DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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The whispers about traction control in dirt racing never go away | Daily 10-21-2024

It seems like every year we get to a point where traction control becomes a rumor. And 2024 is no different. We'll talk about it today, including how it works, where it can be hidden, why it might matter in sprint car racing right now, and a developing situation around it in Australia. Let's go!

It's Monday, October 21st, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

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I keep a running list of daily show topics going all the time, and one of the items that has been on it for a few weeks is traction control. Because of the nature of what I do here with this show, and as we've discussed before, I get sent all sorts of rumors and tips regularly. As the show has grown, so has the volume of these messages. Some are really outlandish, but often there is good information in them. One I got sent a few weeks ago said that there might be issues going on between the two big sprint car series, the Outlaws and High Limit, about traction control. Meaning, the two sides were actively searching for systems being used, and that maybe cooperation was happening between the two sets of officials in the process. After that message, I asked around a bunch, heard a few things were maybe rumored, but nothing that really felt solid. An MSD box here or there was sent out after some races, some teams and drivers were rumored to be using them, but nothing really worth running with. Even some friends on the officiating side in dirt racing were pretty coy when I inquired. The issue of traction control isn't a topic I've really breached in any meaningful way on the show, even though some of my most viewed videos are related to cheating. For example, the tire doping video. There have certainly been points over the past few years where I've mentioned it in relation to sweeps that were happening, but we haven't had a real scandal with it, or had anyone busted at a high level. Recent examples of sweeps included at the Chili Bowl earlier this year. We documented officials there swapping out raceivers to avoid two way communication, but they were also checking for devices. There was a situation in the past few seasons where Eldora officials had late model teams disconnect tachs in the lead up to a crown jewel race. The idea being that those tachs could have held such devices. And after the Northern Sprint Car Nationals in 2023, winner Mike Bowman was protested, but both his MSD box and Sam Hafertepe's came back clean after checks. Under certain circumstances, traction control could be valuable in dirt racing, especially on slicker race tracks. These types of systems are illegal, but they work by detecting rapid changes in engine RPMs, which are equated to wheelspin, and the ignition settings are changed on the fly to equate for those rises in RPM. There are a few companies that make little bluetooth versions that are wired into ignition boxes and can be controlled from outside the car. There are also other devices that avoid the ignition system alltogether, and instead use GPS and other sensors to compare wheelspin, and then apply the brakes to control it. Limiting wheelspin could have all sorts of benefits, and there are likely a few tenths to be found in lap time. As tight as fields have become, a few tenths could be a big deal. But as I said before, despite the fairly regular rumors regarding them, if anyone has been caught with one in recent years, we certainly haven't had it be public knowledge. I don't know how often High Limit and the Outlaws do checks for traction control, but it became a pretty regular occurence with the All Stars for the top three after races to have their MSD boxes looked through. There was also talk a several years back that traction control devices could be jammed using fish finders. Who knows if that's true or not. Both the sprint car series rulebooks say explicitly that systems are not permitted at any time, and that inspections are random and parts and pieces could be impounded, including ignition systems and boxes, wiring looms, and tachs. The one thing that makes me wonder about using them right now though, is with the removal of the inch off the wicker bills as series try and unhook the cars to create better racing, this could potentially be a way for teams to regain the lost grip. It would obviously be a significant risk, as anyone caught with it would have the hammer dropped on them, but it wouldn't be the first time a team did something like that, as in cheated in a blatant way. Down under in Australia, there is also a brewing traction control situation, and I'd keep an eye on Toby Bellbowen's Sprint Car Hub. Supposedly the governing body down there has some sort of counter device that was used on some cars this weekend, and it sounds like teams aren't happy. Callum Williamson's team shared to Facebook that they were one of the cars used in the trial, and that the detector device detuned their engine in the heat race, and actually caused damage. Toby is putting together a video on the topic, which will include a bunch of research and conversations, so stay tuned for that. But how prevalent traction control device usage is, I don't really know. Some will say it's more than we realize, while others will say it isn't. I have a hard time believing nobody is using it, as those companies wouldn't be making and advertising the systems, and having booths at PRI, if they weren't making money with them.

One race track update for you today, if you are a regular attendee at Kokomo Speedway in Indiana, you'll have new grandstands to sit on next season. The track posted to social media yesterday before and after photos of the demolition of the frontstretch bleachers. This will also mean a fresh tower building as well. It's always good to see tracks making updates and upgrades, so hat tip to them on the improvements.

That's the daily show for today. Just a quick reminder, if you'd rather read these shows everyday, or if you know someone that is hard of hearing, full daily show transcripts are posted over at dirtrackr.com/daily. I started doing this in 2021, and it's just another way to make the shows as accessible as possible. So you can watch on YouTube and Facebook, listen at podcast places, and listen and read at dirtrackr.com/daily. I usually write between 1300 and 2000 words a day, so I might as well make them available.

Hope you guys have a great Monday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!