Showdown USA
Showdown USA is a self-contained road show that presents fans with a heads up drag strip experience combined with a hot rod thrill show. The event format is similar to a circus, in which various auto-related events and specially-built machines perform for the audience. Extreme hot rods, motorcycle stunt riders, classic hot rods and vintage custom cars perform difficult maneuvers and provide high-energy spectacle. The event is fast paced, and makes use of music and personality to further increase entertainment and production values.1
Competition segments of Showdown USA are divided into five categories. The most innovative of these categories is the Arena Drags competition, conducted with the use of a proprietary design Virtual Racing System (VRS)(see below). Competitors race each other over a quarter-mile in conditions similar to an NHRA drag strip.
Showdown USA also offers competitive events in more traditional categories. The drifting category showcases controlled wheel slippage, a style of driving that was popularized in Japan and has effectively crossed over into the American market. The burnout category awards points for high decibels and volume of tire smoke generated during a run. The lowrider category is based on style and hydraulic lift technique. Finally, the sport bike category encourages motorcycle riders to perform acrobatic maneuvers with specialty motorcycles.2
The system is based on roller platforms that allow several cars or motorcycles to drag race while remaining in a stationary position. By borrowing standard dynamometer technology and combining it with new telemetry and electronic displays, the Showdown VRS simulates the actual track conditions of an asphalt quarter mile drag strip. As the competitor’s cars exert force to turn large rollers positioned under their tires, distance, speed, and other data is measured to determine how fast a driver makes it down the virtual track. The results of the race, displayed for the crowd at the end of each match, show speed, elapsed time (ET) and other relevant conditions like torque, horsepower, and reaction time.
Another important component of the Virtual Racing System is the video display provided to the drivers and the audience. Large LCD screens, placed in front of the drivers in each race, display first-person views of competitor progress down a virtual racetrack. The video output on these screens is similar to a video game, giving the competitors visual cues that are meant to overcome the disorientation of racing without motion. The audience view is displayed on a large video cube in the center of the arena, providing a director’s view of the race. This view is capable of incorporating camera angles that are not possible on a physical track.
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