Dirt Racing: Turn right to turn left!

May God bless the lazy bastard who invented the TV! When I am bored, I channel surf, much like the average person. Sometimes my favorite channel, SpeedTV, does not have much to offer and reluctantly, I go elsewhere – strange but true.

Technology allows us to see what a program is all about, when the title gives few or no clues. Prelude to the Dream (on SpeedTV) is one title I wasn’t familiar with and the magic button, the info. button revealed – Eldora Speedway /sports racing. I have seen this title before, but not knowing much about sprint cars racing on dirt (Eldora is a dirt track), I usually move on and continue my most difficult chore for the day – pressing the channel up-down button on the remote.

NASCAR

When I saw it recently (the title Prelude to the Dream), boredom mixed with curiosity won and I decided to see what it was all about. I was in luck. NASCAR’s best, Tony Stewart, Ryan Vickers, Kevin Harvick, Kenny Wallace, Kyle Busch, Casey Khane and others including Ray Everham (Jeff Gordon’s old crew chief, back when he was very successful), were in the driver’s seat of the dirt cars at Eldora speedway and I joined during qualifying.

I am willing to learn and as such I was listening to what was being said by the commentators. The cars are not typical race cars. They are weird looking cars. They are essentially 800 hp, V8 monsters – basically a tube frame chasis wrapped with sheet metal, creating an unusual body style – grotesque even.

Remember now, the action unfolds on a dirt, oval shaped track and with 800 hp on tap, the slogan ‘power is nothing without control’ (Pirelli tires) takes a literal meaning. The car is driven for the most part sideways, as the driver does the balancing act, involving steering input and throttle position. Turn right to go left! Confused? Let me assist. The tracks are left turn only, but as you turn left and apply even a fraction of the available power the car ‘breaks’ right, so to keep it on the desired path, heading to the checkered flag, opposite lock, turn right, is of prime importance. Essentially for the duration of the lap the car is in a continuous drift – turn right to turn left!

Tony ‘Smoke’ Stewart

Racing on dirt is an art. To be able to drift highly tuned, very powerful racecars around an oval track requires a blend of surgical precision and the skills of the ‘Flying Finn’ on loose surfaces. Tony ‘Smoke’ Stewart is head and shoulders above his peers and when he took to the track he lectured the field. He was conducting a driving clinic! Smoke‘s throttle knew one position, apparently it was stuck, or it wanted to maintain a good relationship with the floor board. Smoke ran wide open for most of his qualifying laps. His run was different from all the others before him. The big V8 would wail like Honda’s B16b when VTEC is engaged. Smoke’s V8 played melodies usually reserved for an opera house! I did not know that V8’s could sound so good. Smoke broke the track record and ‘smoked’ the competition in the process. Even the commentators were impressed with Smoke’s performance. During the replay of Smoke’s run, they remained silent, allowing us to soak in the sounds of the V8 as its pistons rehearsed their dance routine.

According to the Caucasians, “Dirt racing rocks”! V8 power, 800 untamed horses on dirt, must be fun. But wait there is more. There were several qualifying heats ahead and then the big feature race. I must admit I was now glued to the ‘tele’, rejoicing that I found a new love – V8’s racing on dirt!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer