Stay ahead of seasonal FOD threats with smart summer safety practices.
Motor Speedway Safety and FOD Prevention
FOD Prevention Is Essential in High Speed Environments.
While a stray piece of metal sitting in your driveway might give you a slow flat, that same foreign object on an auto speedway during racing operations can cause a major incident. Asphalt, pebbles, tires, rubber, liquids, heat, grip and momentum all interact at high speed on a racetrack. The last thing you need is an unwelcome factor upsetting that delicate balance. The wrong item in the wrong place at the wrong time can spell disaster.
Foreign object debris collected from a racetrack surface — bolts, rubber fragments, and gravel that pose hazards at racing speeds.
“Keeping the track as clean as possible is very important to our show,” says Shasta Speedway Promoter David Twyman. “It keeps the flying debris to a minimum, provides better grip and safety, and keeps fans and racers from getting the debris in their eyes and lungs.”
Your insurer may recommend conducting a safety audit, perhaps using a facility and event safety checklist such as this one from the Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency. It covers a wide range of concerns such as maintaining track smoothness, having adequate perimeter barriers and complying with building codes.
Like any industrial environment that hosts precision equipment, every object present on a motor speedway should have a reason for being where it is. A rock has no reason to be on a track. A bolt has no reason to be anywhere except on the housing to which it was originally bolted.
That is why the technical term for potentially hazardous items that are out of place is “foreign object debris“, or “FOD” for short. This can refer to any object of any size, manufactured or naturally-occurring. Think stray hardware, rubber pebbles, twigs, branches, or even an entire disabled automobile.
The companion term “foreign object damage” (also shortened to “FOD”) refers to damage caused by debris to a manufactured object or injury to a person. Think automobiles, track barriers, or the people nearby. A third term, “foreign object elimination” (FOE), refers to efforts to remove debris from areas where it might cause damage.
FOD is a critical safety and quality issue across automotive, manufacturing, aviation, and aerospace. A practical knowledge of FOD control will help you maintain a safer, more efficient track.
The Real Cost of Track Debris
FOD on a racetrack is not just a nuisance — it is a financial and legal liability that compounds with every event.
Equipment damage. A single bolt on a racing surface can shred a tire at 180 mph. The resulting wreck can destroy a car worth tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Even at the grassroots level, a weekend racer who loses a tire to track debris faces repair bills that can end their season.
Race delays and lost revenue. When debris triggers a caution flag, the clock stops but costs do not. Extended yellow-flag periods reduce the entertainment value for fans, compress racing action, and can push events past broadcast windows. For tracks that depend on per-event revenue — ticket sales, concessions, sponsorships — every avoidable delay cuts into the bottom line.
Insurance and liability. Track operators carry significant liability exposure. A debris-related incident that injures a driver, crew member, or spectator can result in lawsuits, increased premiums, and reputational damage. Insurers increasingly expect documented FOD prevention protocols as part of their risk assessments.
Reputation. Word travels fast in the racing community. A track known for poor maintenance will struggle to attract sanctioning bodies, series events, and experienced drivers. All of these directly impact revenue.
The aviation industry estimates FOD costs at $4 billion annually in direct damage alone. While motorsport lacks an equivalent industry-wide figure, the principle is identical: prevention is dramatically cheaper than the consequences.
Types of Track Surfaces and Their FOD Challenges
No two racetracks are built the same, and each surface type presents unique FOD challenges that demand tailored maintenance approaches.
Asphalt ovals. The most common surface in American short-track racing. Asphalt ages over time, developing cracks that harbor and generate debris. Rubber buildup from successive races creates a grip-enhancing layer that eventually deteriorates into loose shards. Banking on oval turns adds complexity. Debris migrates toward the apron under gravity, and sweeping equipment must contend with lateral forces.
Paved Surface Types
Concrete surfaces. Found on portions of tracks like Bristol Motor Speedway and some drag strips. Concrete is more durable than asphalt, but its expansion joints collect debris. Its harder surface means loose objects bounce and scatter rather than embedding. Concrete also offers less natural grip, making any surface contamination — oil, rubber dust, or moisture — especially dangerous.
Road courses. Multi-directional circuits with elevation changes, tight corners, and often a mix of asphalt and concrete sections. The variety of turn types and speeds means debris can accumulate in different patterns across the circuit.
