12E Grading race track

Truing cut on inside lanes this morning. 1 inch of surface material (crusher dust) then clay base. Skim surface material off, re-cut clay evenly, then redistribution surface material. Then wait for race officials to inspect and approve....or not. Never had to rework though.

Thanks for taking us along on this job.

Now I know why I caught hell from one of the officials at the ACMOC show a few years ago in Portland IN .

When we had the parade on the racetrack, I decided to lower my blade on my pull grader slightly to skim but not leaving any windrow some of the crawler track marks from the machines ahead of me.

It never occurred to me that there were two layers of material. Me bad.

Mud flaps - nice addition to keeping the glass from damage and dirt. I am not so keen on the turn signal switch, too many years plowing snow with graders, fast as they would run was the rule - but if you caught something, that switch lever would be a direct spear. Several kissed the windshields when blade dropped into a bridge joint, angle had to be correct to happen but it was a show stopper! Tire chains would really sling the snow and if slushy, bury the glass! As Deas called it - the rump steak pucker factor came into play! Nice job, looks great! cts

Mud flaps were from plowing. Helped keep the front glass from getting covered with slush, etc. Blinkers were added then, too. Had a contract for all my graders to plow the Naval Air Station roads. They required blinkers on snow removal equipment on their roads. Then the state needed blinkers for over the road use. So the blinkers have stayed.

Haven't put the wing on in years. We never chained the tires though. Mostly level ground and we started plowing at about an inch. So we always kept up. Never caught any obstacles to stop the machine cold so I never ate thr windshield. We also knew every inch of the plow routes. Every obstacle too. Like raised manholes, etc. When you own your own equipment, you tend to be far more patient and gentle with it. Pulled the wing off this machine once on a curb though. Frost raised a piece of granite curbing. The wing bolt sheared but never stopped the machine. Largest storms we had were from 34 to 39 inches. Never had any issues keeping up or getting stuck. Not enough to run chains. However, if I ran a V plow then I'd chain up.

A race official wants me to remove the hoof prints before thd next race. Not sure how to do that exzctly except to lightly regrade the entire track. Odd request.

Hi, Mark Riendeau.

I've never had to remove snow but I have had to work onna few racetracks. I think you're right about removing the hoof prints. If you have already graded that track recently, try to remember where you put the heaviest crusher dust, start a light scrape from there right across the track with just enough windrow to cut-n-fill the hoof marks and then lose the windrow back across the track.

If I ever had to skimp on the crusher dust, I always tried to do that on the outside of the track 'coz most of the running is in closer to the inside rail. That said though, a race track worker once told me that the horses almost never run right up against the inside rail, usually about 3 feet off of it and outward from there.

Just my 0.02.

Grading track again this morning...Kinda. Female race official likes to have the hoof prints "graded" out each morning. I just take a a light cut and call it good. I'd ask questions but she got blonde hair...not sure there's much useful info to be had.

I think you have all the info required, as long as grading each day has some kind of good return for you