MOTOR RACING / VINCE KOWALICK : Track Spray Helps Saugus Drivers Demonstrate Stick-to-Itiveness

Flat race tracks are about as popular among stock-car drivers as flat tires. And tracks don’t come any flatter than Saugus Speedway.

Actually, to hear some drivers tell it, Saugus’ one-third-mile paved oval is not so much flat as it is crowned.

“When it rains, the water runs to the (outside) wall,” said Bob Lyon of Newhall, a competitor on the NASCAR Southwest Tour.

Rick Carelli of Denver, points leader of both the Southwest Tour and the NASCAR Winston West series, considers Saugus “one of the toughest around” because of its non-banked curves.

“It’s tough to get around the corners,” Carelli said. “You have to make your car get around in the turns or you’re not going to win.”

Thanks to chemical engineering, help has arrived in the form of VHT Track Bite. Quite simply, it is auto racing’s answer to pine tar.

Manufactured by PJH Brands, a chemical company based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Track Bite is a resin-based spray applied to the track to enhance traction.

The substance was developed about 10 years ago for use on drag strips, according to P. J. Harvey, chief executive officer of PJH Brands. The company began marketing a spray especially for oval tracks a few years ago.

“It’s not quite like pine tar, it’s more like flypaper,” Harvey said. “We introduced it at Daytona this year at the track meeting. It wasn’t used in the (Daytona 500), but it might be on the track next year. Once people have seen how well it works, it has moved on from track to track.”

Saugus officials began experimenting with Track Bite two years ago. Now, it is sprayed regularly on the track’s outer lane to help drivers take corners with more speed. It has become a great equalizer.

“Now the guys are not afraid to go on the outside because they know they can get some bite,” Saugus promoter Ray Wilkings said.

Dave Phipps of Simi Valley, a four-time Saugus champion and current Grand American Modified points leader, made his reputation passing on the outside at Saugus. Phipps gives the sticky stuff a thumbs up--even though Track Bite might wind up taking a bite out of Phipps’ outside advantage.

“I got the hang of passing on the outside before they started using this traction compound,” Phipps said. “But this makes the races more competitive and good for everybody. Side-by-side racing is what’s exciting. I’m not the only guy who drives on the outside.”

Not anymore.

Dirty dozen: The qualifying marks of 12 drivers in Saugus’ Pro Stock division were nullified Saturday night after a sweeping pre-race inspection found the vehicles of those entrants in violation of track rules.

“They were told there was going to be an inspection,” Wilkings said. “I guess they didn’t believe it.”

Violations included illegal gears, roofs, braces and things only a mechanic would understand.

“My dad raced there in the ‘60s, and I don’t ever remember them doing something like this,” said Rip Michels of Arleta, whose qualifying mark of 18.170 seconds would have set a track record.

Said Scott Dinger of Simi Valley: “This time they got us all.”

The guilty dozen were removed from the lineup of the evening’s 25-lap oval main event and placed at the rear of the grid in the semi-main event, or so-called B main. The B main allows the top four finishers to advance to the main event.

Michels, whose Chevrolet Chevelle was found to be without its lowest gear, started 11th among 20 cars in the B main. Michels won that race, then started 21st in the main. He won again.

“Everybody was kind of angry,” Michels said. “Usually, with stuff like this, (track officials) will say, ‘Fix it by the next race.’ But it’s good that they busted all of us. If they had just busted two or three of us, it wouldn’t have been fair.”

Radio racer: Joe Benson, popular disc jockey on KLOS (FM-95) in Los Angeles, tonight will make the first of three appearances this season at Saugus.

Benson, however, will not be behind a microphone or in a booth handing out bumper stickers.

He’ll be on the track.

Benson will compete in the evening’s program of Mini Stock Racing Assn. Outlaw Mini Stocks. He is scheduled to drive a Ford Thunderbird owned by track regular Tim Mitchell of Canoga Park.

After qualifying, Benson will compete in heat races and, if things go well, the evening’s main event.

Benson is scheduled to make return appearances in July and August.

Miscellaneous: Defending champion Bill Sedgwick of Granada Hills dropped to fourth in the NASCAR Winston West points standings after finishing seventh in last weekend’s 200-lap main event at Saugus. Carelli is the points leader with two wins in two races. . . . The NASCAR Southwest Tour will resume tonight with a 126-mile race at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Carelli also is the Southwest Tour points leader after seven of 17 events. . . . Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa will vie for his sixth consecutive win as U.S. Auto Club Midgets return to Ventura Raceway tonight for their first appearance there since May 2.