Short (Oval) Track Racing: Great Racing or Hot-Blooded Aggression?

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With NASCAR's three big series hitting Bristol Motor Speedway, it's inspired me to come up with this topic. Short track purists love short track action (I usually quote short, but I've chosen not to for the sake of this introduction) for the action involved. There are usually a lot of cautions in most short track races, usually prolonging the racing action. I know there are a number of tracks shorter than Bristol, but there's something about short track racing. Some see it as hard-fought action that fans will love. Some others will see it as crash-fests (which usually excites the usual "fanboy" or "fangirl"). How do you see short track racing?

I'll begin.

Most short tracks usually call for a proper suspension setup as well as brakes that can endure the length of a long race on a short oval. They also call for a very close gear setup to get as much speed as possible to properly navigate an oval in the fastest time possible. Short track races can be very challenging in which to navigate through a packed field of cars or trucks on the track. It isn't easy passing through a field of cars with only a few lanes of passing. If you want an accurate view of narrow confines and comparing it to a highway, Martinsville's roads looks a lot like a highway with the long lines showing the different grooves of the track. And just like a highway, it can be quite congested especially when you can either win and succeed, or be sidelined thanks to another driver's tomfoolery. Which brings me to my normal rant on this kind of racing. I'd say these races are very enduring since you normally have to navigate a course of under 1 mile or under 0.5 miles. The stop-and-go racing under green conditions will really test a car (and even the driver's) ability to keep the car on pace through the length of a long race. Also important is the ability to not give into danger and try to avoid getting crashed out. It sounds like a redundant theme, however, it's how teams and drivers earn their pay on these courses. If you're going to race somebody on a short oval, you'll need to try not to be thuggish about it. A race has to be run, and you'll need to be smart about passes. People always want to complain over any series that isn't NASCAR about passing. So it's smart to spin a guy (or a girl) out in trying to take the higher position? I can probably remember (since Bristol is the inspiration for this topic) when Dale Earnhardt Sr. unintentionally spun out Terry LaBonte (Texas' own!) to win the race. A lot of the people in the house were booing The Intimidator after the event. And recently, Kurt Busch got into Jeff Gordon or J. Gordon got into Kurt Busch in the day race. Jeff Gordon pushed Kurt Busch later on (hell, he deserved every newton meter (nM) of that push) and basically punked him out for doing such a thing. The Knoxville Nationals saw father and son get into each others' faces. People... this is father and son having a heated exchange after the two crashed out! It seems like some of these races can't be done without four-letter expletives and "do something about it, m:censored:f:censored:er!" shoving. I usually don't look forward to short track races like I look forward to competive road racing or long ovals. Like, I'll look forward to seeing the Daytona 500 and maybe even the Coca-Cola/The World 600. I'll look forward to NASCAR's runs around Sears Point and Watkins Glen. But I don't really anticipate a short track weekend like I do with a prestigious event. Part of that is because the usual mainstream dopes would love to share their favorite crashes or "whose fault was this" situations with certain crashes and who was dumb enough to put someone's car into the wall. People complain about not enough passing in most other motorsports. Well, some of these events are "not enough racing." I'll watch Le Mans or next month's Petit Le Mans for long-distance action, but not a race prolonged by usually unnecessary and avoidable cautions. But that's just me.

This is not about short track racing in general, but about the NATURE of short track racing. Contribute at will.
 
With the short straights and tight turns,you sometimes have to make a opening.Now as long as you don'ttake someone out,it is ok.But put someone into the wall and watch out.As a driver you expect to trade some paint but if you are taken out,you get:censored:.You got to love the short track race.
 
The Bristol race was relatively uneventful (Nextel Cup.) As far as short track racing goes, on a small track like Bristol (though the brakes aren't used nearly as much as a road course) you probably drive it like a road course, and set it up that way. The only thing that makes the bumping necessary is the fact that 42 other guys were crazy enough to get on the track and do 160 with you. If the field was say... 20 cars deep you wouldn't get nearly as many incidents as the average. I'll turn on the odd NASCAR event and root for some of the big names but, short track racing events are the NASCAR events you'll see most on my TV.

m.piedgros
 
Bristol as you know is the fastest half mile in the world, so for Mark Martin in the #6 Triple AAA Race car, at one point he had a 16 second lead on second!
I wasnt supprised myself that he didnt begin the lappage of the cars in the last.
 
Bristol is NOT, I repeat, NOT the world's fastest 1/2 mile.

Winchester Speedway in Indiana, Toledo Speedway and Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Ohio, and even Berlin Speedway in Marne, Michigan ALL have 410 sprint car track records under 13 seconds, as well as much higher terminal speeds on their backstretch (the generally accepted point to measure terminal speeds in short track racing)

And I'm even being kind by leaving out some of the wicked fast dirt 1/2's like Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Fact is, Bristol's "fastest" claim is hardly a factual claim anyways, because a stock car is NOT the world accepted fastest short track machine. You have your pick: winged 410 asphalt sprinter or ISMA supermodified.

