If you attended Sandusky Speedway’s Hangover Race on Sunday, it doesn’t mean you were partying New Year’s Eve.

However, it’s likely you were having a good time on New Year’s Day watching stock cars race through all kinds of weather.

You see, unlike NASCAR, the Hangover Race runs in any kind of weather.

Stock cars come out of turn four during the annual Hangover Race at Sandusky Speedway. (Photo by Russ Lytle)

“The worst I’ve seen is, we just got the heat races done, and it started snowing and it kept snowing harder and harder and by the time we were done we had five inches of snow,” speedway promoter Kevin Jaycox said. “It was funny. We went to the green and it was kind of at the speed we were at when we were on the yellow. I mean, it got so bad the officials couldn’t even see the cars on the backstretch.”

Jaycox said this year’s event was the 34th rendition of the Hangover Race, which has gained a national reputation and attracts drivers from out of state — including some he only sees once a year.

Under the grandstands, a bar is open so fans can stay warm while watching football on a big screen television. Drivers set up heated trailers in the infield, too.

If fans want to watch drivers deal with weather, they bundle up and sit outside in the stands.  Drivers will tell you that there is no shortage of racing fans.

“I’ve seen people sit through pouring rain, I’ve seen them sit through snow storms and it’s an event. It really is,” said Lambertville, Michigan driver Ron Miller.

Oregon driver Mark Pollock adds, affectionately, “It’s funny because you have a bunch of ‘idiots’ out there in the winter time. You’d think there wouldn’t be, but it’s actually a good crowd. They will come and they will bundle all up. It’s just fun. It’s right smack in the middle from when the season ends to before when it starts again, so it’s just something to do to get the cars out. You’re kind of wanting to get the cars back out, and it’s always fun.”

As far as driving in those conditions, Pollock admits, “It’s a little more difficult. It’s actually harder because it takes a lot of patience. It gets weird because when the green flag is out and everybody goes, you want to go, but then, of course, if they go you are going by them because they are spinning,” Pollock continued.

Pollock adds that when there isn’t snow — there is one element they always deal with — cold. He only feels cold when he is not driving, however.

“Funny thing is when you are out in the car you really don’t notice the cold,” Pollock said. “Your adrenaline is flowing and you’re concentrating on what you are doing. I’ve never been cold in the car. I’ve been cold while we are waiting to go out and stuff. One year, my feet got wet and that sucked. I’ve learned when I go out to take extra shoes and socks.”

Dirt cars better
Miller, who has been racing 49 years, won his class at the Hangover Raced seven of eight years. Miller and Pollock believe at the Hangover Race it’s advantageous to have a car equipped for dirt track racing, but it can be messy when it snows.

“The dirt cars seem to do really, really well there. Most of the winners are dirt cars, which is kind of weird because it’s an asphalt track,” Pollock said.

Miller added, “With the dirt cars, we don’t have windshields so it kind of blows right straight through. In the snow, we are very used to going sideways, so obviously you have to slow down a little bit. We’re probably a whole lot more tuned in to adverse track conditions than the pavement guys are,” Miller said.

The three classes set up for this event only are Champagne Stocks, Moonshine Stocks, and Whiskey Stocks.

All classes include hot lap practice sessions, a preliminary heat, and a feature on the half-mile track. The Champagne Stock class is an open competition that runs a 20-lap feature. Drivers can enter any car with load bolts and use any tire. Pollock runs in this division.

“I’ve always done pretty well there,” Pollock said. “I won the heat, and almost won the feature one year.  A guy went down through the infield and brought a bunch of snow and ice back up through the track and spun me out. I had won the heat and was ahead three-fourths of the feature and it was mine to throw away, and that’s what happened.”

The Moonshine Stock runs a 20-lap feature for stock production cars equipped with full roll cages, cast iron block and heads, and two-barrel engines with limitations on racing tires. No Chevrolet Camaros allowed.

The Whiskey Stock runs a 15-lap feature for any American-made front wheel drive four or six cylinder engine. Manual transmission engines are allowed for four cylinder engines, but no manual transmission is allowed for six cylinder autos. In addition, all tires must be the same size.

Miller and Pollock said drivers make adjustments to account for the conditions.

“We do a lot of things differently, but the Hangover race for us is pretty much a ‘run with what you’ve brung class.’ We bring the big plastic sideboards, and it’s just a chance for us to have a lot of fun,” Miller said.

Pollock said, “I’m running a dirt car on asphalt, so we change the set-up a little bit. I flatten the bars out and stuff, and then you have to run harder tires. The asphalt will tear the dirt tires to bits. I run thinner oil than I normally do. Usually I run a straight 50, and for that I run a 10/40, and of course you’ve got to put anti-freeze into it and stuff.

“Plus at Sandusky, I’m not competing against that big, big money, which makes it a lot easier. Guys that have the big money, they won’t take their cars out in the winter, so it’s kind of better for me because I’m against cars that are more of my caliber. In fact, that’s the fun thing about Sandusky, too, is the rules. I’m in the Champagne class, and if you look it says any car, any tire — that’s all the rules there is.”

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