Race Tracks come in all shapes and sizes.
Runoff areas, curbing, and grass-to-pavement transitions are constant sources of gravel and organic FOD migrating onto the racing surface.
Specialized Surfaces
Drag strips. Drag racing surfaces demand the highest grip levels of any motorsport surface. Even microscopic contamination can compromise a launch. Professional drag strips apply specialized traction compounds and maintain the starting area to exacting standards. The shutdown area is equally critical. Vehicles decelerating from extreme speeds have depleted braking and tire grip — loose debris here is especially dangerous.
Pit lanes and paddock areas. Often overlooked, pit lanes are high-traffic zones where tools, hardware, and vehicle components are constantly in motion. Pit road debris that migrates to the racing surface is one of the most common and preventable sources of FOD.
Understanding your surface type is the first step toward building an effective FOD prevention program. Each demands different sweeping equipment, inspection schedules, and maintenance techniques.
Common Sources of FOD on a Racetrack
Oil and Water
Oil is removed by using absorbent granules or pads. Granular material can then be collected by the FOD-Razor®.
Just like solid objects, liquids also qualify as FOD. In fact, liquid hazards are among the most common FOD events at racetracks. Motor oil on an engine creates electrical and fire hazards. Liquids of any kind on a track create navigational hazards. Accidental spill or deliberate rinse — if the liquid serves no purpose, it should be removed.
Consequently, one popular method is laying down absorbent material such as rice hull to soak up the liquid. Then remove it from the track with a sweeper or by hand.
To take your efforts up a level, invest in a small fleet of sweepers. Train a liquid removal team to manage the process. NASCAR has developed an intriguing post-rainfall system that uses one set of highly-specialized blowers to push rainwater off the track, followed by a second set of blower trucks that use heat to evaporate the residue.
In contrast, pressure washing is perhaps the least popular method because it takes too much time and can damage the asphalt. However, it can be very useful when cleaning non-track surfaces. Also, never clean with caustic chemicals, which can dry out an asphalt surface.
Rubber
During a race, rubber is a driver’s best friend and worst enemy. The normal transfer of rubber between vehicle tire and track during racing operations is dependent upon heat. If the tires are hotter than the track, then the tires transfer rubber to the track. Conversely, if the track is hotter than the tires, then the tires will collect rubber from the track.
Rubber marbles collected from a track.
Interestingly, this exchange actually improves tire grip on the track, at least during the earlier stages of a pavement’s service life. “Usually, when new pavement is laid down the grip level is lower and some drivers don’t realize this,” says Jose Martinez, Chief Driving Instructor of Porsche Club of America’s Puerto Rico Region, where the club rents a track to hold high performance driver education events. “They usually find out the hard way on the first laps.”
When Rubber Becomes the Problem
However, the downside to rubber transfer is that, over time, the successive rubber layers will become subject to stress and start to crack, just like layers of old paint on a wall. This will create loose shards of rubber FOD. In addition, tires can create FOD directly. High-speed racing wears tires rapidly. The result: rubber “marbles” that create direct hazards during a race.
As a result, “Hot, soft tires can pick the objects and shoot them out back as a projectile,” says Martinez. “When you add the incoming car speed plus the ejection speed of the object, these can cause damage to the incoming vehicle, usually on the windshield.”
Managing Tire Debris
Pro tip: Sometimes tires end up shredded during a race. Work with tire manufacturers to remove tire debris after the session has ended and comprehensive track cleanup can begin. After all, the materials composition of a racing tire qualifies as intellectual property. It is in the manufacturer’s best interest to remove even the tiniest piece of shredded debris shortly after a race. Otherwise, a competitor might stumble across it first.
Furthermore, tire manufacturers’ representatives might already be present during your races. They often collect and dispose of all used tires after the race. Similarly, drivers and crews may also help clean up their own tire shreds. The debris can offer clues as to why the tires failed.
Cracks and Chunks
Surprisingly, an older racetrack can even be dangerous to itself. “Cracks in the asphalt are a major problem for us. We are currently using a product from Seals It to seal these cracks and fill small voids. A couple of other tracks have used it with great success,” says Twyman.
“That’s a big problem at our track, especially on the old section that feature a really coarse asphalt,” says Martinez. “When it breaks loose, it flies around or sits on the track, becoming another object that can be ejected by a car.”
