Track preparation April 17, 2023 02:53AM
I am working with our local brush pull and have started to take on the responsibility of track preparation. I wouldn’t say our current system is broken, but definitely room for improvement. I’ll start with the positives of what we do, we have a good clay base to work with, no rocks, no junk, good clay. We have access to good equipment to make a level pulling surface and keep the track level during the show. The biggest issue we run into is water management. We host an afternoon show in late summer, we can start wet but by the time a few hours go by it gets very dusty. Not good for pullers, not fun for spectators. I’m curious to get folks input on when they start opening up the track to start putting water down. Also is there any additives that help with keeping dust down? I know that is heavily dependent on rainfall and conditions but for simplicity, let’s just say it’s a dry summer like normal. If you could help me out on your timeline of what takes place prior to the show. It would be greatly appreciated. I’m a young puller who’s just trying to help my local pull have a better experience for pullers and spectators.
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Re: Track preparation April 17, 2023 03:35AM
If you have scrappers with sprayers, mix some dish soap with the water. This will help with getting the water to fall to the dirt and not just become a mist and dissipate in the air.


Brent Yaron
Hooked Up Pulling Productions
hookeduppullingproductions@gmail.com
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Re: Track preparation April 17, 2023 04:06AM
Are you only building the track & adding water the day of the pull? If so, try building the track the afternoon before, just like you're going to pull on it, or even do it 2 days before if the weather looks good. And by that I mean if your pull is Saturday afternoon, build the track Thursday evening, then again Friday evening, then again Saturday before your event. You'll need lots of water the first time, less the 2nd time, & probably even less on the day of. Allowing water the time to soak in does wonders, but it all depends on the type of soil & clay you have.

Additives to the water can be very helpful as mentioned above, liquid dish soap or even powdered laundry detergent, sprayer surfactant, and even something like pine-sol added in can go a long way. Sprayers on your scrapers during the event work wonders, but soaps make bubbles, remember that.

And don't rip it up more than about 8" deep, remember, sleds are heavy on the tires, soft tracks make good sleds pull hard & nothing should be spinning more than about 4-6" deep anyway, and that's pushing it. Tracks need moisture underneath, but they also need to be solid! If you're ripping with a chisel or something, when you first open it up if it breaks up in big clods & chunks, rip it once, leave the clods, put a load on water on it. The water will go down between big clods much easier than a fluffed up surface.

Simple little tricks can do wonders, but you have to experiment to figure out what works best for you.
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Re: Track preparation April 17, 2023 05:03AM
What Logan Thomas said, i would recommend ripping with a chisel plow, then use a disk to work the water in but make sure you get water down in. Best case is use the chisel and disk at the same time if you have the equipment and operator to do so. 8” deep is plenty deep
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Re: Track preparation April 18, 2023 12:47AM
Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it. So if I understand correctly when you guys are opening up the track a few days prior to put water down, are you packing it back in after it’s worked in with water or do you leave it disked up? Not talking day of the event but the time prior.
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Re: Track preparation April 18, 2023 02:12AM
Quote
Not an expert
Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it. So if I understand correctly when you guys are opening up the track a few days prior to put water down, are you packing it back in after it’s worked in with water or do you leave it disked up? Not talking day of the event but the time prior.

Pack it back, just like you're going to pull on it. Otherwise by leaving it open you'll lose the moisture you've put into it.
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Re: Track preparation April 17, 2023 12:26PM
Depending on weather conditions, I will start adding water 5 to 7 days beforehand and work in with a disk. We have a first of July pull, and have put 20,000+ gallons of water on just to have enough down deep.
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Re: Track preparation April 18, 2023 06:08AM
I am a true believer, you need to put some type of manure/straw in your track after the event. Work that in and pack it back with a crown on it. And let it sit until the next year. I don't know what that manure does, but it seems to help most tracks. Even knife in some liquid manure would work. I have seen that work wonders on tracks. If your track to to hard, plant some big radishes in after your event and let them grow and rot.
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Re: Track preparation April 18, 2023 06:21AM
have a good track sprayer for the pull, mist every pass, unless it is already wet,(too damp), then also keep a windrow of dry dirt next to the track in order to fix a problem ,good clay is very tricky from too dry- too too wet. just saying, a little dry dirt does wonders.
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