[Sirrotica]

I finally got to go to every race during the past week of Ohio Sprint Car Speedweek, sanctioned by Tony Stewart's Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions. I can now cross that off of my bucket list.

We started off Friday June 16th, at Attica Raceway Park, just about 30 minutes SW of Norwalk. We leave home at 3 PM for the 120 mile one way trip. When we arrived the weather was great. Racing gets underway at 7:45. In a couple hours rain moved through, and we were on a rain delay. They run the track back in and it takes an hour and a half. They run all of the heats, semis and dashes and push off the cars for the feature and the skies open up and they call the race. FeatureAttica is 2 hours away from home and the second night is at the famed Eldora speedway so we just drove up to Attica and drove home again in my 05 GTO. We arrived home at about 2 AM.

June 17th, Eldora speedway about 10 miles East of the Indiana/Ohio border we again drive there in my GTO. We leave for Eldora at 3 PM and arrive around 5 PM about a 80 mile one way trip. The track looks dry, unusual for Eldora. Racing starts at 7 and about 8:30 we again encounter rain. They dry the track and restart the program and again it rains, dry the track in about an hour and finish the night of racing. We arrive home at 2 PM get a good nights sleep and get ready to take the 93 K3500 dually diesel on the road pulling the 78 Holiday Rambler 33 foot fifth wheel trailer behind us.

June 18th, Waynesfield Speedway, West central OH is rained out due to rains most of the afternoon, which they forecast and we just sat at home until they called the event about 3:30 PM. Wednesday the 21st is either a day off or a rain makeup date, officials announce that they will use the 21st to run this race

June 19th, Wayne County Speedway, Orrville OH, roughly 60 miles SE of Norwalk, 130 miles one way from our home. We get on the road at 2 PM and pull in to the race track about 5 PM. The weather is looking terrible, dark skies off to the west and radar shows rain coming right towards. camping space is limited at this track and I finally find a spot way out in back to park. Everyone is talking about the weather in the parking lot, no one wants to pay for their ticket because of the no refund policy at this particular track. Many of these people won't be able to return to use their rain checks because of the distance they've traveled, so risking $50 admission for 2 people, and losing it is on their minds. They start running hot laps and the radar is looking better so we go buy our tickets. Rain holds off, BUT about 3/4 of the way through the program all the track lights go off. Track officials find the problem and about 15 minutes later the lights are back on. Race finishes around 11 PM and we get some sleep and get up around 7 AM the next morning.

June 20th, Sharon Speedway, Hartford OH. This track is just inside of Ohio, off the PA/OH border. We have about 80 miles to travel to get there today. We arrive at the track at about 2 PM and wait until 4 PM to get tickets and set up our seats. After getting our seats, we return to the camper and await the start of the hot laps and qualifying at 6 PM.

The track has had a ton of rain and we examine the clay on the track. It looks like red clay from down south, nothing native to the OH area. The clay is the weirdest racing surface I have ever seen in my nearly 50 years following dirt track racing. The cars can't get a hold of the surface, like being on teflon, no stick. Time trials suck as the cars keep getting slower as the surface seems to get slicker and slicker. It's so bad I'm thinking of just going back to the camper. The announcer says the owners have hauled in 140 truckloads of this clay over the winter and they've had problems with the surface so far this season.

The track develops some ruts and to my surprise they bring out a huge compacter/roller with a vibratory option. In my years of following dirt track racing I have never seen a track use a vibratory/roller to prepare/repair a dirt track.

The track slowly comes around and by the time for the feature it has some grip and the racing is actually good. We get to bed about 12 PM after starting a campfire and getting chased inside by rain.

June 21st, makeup day for Waynesfield's Sunday rain out. We have about 200 miles to get there today. On the road for about 4 hours we finally get there set up camp and stake our seats out.

When the races start the track is rough and rutted, numerous rollovers and crashes due to the poor track conditions over the evening. Management tries to smooth it out and it lasts a short while. The carnage tonight is some of the worst I've seen. Mostly due to track conditions, some of it because the track is small and racing room is limited. I've been to this track maybe 3 times before and the same conditions reared their head. Again about 3/4 of the way through the program the lights go dark on half of the track, the fix is easy and in about 15 minutes lights are back on. Other than Speedweek, I probably wouldn't elect to attend races at this facility. We get to bed about 11 PM.

June 22nd, Muskingham County Speedway. We run 70 miles and come close to our house, so we stop to check on our cats, wash a few clothes and restock a few things in the camper. 3 hours later back on the road 70 more miles to our destination near Zanesville OH. We arrive about 3 PM setup camp, and stake out our seats. I've been to this track just a couple time in the past, always been good racing.

Racing is pretty much uneventful, lots of dust. I end up talking to some locals that sat behind us. They ask us if we're camping across the street from the track, I tell them we are. We're still getting rain most everyday from the hurricane system down in the Gulf of Mexico. The man says rain is supposed to come in about 10-12 PM and if it comes down hard the whole lot turns into a mud pit. He suggests we get out of there and search for a better place to stay. Sure enough, just after the sprints feature runs the rain starts. I need to get the truck hooked to the camper, take down the awning, load the chairs and tables and get outta there. We make it out in time and travel south and find the local Wal Mart to camp in. In bed about 12.

June 23rd, steady rain all night and awake to more rain, forecast says rain throughout the state until Friday night, races are cancelled. We elect to head for home and spend the day recuperating. The final race is only about 70 miles from home so we elect to leave the camper/dually at home (electrical gremlins, not shifting into OD all the time).

June 24th, leave the house about 2 PM, stop for lunch and arrive at 4. we stake out our seats and waste some time until 6 PM when races are scheduled to start. Pretty good racing throughout the night, lots of wrecked cars, restarts and red flags push the program back, We get out of the track about 1 AM and get home at 2 AM. I'm up at 8:30, tired from the week, happy I got it off the bucket list, and ready to do it again next year.......................LOL

We traveled over 500 miles in the camper/dually, and put about 320 miles on the GTO, 820 miles and never left Ohio..........
7 races in 9 days.

Now to get the grass cut, and empty the holding tanks on the camper.

BTW, my wonderful wife was huge in making this happen and she knew it was one thing I've wanted to do for the last 15 years, without her it wouldn't have happened, Love ya.

[Sirrotica]

The feature races from Speedweek are now posted on YouTube, here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...IzotMdo_GRhenE

[hurryinhoosier62]

Brad, that looks like something I need to do next year. I WOULD be going to The Pat O'Conner Classic at Salem this weekend, but I'll be at my niece's wedding instead.

[Sirrotica]

The best I was able to do previously without following them and camping, was 5 races over the week. That is tough to drive home every night after the race (typically anywhere between 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours) after the race to sleep then leave anywhere from noon to 2 PM to make the next track. Makes for a real long week.

Following them is much less driving time, still pretty tiring, not cheap even when I drive an old 93 K3500 dually 6.5 turbo diesel, with 260,000 miles on it, pulling a 39 YO fifth wheel trailer. We had a bunch of looks driving the by far oldest, ugly rig there.....LOL. I averaged the fuel mileage and we were getting about 10.3 MPG It's free to camp at the race tracks, but of course it's primitive camping, no hookups.

Wife asked me if I wanted to do it again after it was all over, I said hell yes.........