Photography Archives - Shane Walters

2016 Gateway Dirt Pits – Behind the Scenes Photos

December 15, 2016 by Shane Walters

2016 Gateway Dirt Pit Stalls – Go Behind the Scenes on Move in Day

Take a look at the 2016 Gateway Dirt Nationals pit stalls ahead of the event. Today, dirt racing invades The Dome at America’s Center.

Last night teams from all across the country began rolling into the stadium. They unloaded their cars and setup pit stalls. I’ve been working on gathering an entry list, but apparently it’s a hard thing to come by.

I will say the Gateway Dirt Nationals is stacked with local talent and big name dirt late model drivers. A few of the drivers I’ve seen thus far; Scott Bloomquist, Bobby Pierce, Kenny Wallace, Gordy Gundaker, Kyle Steffens, Kevin Weaver, Ray Walsh and Lance Dehm. That’s a very short and incomplete list of the drivers I’ve seen. I couldn’t tell who most of the dirt late model drivers were last night as their trailer was not unloaded.

Most teams have rented a single car pit stall. Meaning, no trailer. The cars are dropped off and the trailer is parked across the street.

There are only a select few who purchased a pit stall big enough for their enclosed trailer rig. However, for those guys the rig must be detached from the trailer. They have the trailer only, with the hauler also parked across the street.

Many were questioning how the Gateway Dirt Nationals staff could fit 400 race cars in a single building. However, the room is there. The America’s Center Convention Complex has an amazing amount of space. A total of 502,000 square-feet in the L shaped building. The complex is attached to The Dome.

The convention center also happens to be one of the most beautiful modern minimalist interiors I’ve ever seen in St. Louis. I want to live in there.

Need something more exciting to look at? You can watch the ‘Gateway Dirt Nationals track test’ video here. Also, photos from the on-track test can be seen here.

You can view the Gateway Dirt Nationals event schedule for this weekends event here.

We’re based in St. Louis so you bet we’re covering everything for this event. You can view the full archive of Gateway Dirt Nationals news coverage here.

Take a look at the pit stalls for the Gateway Dirt Nationals below.

The Gateway Dirt Nationals event takes place this weekend at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. To get tickets to The Dome Dirt Race visit GatewayDirt.com

2016 Gateway Dirt Pits – Pit Space Photos

Photos: Shane Walters

Gateway Dirt Track Photos – Gateway Dirt Nationals Event

Gateway Dirt Nationals Photos - Edward Jones Dome Dirt Track 4793

December 14, 2016 by Shane Walters

Gateway Dirt Track Photos – Meet the Track Hosting the Gateway Dirt Nationals

Gateway Dirt Nationals track photos are posted below. Meet the brand new temporary dirt track hosting the Gateway Dirt Nationals at The Dome in St. Louis, MO.

You wanna know what you’re going to see this weekend? This little bullring race track is about to blow both your socks off. You will be very surprised. In fact, you should already be marching your ass to the ticket window.

I was one of the lucky few to witness the track test in person last night. I’m more excited to witness this dirt race than any dirt race I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to a lot of dirt races! I feel truly blessed this race happens to be in my own hometown. It has all the possibilities of becoming the best show of the year.

Gateway Dirt Nationals Dirt Track Photo 4812

The videos shown from the ‘on-track test’ really don’t do this track any justice. Videos rarely do race tracks any justice, but especially in this case.

The Gateway Dirt Nationals track surface has a lot of banking for a “flat” track. The photos below show the drastic banking applied. The middle of the track is bare concrete floor. While the corners stand well over my head. It’s about 8″ of banking from the track limits to the track infield.

This little dirt track at The Dome in St. Louis is about to put on one the best dirt racing shows in the entire country. The track might be small but it’s fast. Bullring racing at it’s finest.

Track prep was done by the pro’s. Kevin Gundaker and the Tri-City Speedway staff have been working on the surface every day for over a week now.

The effort is already showing signs of reward. Last night Kenny Wallace and Kevin Gundaker preformed a track test at the Gateway Dirt Nationals. It was the first time a dirt modified and dirt late model were seen on the new dirt oval.

