I managed to grab the last laps on Ocala Speedway this morning as the first loads of clay were being hauled through the front gate. At a little after 8AM the first load was dumped in turn 3. By a little after 11AM almost all of turns 3 and 4 were covered, plus most of the backstretch. The trucks kept coming all day, and they will be returning on Sunday and Monday as well. So in case you didn’t hear the news, Ocala Speedway is officially a dirt track again! And here is the first load dumping onto turn 3 this morning! History in the making!
Looking at the first load it’s a cross between bull tally and gumbo. Good luck working that stuff let alone holding up all night during the races. Would have hoped to have seen some of that purty red stuff from Georgia.
Over six months of intensive research went into what is happening now at Ocala Speedway. Neither Michael Peters or Angie Clifton got to where they are today by being impulsive or dumb. They KNOW what they are doing.
Yep, the stuff in the picture is soem danged sticky and messy stuff. It is the base layer, supposedly to form a bond between the new surface and the asphalt and prevent slippage. Two more different types of clay are to be added on top and worked in, forming a 60% mixture that according to the experts will be top grade for racing.
Benny, no offense, but I know you and alot of others are not in favor of this happening. That’s ok because no one expects everyone to jump for joy. But please try to be just a little optimistic, ok? LOL!
Looking forward to all the rules being posted and when tires will be available.
Sure looks better than a parking lot for a low income HUD complex.
Is the idea for a drag strip on the back of the property a dead issue?
[QUOTE=BJ Cavin;1939]Over six months of intensive research went into what is happening now at Ocala Speedway. Neither Michael Peters or Angie Clifton got to where they are today by being impulsive or dumb. They KNOW what they are doing.
Yep, the stuff in the picture is soem danged sticky and messy stuff. It is the base layer, supposedly to form a bond between the new surface and the asphalt and prevent slippage. Two more different types of clay are to be added on top and worked in, forming a 60% mixture that according to the experts will be top grade for racing.
Benny, no offense, but I know you and alot of others are not in favor of this happening. That’s ok because no one expects everyone to jump for joy. But please try to be just a little optimistic, ok? LOL![/QUOTE]
Not to offend but i too know dirt (part of my job) and we throw material like that AWAY…PERIOD. It has zero structural value and expands and contracts to extreme with moisture. I don’t care what other soils you use…if you pull THAT crap up into it, it will be a mess. My comment had nothing to do with the track changing back to dirt, But Mike may want to get a second opinion on that clay. For the two key words you used BOND and SLIPPAGE is what it WILL do, along with expand too much to work in and begin failing through the night and causing huge ruts. I hope the first material i saw was FREE because it it useless CRAP that as i said i throw away. I’m a road builder and have been for 22 yrs now…i won’t call myself a dirt expert but i’ve made a few cry…No offence taken and i will be as positive as possible into Ocala’s new venture. I just saw that material and had to spout off.
Benny’s right, the first two-three loads were more gumbo than anything. As the day progressed it keep getting better. Benny, Volusia has a 12 day in a row speedweek event in February racing on GUMBO on top of asphalt. Somehow they have figured out how to manage the track and have a good racing surface for 12 straight days of racing. We will be on a learning curve for awhile playing with the surface. Benny, rest easy and know that I will grind whatever grit the mill requires to get it done.
Mike
benny east bay for years has used gumbo and they run 3-4 weeks for the winter national but they are not on asphalt but the do add clay ever year and the racing is great.
Mike, the rumor is that there will be some type of sealer used on the dirt portion of the track. Hope not… Moisture is what makes for good racing on a dirt track.
Volusia is not dirt over asphalt. They bulldozed the pavement before they put the new clay down. I visited a couple times during the process. When I saw what the “clay” looked like that they were hauling in I thought it looked terrible, but boy was I wrong! By the time they got it all in the surface that speedweeks was the best I’d ever seen at any track in Florida. It’s light years better than it was before they paved it in 89.
