Discussion
the much talked about relaying of the track at santa pod which would be a change worth talking about,
the date for the start of the work has come and gone,
the 3 clear weeks for the work to be done which was talked about... has spouted an event.
it even got as far as laying test strips of different compounds and preping them to race standards to see which was the best compound
what a kick in the b
ks for british drag racing if we dont get a much needed new surface to race on,
Hockenheims track was ruined through man made errors and they fixed it
santa pods track is ruined through the forces of nature..and ???
the date for the start of the work has come and gone,
the 3 clear weeks for the work to be done which was talked about... has spouted an event.
it even got as far as laying test strips of different compounds and preping them to race standards to see which was the best compound
what a kick in the b

Hockenheims track was ruined through man made errors and they fixed it
santa pods track is ruined through the forces of nature..and ???
Turbobird1 said:
the much talked about relaying of the track at santa pod which would be a change worth talking about,
the date for the start of the work has come and gone,
the 3 clear weeks for the work to be done which was talked about... has spouted an event.
it even got as far as laying test strips of different compounds and preping them to race standards to see which was the best compound
what a kick in the b
ks for british drag racing if we dont get a much needed new surface to race on,
Hockenheims track was ruined through man made errors and they fixed it
santa pods track is ruined through the forces of nature..and ???
Well it's a lot of money to invest, and I'm sure they would rather make sure they take their time to get it right first time! I'm sure it's not as easy as ripping it up and just plonking some back down again!the date for the start of the work has come and gone,
the 3 clear weeks for the work to be done which was talked about... has spouted an event.
it even got as far as laying test strips of different compounds and preping them to race standards to see which was the best compound
what a kick in the b

Hockenheims track was ruined through man made errors and they fixed it
santa pods track is ruined through the forces of nature..and ???
who said anything about ripping it up and plonking it down??? you just invented that, or assumed it.
getting it right first time? a lot of money to invest???
actuly a new tarmac surface was costed at £300,000+
concidering whats at stake its not that much
its been surveyed, its been costed, a plan has been made to plane it level then resurface it,
getting it right first time? a lot of money to invest???
actuly a new tarmac surface was costed at £300,000+
concidering whats at stake its not that much
its been surveyed, its been costed, a plan has been made to plane it level then resurface it,
Edited by Turbobird1 on Wednesday 6th March 18:49
37chevy said:
Well it's a lot of money to invest, and I'm sure they would rather make sure they take their time to get it right first time! I'm sure it's not as easy as ripping it up and just plonking some back down again!
Well, the track was promised at the end of 2011. That came and went. It has been promised for this year like Graham says, but nothing as of yet.
It's speculating to accumulate. Every business has to do it to move forward.
Doing the track seems like a no brainer to me, if SP want to keep competitive FIA (and MSA)championship racing here.
Once again information about a crucial aspect of Euro drag racing is shrouded in secrecy.
Anyone have some info to enlighten us (seems like) unwashed masses?
Edited by redvictor on Sunday 3rd March 19:49
redvictor said:
Well, the track was promised at the end of 2011. That came and went.
It has been promised for this year like Graham says, but nothing as of yet.
It's speculating to accumulate. Every business has to do it to move forward.
Doing the track seems like a no brainer to me, if SP want to keep competitive FIA (and MSA)championship racing here.
Once again information about a crucial aspect of Euro drag racing is shrouded in secrecy.
Anyone have some info to enlighten us (seems like) unwashed masses?
Oh don't get me wrong, it's massively overdue! I think we would all love to see a new track surface, and I fully agree with you both it needs to be done! It has been promised for this year like Graham says, but nothing as of yet.
It's speculating to accumulate. Every business has to do it to move forward.
Doing the track seems like a no brainer to me, if SP want to keep competitive FIA (and MSA)championship racing here.
Once again information about a crucial aspect of Euro drag racing is shrouded in secrecy.
Anyone have some info to enlighten us (seems like) unwashed masses?
Edited by redvictor on Sunday 3rd March 19:49
How about a concrete track, I thought that was talked about at one point? But I think that would take a massive rebuild and wouldn't be as simple as planing out the existing track and relaying concrete.
Turbobird1 said:
im kinda hoping its been a hiccup in the plan and not a case of smoke and mirrors
So am I,but with 3 weeks left to the first MSA meeting, unless it's already been done we're pretty much screwed for this year again!I'm honestly stunned it if hasn't been done, and i can't even begin to see why it wouldn't have been......
redvictor said:
So am I,but with 3 weeks left to the first MSA meeting, unless it's already been done we're pretty much screwed for this year again!
I'm honestly stunned it if hasn't been done, and i can't even begin to see why it wouldn't have been......
Just out of interest how much prep work is involved with a new surface, I'm assuming it will need time to cure for all the oils to disappear and then be preped with rubber, glue etc etc?I'm honestly stunned it if hasn't been done, and i can't even begin to see why it wouldn't have been......
37chevy said:
Just out of interest how much prep work is involved with a new surface, I'm assuming it will need time to cure for all the oils to disappear and then be preped with rubber, glue etc etc?
I'm not a tarmac layer,so i wouldn't know the ins and outs of it, but it's not just the laying. It's the grinding of the surface,laying the tarmac,leveling it, then putting rubber on it. I can't see that happening in 3 weeks. Maybe someone in the know can tell me different? I'd be happy to be proven wrong in this case!
redvictor said:
I'm not a tarmac layer,so i wouldn't know the ins and outs of it, but it's not just the laying. It's the grinding of the surface,laying the tarmac,leveling it, then putting rubber on it. I can't see that happening in 3 weeks.
Maybe someone in the know can tell me different? I'd be happy to be proven wrong in this case!
Well I'm a civil engineer so know the ins and outs of laying the surface and sub formations, but not the rubber/glue side of it!Maybe someone in the know can tell me different? I'd be happy to be proven wrong in this case!
Suffice to say when we relayed donington park a few years back, it took several weeks for the oils to come to the surface, and when it rained on the first race day, there was absolute pandemonium!
Drag racing doesn't have that problem necessarily because you don't race in the wet, however I don't know how a newly laid surface would react to the glue/rubber mix without sufficient curing time.
In terms of the concrete surface, I don't know what sub formations are underneath the track, however I would think with the extra weight of concrete the sub formations would need ripping up, and enhancing before concrete can be put down....it's not a cheep solution, but ultimately probably the one to give the best result looking at tierp and most other American tracks
Mad4racing said:
Has anyone considered the fact it rained and was cold last week. Not the best conditions to lay tarmac down in especially when you need a smooth track.
I guess if the excuse is going to be the weather, we'll need to wait until 2050 until the track is relaid!Edited by Mad4racing on Monday 4th March 07:21
Tierp track was done from scratch through a Swedish winter...
redvictor said:
Mad4racing said:
Has anyone considered the fact it rained and was cold last week. Not the best conditions to lay tarmac down in especially when you need a smooth track.
I guess if the excuse is going to be the weather, we'll need to wait until 2050 until the track is relaid!Edited by Mad4racing on Monday 4th March 07:21
Tierp track was done from scratch through a Swedish winter...
Mad4racing said:
Tierp is concrete track. Santa pod is asphalt, not a fair comparison to make as two totally different mediums.
Yes i know it is. I'm pointing out the fact that work was carried out on a track in a country that has a harsher winter than we do. That is a complete track,from scratch. Not a grind and resurface.I've been defending SP after 2011 when someone stood up and said the track is being done. It wasn't. Then again someone stood up and apologised profusely and said that would never happen again. We're still waiting......
If it's promised that the track is being done then it should be. If it wasn't going to be done then don't say it in the first place! Especially in front of all the racers.
I don't think you fully understand the implications of this.
And on a side note i'm not having a go at the track crew and staff of SP, who have done a great job with the track over the last couple of years under very difficult circumstances.
Edited by redvictor on Monday 4th March 08:10
Mad4racing said:
Has anyone considered the fact it rained and was cold last week. Not the best conditions to lay tarmac down in especially when you need a smooth track.
Its not been that cold and they still lay roads in the winterEdited by Mad4racing on Monday 4th March 07:21
I dont think asphalt is so affected by the cold as concreat is
I was told "Unless it snows it WILL be done
I have. Been told by a reliable source that as i type there are machines at the track so maybe we should hold fire on this as it looks like kb has come through for us

