Cain

iTrader: (294)

is there any place in the usa that runs astroturf outdoors for their track?

I know I have heard of places get cheap astroturf or even free when some places replace the stuff they have and use that, but i dont' recall where.

tc5 man

Yea i raced on carpet offroad for a while indoors but got board of it, i just like the slideing and different conditions of the clay though out the day . The buggys or trucks don't get muddy or anything if the clay is not over wet or watered to late in the day and not allowing the heat to dry it in the building.


The indoor clay tracks here in PA are not really high traction its more like medium traction and sometimes low so the tire wear is not that bad but tires do need a break in with some wear on them to work well.

tc5 man

Not to mention the shops make more $$ on tires with clay than carpet .

kdeleon

iTrader: (10)

I have only driven on one carpet track and I have to say that I prefer dirt. But since it is only one track, I'm not sure what others offer. What I didn't like was the traction was really high bite. It is either traction or traction roll. On dirt even as you approach higher bite, the car can be loose or the car can push. The jumps also seem more forgiving on dirt. You can lawn dart into dirt and it seems to give more. And carpet can be hard on the car. Like diffs but I guess that can be said of any really high bite track.

But I do really like the clean up. Just blow off some dust and you are all good. So maybe there is carpet and there is carpet. I just have experience on one that I don't like as much.

racer1812

iTrader: (31)

I would say you'll see more NEW tracks go with carpet/astro vs. dirt. I DON"T see any ESTABLISHED dirt tracks hauling out their dirt just to bring in wood jumps and astro.

Shawn_S

iTrader: (20)

This is straight hypothesis, but I wonder if the economies of each are likely culprits. I imagine the costs of the heavy machinery are cheaper Stateside, where material cost might be cheaper, at least relative to the cost of getting bobcats/tractors on site, overseas?


All I know is, I reaalllllly want a good multi-surface track in the States. Pavers, asphalt, astro-jumps, dirt.

EricW

iTrader: (1)

A guy from Europe posted on another thread that one of drivers behind the carpet/astro in Europe is the lack of permanent locations to use dirt. It's easier to setup and breakdown a carpet/astro track in temporary locations when needed.

MOmo

iTrader: (2)

I'm curious, and I am guessing this has been asked, but...

For those who are used to racing on looser fluffy stuff, or remember the days of step pins and or the larger "lug" tires, is it easier now days or harder?

Seems to me the tire wear was less, that it was more about a more drive-able "line" and it was as much about a dedicated Blue-Groove.


AS for the comment about Astro tracks, I think it would be cool.



MOmo

Cain

iTrader: (294)

I think the thing I am seeing is that out here at least, we still have conditions that tires like the good ol step-pins were good for that without those options (some brands better than others, and those are now gone), you can run into issues getting hooked up.

And I think some cars feel as if they were designed a bit more with better traction in mind versus the old days, and with the track in question it can be a bit more of a challenge to find the right setup to get hooked up as the rear ends on those vehicles want break free a bit more, and when someone shoots you a setup for "loose", there loose condition is not anywhere close to what we can see out here, its more like our version of medium.

Kings Kid

iTrader: (35)

In our area I've seen a few dirt tracks close in the past few years. We have an indoor carpet onroad-offroad track thirty minutes from me, that has been around nearly twenty years now. ownership has changed hands a few times, but they keep open and rollin on. I'd much rather race indoor clay, but to drive two to three hours to do so is tough. As for too much traction, I just have to adjust my setup to stop traction roll. Sway bars, ride height, rollcenter changes etc all help in that area. I run the sc class so we fight it more than most offroad cars. Guess I'm thankful to have a place that remains dedicated to the customer. My $.02

Jeff Werner

iTrader: (30)

What the majority of the carpet off road tracks using for carpet? Use to race carpet on road and know the Ozite carpet well. Many of the pics have a green carpet. I see this as the future as well. Also allows for tracks to be in facilities that would not allow dirt to be hauled in. From looking at the pics of many of the races in Europe, many of those sites look like temporary gym type facilities. The racing looks good on those surfaces.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

usually when its a double duty track for onroad and offroad, its ozite with whatever they find for landing carpet.

Landing carpet is definitely important in that case as without it you usually get damage to the track from guys landing butt first or other oddball landings.

racer1812

iTrader: (31)

Dedicated Off Road being dirt vs. carpet is one topic. Bringing up the double duty On road+Off road subject for carpet will put a whole new spin on this thread. And not in a good way.

IMO, double duty carpet tracks SUCK. Both in quality and attendance. Again, IMO.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

understand, my comment was only in reference to what tracks do for carpet, and hence, if they run an offroad and onroad program in general what I have seen.

I haven't attended direct a carpet only offroad track but places converting over seem to do both.

IntegraMark

iTrader: (1)

in my area with the tracks I have available, carpet tires generally wear faster than dirt tires.
obviously there's many factors that come in to play. if we run on a sugared track, new tires are toast by the end of the day.


what baffles me, is the amount of people in this area that praise running on high bite clay and sugared dirt then turn around and bash carpet.

I know of a few people that were huge fans of an indoor clay track not far from me, that shut down a few months ago. I have yet to see these few people at any outdoor track. one of them went as far as saying the local carpet track "isn't a real race facility", and the funny thing is, these people were regulars at another carpet track that also shut down not to mention that the indoor clay track started out as a carpet track.