Stoke Potter Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 What methods (other than sun and wind!) have been tried or researched to dry tracks out after a rain storm to get a meeting on and, more importantly, allow some decent racing? As we're talking BSPA I can be fairly confident there will have been zero research into any appropriate methods but what, if anything, has been tried in the past? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSC67 Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I'm sure Ronnie Russell had a track drying machine but I can't ever remember it being used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 Didn't Colin Meredith have some kind of jet engine? or was that an April fool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montie Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 ive often wondered if one of these would be any good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuho_ui74c or an even bigger one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 What methods (other than sun and wind!) have been tried or researched to dry tracks out after a rain storm to get a meeting on and, more importantly, allow some decent racing? As we're talking BSPA I can be fairly confident there will have been zero research into any appropriate methods but what, if anything, has been tried in the past? I remember saw dust being used at Cowley on more than one occasion. Recall John Davis and Neil Middleditch lighting, I think, petrol on damp patches (Weymouth) hoping to help dry the surface! Jet engines/cars were used prior to the 1974 World Final at Ullevi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoke Potter Posted September 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 (edited) I'm glad you both remember that as I vaguely recall a gas jet type thing on the back of a tractor somewhere but it could've been abroad. Limestone(?) powder and saw dust are old favourites that seemed to have gone out of fashion I think. Perhaps they didn't work. Edited September 23, 2017 by Stoke Potter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I remember seeing cement dust being used at coventry for the NL fours a few years ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aces51 Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I remember seeing cement dust being used at coventry for the NL fours a few years ago! Cement dust and a very wet track doesn't sound like a good idea, especially when the bikes have turned it over a few times. Sounds like a fun way to mix cement though but what would I know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I know that Glyn Taylor, when he was at Redcar, had some good ideas on this subject. I can remember discussing it with him. I don't know if he ever came up with anything that came to fruition though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foamfence Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I know that Glyn Taylor, when he was at Redcar, had some good ideas on this subject. I can remember discussing it with him. I don't know if he ever came up with anything that came to fruition though. I know he'd thought about something like those machines that melt the tarmac on the roads but I would have thought they were a bit expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I know he'd thought about something like those machines that melt the tarmac on the roads but I would have thought they were a bit expensive. You are spot on ff. I remember now, that was certainly one of his ideas. (No Likes (still)). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I remember a few years ago a Swedish GP being saved by the authorities shipping in some red hot coke( maybe furnace bottoms) from a nearby coke works. It was dropped all over the track and in no time produced a pretty good surface in a reasonable time scale. I don't think this was an isolated time that it was used. Correct that Glyn did pioneer with a heating system, similar to a tar laying apparatus, that was going to be used by all the tracks when it was needed. With reference to concrete dust at Coventry. It might have dried up the wet shale on the night, but can you image the damage it would have caused when they returned the following week to try and blade it for their next meeting. I have heard of promotions useing that sort of solution with holes in the track, but the drive is affected quite badly as a spinning wheel goes over from loose shale, to concert surface to loose shale again. A recipe for disaster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 Cement dust and a very wet track doesn't sound like a good idea, especially when the bikes have turned it over a few times. Sounds like a fun way to mix cement though but what would I know. it was only used on one part of the track at Brandon. I thought it was a strange idea at the time, but it worked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racers and royals Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I remember a few years ago a Swedish GP being saved by the authorities shipping in some red hot coke( maybe furnace bottoms) from a nearby coke works. It was dropped all over the track and in no time produced a pretty good surface in a reasonable time scale. I don't think this was an isolated time that it was used. Correct that Glyn did pioneer with a heating system, similar to a tar laying apparatus, that was going to be used by all the tracks when it was needed. With reference to concrete dust at Coventry. It might have dried up the wet shale on the night, but can you image the damage it would have caused when they returned the following week to try and blade it for their next meeting. I have heard of promotions useing that sort of solution with holes in the track, but the drive is affected quite badly as a spinning wheel goes over from loose shale, to concert surface to loose shale again. A recipe for disaster. Hot ash is still used in Sweden- it was used on Thursday in Vetlanda to relay and dry the track http://www.elitvetlanda.se/nyheter/banpreparering-pagar/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 (edited) Sawdust was commonly used in days of old Edited September 23, 2017 by Midland Red 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Potter 2 Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 I seem to remember a tarmac laying machine being used in either 60s or 70s to dry out a world final track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 Weetabix always soak up about the milk well 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple.H. Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 Straw/hay sprinkled with methanol. Ignite it Let it burn out Cool down Spike the track Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 (edited) Straw/hay sprinkled with methanol. Ignite it Let it burn out Cool down Spike the track Wouldn't sprinkling the track with methanol and setting that on fire do the trick?Doubt if either would be allowed by environmentalists anyway.Give speedway a bad name with the local council setting a 300 m track alight.Would need to call out the Fire Brigade to have that under control for sure and that might cost a packet.Certainly not something you could do with spectators in the stadium,if you could do it at all......but like the idea Edited September 24, 2017 by iris123 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiseguy Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 as an ex roofer nothing was more effective for drying u than these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=993nkdFshQU https://www.aboutroofing.com/multi-head-gas-torch-kit-4-x-heads-600mm-neck-5-mtr-hose-regulator.html?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Yniz6C-1gIV773tCh0dvAxzEAQYBSABEgJGTPD_BwE and these to remove puddles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Mhguy3wYM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6epaGp8igI0 I know for a fact if I was given a wet track with 1 hour to go , and it was not raining and 10 volunteers I could get a track dry, raceable would depend on how much water the track had absorbed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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