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TRACK INTRODUCES A RESPONSIVE NEW SPECIAL EDITION
Nov 10, 2011
The all new 811A Special Edition - Available 12.08.11
There are certain dates in history that everyone remembers; August 19, 2010 is one that Track fans will never forget. Until that day Track’s product line consisted of bowling balls in the 500 series, 700 series, and 900 series.
On August 19th that all changed with the surprise release of the 607A Special Edition.
The 607A was a special treat as, not only did the ball perform amazingly well, but it also looked great going down the lane. Throwing strikes is always fun but doing it with a product with the looks of the 607A makes it even more satisfying.
So how on Earth do you improve such a great ball? We tossed this question to our Research and Development team, to see what they could come up with and, as usual, they knocked it right out of the park when they told us about the brand new 811A Special Edition.
Ron Hickland, Product Development Engineering Manager, the man responsible for developing the core, had this to say:
“We had developed a new core shape that performed just like the 607A. It rolled angular off the spot, but we wanted to raise the intermediate differential a bit. We took the core and dramatically shaved off one side, and ended up with an 11. This is exactly what we needed.”
Hickland said the brilliant part of the core is the fact that even though this core itself is asymmetric, the top of the core is symmetric, so that no matter who the ball is drilled for, it won’t change the properties of the core.
This unique and amazing core is only one-third of the story behind the new 811A Special Edition. There are also significant changes to the cover. Ideally, we wanted a ball that would be really responsive off the dry part of the lane. Jason Kosby, our Product Development Engineer, has been actively researching new coverstock materials.
“We found an additive that worked well with our all new SE8 Gen 1 cover,” explained Kosby. “With this additive, a performance pearl called Crystalline Mica, we were able to improve the coverstock resin. Tests show the Mica resulted in 15% more response off the dry. The resulting SE8 Gen1 cover will take the ball exactly where you need it to go on the lane.”
That’s good news for all bowlers.
The final piece of 811A SE puzzle is the ball’s surface. When we create a new ball, we have to choose the best surface possible to use on that particular ball. We know that bowlers might have to adjust the surface to suit their lanes, but the surface we start with is the best match for that ball’s core/cover combination.
There are four steps to the surface of the 811A SE. Three different grits of Abralon® pads are used initially, 500, 1000, and 2000, followed by PowerhouseTM Factory Finish Polish. The Abralon® gives grit to the surface to increase oil absorption on the lane, and the Polish allows the ball the length it needs to get where you need it to go on the lane. Both Abralon® pads and PowerhouseTM cleaners and polishes are available through your local pro shop.
Mark your calendars now as the 811A SE won’t be available until December 8, 2011 (available in 12-16 lbs). Check it out then at your local pro shop; until then, visit trackbowling.com for more information. Don’t forget to look for us on Twitter and Facebook.
