When most racers think of track prep, they picture a tractor dragging a tire rotator down the lanes, maybe a splash of glue, and it’s “go time.” But for Brandon Mass of Mass Traction, that idea couldn’t be further from reality. For him, track prep isn’t a quick chore—it’s a grind measured in 16-hour days, endless travel, and thousands of dollars spent DAYS before the first burnout hits the water box.
Brandon has made it his mission to educate the racing world on what true track prep means. Brandon has spent the last decade consulting with track owners, operators, and employees across the U.S. and around the globe. From the Caribbean to Malta, Brandon has dedicated his life to making tracks not just fast, but safe and consistent.
And he’ll be the first to tell you: anything less than perfection is unacceptable.
Prep Starts in the Pits
When Brandon arrives at a facility, his evaluation begins before he ever sets foot on the racing surface.
“I can tell a lot about a track just by looking at the pits,” Brandon says. “If the pits are grass or gravel and not clean, then I already know I’m going to have more work to do. Whatever’s in the pits ends up on the track.”
That’s why Mass Traction starts with cleaning—pits first, then staging lanes, then the water box. Only then do they move on to the surface itself.
From there, it’s into the heavy lifting. For larger events, Brandon and the facilities crew scrape the track down to bare concrete as he teaches the track crew his craft. Starting fresh, layering rubber and glue like an artist painting on a blank canvas. Ideally, that process starts three to four days before the first time slip is ever printed. With himself and the tracks crew, they put in over 100 hours of labor before the first car makes a pass.
“Track prep doesn’t start the morning of a race,” he emphasizes. “It starts days before, and it starts in the pits.”
The Costs Nobody Sees
Labor alone is only part of the equation. Glue is another monster entirely. Mass Traction could go through up to two drums of glue per day at a large 1/4 mile event, and with each drum costing about $1,300—plus rising shipping costs—that’s thousands of dollars.
“I have been working closely with Rocket Track Glue over the past 7 years to make a superior and more consistent product from drum to drum,” Brandon explains. “If I’m putting my name on a track, I need to know exactly what I’m working with.”
Even the equipment carries hidden costs. Brandon refuses to use worn-out tires on his tire rotator. Instead, he buys brand-new Hoosiers strictly for prepping tracks.
“I want racers to know I don’t cut corners,” he says. “Even down to the rotator tires—I buy new Hoosiers just to prep a track.”
Then there’s safety. An ambulance alone runs about $1,500 a day, not including personnel. Fire crews, insurance, utilities, and overhead stack on top of that.
“People forget an event isn’t just glue and tractors,” Brandon says. “That ambulance sitting there—it costs money. The fire crew—it costs money. Racers want the best, but everything they see comes with a bill.”
And then come the million-dollar expenses. Grinding and milling a track? Around $150,000. Laying down a new surface? Another $50,000. Materials? About $15,000. And every 20–25 years, tracks face the reality of tearing out and replacing concrete altogether.
“How do you get ROI on that?” Brandon asks. “How do you spend a million dollars and expect racers to even notice? They don’t see it, but without it, there’s no surface to race on.”
Montgomery International Dragway and the Grind of Long Seasons
Brandon points to his work with Brad Wheeler at Montgomery International Dragway as a perfect example of the grind. Brad hosts one of the longest consecutive same-track bracket series in the country, with events running back-to-back for weeks. Such as the Mike Smith race followed by the Great American Bracket Race.
“Brad has one of the best bracket series going,” Brandon says. “We will do two solid weeks of racing there. I will be at the track for three weeks total, scraping the surface every single day. While racers are loading up and heading back to the hotel, The track crew and Brandon are still out there working on the track for the next day.”
The Track as a Living, Breathing Animal
Brandon often describes the racing surface in organic terms.
“Rubber is like a living, breathing animal,” he says. “If you don’t clean it and take care of it, it dies. It thickens, peels, and then racers complain about traction. But it starts with maintenance.”
That maintenance doesn’t just happen on race weekends. Tracks must be soaped, scrubbed, and blown off during the week. Pollen, dirt, and oils must be removed to give glue and rubber a proper foundation.
“If you don’t scrub the track during the week, the glue won’t stick right, and then the rubber peels,” Brandon explains. “That’s why I say prep starts in the pits—it’s a full process, not just throwing glue down.”
For routine maintenance, Brandon insists the first 150 feet of track be scraped weekly, with the first 330 feet scraped a minimum of three times a year. For multi-week events, scraping often happens daily.
The Joy and the Burden
Despite the backbreaking labor, Brandon says the joy comes when racers acknowledge the surface.
“When someone shakes my hand and says, ‘This is the best track I’ve ever been down,’ that’s the payoff,” he says. “That’s when I know it was worth all the hours.”
But there’s also a burden. Brandon has assisted in saving two lives at the racetrack, and he never misses a chance to remind racers about safety. Brandon emphasizes the need of wearing proper safety equipment.
“I feel guilty sometimes,” he admits. “We have made tracks so fast that the safety infrastructure can’t keep up. The guardrails, the shutdown, the safety crews—it’s not where it needs to be at every facility. That’s something that weighs on me.”
Still, his passion keeps him going. From the U.S. to the Caribbean to Europe, Brandon continues to travel the world—working before sunrise, grinding after dark, and teaching staff so tracks are better long after he leaves.
A Call to Racers
For racers, the message is clear: you get what you pay for.
“If you want cheap entry fees, you’ll get minimal prep,” Brandon says. “If you want world-class prep, consistency, and safety, you’ve got to understand the cost. It isn’t free. It isn’t easy.”
At an event with 400 cars, about $30 per entry covers track prep and safety crews for the weekend. That’s not including electricity, water, insurance, or long-term facility maintenance. That is lunch with your friends these days to guarantee world class track prep.
So the next time you roll into the staging lanes, pause for a second. Look at the surface under your tires. Think about the glue, the man-hours, the rotator tires, the ambulance staged in the pits, the fire crew waiting, the utilities, the million-dollar surfaces, and the staff keeping it all together.
Because great track prep isn’t magic. It’s money, sweat, sacrifice—and passion.
And if you’ve ever raced on a Mass Traction surface, you already know: it’s worth every penny.