My husband said the same thing when he heard that,He said they removed the asphalt when it went back to dirt at VSP he remembers when they done it a paving company came and milled it up for them,All the old grinded up asphalt was in piles behind the back stretch by the woods …Mr. D.Murphy would be the one to tell ya.
I spent alot of time out west and watched alot of racing out there, mainly in Chico Ca. at Silver Dollar Speedway. The dirt was always black and the surface always stayed pretty good. Clay was avail but they never used it that I know of. Why do they use clay here? Does it hold up to the rain better? Just curious because I remember growing up around the track never hearing anyone complain about the track condition.
[QUOTE=The Ocala Speedway;1946]Benny’s right, the first two-three loads were more gumbo than anything. As the day progressed it keep getting better. Benny, Volusia has a 12 day in a row speedweek event in February racing on GUMBO on top of asphalt. Somehow they have figured out how to manage the track and have a good racing surface for 12 straight days of racing. We will be on a learning curve for awhile playing with the surface. Benny, rest easy and know that I will grind whatever grit the mill requires to get it done. ;)Mike[/QUOTE]Good to hear the loads changed. A true gombo holds moisture well and would be a good part of the blend But the yellow-orange junk is what i was commenting on in the picture. It’s bull tally and when wet it isn’t really sticky but just enough to make chunks, And layers of it will slide across each other and not bond. When it dries it goes all to pieces. Thanks for the reply Mike. And again, I hope everything goes your way next year.:ernaehrung004:
Just to let everyone know, the work continues at Ocala Speedway. Although the progress is not what we had hoped at this point, we are taking the slow and easy approach and making sure that we carefully watch every step. That paid off yesterday when some inferior loads showed up and were rejected. Work will continue today with clay for a different source. And there has been a steady stream of dirt and asphalt racers dropping by to see the work and talk about the future. Remeber that the rules are posted at www.OcalaSpeedway.com and are up for comments, questions, and suggestions, until January 1st. After that they are permanent and cannot change. And yes, there will be at least two practice sessions in February, and maybe one in January if all goes well. Look for more info later.
Mike and BJ thanks for the updates. Will work be done during the weekend as well?
Edm, I heard at Knoxville, Iowa they use river bottom mud. Its black and turns into a great racing “gumbo” surface…All you ever hear from the Outlaws drivers is “turn the track after each night of racing and water,water,water.”
Seems to me the pavement should have come up first. I know, I know it’s the cost. Just seems like that’s the right way to do it. Sorry the Sportsmen will not be going there any more.
As has been stated before, Mike Peters went well over and above in researching what needed to be done in order to make Ocala Speedway a top notch dirt track. Certainly money is a factor, but the pavement was not left in place just to save some cash. According to Mike’s research, many people believe that leaving the pavement is actually an ADVANTAGE! Most dirt tracks have varying subsoil under the track. Some areas might drain better than others, or there might be soft spots and hard spots. With a uniform surface under the dirt, the track will be smoother and will show less variation during a night of racing. And in addition, the pavement serves as a seal between the racing surface and the ground. It keeps moisture in the clay while it keeps contaminents from getting into the soil.
Several very experienced drivers and others in the dirt racing world have already been to Ocala Speedway since the process of laying the clay began. Not one has found anything to complain about, and in fact all have stated that we are using top quality materials and are doing the job correctly. These people are experts who have been doing this sort of thing for decades. They KNOW their stuff!
And one more thing…
The excitement in the dirt racing community over Ocala Speedway converting to dirt is beyond anything any of us had imagined. That excitement continues to grow with each load of clay that arrives, and all of us appreciate the attention. It helps motivate us to be more determined to do the job right with only the best materials, and to make Ocala Speedway the very best racing facility in the state.
Cant wait to come to your track and run. Ran when it was pavement and it was a very challenging track. Will be a blast on dirt. Now think about going to crate motors and youll really have a jewel.
…Mr. D.Murphy would be the one to tell ya.