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North Alabama Speedway... High Speed Action
Late Model Mark
PINSON, Ala. (September 3) - Traveling the state of Alabama chasing races, I heard all the good things about North Alabama Speedway. High speeds, good racing, and a dangerous layout. The August 31st date on my calendar has had a x on it to go to this track, I was ready to see if all the hype was true, it was and then some. The race was a holiday special featuring the Arkansas Motorsports Professional Series, better known as the AMP tour. With Monday being a holiday I expected a good field of cars and a good crowd.
The ole Dodge left Dirt Late Model Headquarters, Southern Command, and headed up to the Northwestern part of Alabama to Tuscumbia. It was a great drive thru some very rural areas, 112 miles later I am at the track. When I saw the entrance I thought I was driving into a golf course and not a track. A nice rock wall graces the entrance. When you enter the facility the first thing you see is the very popular 1/8mi. dragstrip that runs on Thursdays. The whole place is green and well groomed. You pass a lake on the way to the oval, it is like a park here. Huge parking area with many shade trees, I parked the truck under a nice tree as it was warm and sticky. When you walk to the ticket gate all you see is the tower and not the track. The tower is a "all in one" building. Restrooms are at ground level. Either side of the tower are stairs that lead you to the track and seats. When I got to the top and I saw the track, I knew right then that all the hype I have heard would be true. The lawn chair was put down in a great spot and I was set for the night. There are 3 medium size grandstands and plenty of room for lawn chairs. The concessions were a little different here than other tracks. On the main level of the tower you open a door and go "inside" a air-conditioned snack bar, cafeteria style. You grab what you want, move down the line, and at the end you pay for your stuff. Regular track food as usual with the specialty of the track, a huge fried baloney sandwich! Lines went fast and the service was very friendly, it was like your grandma serving you.
The track ? When I first laid eyes on it I think I stood there with my mouth open in awe of the layout. It is a "big" 3/8mi. track with wide high-banks. There are no walls except on the frontstraight. Even the backchute is banked steeply. The infield is empty except safety vehicles so the view of the track is very "clean." The pits are located off of turn 4 and it is a roomy pit area. The scoreboard is very good and highly visible. The lighting is real nice with no dark spots, any seat at North Alabama Speedway is a good seat. The track looked well groomed and had good moisture when I arrived at 4:30pm. I had the chance to meet and talk to outgoing promoter Jeff Greer about the track prep and the future of the speedway. More on that later. Jeff told me they "never" dig it up, they lightly grade it and then start watering the day before. The water truck driver must be a pro at it. First you have to know how to drive a big ole heavy water truck at the right speeds on these high banks. The track was watered at 5:00, 6:00, and 6:45pm. Had a chance to walk on ther track, the dirt looked nice, Jeff said to me, "we have some special dirt round' here." He was right.
Right at 7:15pm. the cars started wheel packing in the opposite direction, like days of old. 30 minutes later it was ready. The Late Models came on the track after the sun went down at 8:05pm. After the first hot lap session I knew this place was fast, racy, and a track not for lightweights. It is a man's track. To me it did not seem overly dangerous, just a fast, serious joint. The Late Models line up right in front of the grandstands on a little, well groomed dirt path. The AMP Series has a cool format, 2 groups time in, single car at a time, then they take the top 4 from each group, 8 cars, and lock those 8 in the main. The rest of the field "races" their way into the feature via B-Mains. No heats, I liked it! The top 8 get a hot lap session just before the feature. The B-Mains were very racy and keeping with the theme of this place, very fast. This track has the layout that makes for good racing even though it is crazy fast. The AMP Main event was tough on cars and parts as the early portion of the race had some wrecks and spins. It was a very entertaining race when they were green. I really like the lack of walls here, when a Dirt Late Model is on the gas and on the edge of the lip, it is breathtaking to see. The race ended at 12:10am. and by 12:12am. I was on the road back home. Got home at 2:00am.
The tracks future? Promoter Jeff Greer who leases the oval from the landowner is done. He has other business interests. He came over from a another track in Mississippi. The first couple of races this season were trainwrecks as far as car counts went. He then changed to a special event format. He booked in the Lucas Series and other touring groups as well. All had great crowds in this remote area. He saved this track from closing. He is a soft spoken, easy going, respectable man who knows what he is doing. He was very nice and generous to me, honest as well to my tough questions. This night was the last of 2008, unless it is rented out to another promoter for any late season specials. One huge reason for the closing is the impact that high-school and college football has on crowds. Football is so huge here. North Alabama is a Friday night track, Friday football rules here. I heard this is nothing new for Friday night tracks here in the South. This track needs a good promoter for 2009, it is to good of a track to stay quiet.
North Alabama Speedway lived up to all the hoopla and then some. The speeds of the Late Models were maybe the fastest I have seen. The action was real good, worth every penny of the $15.00 smackers to get in. A well groomed, racy track, that is easy for the fans is a winner. The location and facility makes this place special. They had a real good crowd this night. The fans are well behaved, the staff friendly, and the racing good. That is what we want when we go racing. The racing here in the South in my mind is the best in the country, the tracks, the drivers, the various series, you just can't beat it. The choices of racing, the tracks, is like going to a Las Vegas buffet, there is so much to choose from that you can't do it all. A good problem to have. High-banks, no curfews, no mufflers, no hassels, this is indeed Dirt Late Model heaven. A place were Dirt Late Models rule the roost and the "push-em & flip-ems" get booed.
How fast is this place? The track record is a nuclear fast 12.42 set this year by the "Wisconsin Wildman" Dan Schleiper at the Lucas show in July. 12.42 on a big 3/8mi. track!!
Late Model Mark
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