Posts
767
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Stillwater, OK
US
Edited Date/Time
10/3/2022 6:34pm
OK I know all the reasons not to run a sprinkler system, own 2 water trucks etc. However this year I'm thinking about opening the track 5 days a week. I'm working on water trucks constantly and honestly I just don't want to work that hard. The idea of turning on the switch about dark and having the track ready to rip a few hours later is sounding more and more appealing.
I noticed at the big Diamond Dons vintage national his sprinkler system was ran off of a pool pump. All his lines were just water hose ran above the ground allowing him to move the sprinklers anywhere he wanted, I'm liking that idea as well. I've searched and searched for a "How to" on the subject but I haven't had much luck.
I have 2 nice high pressure Honda irrigation pumps already that I could use.
I noticed at the big Diamond Dons vintage national his sprinkler system was ran off of a pool pump. All his lines were just water hose ran above the ground allowing him to move the sprinklers anywhere he wanted, I'm liking that idea as well. I've searched and searched for a "How to" on the subject but I haven't had much luck.
I have 2 nice high pressure Honda irrigation pumps already that I could use.
There will be a new track 7km from my house in 2017 and my dad and a bunch of other guys are building it and it will have sprinklers.
E: Yes, make sure that people aren't riding over the pipes.
The Shop
As has been mentioned, you do have to blow the lines out really good in the winter. And at least for us, we are constantly repairing water lines. We have gotten pretty efficient at it, as we usually have at least one riser get run over per race by track personnel or medics.
We probably have about 40 standard 40 ft. radius sprinklers, and 3 big 120 ft. radius cannons. We also have fire hoses scattered for "precision" watering the areas that can't be reached by sprinkler.
I believe our pump is 30hp (it has to push water up hill, across the road to our track). We don't have enough pressure to have ALL of our sprinklers open at once, but we can split the track into 1/4 sections, and just have two or three guys going around opening and closing sprinklers. We can have the track completely watered in ~2 hours.
Also, I think I would go above ground for a track. It would make it easier to move things around if you ever change the track design, plus you don't have to worry about equipment tearing up the lines if they're run under the track. Having a guy ripping the track only to bust your water line wouldn't be fun. Install an air compressor fitting so you can blow the lines out come winter to prevent freezing.
Make sure that each head can be shut off independently. Jump faces take less water then straights and corners and if you can't shut them off you will end up with mud at the bottom.
Some corners will require more water. An example would be one on the inside that would have close to 360 swing will need to run longer than one on a straight or 90 corner.
If you are pumping from a pond it will have grit in it and if you have a good bit of pressure it may cause heads to stick when the grit gets in the seal. I actually had better luck with cheap Lowes sprinklers over top of the line rain bird heads.
Also if pumping from pond, get used to carrying a wd 40 tube and a cheap pair of pliers to remove twigs, leaves, gravel, and critters like minnows and tadpoles.
An important thing to consider on a,pump is the pressure, often referred to as head pressure. Most gas pumps have less than 100 feet. This is the distance it would pump water straight up. It is important if you have much elevation. A higher number will also make sure that your heads cover their full area.
The vest setup is to have the heads on alternating sides of the track. An example would be having heads on a straight watering half circles on opposite sides to minimize overlap and the missed areas that happen when they are all on the same side.
We also put hose bibs and valves on each cannon to work for spot watering during an event or when a cannon malfunctions.
a sprinkler system is not a turn on and walk away type of deal either, if you want the track watered well,
they require constant maintenance, and bikes, bugs, weeds and all sorts of other things play havoc with the sprinkler heads, and when the wind changes it can mean changing the angles of the head,
you need a good water supply, and a good pump to make it work, having parts you can turn off is a good thing to, as well as being able to turn off invidual sprinklers, (we had dry breaks on most parts of the track)
they can be expensive to put in, and maintain, but they can do an awesome job as well, with less man hours on the day than water trucks,
https://www.facebook.com/103002806417725/photos/pb.103002806417725.-220…
We already have all the points in place so it should be as simple as moving them around but I am concerned about mud patches at the bottom of jump faces too.
How do you find the 120ft cannons go with the ground actually soaking up the water as opposed to just rolling off the side of the track? Our track is pretty loamy but gets hell dry and hard as a rock so ripping it first is difficult.
Edit: I'm not going to use the water cannons to water the track for the national, I will use it for the week leading up to get the base moisture deep into the ground. Then 2 days before we will hit it with hoses and the water truck to get it perfect all around.
Just cool to see for your reference.
John Deere Landscapes / Site One is residential and golf course stuff.
I would look to the Ag industry.
Like Joe Dirt sys, "get the good stuff"
I also think you need good data.
Trying to install a system on a brand new track would be tough.
Types of dirt, run off and sun exposure can really change from corner to corner.
Properly understanding where and how much water you really need should be a priority.
I know several tracks here in the south east have been sold to developers.
Devils ridge in sanford, nc had about 200 sprinklers and 2 multi cylinder water pumps.
Might be able to get a deal.
Hell, I have a brand new, never used, 10 hp 3" electric pump that was never installed.
I need to take some pics and post in classifieds.
Pit Row
Build a section and see if a small “proof of concept” works for you before a full commitment. A driverless water truck sounds ideal!
I have been working with designing irrigation system for 8 years in Denmark, for Motocross tracks, golf courses, Royal Castles etc. :-)
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