WTF?!? Race cancelled- NO TIRES! North Wilkesboro

Hurricanehic

Veteran Member

North Wilkesboro Speedway cancels event due to supply chain issues
By WBTV Web Staff
Published: Aug. 10, 2022 at 3:42 PM EDT
Fans who purchased tickets, pit passes or camping spots will receive a full refund.
WILKESBORO, N.C. (WBTV) - Due to supply chain issues and race tire shortage, the North Wilkesboro Speedway has canceled one of its events this month.
The Racetrack Revival event scheduled for Aug. 19-20 has been canceled and all fans who purchased tickets, pit passes or camping spots will automatically receive a full refund.
“We want to put on the best show possible for our fans, and this decision was made in the interest of both our patrons and competitors,” Racetrack Revival said in a statement.”
The speedway will still host fans, drivers and team on Aug. 12-13 for CRA and Southern Super Series Super Late Model and BCTS Compacts action. On Aug 30-31, the CARS Tour Late Model Stocks, Limited Stocks and Street Stocks will be held.
 

Red Baron

Paleo-Conservative
_______________
I did not know that this was an ongoing problem since last year. I wonder if dirt track racing is such a niche market that tire suppliers don't see enough volume to justify tooling up for a production run?

Fair Use Cited
-----------
Dirty (Half) Dozen: 6 Tire Problems Plaguing 2022 Dirt Racing
August 12, 2022 By Bryan Davis Keith

Yes, we’re talking ‘bout tires.

Still.

2021 saw racing tires one of the many commodities in short supply across the nation as the economy reeled from the COVID-19 pandemic. But sadly, here it is August 2022 and tires, or lack thereof, remains a storyline across dirt racing.

This is sadly as dirty a half dozen as they come.

Selinsgrove Spring Shortage

I thought about starting this article recalling the USAC Winter Dirt Games tire scandal at Bubba Raceway Park in February, but I already wrote a full article on that mess.

Instead, my first real exposure to the ongoing tire shortage having an impact at the track came at Selinsgrove Speedway in April. Selinsgrove, which was hosting an unsanctioned 410 sprint car race in Pennsylvania on a Sunday after the All-Star Circuit of Champions had been in residency in the state, took a blow when ASCoC regulars were reportedly told to stay away from the track after Port Royal Speedway took exception to Selinsgrove hosting their race minus an ASCoC sanctioning fee.

But another blow came to those of us at the track Sunday when it was announced, well into the racing program, that the feature distance was cut from 30 laps to 25 in no small part due to a number of race teams starting even hot laps that night on used rubber.

In the grand scheme of things it didn’t matter much. Anthony Macri and Brent Marks, arguably the two most dominant drivers in 410 sprint car racing this year, decided the feature between themselves. But the tire shortage reared its head, cutting down an advertised distance after thousands of tickets had been sold and rendering the midfield runners all but limping to the finish.

Flo Racing Night in America Falls Victim

Fast forward to this summer, and the tire shortage grabbed one of its biggest scalps of 2022 with the announcement that the Flo Racing Night in America late model series, a high-dollar, high-visibility race at the nationally recognized 34 Raceway in Iowa had been canceled.

Tuesday night's Castrol FloRacing Night in America event at @34Raceway has been canceled due to the ongoing tire shortage.https://t.co/it2Tz7z0rJ

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) July 31, 2022

It was probably inevitable given just how much super late model racing has been going on this summer. Super late models in this country are seeing a level of schedule congestion usually reserved for European soccer, with the World of Outlaws, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, DIRTcar Summer Nationals, XR Super Series, Flo Racing series and others all crisscrossing the country this summer.

Still, this was a national tour race that wasn’t outside the geographic footprint of where the sport has been competing. A $22,000-to-win race going down the tubes is a major misfortune.

300 Raceway Season Cut Short
The Iowa racing scene took another such hit this week with the announcement that Yankee Dirt Classic also had fallen victim to tire shortages despite not being scheduled for nearly another month.

Not only does the race cancelation mark the premature end of the racing season at 300 Raceway, it also marks only the second time since 1978 that the event will not be contested.

North Wilkesboro Revival Shortened
North Wilkesboro Speedway cancels event due to supply chain issues North Wilkesboro Speedway cancels event due to supply chain issues

— Daniel McFadin (@danielmcfadin) August 11, 2022

OK, yes, North Wilkesboro Speedway is an asphalt track. But there’s a reason it’s being featured in a dirt racing column. Because, let’s not forget, North Wilkesboro Speedway is becoming a dirt track once again in October.

Yes, I am aware that there is a big difference between asphalt super late model slick tires and dirt racing tires of any kind. But let’s face it, the Racetrack Revival at North Wilkesboro is a huge deal, a racing program with national visibility that drew a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series-size crowd for its debut modified race.

