or8ital

iTrader: (38)

Our local track faces a dilemma. Several of us would like to practice between race days in race conditions but VHT is too expensive to buy to practice with. We spray the track on race days with VHT, if we don't then the track is usually un-drivable. Its located next to a busy road so it gets a lot of dust on it. We cant use soda b/c it attracts bees when we have and the track owner is allergic. Are there cheaper alternatives to VHT that we could look at that wouldn't attract insects?

Its an asphalt parking lot track.

jdearhart

iTrader: (15)

What kind of surface is it? Concrete or asphalt?

or8ital

iTrader: (38)

asphalt parking lot track that is sealed yearly (except this year b/c we put the track up before they had a chance to seal it).

under200

iTrader: (9)

We use soda mixed with water at out track and I have never seen a bee yet that was attracted to it. The very few times I saw a bee it was by the garbage cans where people tossed there food or drinks in. I was very surprised they didn't come for the soda too. I say that you try to spray a section with soda mixed with water on a day you are not racing. Come back a hour or two later and see if any bees are around. Choose the soda with the highest sugar content for grip, generally grape or rootbeer.

Tony

or8ital

iTrader: (38)

We have tried it, we got bees.

Francis M.

iTrader: (2)

Have you tried just blowing off the track with a leaf blower for practice???

or8ital

iTrader: (38)

I thought about that and didnt know if it would make it better or worse. Could try the leaf blower to see. Keep it on low power to keep from picking up all the stuff that gathers around the boards.

tomkelley

We've used a 8 horse blower, and sprayed water mixed with corn syrup (1 quart per 5 gallon bucket). Mix well it works decently with rubber tire on asphalt.

Molzer Mowery has a new track grip stuff. We used it with foam tires and it also worked well.

http://molzermoweryracing.com/sasrandd.htm

nemix

iTrader: (24)

I would try sugar water (corn syrup and water) vs. soda and see how that goes. Bees are attracted to sweet smells, and soda, especially grape soda puts out a sweet smell far and wide.

I know that we have bees all around our area, and when we grill out, the kids and I have soda cans. We have to watch and be sure a bee hasn't gone into the can before we pick it up and drink because they flock to the can and go right inside. My wife wont drink soda, she only drinks ice tea. Even though her ice tea has like 16lbs of sugar in it, her glass sits out in the open, and the bees dont even come near it, presumably because there is no sweet smell.

You may also try adding a bit of something bitter to the mixture, maybe something like vinegar? Or hell, You could always pay my wife to make you a huge vat of her ice tea.

or8ital

iTrader: (38)

The MMR stuff is interesting but looks about the same cost as VHT. We pay $50 for 2.5 gal of the VHT mixture and that is $22 a gal of finished product.

I'll ask them about the sugar water. I was kind of thinking something similar to your idea. Grape soda with bee repellant mixed in.

scootr117

Goto JEGS in Columbus or mail order a gallon of VHT at like $35 and dilute it with washer fluid (Ethanol)$2 a gallon and just do the the sweeper and the slow sections of the infield.....Your on your own for a sprayer to ruin
Also at Fastraxx we used the cheapo grape soda everyweek and never had a bee problem BUT there is a documented shortage of bees [saw it on the news] this year......so our results aren't fully valid

yyhayyim

iTrader: (26)

Ginger Ale will also work. Spray Ginger Ale on the track and its not as "sweet" as grape soda. BUt you should always blow the track off before spraying as well to get the best traction.

MarkBrown

iTrader: (9)

Since your track stays set up from week to week you should consider using a vacuum instead of a blower. Ideally get a big one with four wheels that you push around just like one of the larger blowers, but you could test the idea with a good shop vac or two. That way you can vacuum the racing line without disturbing the crud that accumulates near the boards. If you haven't had rain since you put down VHT, a vacuuming might be all you need.

Another thing nobody has mentioned so far is that soda pop (or sugar water) does not work very well if the sun is not shining. The stuff may dry but the grip does not come up much.

At our track (Fantasy World in Tacoma, WA) we spray the soda pop using a four-wheeled tank sprayer with an electric pump and wide sprayer bar. Two passes will cover the driving lane. Once the stuff is laid down we use push brooms to get rid of puddles and work the stuff in. I've never noticed any insects being attracted to the track.

chicagokenji

I've used dollar store maple syrup and it's obviously corn syrup.

Are you sure these are bees and not wasps?

I'd try the soda pop but mix in Clorox with the sugar water. Wasps and bees hate bleach. Clorox would be an inexpensive possible solution.

trailranger

I don't think you can beat blowing off the track and applying Grape or Strawberry Soda. $1 a bottle, and most parking lots only need about 5 bottles.

When compared to other sodas/colas grape will normally have 4g more sugars meaning more traction. So the flavor does not matter but Calories do!!

Adding bleach will keep the bugs away, but I strongly do not reccommend that. Bleach causes problems like over spray on clothes will damage.
Start with 1/2oz of PineSol or other safer agents that will keep the bugs out. If the bugs keep comming, add a little more.

My best discovery for awesome traction was mollasses. I found several jars of if for sale at $0.50 a jar and bought a few from an OverStock store. It more than surprized me for traction when combined 1/2 cup per 2L bottle of soda. Plus the darker mollasses gave the track the look of a blue-groove which help make consistant driving lines.

Even though soda is sticky it is not the critcial reason why is a great traction aid. Most of the time asphalt has tiny pits and cracks and the tire lifts dust from the pits and cracks as the car passes. The reason why soda works well is that it does a great job at absorbing the loose dust into the syrup and plugs the pits and cracks keeping the dust from being lifted up every pass. Crystal sugars can not absorb as many particles and when the water evaporates, the dust reappears. The less dust there is on the track the longer the soda application will last. So Blow off the TRACK.