Originally Posted by
Pit-racer
I haven't seen ducktape on a surface in many many years. So are all vta big races only ran on the rug?
All of the recent big VTA races posted in this thread are/were being run indoors on ozite carpet. These facilities are all located in the US in temperate climates that are currently still in the winter season and have experienced measurable snowfalls in the past week.
As to the issue of duct tape...Some carpet tracks in the US will use duct tape in various ways.
- to repair/patch breaks in track barriers
- to hold track barriers in place or create custom configurations the barriers weren't designed for (by using 2 straight pieces joined to create a sharp angle)
- to repair/patch carpet seams (sometimes occurs in the racing line on tracks with older carpet)
- to hold down obstacles such as plow discs or corner dots
- to hold down 'ice' - a material with a slick surface which affects traction in corners. Typically used in oval racing to prevent short cutting the corners
- to tape heats/racing results to the wall
- to mark start/finish line and/or mark starting grid positions
- to cover dead weights (sandbags) used to prevent the layout from moving
- to mark a line on the driver's stand that everyone must stand behind (to prevent obstructing other racer's view of the track)
- by racers repairing damaged bodies
- as a cheap car stand in the pits
I have rarely been to a track in the US (indoors or outdoors) where the race director didn't have a roll of duct tape handy. It really is an all purpose material.