I was surprisingly shocked. How fast we were up to speed.

-Kenny Wallace

Kenny Wallace exited the car last night extremely surprised at how quickly the track was race ready for racing. Kenny Wallace spoke on the track surface soon after the engine shut off.Before he even climbed from his car he was bragging about the race track, “I was surprisingly shocked. How fast we were up to speed.”

You can watch the ‘Gateway Dirt Nationals track test’ video here. Also, photos from the track test can be seen here.

Kenny talks about the Gateway dirt surface, “Then at the end [of the run]. I slowed up just like we would do at any bull ring and tracks got a lot of grip in it. This is the dirt that they use for the motocross races. It was voted the best dirt of all of motocross racing. This dirt has been sifted a lot. I holds moisture. This dirt reminds me of (Belleville, IL) Belle-Clair Speedway.”

Kenny had a lot more to say on the track. He even had a few suggestions to Kevin Gundaker on how to make it even better. He also offered tips for dirt racers coming to the event. You can watch the in-car interview from last night here.

The dirt is special. So special that it was rated the #1 dirt in supercross racing. And it was noticeable. The Gateway Dirt track has an amazing amount of grip. Right out of the gate, the track is fast.

Fans will be impressed. If you thought a little 1/5 mile track would be slow or if you thought it’s too small for racing. Then, you’re likely just a hater and but in this case you’re also an ‘incorrect’ hater. You will have a different opinion when you visit the track this weekend.

It’s small, it’s fast and it’s racy. If you’re coming to the show this weekend, you should be very excited.

The Gateway Dirt Nationals event takes place this weekend at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

You can view the Gateway Dirt Nationals event schedule for this weekends event here.

We’re based in St. Louis so you bet we’re covering everything for this event. You can view the full archive of Gateway Dirt Nationals news coverage here.

Author: Shane Walters via Racing News

Gateway Dirt Nationals Track Photos

Photos: Shane Walters

Gateway Dirt Nationals Photos – OnTrack Photos – Tuesday Track Test

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December 13, 2016 by Shane Walters

2016 Gateway Dirt Nationals Track Test – Kenny Wallace & Gordy Gundaker

Some of the very first Gateway Dirt Nationals photos are posted below. These are Gateway Dirt photos from a track test conducted on Tuesday.

I was at the Edwards Jones Dome all day today as the staff puts the final prep work into the racing surface. This weekend, will probably be the biggest dirt track race of the year. You’re seeing the first images of the brand new track.

The Gateway Dirt Nationals conducted the very first on-track test today. Test drivers were local boys. Kenny Wallace driving a dirt modified and Gordy Gundaker driving a dirt late model. We were there along, shooting photos as well as video of the Gateway Dirt track test.

Watch: Cars on Track for the First Time at the Gateway Dirt Nationals

Kenny Wallace Motion Blur Dirt Modified - Gateway Dirt National Photo 4992

The track test was very useful to the event staff. The track had a low spot on the straight away. A slope that appeared un-visible to the human eye. But when you fly over that spot in a racecar you can feel bumps before you can see them. The crew is going to go to work and fix that spot of the track before the pit gates open on Wednesday.

Kenny Wallace also shared several others bits of info on the track shape and construction. He suggested to Kevin Gundaker that dirt be added all the way around the track wall. Building up a 6 inch wall of dirt before you reach the edge of the racing surface and the wall behind it.

The track test shown in the Gateway Dirt video below was a final attempt to perfect the track surface before the racing begins on Thursday. Kenny Wallace was happy to share information with drivers coming to the event. Even going so far as to let the dirt modified drivers what gear they should be running.

Kenny Wallace has tips for drivers coming to the Gateway Dirt Nationals, “We have a .735 gear in it. I went high on purpose and what I found is it’s faster up there. Longer radius but it’s good out there. ”

Kenny has a ‘less throttle’ suggestion for racers, “My biggest suggestion to everybody is. That time I got to wide open. Just a little bit. Just to see if I could do it. It’s not necessary to be wide open. But that time I was able to do that and get better forward bite up off the corner.”

