I've never gone off a metal gate like in daytona so I'm considering having one again because of the extra traction.
Didn't we have them at RedBud?We didn't use the metal gates for amateur or vintage at Daytona last year, they removed them after the Pro SX and it was dirt start the rest of the time.
The only time I've ever gone off the metal starting pad was at Mini O's a few years back. It was difficult for me because without my wheels sitting down a bit in a rut, I had a hard time touching the ground!