Hardware and Vehicle Components
In addition to the track surface itself, the vehicles racing on it are a constant source of potential FOD. Lug nuts shed during pit stops. Fasteners vibrate loose after hundreds of laps of stress. Bodywork fragments tear away during close-quarters racing. Brake rotor and pad material separates under extreme thermal cycling.
Indeed, pit road is ground zero for hardware FOD. Competitive pit stops are fast and chaotic. Small parts — lug nuts, valve caps, spring rubbers, tape fragments — regularly escape onto the surface. Without cleanup between stops, this debris migrates to the racing surface with every departing vehicle.
For instance, sanctioning bodies at the highest levels mandate that pit crews account for every lug nut. At local and regional tracks, this level of discipline is rare. Nevertheless, a simple post-stop sweep of each pit stall can make a big difference. Even a hand broom or magnetic sweeper will dramatically reduce the hardware FOD reaching the racing surface.
Pre-Race and Post-Race FOD Protocols
The most effective track FOD prevention programs borrow a concept from military aviation: the FOD walk. In the military, entire squadrons line up shoulder-to-shoulder and walk the flight line picking up every foreign object they find. The same principle applies to motorsport — adapted for the unique demands of a racing environment.
Tundra Drying Truck with a FOD-Razor Sweeper.
Before the Green Flag
Morning-of inspection. Before any vehicles take the track, conduct a full-circuit visual inspection at low speed. Follow with a sweep using appropriate equipment. Document findings: what was collected, where, and how much.
Post-practice / post-qualifying sweep. Notably, every on-track session generates debris. Between sessions, sweep the full circuit. Prioritize braking zones, pit entry/exit, and the racing line through corners.
Pit lane and paddock check. Before the race, inspect pit road and the immediate paddock area. Ensure all teams have secured loose equipment. Pit stall surfaces should be clean with no hardware lying in pit lane.
Weather response. Additionally, if rain, wind, or storms have occurred between sessions, conduct an additional inspection. Wind carries organic debris — leaves, branches, gravel from runoff areas — onto the track surface. Standing water must be removed and the surface verified before vehicles go out.
After the Checkered Flag
Post-race sweep. Above all, immediately after the event, sweep the entire circuit while the debris pattern is still fresh. This is when you collect the most material and gain the best intelligence about where FOD accumulates at your facility.
Incident zone cleanup. Likewise, any area where a collision or vehicle failure occurred needs targeted attention — fluid absorption, hardware collection, barrier inspection, and surface assessment for gouges or damage.
Document and review. Finally, log what was found, when, and where. Over time, this data reveals patterns. As a result, you can allocate resources more effectively. You’ll identify sections that consistently generate debris and events that produce more FOD than others.
Sweeper Considerations
Of course, precision surfaces require precision equipment to keep them clean. You might be tempted to grab an inexpensive leaf blower and walk along the track blowing FOD onto the adjacent grounds.
However, whatever your blower removes from the track, natural winds and vehicle wake can blow right back. Therefore, invest in a comprehensive solution that will permanently remove FOD from the racing environment.
“The rotating brush used at our track just moves the dirt and object from one area to another. The blower, also used at our track….is not strong enough to move everything and then does the same as the brush. The [FOD-Razor®] mat is the best option to pick significant objects from the track,” says Martinez. “Before taking the extra precautions, we would joke on how many windshields would break over the weekend.”
In fact, some tracks have learned how to combine blowers and sweepers into a powerful hybrid system. “One of the largest improvements we have found is less tire damage from small metal objects,” says Twyman. “We currently use a blower to clear the track and follow with [the FOD-Razor®] to clear the track and pit area. We and others who see it in action are amazed at the amount of debris cleaned up after the use of the blower.”
Navigating Track Geometry
Certainly, choosing a sweeper to collect FOD from a racetrack involves special challenges not normally found on a surface street or airport runway.
Take banking, for instance. Tracks often bank their turns to stabilize vehicles traveling at high speed so that they can maintain the proper forward movement. Sweepers work at much lower speeds — typically 5 to 35 mph, depending on the type and conditions.
Specifically, banking can cause a sweeper to slide sideways, lose collected FOD, or operate less efficiently. It is vital to test a proposed sweeper on your banks, both left and right.
Similarly, changes in elevation can also affect performance, so test up and down any hills as well. If any issues are observed, ask the manufacturer’s rep if it can be mitigated. In most cases, they have often been worked out in the past and might involve no more than a minor change in the sweeper’s configuration.
