in early.   

  • Like 4

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 hours ago, foamfence said:

I think the lack of watering is usually down to riders. It isn't acceptable though that people should be going home covered in dust (we did in the old days) and often having their view of the racing obscured by dust clouds.

Ahh yes, the good old day's when being ginger wasn't as big an issue!! :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Put detergent into the water bowser to allow it to soak into the base better. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

that will help keep the bikes and rides clean and save on washing down kevlars and bikes. leaving more time to party .

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy