- "No robot can survive being hit by Lightning Tracks!"
- — Russ Barrow in Season 2
Lightning Tracks was a tracked robot which competed in the second season of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors. It lost its first round battle in the US Championship, and therefore its only fight, after suffering from radio reception issues against Destructive Criticism and Run Away.
Design[]
Lightning Tracks in The Pits
As its name suggested, Lightning Tracks was a tracked, reverse wedge-shaped robot designed to resemble a tank. Initially built for the US robot combat series Robotica as Dark Track, it utilized steel treads, a fully invertible chassis shape, and a reversible drive system incorporating six 1hp EV Warrior car fan motors. The motors, running through a series of chains and sprockets, provided a top speed of 20mph as well as redundancy within Lightning Tracks' drive. For example, if a single motor was incapacitated, the remaining five would still provide Lightning Tracks with mobility.[1]
Lightning Tracks' weaponry included a pair of long steel spikes at the front, and an angled lifting wedge, operated by a linear actuator, at the back. In an episode of Inside Robotica, showcasing Dark Track's design and build process, Russ Barrow explained that the wedge plate was primarily intended to get underneath, lift and carry opponents off the arena floor. Lightning Tracks' chassis also incorporated an angled bumper halfway across the front - to deflect obstacles in Robotica challenges - as well as top and bottom skid guides to prevent the tracks from slipping off their drive wheels.[1]
Changes to Lightning Tracks over its Robotica incarnation included a pair of large protective panels hinged to the top sides, a camouflage paint scheme and a disposable cardboard turret on the top panel. Specifically for its first-round match, it was further equipped with loose ropes and chains at the front, to form an entanglement device against the spinner of Destructive Criticism.
The Team[]
Team Dark Forces in US Season 2
Lightning Tracks was built by Team Dark Forces, captained by Russ Barrow and accompanied by Sarwin Patel and Darnella Otradovsky. The team were based in Richardson, Texas. Since Team Dark Forces never competed in Nickelodeon, brought a second robot, or used a loanerbot, they were one of the only teams in the US series with just one fight to their name.
Robot History[]
Season 2[]
In its first round battle in the US Championship, part of Heat G, Lightning Tracks fought fellow newcomer Destructive Criticism and Tag Team Terror runner up Run Away.
- Carol Grow: "Rumor has it you have a secret weapon, are you willing to tell us about that?"
- Russ Barrow: "Well then it wouldn't be secret!"
- — Team Dark Forces allude to their entanglement device
Lightning Tracks tries to entangle Destructive Criticism's disc
Lightning Tracks becomes immobile under Run Away
Shunt pits Lightning Tracks
It had radio issues throughout the match, and moved very sporadically as Destructive Criticism spun its weapon up and struck the sides of Lightning Tracks several times, albeit without sustaining major damage. Run Away pressed the Pit release button and drove right over the top of Lightning Tracks and its aerial, where it got stuck on its wedge and tank turret. Destructive Criticism continued to strike both robots, causing serious damage to Lightning Tracks' sides and Run Away's wheel. When Refbot finally separated Lightning Tracks and Run Away, both machines were immobile, but Refbot counted out Lightning Tracks as it had become immobilized first. Lightning Tracks was positioned on the Floor Flipper and was thrown, then it was pitted by Shunt, eliminating it from the competition.
- "We had some transmitter difficulties, I could only give really sporadic signals to the robot on the drive."
- — Russ Barrow
Results[]
| LIGHTNING TRACKS - RESULTS | ||
| Season 2 | ||
| US Championship Heats, Round 1 | ||
| Heat G, Round 1 | vs. Destructive Criticism, Run Away | Eliminated |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 1
Series Record[]
| US Series | Lightning Tracks Series Record |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | Did not enter |
| Season 2 | Heat, Round 1 |
| Nickelodeon | Did not enter |
Gallery[]
Outside Robot Wars[]
Lightning Tracks as Dark Track
Dark Track in Robotica
As Dark Track, Lightning Tracks initially competed in Season 3 of Robotica, facing off against Rambot in Episode 6. Despite gaining an early lead by winning the Gauntlet stage, it lost out on the Fight to the Finish after Rambot beat it to the end of the Labyrinth course.
Team Dark Forces also competed in BattleBots with Dark Steel and the middleweight Dark Shredder.
- Dark Steel was a lightweight robot, armed originally with a drill in Season 3.0, where it lost its only fight to Junkyard Dog. It returned for Season 5.0 with an angled horizontal bar spinner, winning three matches to reach the televised rounds, before falling to Little Whacko.
- Dark Shredder was a middleweight robot, armed with a large drum spinner and rear wedge. It won its first fight by forfeit, but then lost to Minnesota Mangler by knockout.
Russ Barrow is still active in the present day, originally competing in the Southwestern United States from 2003- 2007 and later returning after a hiatus in 2015, with robots including:
- Dark Pounder, a US antweight competitor armed with a vertical spinner. Considered a "pioneer" amongst its weight class and having 77 wins to its name[2], it was also awarded an honourable mention in the Combat Robot Hall of Fame in 2005. Inspired variations in other weight classes:
- Dark Pummeler, US beetleweight a competitor at events across the West Coast of the United States
- Dark Ripper, a middleweight (120lb) competitor at RoboGames armed with a vertical spinner.
- Dark Ness, a 12lb version of Dark Pounder
- Dark Bullit, a fairyweight (UK antweight) competitor, also a vertical spinner but with a different design to the Dark Pummeler series.
- Dark Blade, originally built in the mid-2000's and later redesigned in 2021, armed with an undercutting bar spinner.
- Dark Sabre, a 12lb version of Dark Blade.
- Dark Slayer, a beetleweight version of Dark Blade for a different weight class.
- Dark Soldier, a 3lb robot armed with a drum spinner and rear wedge.
- Dark Shredder, a US antweight competitor with an 8000rpm 1" shell spinner.
- Dark Claw, a 1lb plastic class robot with a top-mounted spinner.
- Dark Speed, a 1lb plastic class wedge-shaped robot armed with a lifter.
- Dark Axe, a beetleweight undercutter.
Russ Barrow (center-left) with Big Dill
Russ Barrow would also compete in BattleBots World Championship VII in 2022 as a member of the Big Dill team captained by Emmanuel Carillo, also alongside Ellis Ware of Team Ranglebots and Andy Russell of the Hobgoblin team. He would also attempt to enter BattleBots World Championship II captaining his own design, Dome of Darkness. However, the robot was not selected to compete and subsequently not built.
Outside of robot combat, Team Dark Forces also build a number of robotic bicycles, tricycles, go-karts and other vehicles.
Trivia[]
- Lightning Tracks was the only robot to fall in the first round of Extreme Warriors Season 2 and not participate in either one of the side events or Nickelodeon Robot Wars.
- In the official Robot Wars planner, Lightning Tracks was referred to as "Lightning Traxx".
See Also[]
References[]
External Links[]
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