The Road Warrior is the second ball to use the Inverted Fe2 AI core design, with the first being The Road. While that ball featured the ReX Hybrid coverstock, this ball uses the new R2S DEEP Pearl formulation. We previously saw the hybrid and solid versions of this shell on the Absolute and the Absolute Power, but this is the first time it has been used in pearl form in North America. The new shell is finished with Power Edge polish, giving it natural length and a good back end movement. We saw our best reactions come on our medium oil and dry test patterns, and we had to wait until very late in the session on the heavy oil pattern before the Road Warrior came into play.

Stroker had the best reaction out of our three bowlers on the fresh medium oil pattern. His straighter angles in the front of the lane were really what the Road Warrior wanted on this condition. He was trying to play up the lane, and if he leaked the ball a little right of target, he saw it make a strong but controllable move to get all the way back to the pocket. If he tugged it left, the ball had plenty of hold from the oil in the center of the lane. As the pattern broke down, he made very small moves left with his laydown point, opening his angles and giving the ball a bit more room off his hand. The box finish matched up extremely well for him on this pattern, and he kept his ball at this surface for the entire session.

Stroker also had the best look on the dry test pattern. His lower rev rate was a huge benefit in keeping the Road Warrior from hooking early. He had ...