Edited by Turbobird1 on Monday 4th March 11:52
37chevy said:
Well I'm a civil engineer so know the ins and outs of laying the surface and sub formations, but not the rubber/glue side of it!
Suffice to say when we relayed donington park a few years back, it took several weeks for the oils to come to the surface, and when it rained on the first race day, there was absolute pandemonium!
Drag racing doesn't have that problem necessarily because you don't race in the wet, however I don't know how a newly laid surface would react to the glue/rubber mix without sufficient curing time.
In terms of the concrete surface, I don't know what sub formations are underneath the track, however I would think with the extra weight of concrete the sub formations would need ripping up, and enhancing before concrete can be put down....it's not a cheep solution, but ultimately probably the one to give the best result looking at tierp and most other American tracks
does hitting the surface with the exhaust of a jet truck-drier do any damage?....Suffice to say when we relayed donington park a few years back, it took several weeks for the oils to come to the surface, and when it rained on the first race day, there was absolute pandemonium!
Drag racing doesn't have that problem necessarily because you don't race in the wet, however I don't know how a newly laid surface would react to the glue/rubber mix without sufficient curing time.
In terms of the concrete surface, I don't know what sub formations are underneath the track, however I would think with the extra weight of concrete the sub formations would need ripping up, and enhancing before concrete can be put down....it's not a cheep solution, but ultimately probably the one to give the best result looking at tierp and most other American tracks
Upatdawn said:
does hitting the surface with the exhaust of a jet truck-drier do any damage?....
Well the melting point of most asphalts are around 120-150 degrees c. So a jet engine on full blast woul do damage to the surface, however the pod run them far from their potential, if they did get to that temperature the water would evaporate instantly and there would be steam everywhere, along with the glue and rubber melting which I have never seen! So I'd have thought the jet temperatures are well below that or the heat is being absorbed by the water/rubber and glue so it doesn't do any damage. I'd say the main damage to the track would come from subsidence and bloody great big sticky tyres trying I rip up the track!Turbobird1 said:
I have. Been told by a reliable source that as i type there are machines at the track so maybe we should hold fire on this as it looks like kb has come through for us 
Great news if they are. I'd like to see pics of it happening...
Edited by Turbobird1 on Monday 4th March 11:52
It's a shame we have to come on and speculate though.
Giving the information out = no speculation.
redvictor said:
Great news if they are. I'd like to see pics of it happening...
It's a shame we have to come on and speculate though.
Giving the information out = no speculation.
Ditto!!!! Next question for the drag racers amongst us, what's the difference between an asphalt and concrete track in terms of setup, consistent running etc etc, are concrete tracks faster??? It's a shame we have to come on and speculate though.
Giving the information out = no speculation.
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