Neither has ever turned official laps at Bristol. Turn some real racecars loose on that concrete, and MAYBE we'll see that it's a fast track. Otherwise, it's just another taxicab haven.
 
Layla's Keeper
Bristol is NOT, I repeat, NOT the world's fastest 1/2 mile.

Winchester Speedway in Indiana, Toledo Speedway and Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Ohio, and even Berlin Speedway in Marne, Michigan ALL have 410 sprint car track records under 13 seconds, as well as much higher terminal speeds on their backstretch (the generally accepted point to measure terminal speeds in short track racing)

And I'm even being kind by leaving out some of the wicked fast dirt 1/2's like Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Fact is, Bristol's "fastest" claim is hardly a factual claim anyways, because a stock car is NOT the world accepted fastest short track machine. You have your pick: winged 410 asphalt sprinter or ISMA supermodified.

Neither has ever turned official laps at Bristol. Turn some real racecars loose on that concrete, and MAYBE we'll see that it's a fast track. Otherwise, it's just another taxicab haven.
Click to expand...

theres a reason they dont run sprint cars at bristol
a. they would be too fast those cars would be runing below 10 sec. lap times
b. the cars would not be able to handle the forces that that track would put on them.
 
I'm a short-track fanatic, the short tracks are the pure drivers circuit for an oval driver, the best of the best shine there. I say this because aerodynamics play no part in the car at all, you have to really feather the throttle, and avoid the other 42 drivers all in about 15-20 seconds. I have heard stories about Winged 600 midgets reaching 140mph on a 3/8 mile track, so that in itself seems like around bristol they would probably hit 160-170.
 
Here in NZ we don't have these 1/3 or 1/2 mile tracks only 1/4 mile dirt tracks. The sprint cars lap these at pretty high speeds at Baypark Christi Passmore got up to 210kph on the backstraight. We also have racecars called stockcars where contact is allowed
 
Believe me, FireEmblem, once you get into the faster categories, aerodynamics play a HUGE role in a short track car. Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York is a perfect example of this.

Oswego's tradition, for years, has been to run supermodifieds without their top wing. Taking away the cage-mounted top wing removes a ton of downforce (quite literally, actually) from these cars, and with the 5/8th's mile Oswego's wide sweeping flat corners that's a big deficit.

So, the wingless supermodifieds have developed advanced aerodynamics all their own (in fact, there are three new chassis, Booth, Hawk, and Xtreme, that have seen wind tunnel time) that use sidedams, multi-element tailwings, and other elements to create the lost downforce.

And here's the top examples.

c-1.jpg

Greg Furlong's 2005 Hawk (current track record holder at a 16.337second lap)

c-44.jpg

Doug Didero's 2006 Xtreme

c-54.jpg

Mike Ordway's 2006 Booth

Of course, the winged supermodifieds, with their pneumatic top wings and equally radical bodywork, are even quicker.
 
468ci Chevrolet big block, iron block, aluminum heads (spec Brodix casting), running mechanical fuel injection and methanol producing in excess of 900hp.

Minimum weight, 1800lbs. Direct drive.

And, they more commonly run with a pneumatic top wing that flattens out at speed to lessen drag down the straightaways, as seen here on Mike Ordway's Booth chassis in ISMA (International Super Modified Association) trim.

800-ISMA-Mansfield-Fri_7304.jpg


In this shot, you can also see current ISMA points leader, and multi-time ISMA champion Chris "The Rowley Rocket" Perley. Perley's car is a pure wing car, never intended to run sans wing.
 
Layla's Keeper, I dig that 2006 Xtreme you posted in Post #12. In terms of modifieds, I'm sort of used to dirt modifieds and NASCAR modifieds. So I don't know the supermodified business all that well. That specific supermodified looks like an American answer to F1 cars only without all the high-tech. It's one of the most wicked race cars I've ever seen. I really like that Xtreme with Doug Didero in it.

The original premise for this thread was not on short track racing in general, but more of the nature of short tracking. NASCAR's heading to Richmond for a little Saturday Night Lights before NASCAR's playoff/Chase for the Cup begins. I don't think Richmond is as hectic as the high banks of Bristol or the mostly-flat Martinsville oval. I'll be honest with you all... I don't have a specific favorite short oval. But if I had to choose, I may go with Hickory. Remember that thread I made about North Wilkesboro? I think a lot of future oval racing stars shone at tracks like Hickory. When I normally think of Hickory, I'm thinking of that wonderful Hickory barbeque sauce you put on ribs and stuff. Hickory also makes a competitive oval. Only way I know about it is from the PC game, "NASCAR Racing 1999 Edition."

Anyone else wants to talk on the nature of short track racing and how hectic and overaggressive it can be?
 
It can be hectic and overaggressive on 1/4 mile dirt ovals when there are over 20 600hp saloons fighting over the inside line over a race distance of 10 laps. This would ony get worse if there was a say 100 lap NASCAR race at Bristol as there would be more aggro as there are less laps to sit behind someone slower than you and this is what leads to the aggression sitting behind a slower car
 

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