PJ the Comic

I wasn't able to pull off the trip to Daytona. As much as I would have liked to I have a race here to get ready for. I have a role to play in the NASCAR Kobalt Tools 400 on March 9-11, 2012

I help to care for the turf at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is my responsibility to get the turf looking pristine and TV ready for the Kobalt Tools 400 in March. Yesterday I was at the track looking over our work and I have new video and pictures up for you. The tease is on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv6gVO4KMro and you will have to visit the photos/video page to see the rest of the video.

It is a little harder than you would think to have Fescue looking like Augusta National in Las Vegas in the middle of winter. We begin in the fall applying fertilizers for the winter months and we watch our water use carefully. The dark green color we want for our event is very dependent of how much water the turf received over the winter.

We begin foliar applications of Iron, Nitrogen, and humic acid about two months prior to the race. It takes that long to wake up sleeping grass. Because it is winter and soil microbes are mostly dormant granular applications of fertilizer cannot be metabolized by the microorganisms and therefore are not very effective. We then can only hope mother nature cooperates and we have good weather leading up to the race. It is amazing what a few warm days can do to help the aesthetics.

This week I am not happy with the color of the turf or our mowing heights. We are going to make adjustments to both. We will up our nitrogen rate and the frequency of application leading up to the race. I also am going to make some adjustments to the mowing heights this year. No excuses will do, we must have LVMS looking it's Sunday best for the week of intense media scrutiny.

Here's a little aerial photo from last years race. I thought the turf looked pretty damn good on TV.

I admit I am a grass nerd. I look at every race throughout the year to see how the turf in Kansas for example and Indy look for the races. There are some places that take tremendous care of the turf, and others that need some help. i realize that folks are there to see cars drive in a circle but with so much time and TV attention on the track it only makes since to me to have the turf looking it's very best for race week.

Indianapolis for example has an 18 hole golf course surrounding it. There are even a few golf holes built inside the famed speedway. That track side turf always looks perfect. He is wonderfully creative with his striping patterns and even stripes detailed logos in the turn using striping techniques. I would expect nothing less from a Golf Course Superintendent and his crew delivers every year. Soon I will travel to Indy and interview that man. Stay tuned for that video.

Well I have more work to do. Besides getting the track ready I have to get ready to spend 4 days trackside during the race. I mean what if there is a grass emergency? I may have to drop everything at a moments notice and apply green paint to a bare spot! I may need to remove a highly visible dandelion during Fox Sports taping! Or I may have to drink good Whisky and smoke great cigars while watching America's #1 Spectator sport, NASCAR.

I hope you make it to a race this year!

PJ