The strong times during qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals can be attributed to a
Bristol
Dragway underwent a leveling process in the month leading up to the
national event. The process was to correct problems caused by the
spectator tunnel downtrack. (Roger Richards)
leveling process undertaken in the month leading up to the national event.
“We had just had some problem with the grinding of the track and it was
certainly through no fault of those doing the grinding,” Byrd
explained. “The process would only cure one problem and create another.
The track would be all smooth but there would be surface problems.”
Byrd said that rather than chance a repeat last year’s postponement,
they decided to follow a similar technique successfully completed by
Las Vegas Motor Speedway [LVMS].
The strong times during qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals can be attributed to a
Bristol
Dragway underwent a leveling process in the month leading up to the
national event. The process was to correct problems caused by the
spectator tunnel downtrack. (Roger Richards)
leveling process undertaken in the month leading up to the national event.
“We had just had some problem with the grinding of the track and it was
certainly through no fault of those doing the grinding,” Byrd
explained. “The process would only cure one problem and create another.
The track would be all smooth but there would be surface problems.”
Byrd said that rather than chance a repeat last year’s postponement,
they decided to follow a similar technique successfully completed by
Las Vegas Motor Speedway [LVMS].
LVMS had similar problems with the racing surface related to the
portion of the track that runs over an underground spectator tunnel.
The process begins with a profilogram.
“When you do this, you find out where your highs and lows are,” Byrd
explained. “You build a grid on the track and the company comes in
drills 5/8-inch holes in the race track and shoot the same kind of
expanding foam that you can get at Lowe’s, under the race track. They
shot gallons and gallons and it set up and solidified.”
Byrd explained the foam would never deteriorate because the only thing which causes that is sunlight.
“I’m not mechanical, or an engineer, but I felt if you shot foam in
there, it would raise up the bad surface an inch or so,” Byrd admitted.
“They are so precise with the process that they can take a high in one
place and take a low two inches away and level them up. Is it perfect?
No, there will never be a completely level drag strip ever.”
Byrd felt confident headed into the event because of the feedback
provided by Pro Stock teams testing in the weeks leading up to the
event.
“The cool temperatures we got on Friday cured a lot of the ills,” Byrd
said. “If we were in July, we wouldn’t be setting the same track
records. I’m confident this is going to be a good race track for a long
time to come.”
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR CHARLOTTE – Byrd has worked with
Bruton Smith for many years and he’s seen the man roll out the red
carpet on more than one occasion. He’s pulling out all the stops for
the new drag strip located on the property of Lowe’s Motor Speedway
this September.
“They had an unlimited budget and they are already over that,” Byrd said.
Byrd said he’s already conveyed to Smith the crew chiefs are requesting a concrete quarter-mile.
“The track is being built with four lanes and that’s double the cost,”
Byrd said. “I don’t know if he’s going to do all concrete, but I do
know he’s talked to the engineers about it. If he tries to save money
on that, it will be the only thing.
“I’d like to think we have a pretty fair race track in Bristol but this
one in Charlotte is going to be the Taj Mahal. All of Bruton’s tracks
are nice, but Charlotte is going to make us look like we are all in the
ghetto. Bruton is a visionary and he loves this sport.
“If race fans miss that first event in Charlotte then they are going to
miss the first race at what I feel is the best race track ever built.”