“We currently tow your device behind a quad in the reverse direction at a medium slow speed getting the best results,” says Twyman. “The time saved using this device will pay for itself in a season of racing. It will also save the racers money from flat tires.”
Sweeping Under Race Conditions
Moreover, sweeping during the actual race presents its own challenges. A yellow flag offers only a short time frame for maintainers to enter the track and make any necessary sweeps. Some racing standards (like F1) require sweepers to travel in the race direction only. They can’t back up or turn around.
Fortunately, for small areas, have maintainers standing by with a portable backpack vacuum and a hand broom. To sweep larger areas, pre-position several sweepers at critical points around the track.
Matching Equipment to Your Facility
The right sweeping solution depends on your track type, budget, and event schedule:
Friction mat sweepers (like the FOD-Razor®) are towed behind a vehicle and use flat friction mats to collect debris directly from the surface. They are mechanically simple — no engines, no electronics, no fuel — which means low maintenance and high reliability. Their low profile conforms to banking and surface irregularities. They can be towed by anything from an ATV to a pickup truck. This makes them ideal for facilities that need fast, reliable sweeping between sessions without specialized operators.
FOD-Razor Duplex with 16 foot wide sweeping path.
Other Sweeping Options
In contrast, rotary brush sweepers use spinning bristles to dislodge and collect debris. They work well on flat surfaces but can struggle with banking and may scatter lighter debris rather than capturing it.
Supplemental Tools
Magnetic sweepers are essential supplements for any track where metallic FOD is a concern — which is virtually every track. A magnetic bar mounted on your primary sweeper captures bolts, lug nuts, and metal fragments that other tools miss.
Blowers are useful for moving large volumes of lightweight debris quickly but should never be your only tool. As both Twyman and Martinez noted, blowers work best as the first pass. Follow with a friction sweeper to capture what the blower leaves behind.
Ultimately, the most effective operations combine multiple tools. Start with a blower pass to clear bulk debris. Follow with a friction mat sweep for fine and heavy material. Supplement with magnetic collection for metallic objects.
Building a Track FOD Prevention Program
A world-class racetrack does not leave FOD prevention to chance. Like their counterparts in aviation and military operations, the best-run motorsport facilities treat debris prevention as a formal, documented program — not an afterthought.
Assign Responsibility
Designate a FOD Prevention Manager or make track maintenance a named responsibility within your operations team. This person owns the program, trains staff, and is accountable for results.
Establish Standard Operating Procedures
Write down your protocols for pre-race inspection, between-session sweeping, post-race cleanup, and incident response. SOPs remove ambiguity and ensure consistency regardless of which crew is working a given event.
Train Everyone
FOD prevention is not just the maintenance crew’s job. Drivers, pit crews, corner workers, and even vendors should understand what FOD is, why it matters, and what they can do to prevent it. A five-minute FOD briefing at the pre-race drivers’ meeting costs nothing and pays dividends.
Invest in the Right Equipment
Skimping on sweeping equipment is a false economy. A single debris-related incident will cost far more than proper sweeping tools. Damaged vehicles, injured participants, race delays, and insurance claims add up fast. Budget for quality equipment, maintain it regularly, and replace it when it wears out.
Inspect and Document
Every sweep should be documented: date, time, area covered, what was collected, and who performed it. Over time, this data becomes invaluable. Use it to identify problem areas, justify equipment purchases, and demonstrate due diligence to insurers.
Review and Improve
After each event, review what worked and what did not. Did a new debris source appear? Did a particular track section generate more FOD than expected? Use every event as a learning opportunity to refine your program.
The tracks that take FOD prevention seriously attract the best events, drivers, and sponsorships. A clean, well-maintained facility is a competitive advantage.
Conclusion
Keeping your racetrack clean requires more than a worker with a broom. Every element of a comprehensive FOD prevention program works together. Understanding your surface type, establishing inspection protocols, and investing in the right equipment — all of it protects your drivers, your facility, and your bottom line.
Form a sweeping operations team. Discuss techniques with your colleagues at other tracks. Consult with manufacturers’ representatives. Document your processes and improve them with every event.
The most important step is the first one: acknowledging that FOD prevention is not optional — it is an essential element of professional motorsport operations.
