NickHolt Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Release: February 24, 2004 Major Changes to Track Underway at Thunder Hill Raceway as Seventh Season Approaches Kyle -- Major changes to the track surface and layout at Thunder Hill Raceway began this week, as the seventh season opener for the track looms on March 27. Owner and general manager Brian Callaway revealed that the back straight will be widened about 20 feet and banked to give drivers more racing room as they exit turn two on the 3/8-mile, D-shaped oval track on IH 35 just north of San Marcos. In part because this will increase speeds (and tight racing) into turns three and four, the wall outside turn four is being moved back about 30 to 40 feet to give drivers a chance to recover without major damage to their cars. "We're still at the mercy of the weather," Callaway noted Tuesday, "but with a little luck, we can get the work done in about two weeks." Both the recent cold and rainy weather and the delays while the contractor finished another job have kept the work from starting until now. Callaway himself was on a backhoe Monday night as the crew began moving the turn four wall, and the grading work down the back straight has also begun. Some equipment is being provided by Robert Mullins and ROMCO Equipment, sponsors of the ROMCO Super Late Model Series "Texas Tornado Tour." New track Competition Director Nick Holt has said the changes may completely alter the way drivers approach the back section of the track, removing some of the home track advantage the locals have had until now. ### T. Q. Jones P. O. Box 91346 Austin, TX 78709-1346 PH: (512) 266-4814 FAX: (512) 266-4833 Email: tqj@mindspring.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 ROMCO equipment is part of the rebuild at THR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 A view down the back stretch looking towards turn 3. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 That wall in turn four will no longer be there. A run-off area will be there instead. That wall had collected more than it's share of cars in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckman Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 With all the changes being made on and off the track it sounds like Brian & Jim are really trying to improve the racing for the fans,as well as the racing enviroment for the race teams.Sounds and looks to me like they are actually going to try and make Thunderhill a premier track to run at. Now if Kathy and Tracy can get those seats painted by opening night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA You are toooooooooooooo funny Charles. We are saving that job for you dude. Didn't Nick call you and tell you yet? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt5858 Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Looking Good! What about the driveway and reader board. Is that going to be done for the start of the season too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckman Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Hey Matt Is that a reader board a reeder board or a leader board LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundogC3 Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 ATTA BOY BRIAN..................SWEET! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 I think Brian said that road in would be done in time for the opener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProTree Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 are all class track records going to be reset since track is changing shape?adding 20ft and banking on backstraight-going to be awesome-should carry some speed into turn 3-also thanks to the staff at THR for the improvements being done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 That is a very good question Tommy. I will be asking Brian about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jracer98 Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 I am planning to shake down one or both of our new tams cars on the 13th / 20th practice days. Expressed as a %, what are the completion odds on: A. 13th B. 20th Just trying to plan. Thanks Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waddy Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 WAY TO GO THUNDERHILL GANG, THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT YOU ARE COMMITED TO THE TRACK AND THE RACERS AND THE SPECTATORS , IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED I AM SURE THIS WILL BE A GREAT SEASON, GO THUNDERHILL/////////WADDY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck99 Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 are all class track records going to be reset since track is changing shape? I don't think the old records should be reset. If the track is faster, which it should be, they will be broken anyway. Just my .02 from a self-preserving point of view. cs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 lookin good , I think that will be a good thing for THR, should make for some pretty good action !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProTree Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 will be faster-maybe not quicker-adding distance to the track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 I am planning to shake down one or both of our new tams cars on the 13th / 20th practice days. Expressed as a %, what are the completion odds on: A. 13th B. 20th -- Just trying to plan. I can say with 100% certainty that it all depends a lot of things.. mostly the weather. LOL Brian tells me that if the weather holds -- and it looks pretty good until Saturday anyway -- they should finish the work on the track in time for both Saturday practices. Looking forward to seeing both your new TAMS modifieds in action! Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Chase, I don't think the old records should be reset. If the track is faster, which it should be, they will be broken anyway. Just my .02 from a self-preserving point of view. I'm not so certain the track will be faster from a stopwatch point of view. The same line will be available that was always there and that line will still be the shortest distance around the track. What we should see, though, is a second groove develop that will allow for more side-by-side racing through turns 1 and 2. I have been told that in order to pass clean at THR in the past, you needed to be at least .3 second a lap faster than the car in front. With the new configuration, if a car is set up to run in the second groove, the speed differential needed to pass should be much less than before. The exciting part is going to be when two cars enter turn three after racing side-by-side down the wide back straight. Who is going to back off and who is going to go into the turn hard? Should be interesting. So, what I'll do is keep the existing records handy just in case the new configuration turns out to be a lot faster than when the existing records were made. But I doubt we will just erase the record bookand and start over. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwracing10 Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Good job THR ,looks like it is going to be faster. Robert W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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