ALLENTOWN, Lehigh County -- During the off months it’s hard to find a place to go racing outside. The Indoor Auto Series takes a pitstop in Allentown at the PP&L Center. They transform the ice rank to a sticky concrete track.
In about 100-feet, Slingshots and TQ's hit 60-miles per hour by the end of the straightaway, averaging 7-seconds a lap.
The surface, on the other hand, is quite different from the clay some drivers are used to racing on.
“I normally run on dirt. Learning every time I go on the track. It's just so unpredictable," said Jesse Maurer, Fredericksburg, Lebanon County.
Most indoor tracks use VP products for traction but this indoor series uses something quite tasteful.
Using soda syrup to make the track sticky, this gives the cars traction.
“The tires build rubber and the track will get faster and just like a dirt track, when it starts out fast and gets slower throughout the night. These tracks will get faster as the night goes on. So, the drivers have to learn to adjust," said Danny Sammons, Indoor Auto Racing Series, Race Director.
The syrup is pumped then sprayed onto the track. If there’s an accident, after the fluids are cleaned up, more syrup is applied.
“In corners one and two it’s a little bit slicker and in. Corners three and four is a little bit more than what we’re used to at the other places we go so that throws a little bit of a loop, a curve for everybody. Driving a race car isn’t just about being a dare devil. It’s very calculated. It’s a mental game. It’s a lot like a chest game," says Ryan Flores, TQ driver, Penske Tire Changer.
Friday night, Flores goes upside down. Saturday night, he's driver with the most wins on this track, holds off the rest of the competition with a flat left rear.
He also knows a little bit about tires, he’s a tire changer for Team Penske for NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.