Very uneven Lanes @ the Motorplex

[DynoGrump]

It was finally nice after 3 weeks to see drag racing back on the tube , but I must say I didn’t enjoy the racing at all. Between TF and FC combined there were only about 4 or 5 side by side competitive runs all day. It even appeared that the inferior right lane may have effected the Pro Stock final. Heck it might have been more exciting if they just close down the right lane and just let everyone make solo passes in the left and take the 8 quickest et’s for the next round :p


dg

[Justin League]

On Saturday there wasnt anything wrong with the right lane at all. Just look at final round qualifying in Top Fuel. Every driver made it in the program. Vandergriff and Will went 64,66 side by side as the first pair Sat. However, Sunday there was a difference for some reason. Will went a .70 first round over there and I think that was the only person who went down it decent if my memory serves me correct. I just dont understand how it can go from being even to being totally uneven.

[all8]

On Saturday there wasnt anything wrong with the right lane at all. Sunday there was a difference for some reason. Will went a .70 first round over there and I think that was the only person who went down it decent if my memory serves me correct. I just dont understand how it can go from being even to being totally uneven.
I don`t either Justin, it made for a very boring day Sunday...so much so that I was outta there after 2nd rd. and got an early flight out of DFW.

[Bob Korreck]

That entire track is concrete. I think it was a combination of track prep, or lack of and the weather. I imagine the weather was the real culprit and it had a major effect on the right lane.

[Methnut]

imagine next year when theirs a points chase format, not only do teams have to contend with one little thing going wrong with the cars and their out of it, but how are these teams going to react when things don't go their way in qualifying? Now they have to worry about losing lane choice and if your in the final four lets say and you lose choice at a one lane track, their screwed and the entire season lost because of bad lanes, hows that deciding a championship fair and square?

[enraeh]

That entire track is concrete. I think it was a combination of track prep, or lack of and the weather. I imagine the weather was the real culprit and it had a major effect on the right lane.

I believe there was a thunderstorm that blew through and could have left moisture in the asphalt-to-concrete layer that caused the 1st 60 feet to lift in places and have rough gaps in the surface. Since the groove is narrow there would be less good lane area to line up in.

[Bob Korreck]

I believe there was a thunderstorm that blew through and could have left moisture in the asphalt-to-concrete layer that caused the 1st 60 feet to lift in places and have rough gaps in the surface. Since the groove is narrow there would be less good lane area to line up in.

What asphalt?

[jpee]

What asphalt?

Pops... Once again your right.. that track is all concrete.. !! **** I hate to say "Your Right" :)

Speaking of ETs I plan on going th Maple Grove.. & IF REPEAT IF it don't rain.. I might get to see some AWESOME #

[KNIGHTRIDER]

imagine next year when theirs a points chase format, not only do teams have to contend with one little thing going wrong with the cars and their out of it, but how are these teams going to react when things don't go their way in qualifying? Now they have to worry about losing lane choice and if your in the final four lets say and you lose choice at a one lane track, their screwed and the entire season lost because of bad lanes, hows that deciding a championship fair and square?Just one more thing to P & M about.:(

[enraeh]

What asphalt?

Ok,then...the layer of rubber on the concrete...unless the launch pad is bare concrete? It's my understanding that the entire length is stressed concrete that won't buckle or sink thereby giving a flat surface with no bumps to unload the tires causing wheelspin. I've never been there, but I would guess that a bare concrete surface would be either like a slip-n-slide or would chew up tires very quickly. Anybody know what the surface is?

[Bob Korreck]

Ok,then...the layer of rubber on the concrete...unless the launch pad is bare concrete? It's my understanding that the entire length is stressed concrete that won't buckle or sink thereby giving a flat surface with no bumps to unload the tires causing wheelspin. I've never been there, but I would guess that a bare concrete surface would be either like a slip-n-slide or would chew up tires very quickly. Anybody know what the surface is?

Concrete. :D I don't know of any launch pads that are not concrete. This is me at Ennis.

http://bomardragracing.com/Racing/bob@ennis.JPG

[enraeh]

Ok,fair enough. But if both launch pads are concrete and both are bare concrete, then why the difference in lanes? Would the track crew prepare one side good and the other poorly? Which brings me back to my original point(and yours too) weather. But if weather was the problem did it rain on only one side of the launch pad? No, so it was track prep with weather problems that messed up that side. We are both right but you are more right than I am.

Just out of curiosity, how far are the lanes from that cyclone fence you are leaning on?