He continued, “Then at the end. I slowed up just like we would do at any bull ring and tracks got a lot of grip in it. This is the dirt that they use for the motocross races. It was voted the best dirt of all of motocross racing. This dirt has been sifted a lot. I holds moisture. This dirt reminds me of (Belleville, IL) Belle-Clair Speedway.”

On his gearing selection, “I would definitely start out with a .735 gear. You might start out with a .700 but I just think you’re going to be safer, make sure you start out with a .735 and you don’t have to run wide open. I don’t really see it necessary to run wide open.

Kenny Wallace - First Car on Track Gateway Dirt Nationals St Louis 4895

I was a racing fan well before I was a media member. As a lifelong dirt track racing fan it was one of the most exciting things I’ve seen. All those emotions and it was just two cars on track, a test session. I truely cannot wait for Thursday, 20 cars being 10 times as exciting.

Racing at the Edward Jones Dome begins on Thursday. The dirt late model and dirt modified drivers will also hit the track on Friday. Saturday is the main event. 3 solid days of fantastic dirt racing action in the middle of December.

We are offering full coverage of the dirt racing event. All the up to the minute Gateway Dirt news updates can be found on a single page here.

To get tickets to The Dome Dirt Race visit GatewayDirt.com

You can view the full Gateway Dirt event schedule here.

Gateway Dirt Nationals Photos – Track Test (Tuesday)

Photos: Shane Walters (Racing News)

Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I55 Flood Water Photos

December 30, 2015 by Shane Walters

Flood Water near Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I55

Get out the boats and lets go racing! I took some Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I55 flood water photos for you to view. The water levels have been slowly rising near the fan favorite dirt track and now the track is surrounded.

Missouri and Illinois have been hit with record flood levels this week. The Mississippi River now surrounds the dirt racing track in Pevely, MO.

I took these flood water photos from outside Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I55 just today. The album of photos from the flooded dirt track have been posted below.

Other than floating race tracks… A lot of crazy things have been happening regarding the St. Louis flooding. Today, I saw an entire house just floating down the river. On my way to the track I saw Meramec River water nearly swallowing the entire I-55 highway, just 1 foot short of it.

Valley Park which is 30 min from I-55 Raceway saw a mandatory evacuation as the waters reached 40 feet. The water levels were projected to reach 43 feet.

Valley park is near where I took most of these Fenton, MO photos in 2008.

Most of the water in St. Louis, near the racetrack, is at it’s crest point. Meaning this is the highest the water levels are planned to rise in the area.

It’s looks as though Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I55 is safe from the flood waters. Track workers have already planned ahead. As you can see from the photos below all the I-55 Raceway vehicles and track excavating equipment have been moved. They are all placed at the highest level of the complex.

The dirt track itself has not been effected, other than the parking lot and pit entrance booth. However, The SLKA track is completely underwater. The St Louis Karting Association is located in a section of the parking lot of Federated Auto Parts Raceway. It’s a section of land rented for the karting facility.

The roads are buried in water in all directions entering the track. The only way to the speedway is directly from the I55 highway.

The track flooding photos were all taken from outside the facility. I called the track office to try and get permission to walk amongst the raceway grounds for some better photos. I was denied.

Unfortunately, the filthy dirty lawyers of America have stripped that from you. I was told I could take photos from outside the complex but I couldn’t walk free from inside the fence. I understand completely, I was told they didn’t have the insurance for it if I was to somehow get hurt. Valid point.

I will say that Federated Auto Parts Raceway owner Ray Marler didn’t like the idea of me posting these. His concern was that if people see the photos they would think that the track was always like that.

So, in fairness to Ray… I’ll say I’ve lived in St. Louis my entire life. I can only remember one time where the waters were this high near the track. That was the Flood of 1993 and nearly everything in the midwest was below river current.

I can’t think of another time the track was closed due to water, usually it’s only covered in dirt late models and other things on 4 wheels. Though I could be wrong. However, it’s not closed today either, the dirt racing season ended a few months ago so it wasn’t open with proper cause.

I come from the school of thought that all publicity is good publicity. So, for the sake of dirt racing I hope you saw these photos and then circled a few of the Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I55 events for 2016.