Peterson Quoted in Augusta Chronicle Article on New Track Surface

Mick Peterson, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maine, was quoted in an Augusta Chronicle article about Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, beginning its fall meeting with a new state-of-the-art dirt surface to replace the synthetic surface known as Polytrack. Peterson, head of the Racing Surfaces Testing Lab at UMaine, became heavily involved in testing surfaces for the Keeneland horse racing track, according to the article. “We developed standard tests for both synthetic and dirt surfaces,” Peterson said. “Dirt tracks are never as simple as synthetics, which are less dependent on weather. We can’t change the weather, so the dominant issue becomes maintenance. We’re working hand-in-hand with Keeneland’s maintenance crew to assure that the new surface will be fair and safe.”