[Bob Korreck]

Ok,fair enough. But if both launch pads are concrete and both are bare concrete, then why the difference in lanes? Would the track crew prepare one side good and the other poorly? Which brings me back to my original point(and yours too) weather. But if weather was the problem did it rain on only one side of the launch pad? No, so it was track prep with weather problems that messed up that side. We are both right but you are more right than I am.

Just out of curiosity, how far are the lanes from that cyclone fence you are leaning on?

I think there maybe a slight difference in the concrete. One side may be a little different than the other.

I think I heard them say the weather was much cooler on Sunday. Cooler track temps means less traction. You indicated it rained Sat night. Perhaps if the concrete was more porous in the right lane that caused a problem. I didn't think pro stock had a problem in either lane. TF and FC make so much power it doesn't take much.

Track prep was probably not the problem. They prep both sides at the same time usually with VHT or some other traction compound.

I don't know the distance from the fence to the track. Maybe 40'.

[Kelly]

I also think that the lower qualified cars being stuck in the right lane had alot to do with the unsuccessful runs over there. Obviously, there was a reason the top half picked the left lane, though. A combination of both might have been factors.

btw, Capps DID win in the right lane......John smoked 'em in the left in 1st round.

I personally was thinking that the fact that Sunday's weather was so much different, they didn't really have much tune-up data at that track this particular weekend in the cooler weather. Especially, the lower qualifyied teams that were struggling anyway.

[Bob Korreck]

I also think that the lower qualified cars being stuck in the right lane had alot to do with the unsuccessful runs over there. Obviously, there was a reason the top half picked the left lane, though. A combination of both might have been factors.

btw, Capps DID win in the right lane......John smoked 'em in the left in 1st round.

I personally was thinking that the fact that Sunday's weather was so much different, they didn't really have much tune-up data at that track this particular weekend in the cooler weather. Especially, the lower qualifyied teams that were struggling anyway.

Didn't Capps also lose in the right lane? :D

[Kelly]

lol.....1 for 2. ;)

[gary4205]

Watched them build the track and have been to most Nationals there. The track is all concrete. The shut off is asphalt. Don't know why the right lane was bad for some cars. There may have been an oil down or something that caused the smoke. Don't know that for a fact though!

[Rowdy]

Don't know for sure if this is what was happening to the right lane sunday but i've seen rubber peeling up from the concrete before which leaves big bare spots on the starting line. It makes it real hard to pick the right spot to launch the car from. Though the track did see a little rain early saturday morning i don't believe it had any effect on the track prep. Both saturday qualifying sessions were run after the rain and the right lane was just fine then.

[Bob Korreck]

Don't know for sure if this is what was happening to the right lane sunday but i've seen rubber peeling up from the concrete before which leaves big bare spots on the starting line. It makes it real hard to pick the right spot to launch the car from. Though the track did see a little rain early saturday morning i don't believe it had any effect on the track prep. Both saturday qualifying sessions were run after the rain and the right lane was just fine then.

Rubber peeling occurs at every track. That's why we try to be very careful where we stage. I think a lot of the problems were down track. Maybe 50%?

I've also seen this happen at many other tracks. I won a final round at Englishtown last year because I had lane choice. The right lane was bad so I took the left. He went up in smoke. Normally at E-Town the conditions are great. I have no clue why that lane was bad that night.

[Plain Vanilla]

I didn't see the runs Sunday, but there was a bump in the right lane. If you saw Saturday 1st round qualifying, all but a couple people smoked the tires past half track in the right lane. Combine that with being the underdog and needing to step it up...............SUNDAY SMOKEFEST:)

[FCHeadguy]

I walked the track before we ran Fuller 1st rd. The right was not as good as the left, but Sat it was very good. That means only one thing, Track Prep.

[Bob Korreck]

I walked the track before we ran Fuller 1st rd. The right was not as good as the left, but Sat it was very good. That means only one thing, Track Prep.

Any idea what the problem would have been with the prep?

[FCHeadguy]

Sometimes on Sat night, they will scrub the track, and then reprep it. Then before they run 1st rd, they scrape and respray it. Sometimes one lane takes the prep work better than the other. NHRA doesnt do anything different from lane to lane. Its just the way it is.

[Bob Korreck]

Sometimes on Sat night, they will scrub the track, and then reprep it. Then before they run 1st rd, they scrape and respray it. Sometimes one lane takes the prep work better than the other. NHRA doesnt do anything different from lane to lane. Its just the way it is.

That's why I didn't think it was the prep. They scrape and respray at the same time. But you were there. Thanks for the info.