The authority that manages North American drag racing events.

Industry

Recreational industry -- motor sports

Problem/Challenge

The racing authority’s management team was continually frustrated with efforts to develop a track surface coating that would ensure consistent starts among the thousands of dragsters that participate in the 20 drag strip venues hosting 23 national events in North America.

Solution

APV engineered a track surface coating that provides superior starts, allowing the rubber tires of the dragsters to build a unique bond with the track surface during the pre-start acceleration period. The APV track coating ensures a balance of starts between the two lanes of dragsters.

Results

The APV engineered water-based coating solution provided all the anticipated results, plus some surprising additional benefits:
• An easily sprayed-on product that provides superior traction with the track surface
• Better appearance of the track; consistently covering ‘black spots’ from burnt rubber
• Up to 120’ of consistent start line bonding characteristics
• Faster acceleration times at all tracks where this surface coating is now used -- in fact, national records are being achieved at each track where this coating is being used.

Timing

The initial coating surface was engineered by APV in just a few weeks from the initial call for help from the drag racing authority.

"The starting track coating has been a constant thorn in our side. We never had a coating product that worked well, our drivers always felt the guy in the ‘other lane’ had an advantage, and whatever we used on the track never seemed to work. Plus there were always these burnt rubber marks all over the place. It was a nightmare for us, until we called in APV. Now we have what we think is a permanent solution to this vexing problem…and the drivers love it because they’re setting new records at every event. And the coating is so easy to apply!’
"

Drag Racing Authority Management