9/10/2016
Salina Highbanks Speedway
When it Rains!
As most of you guys know we are rained out once again. This is the 5th rain out of the year. Last year we rained out 6 time, three alone in the month of May and about the same the year before. Unfortunately rain outs happen when you have a dirt track as your home track and thanks God its not an asphalt track because we all know that asphalt is for getting to the track!
I always see comments on social media that are negative or move over people upset that the races are rained out. Which means your probably as passionate about racing and racing at the Highbanks as I am. So I thought I would put to words the reason we call a race off from time to time.
First and biggest reason is safety. We have had 5" of rain in the last 24 hours so that means a lot of water has ran off the Highbanks creating a nice pile of muddy soup at the bottom of the race track and areas that surround the track. So if we need to get an ambulance to a driver and the infield and the lower track areas are muddy they will more than likely get stuck. Fan Safety is also in this. A dusty track is one thing but a heavy track will throw huge dirt balls into the stand and into the cars on the track. Ask any fan or driver if they have ever been hit before!
Second is how fast will the track dry so we can rework and replace dirt that has washed to the bottom and will we leave ruts that will effect racing later in the night. So if the track is to wet to work then it is to wet to race. Take the first night of the Sooner Showdown 3 years ago, Thursday morning it rained and we decide to race. After hours of getting the track ready we put cars on the track had it rolled in and we went racing. After pulling several car out of the mud on the bottom of the track, due to wrecks or them trying to get off the track, with backhoes I started to reconsider if we had made the right call and after seeing several cars tore up due to the heavy conditions of the track I told myself we won't every do this to the drivers again. At the end of the night its not worth seeing guys mad because the race track tore them up. Its just bad business.
Third is will we be able to have large truck and trailers pull in and out of the pit area without getting stuck. I've been on both sides of this one and its not good. Those guys in those fancy rigs don't like having bumpers bent up!
There are always more things that we look at also but the above mentioned are the key. We really needed to race this weekend for the guys chasing points but were just unable to make it happen. Next weekend is our Night of Champions final points night for NASCAR and track points. Hopefully we will miss the forecasted rains for next week and be able to see our champions honored in Victory Lane with a champagne/ confetti celebration! Good luck to the drivers and their teams! See you next week!
Article Credit: David Edwards Salina GM
