Quote
Bryan Lively
A number of issues are at work here I suspect in building a track. First and foremost, we're seeing a reduction in organic matter in tracks because of the water we're using. Most tracks are watered with municipal water---containing chlorine---and the chlorine acts against the parent organic matter, chemically changing the structure of the soil dramatically even though organic matter composes only 5% of most soils. Introducing more organic matter and planting a cover crop, not to mention maybe using some pond/river water as well to water in a track will improve track conditions. Lime is helpful, but too much will turn the track into a roadbed.

Track condition is also predicated on the tracks' uses---was there a demo derby the night before? a mud sling? Those kinds of things can determine how a track can come together.

The human element is also at work here. While some folks are able to thankfully dedicate days prior to an event to working the soil up, adding water, etc... to make the track the best it can be, quite frankly there have been places where Ive shown up at the same time as the track workers, because they have full-time jobs they couldnt leave.

While in the perfect world the power track is the one we want, a consistent track should be the benchmark. Whenever the first puller and the last puller in a class of 30 take on basically the same track conditions you can't ask for more. I thought the Blue Shirts did a good job with the 72 Super Farms at BG and the lengths they went to monitor the track and adjust through the class was very good.


I wrote an article two or three years ago about track building in The Puller. Don't let anything I've just written suggest I'm an expert, I just repeat what I've been told in discussions with those in the know. Re-reading some stuff in old soil science books and having a wife thats a chemistry teacher (me: whats Sodium hypochlorite? wife: its BLEACH Bryan...) didn't hurt the cause either. (:P)