St. Louis 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

Dirt Track Racing Kenny Wallace Gateway Dirt Photos 4992

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)

Integrated Roadways Smart Highway in Missouri

Integrated Roadways Smart Highway Photos

August 28, 2015 by Shane Walters

Missouri Smart Highway Project on I-70 by Integrated Roadways

The ultra futuristic Missouri smart highway project is gaining steam. The project has been proposed by Integrated Roadways designer and engineer Tim Sylvester. It’s the solution to a big problem that myself and all Missouri transporters are fully aware of, our roads are bloody pot-holey trash.

Why is this smart highway so awesome? The roads are no longer just poured concrete. These pre-fabricated slabs are embedded with intelligent transportation systems. Beyond technology, it’s cheaper to build and cheaper to maintain.

What does that mean? It means our roads could have technology matching and beyond our smart phones.

It won’t play ‘Orange is the New Black’ on Netflix but the road itself could report the condition of the roads lying ahead. This technology includes Wi-Fi built into the road itself so if we want to get technical it could play previously mentioned jail show. If the kids need Wi-Fi to update their Tumblr page on the family trip from St. Louis to Kansas City, than you can pay a fee and get it from the concrete below.

The roads could also be heated for quick snow & ice removal. Not only does ice cause cracks, traffic and accidents but so do snow trucks. If the road heats itself, none of that applies and roads now last much longer, 4 times longer as claimed by Integrated Roadways.

Wireless EV charging is also possible. Telsa has taken off in recent years, even in the MidWest. So those battery powered machines could charge on the go, the days of the recharge station could come to an end.

Driverless cars and trucks could take action on a 200 mile stretch between Kansas City and St. Louis. Corporations would likely embrace this technology with open arms. A large portion or all of the road bills could be taken care of via subscriptions for allowing driverless trucks.

In fact, most of these above services above could be subscription based. Meaning the road could very literally pay for itself as car technology catches up to the road beneath.

A majority of the transporters will use the road free of charge as most of us lames lack electric or driverless cars. As more and more people have these things regular transporters will pay less and less in terms of tax dollars or worse the proposed toll booths.

The construction speed is about five times faster than traditional pavement

– Tim Sylvester

It sounds futuristic, which it is. However, the future is here and it should be embraced especially when it’s cheaper. The technology has already been installed on a stretch of Interstate 35 and a new building at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

As a Missouri native myself I can tell you first hand MO isn’t known for embracing modern design of any sort. I could strongly argue that in 1972 modern architecture was officially rejected by St Louis residents as Pruitt-Ego came crumbling down but that’s another story entirely. However, we can still flip that entire script and prove hick stereotypes to be false.

The possibilities are endless for the smart road technology. As technology improves, which it will, software can be updated and new systems could launch immediately. It’s adaptable.

Tim Sylvester told the Kansas City Business Journal that IntegratedRoadways estimates a smart highway would cost $3.6 billion. That price is within MoDOT’s range of $500 million to $4 billion for road repair. A smart highway, which uses precast concrete slabs, is faster to install and has a longer life than a traditional highway, which means reduced maintenance costs, he said. An estimated 40% savings on road construction and repair.

MoDot doesn’t know where they will find the money to repair the crumbling roads in Missouri. The problem is now thousands of miles long. This smart highway solution by Integrated Roadways and Kansas City resident Tim Sylvester is cheaper and could offer adaptable integrated subscription services, what are we waiting for exactly?

Author: Shane Walters