More tire testing programs on tap for 2007 at three
Wisconsin tracks: Red Cedar, Rice Lake, Eagle Valley

By Kirk Holmes
Reprinted With Permission From All The Dirt! Racing News

ST. CLOUD, MN (March 23) - Phase two of the tire testing program designed to narrow down a new tire contract for the WISSOTA Promoters Association, Inc. starting in 2008 will be carried out later this spring.

Bill Engelstad, a member of the WISSOTA board of directors and the head technical advisor, said the plan next is to carry out three days of testing in May at Red Cedar (WI) Speedway, Rice Lake (WI) Speedway and Eagle Valley (WI) Speedway. The testing would be conducted on the day after each track races during the month of May..

“We are trying to run the tires on the harshest conditions to see how they last and perform,” Engelstad said. “Running them the day after a race should give us a good idea of the tires’ performance in feature-like conditions.”

Engelstad said he hopes all three tire brands - American Racer, Hoosier and Goodyear - will have representatives on hand to help with the testing.

During a meeting between members of the WISSOTA Board of Directors and chassis and engine builders at the Kelly Inn in St. Cloud, MN on Saturday, March 17, WISSOTA President Terry Voeltz outlined the plan for the testing.

“We told the tire companies one compound, two sizes, and that speed is not an issue; cost and repeatability are,” Voeltz said. “They all said they are happy to have the opportunity and all said they were being treated fairly in the process.”

Rice Lake and Eagle Valley are already on board, according to Engelstad. Red Cedar Racing Association President Randy Buss has to check with the Menomonie city council to see if turning laps at the facility on a Saturday morning would be allowed.

If Red Cedar Speedway is not available for testing on the selected date, another track in the region - preferably a facility that runs Late Models - would be considered. However, choosing another site may defeat one of the goals set by the group.

“We’re trying to get the same cars at all three race tracks, so the drivers can say if the tires are re-firing and staying consistent or not,” Engelstad said. “If you have the same drivers at all three tracks, you can get that type of feedback.”

Once all the testing has been completed, Voeltz said, the goal is that the new contract be awarded by July 15.

“(The tire companies) said they can build what we want,” Voeltz said. “We need to tell them what we want. We also told them we want a direct price to WISSOTA or the tracks, and a set price, and at the end of the year we want to know how many tires were sold.

“This is a challenging but interesting process, and we think with the business of nearly 3,000 drivers from 50 tracks at stake, the tire companies we are working with are going to work hard to provide the right tires, the right prices, and the right package for the organization,” he concluded.