The Red Bull trolley Grand Prix track is revealed   14 Oct 2015

THE RED BULL TROLLEY GRAND PRIX TRACK IS REVEALED.

THE COUNTDOWN UNTIL RACE DAY IS ON!

With less than 40 days until the Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix, Race Control has put competitors out of their misery, revealing the much anticipated challenging 2015 course. On November 22 the Auckland Domain will be transformed into a 605 metre-long trolley racing track, playing on New Zealand’s four seasons in one day repute. It will featureten unique obstacles that are sure to keep those clammy hands clutching the steering wheel. The track will be 4m wide, but drivers should be prepared for some testing narrower sections.

Which of the 50 trolleys will make it down the new track? All teams will be working hard in the Mobil1 pit lane, fine-tuning their one-off homemade trolleys before pushing them onto the raised performance stage. Here, teams will be in prime position to carry out their 30 second skit revealing their trolley to the judges and 50,000 strong crowd. The test will be on to win the hearts of all five celebrity judges.

After the skit, team members will push their driver and trolley down a 13m long launch ramp, to gain as much speed as possible before their official time starts as they pass under the Red Bull archway and hit their first cheese wedge jump. Expect a few casualties from eager team mates pushing down the ramp.

The trolley then passes through the Snow Storm, where snow shoots at the driver under a long white cloud. From there it’s into the Memphis Meltdown Tunnel, an 11m long space filled with smoke and flashing lights. Teams won’t see much in or out of the tunnel, so the jump coming out of the tunnel will be a nice little surprise!

The Bone Shaker calls for three wedge jumps in-line, each 300mm high. Triple the amount of jumps means triple the challenge! The Bone Shaker was made famous at the UK Soapbox race in 2014, and is sure to rattle every part of the trolley, testing its integrity and strength. The Tropical Corner means drivers will need to dodge three raised areas filled with a classic kiwi summer kit. A life guard in his best budgie smugglers will be atop a high chair in the Surf Lifesaving corner, which will be close to the sun deck armed with water pistols and beach balls.

Those drivers skilled enough to make it through will present themselves at the next obstacle, a compulsory two-meter high curved Wall Ride. The daunting part is that the faster the drivers hit the wall, the easier it is to get up and around the corner, so drivers must commit 100%. Off the back of a speed bump, the track narrows to 2.5m wide, where trolleys must pass through a tight Go Pro Chicane. Drivers then enter the Carters Cattle Stop, traveling through a farmer’s gate and over some teeth clamping grills in the road, while passing farmers, cows and sheep. If the Bone Shaker hasn’t jiggled the bolts off the wheels then this will! Teams with bigger wheels and a higher clearance will have the advantage here.

Like the Formula1, drivers will put their racing skills to the test for the final Cube Crash Corner; the tightest corner and steepest part of the track. Here spectators will really see some wheel buckling action. The corner gets tighter the further you travel around, so this is typically where competitors over-steer and crash spectacularly. The final cheese wedge jump means trolleys will leap towards the finish-line.

ENDS

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