I still have reservations about the quality of race that they’ll be able to put on at North Wilkesboro as a dirt track, but I’ll definitely be there to take in at least one of those dirt racers, as will many dirt trackers and track chasers across the country. Even losing one of those dates cuts down what is scheduled as a once-in-a-generation event. Because if an asphalt super late model race in the heart of NASCAR country is vulnerable, a dirt race in an already saturated schedule of national racing is, too.

Chris Ferguson Fiasco in Virginia

After this past weekend, the Ultimate Super Late Model Series may be facing the biggest tire fiasco since USAC’s in February. Here’s the facts. Chris Ferguson was disqualified from an apparent win in Saturday’s $20,000 USA 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway on the grounds that the tire compound he ran was not the same as that mandated for the event.

Ferguson, however, took major reservation to the disqualification and took the discussion to social media.

In terms of PR, there’s no getting around it: Ferguson is winning the battle. Dirt social media accounts have been flooded with statements of support for Ferguson, the Show-Me 100 race winner back in May. It’s to a point that the director of the Ultimate Series had to post a plea to social media as well to let the facts play themselves out, as the series has committed to review the disqualification.

DirtonDirt did a detailed recap of much of the circumstances surrounding the DQ, and having read it I can’t see a clean resolution to come. It sounds like two parties talked past each other, and it’s a fair question whether this ever would have come up if right-rear tires weren’t in such short supply. But what remains central to the story is that tire codes are the story, not the race that said tires put on on the racetrack. It does no one in the sport any good to have races decided in inspection.

The Knoxville Nationals Are Broken

How can I write that considering that tonight only marks the second night of the four-race crown jewel sprint car race? Because I remember what the race format did to last year’s Nationals feature.

For those who don’t remember, a thrilling battle for the race lead between eventual race winner Kyle Larson and 10-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz was derailed by a scheduled mid-race break that saw all the cars coast down pit road for race fuel, right-rear tires and adjustments.

No, this format has nothing to do with a tire shortage. And yes, I would have legitimate concerns about the ability of a right-rear sprint car tire to go a full 50 laps around Knoxville Raceway. There’s been no shortage of long-distance dirt races in all disciplines that have ended in a flurry of late-race cautions as tires go pop.

Which begs the question: why not just shorten the damn feature? The opening 25 laps of last year’s Nationals were rousing and would have been well worthy of crown-jewel status, with two titans of the sport trading blows.

Hey, that’d at least save some tires.

6 Tire Issues Plaguing 2022 Dirt Racing (frontstretch.com)
 

DHR43

Since 2001
Related - I replaced the steering shaft on 2003 Ford Expedition 2 years ago but could not find an aftermarket part. Local Ford dealer had trouble getting OEM part.

Eventually he found one in Atlanta and claimed it was the last one in North America. He said same part as F150 and neither Ford nor anyone else is making them anymore (same part #).

Dunno if true then or true now.
 

ShadowMan

Designated Grumpy Old Fart
Just ordered a complete set of tires for our 2006 Jeep Liberty.....235/70R16, all season 3-peak rated. Apparently since it's an "older" vehicle and rides on 16" rims and all newer vehicles ride on 17" rims tire companies don't make or stock as many varieties based on the older smaller wheels. :shr: So a week or more to get them shipped in and then a week or two until there's an opening to mount and install them. WTF?!?!? 2006 is not that old!! AND......two to three weeks to get them purchased and installed?!?!? Glad I'm not in a hurry or anything.

Welcome to the NEW reality......or is that, nightmare?!?
 

Southside

Has No Life - Lives on TB
In a related issue (supply chain shortages) I need a motor mount for my Ford C-Max.
None available until end of Sept.
Yea, my car "needs" motor mounts, too.
The engine ain't banging off the bottom of the hood, yet. So they ain't THAT necessary.
 

EMICT

Veteran Member
If resources are going to truck tires that transports goods to my local store instead of going to ‘racing tires’, I’m ok with that.
 

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Just ordered a complete set of tires for our 2006 Jeep Liberty.....235/70R16, all season 3-peak rated. Apparently since it's an "older" vehicle and rides on 16" rims and all newer vehicles ride on 17" rims tire companies don't make or stock as many varieties based on the older smaller wheels. :shr: So a week or more to get them shipped in and then a week or two until there's an opening to mount and install them. WTF?!?!? 2006 is not that old!! AND......two to three weeks to get them purchased and installed?!?!? Glad I'm not in a hurry or anything.

Welcome to the NEW reality......or is that, nightmare?!?
2002 Jeep Liberty here. Same tire size. Went with the Cooper AT3, awesome tire. Anyway, the 16's around here most places keep on hand. It's the 19" for the car that has to be ordered. And heaven forbid having a blow out. Had one on I35 just north of Temple, TX. Very cool and long story, but getting a tire for that car was a nightmare. 3 different tire stores, the last one had one tire. I told them that's all I need, please put it on the rim.

How does a tire store end up with one tire? I didn't care, I needed it bad.
 
Top