Track Tac

1985 Dirt Oval Karting

Rooster51 said:
Funny how you can remember all that far back but can not remember what I had for breakfast!! LOL
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...and that would be BECAUSE of those same preps.... :) LOL

Maybe if our karts were like this, we'd have drivers with more skill and respect... and less cost and weight.
 
Cks Mach 1, k-55, burris treads or burris dirt slicks that I grooved, hortsman 6 spring disc clutch, a 200 pipe if it was still legal or gem 1990 or yst, 2piece van kay wheels. With that said though I believe it was that time when I started seeing a few buller karts showing when I went into Iowa. They were pretty radical for the time. Everyone was running straight karts on dirt. It could have been just a few years later though but don't think so.
 
Hi, George, CMP was never the same since you moved South. If you use facebook contact Phil Combs. He can give you tons of info and pics of anthing old. PM me if you want. Nice guy here. Thanks everyone for helping him.
 
Bug Bucket Bug, Black Widow, 2 Yamaha karts 2 Laguna karts, MaC's, KT-100's, Parilla TT-25, Jr. and Sr. sportsman, Jr. rest., Jr. controlled. Burris dirt tires and Major retreads.
 
Picture on the left of the screen was what I used to put many of those new newfangled sidewinders in second place. 1957 Alleycat, 5 horse Briggs with rain tires on dirt. Like Carlson said, Brings back memories!!!
 
Dont know how many of you older guys remember "Open Modified Lite" in the Briggs and Straton Dirt Series, but it was still a WKA active class in 1985. I ran a Margay Expert II and briggs open flathead that year in the WKA B&S Dirt Series at the "295" pound weight rule. Ran Contential and Bridgestone tires with no prep. These karts were scary fast!!! No body kits used.....just raw open wheel racing. Was able to pick up 2 wins, 2 seconds, and a DNF in the 5 national events that year. Steve Jones on a Lazer straight rail kart for CKI won the class Championship that year (RIP Steve....we miss ya buddy). One of my wins was at the Guin Alabama dirt "road course".....103 degress on race day...glad features were at night. We also ran another dirt road course in Bainbridge Georgia. Also, back then we drew numbers for starting positions in the qualifing heat races, instead each kart qualifying Individually.
 
Rocket Sprockets is sponsering a vintage race in Jackson Mn in August. I'm bringing my bug wasp, bug black widow, bug supersprint, and my new chassis a 87 bug lighting bug, engines on my stuff are briggs superstock flat heads everyone is weclomed with any engine combo that is correct for the age. all 1989 and older chassis welcomed. Its just a fun race to show off in front of the "new" guys racing. and to show off the chrome and new paint. Thanks Steve
 
1983 margay SR-16, Limited Modified, Burris Dirt Tires. Side panels on angled nerf bars, no nose piece, with a drivers fairing that looked like the WOO sprint car engine hood. That was open wheel racing for karting. You could not run into one another for if you did someone would go a** over appetite.
 
Margay Expert 2 bought from Bob Gettys at Bobs Kart Shop Ellenboro N.C. 5 in. 2 piece wheels . Continental , Burris and Bridgestone tires with Diesel fule and ATF. BM 2-cycle engine made in Italy. Contact Bob Gettys he can tell you a lot from back then. He is also one of the officers with WKA.
 
around here bugs and margay's ruled. I came in the game a little later was in 88 and the margay lynx was the hot new kart. Dunlop tires , flatheads and used bleach and atf/diesel for prep when we did it. Dad had a old foot pump for bike tires and a service station pen type air pressure gauge. I had a phoenix rear engine chassis with burris treads my first year.
 
Great video Ted, Shellhammers in it's glory days! Still fun with a Yamaha or open when they come but nothing like 1985! Many of the greats in pa/nj/ny stock car/open wheel racing came from there!
 
That is the Shellheimer's we raced at back in early '80's, good to see Frank Sears and Barry Greensweig, 2 of the best friends of Kart racing that I've ever met, I can remember regular Sat. night races with 380 karts in the pits, 3 MaC classes, light med. and heavy, with 12-16 in each, also 2 weights for Jr. MaC's. More 4 strokes than at other tracks north of there. Track has changed a bit since then with bigger pit space, more banking, flag stand moved to the former back stretch, a great track that I would recommend to any kart racer should see just to see what is possible, man , I still love that place.
 
W5R said:
Guys were literally going into the turns sideways and drifting thru the apex, coming out strait and letting it rip down the straits lol. Thank god for tire prep so we arent doing that these days, and some people wanna bring that kinda racing back? Can you imagine racing like that, with the new age drivers attitudes on the track? Somebody would get killed.
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I have to disagree. Because of this type of racing, the groove is wide and plenty of opportunities to pass. I like this much better than follow the leader one groove racing. Have to wonder if its because the tires arent all preped up and the driver actually has to have some skills to make a pass. Maybe im old school, but I like my chances much better when driver skill comes into play instead of being on the right prep for the right day. Im not a scientist, but I am a driver.
 
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