Crack The Whip?

[zerofor]

How many people would like to see some of the weekly tracks do something very old school and definately different than what's done anymore?Such as an Australian Pursuit or Crack the Whip race?Instead of always running the same ol same ol 8 lap heat races.Maybe start a Hornet division or strictly stock or V8 Bomber feature (at least when you don't have like 20 cars or more)from a standing start?Even a Lemans style start?It would definately be something the younger set has never seen and aren't going to see sitting at home watching a NASCAR race.Thoughts anyone?

[Boneman]

What exactly is a crack the whip race?

I saw a "second place is the winner" one time and it was hilarious. It was pretty destructive, so its best suited for demo derby/Crash A Rama cars.

The days of the Le Mans start are long gone. A generation or two ago, all the driver had to do was jump through the window and click a lap belt, but now with multi-point harnesses, a HANS etc.. it would take a while for sure.

[zerofor]

Boneman that just means the 300 pounders like me better be able to roll our fat butts across the track pretty damn fast and get buckled up quick if we don't want to find ourselves a lap down from the git-go.lol A crack the whip race has everybody line up single file at the start (that ought to please all the guys who don't like double file restarts)and whoever is in last place when they cross the start/finish line each lap is eliminated until only the leader remains.They ran them up north eons ago but I haven't heard of anyone that has ran one for at least 30 years.Definately not something your going to see everyday.

[Boneman]

whoever is in last place when they cross the start/finish line each lap is eliminated

We used to call that an "Australian Pursuit", and I agree, they could be pretty cool. I've never been in one and would like to give it a try sometime.

[zerofor]

Well now, an Australian Pursuit race as I remember it was a horse of a little different color.Ten laps and if you get passed your out.If you don't you run to the races conclusion.

[BOB KRUPA]

At Mt. Clemens Race Track in Michigan, they had the Double -0.
Start on the half mile track and go on the quarter mile track and back on the half mile and back on the Quarter mile. you got cars criss -crossing coming and going. Desoto Speedway is the only track that can run that race. It was the fans favor.

[Boneman]

Zero, I've seen that version of a pursuit. If one car blasts around a bunch in the first lap, then there is not much of a race left. Me, I prefer the kind where the last place car gets booted.

Bob, that sounds pretty cool. I saw it at a dirt track back in Texas. The fans had no idea which lap was a big track and which would use the small track. It was pretty funny.

[chassisdude]

Good old days

Zero, I've seen that version of a pursuit. If one car blasts around a bunch in the first lap, then there is not much of a race left. Me, I prefer the kind where the last place car gets booted.

Bob, that sounds pretty cool. I saw it at a dirt track back in Texas. The fans had no idea which lap was a big track and which would use the small track. It was pretty funny.

Oh remember all those races back in the day of round-d round racing. Back when racing was racing, we qualified early in the evening and then if you was in the fastest 4 cars you got to run the fast dash for four laps, then everyone got a chance at a heat races, mostly 6 to 8 cars for 8 laps with all cars inverted(fast cars start in back), then was either the pursuit or crack the wipe race again the fast 10 cars, fastest car starts last, now it would be time for a hot dog and a coke during intermission and it would be time for the features, depending on the class either 20 lap or 30 lap features, full field inverts. Damn I miss the old days, just not as much fun anymore. Guess I'm just getting to old, thinking about how it was and what we have now, sorry would rather have to old days

[zerofor]

In the pursuit race you would start fastest guy at the front,and slowest at the back to limit the chance of that happening.In the C-T-W, you start the slowest guy up front and fastest guy to the rear.It gives the slower guy a better chance to win the c-t-w and as far as the pursuit you have to be COMPLETELY passednot just nosed out and you are alive until you are completely passed or the laps run out,whichever comes first.I'm from Ohio so I remember reading about the double o races at Mt.Clemens even though I never made it there before they closed the place down.The only track I've ever been to in "that state up north" is Flat Rock and that's been almost 40 years ago now.Back in the days when Joy Fair,John Anderson,Joe Ruttman amongst a few others were cleaning house there and at Toledo's half mile.Oh there was a guy named Kesolowski that ran there too.God that makes me feel old!!!

[Boneman]

Here is a spectacle that will never be repeated: the "Beer Race". 45 years ago at Florida City, the track had a small sponsorship from a beer distributor. They came up with a great idea that combines drinking as much as possible and driving as fast as they could. Perfect!

It went something like this: the drivers raced 3 laps, parked in the infield, got out of their car and chugged a beer. Then it was back in the car and repeat the process a few times. Can you imagine trying that now?

[zerofor]

Here is a spectacle that will never be repeated: the "Beer Race". 45 years ago at Florida City, the track had a small sponsorship from a beer distributor. They came up with a great idea that combines drinking as much as possible and driving as fast as they could. Perfect!

It went something like this: the drivers raced 3 laps, parked in the infield, got out of their car and chugged a beer. Then it was back in the car and repeat the process a few times. Can you imagine trying that now?

Hell I new guys up in Ohio that did that and didn't worry about getting out of the car.Funny thing though they DID end up parked in the infield because they couldn't seem to keep all four wheels on the pavement.

[chassisdude]

Pursuit races

In the pursuit race you would start fastest guy at the front,and slowest at the back to limit the chance of that happening.In the C-T-W, you start the slowest guy up front and fastest guy to the rear.It gives the slower guy a better chance to win the c-t-w and as far as the pursuit you have to be COMPLETELY passednot just nosed out and you are alive until you are completely passed or the laps run out,whichever comes first.I'm from Ohio so I remember reading about the double o races at Mt.Clemens even though I never made it there before they closed the place down.The only track I've ever been to in "that state up north" is Flat Rock and that's been almost 40 years ago now.Back in the days when Joy Fair,John Anderson,Joe Ruttman amongst a few others were cleaning house there and at Toledo's half mile.Oh there was a guy named Kesolowski that ran there too.God that makes me feel old!!!

Ran in a lot of pursuit races, fast guy always in the back, started there a lot, you got to go like now or you would be out. Both races where a lot of fun wish they still had them. Raced in Ohio myself

[flvideo]

Desoto had beer races several years ago. We had a Bud distributor as a sponsor then and they took 2 pick ups both the same with a driver in it transmission in neutral and the trucks were loaded with cases of Beer! They had teams and they marked off a place in turn 3 and the crews pushed the trucks loaded with beer to the finish line. There were several crews as you can imagine and they eliminated down to a winner and that crew got a bunch of beer. I was thinking they got all that was in the trucks but I don't think they got that much. It was a hoot!

[Clay26]

Oh remember all those races back in the day of round-d round racing. Back when racing was racing, we qualified early in the evening and then if you was in the fastest 4 cars you got to run the fast dash for four laps, then everyone got a chance at a heat races, mostly 6 to 8 cars for 8 laps with all cars inverted(fast cars start in back), then was either the pursuit or crack the wipe race again the fast 10 cars, fastest car starts last, now it would be time for a hot dog and a coke during intermission and it would be time for the features, depending on the class either 20 lap or 30 lap features, full field inverts. Damn I miss the old days, just not as much fun anymore. Guess I'm just getting to old, thinking about how it was and what we have now, sorry would rather have to old days

Pretty much sums it up for me too.

[Jimmy McKinley]

A few of the tracks up here are still doing pursuits, crack-the-whips, and dashes.

Painesville, Lorain, Sandusky, Midvale...

Haven't been to quite a few of 'em - yet. I wanna get to Toledo, Kil-Kare, Shady Bowl, and maybe a couple more this year.