01/02/2004
RACE
TRAVELER
by Walter Johnston
From time to time, I get restless just
attending racing at one race track, so I occasionally travel
to others. It helps me keep a good perspective of racing
overall, and let's me experience some of the racing I would
otherwise only read about. I have visited a number of tracks
over the years I've attended races, and I've just been to one
that I think you should all hear about.
A couple of friends and myself decided that
trying out New Egypt would make a nice new experience. We got
kind of a late start leaving Long Island, and got involved in
some traffic we didn't expect for a Saturday, so we missed the
heat races that night, and that was a bit disappointing, but
we arrived in time to witness the Sportsman division consi as
our first event, and things just got better with each passing
race. On this particular Saturday, July 19th, they were
running Twin 20's for the Mods, and regular features for their
other two divisions, Sportsman and Super Stocks.
Getting back to what was on the track when we
arrived, the Sportsman consi consisted of about 26 cars, all
vying for the top 4 spots to transfer into the feature. It
made for a very exciting race. There were a few cautions, but
mostly just good racing by the whole field, especially the
front half. After the consi was over, we found out that 29
cars were NOT qualified for the feature race, while 24 others
were going to run it. Talk about a competitive field of cars!
It was a great race, but better races were still to come.
If you're not familiar with New Egypt in it's
current configuration, it is a 4/10 of a mile dirt 'D' shaped
oval, with a straight front stretch, and a curved back
stretch. It is a relatively flat track, with little
discernable banking in the turns. It is a dirt track, but
moist clay would be a better description, because all night
long it looked wet, wetter than most I've seen. At least it
wasn't dusty. However, one must be careful with seat
selection, as the mud flies during the racing action, and it
comes in marble sized chunks, and sometimes larger pieces,
too.
The other two consi's were as good as the
Sportsman consi's, with fewer cars, but enough to make each a
good, competitive race. After the consi's were finished, it
was intermission time. This particular night, the track held a
pit crew contest, timing crew members of teams that had
entered to win cash prizes. They had to jack up a car,
dismount the right rear tire, mount a 'new' one, and tighten
all the lug nuts, and let the car down, all against a
hand-held stopwatch. We'll forgo telling you who won, but let
you know this paid $300 for 1st, $200 for 2nd, And $100 for
3rd, making for some very seriously enthusiastic team members
going for the big prize. While that was going on, New Egypt
also has a sandbox/playground for the youngsters, with the
requirement that an adult accompany and supervise the child,
and the kids I saw playing there loved it. What a nice idea!
For those interested in refreshments, there is a food midway
located behind the main grandstand with a very nice variety of
foods and drinks to offerm and all reasonably priced. Oh, they
also have clean bathrooms, a nice thing in itself.
Now, with intermission over, it was time
for the mains. The first of 2 twin 20's took to the track,
lined up behind the pace truck, and as I found out shortly
after, all drivers are equipped with radios for the officials
to talk to them during the race and caution periods. Fans with
radio scanners, like myself, can monitor this, and I have to
say, it made for a very efficiently run event, each and every
time. Drivers were told, "3 car, you go behind the 27,
and in front of the 18." and they quickly got into
position, and resumed racing quickly each time. If someone had
something wrong with their car, like a leak, or part hanging
off, they were told to leave the track, and they did,
minimizing yellow flags and making for a superior show. The
first race went smoothly, with only a few short cautions, and
then it was time for the Sportsman feature, another smoothly
run race, thanks to the radios and a very efficiently run
track crew. I should mention that these two races were very
exciting, and that the cars go quite fast on the slick
surface, making them actually run sideways through the turns,
performing some unbelievably tricky maneuvers to keep moving
forward, while going sideways. After the Sportsman feature,
the Super Stocks had their feature race, another exciting
event, and the only one that featured 'full fendered' cars.
After this race, it was time for the final event of the night,
the second of the twin 20's for the Mods. The winner of the
first Mod event had drawn a number from a hat, which
determined that 14 cars, the highest number in the hat, would
be inverted from the finish of the first race, for the start
of this one. I know the drivers were disappointed, but it was
great for the fans to get to watch the fastest from the first
feature battle their way to the front in the second one.
I won't get into who won, just really
wanted to give you all an idea of what racing is like at this
track. The show was over a little after 10 PM, and we headed
back to Long Island, happily without as much traffic as we
encountered on the way. I would highly recommend to anyone who
is in the area of New Egypt on a Saturday night, and to those
who don't mind 'Road Trips', that they visit this wonderful
race track, and experience for themselves what a wonderful
night of racing they put on there. I know I definitely want to
make a return visit, probably more than one. Those who are
regulars from the area, you hopefully appreciate how lucky you
are to get to go every week, but don't forget, the idea here
is to try other tracks once in a while. It will either give
you an appreciation of the one you visit, like this did for
me, or you will discover that the track you attend weekly is
an okay place for racing. Either way, if you find one you
like, visit when you can, bring a friend who might not
regularly go, and show them what they've been missing. They'll
probably thank you, and if not, at least you know you tried to
show them the greatest sport in America, stock car racing.
Sources:
Walter Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: January 2, 2004
