Well, the day has finally come. As of this weekend, Rudy has finally gotten up “off the floor” and the foundation of Pike Creek Raceway is born.

As you can see, it is presently just a modest 2-lane modified version of the original Aurora Clubman. I fashioned it as a “test” setup from Tomy AFX pieces I have available from two box sets I own. Eventually, it will grow up from this humble start to be a full 4-lane version using the original Clubman specs, with proper wiring, driver’s stations, power supply, lap timing, etc.

Construction is actually two separate 4x8 tables. The table tops are 3/4 ply with L-beams glued around their perimeter. The leg system is made up of two separate rolling carts on which the table tops float freely. Their inspiration came from an old post by Scott V. (Thanks, Scott). The tables are connected with 3/8 inch hex bolts, fender washers and wing nuts. It’s easy to move around. I anticipate that having a modular floating setup will provide easier access to the underside when it comes time to apply wiring to the table. Plus, if I ever need to move or downsize……

Initially, I was really worried about the construction of the tables. I have no real carpentry skills, but I am by nature a master worrier. Fortunately, everything turned out okay as it is all square, solid and level, if not pretty. And both tables wound up the same height!! My wife’s father was a master carpenter before his retirement and eventual passing, and the Mrs. has given me nothing but high praise. I owe a lot for her support (Thanks, Diane...XOXOXO).

For those of you curious about the track layout, my first impressions are that even with the fair amount of turns and the one “long” straight being only 9.75 feet (not counting entrance and exit), the course runs a bit faster than I had anticipated. This was a nice surprise. The course is simply powered by one wall wart feeding individual stock AFX terminal tracks for each lane. If the cars really do run slower at some point due to power degradation through the track connections, it’s probably in the loop at the far reaches of the L. But to be honest, I can’t really tell. All I know is that so far, the cars get all the way through the 51 feet of track carrying a decent amount of speed and it’s been a blast to run on.

As I mentioned, this particular course was set up to be a test. My long term plans were to build a Club 56 layout with the longer fast straights (see GB’s site, www.hoslotcarracing.com). However, I didn’t have enough straight track sections on hand to test that plan. After building this, and knowing that I will be inclined to eventually try my hand at racing T-Jets instead of just magnet cars, I will most likely stick with the original Clubman as my long term plan for permanent mounting.

On that note, I would also like to extend thanks to fellow HT member Jeff (Scafremon), for his encouragement. Jeff and I have had several “design discussions”, after which I became convinced that an “L” shaped configuration was the best way for me to go. I wanted to build as much of a large scale track as I could in the limited space I had to work with. Now that I’ve gotten this far and can see the advantages of the "L", I have no doubt about my decision.

‘Til next time………

Looks like a really good start. My next track may be an "L" also -- I'm just not sure yet.

Wow you did a nice job on building the tables.Looks like your off to an excellent start.Keep us posted on your progress! :)

Looks great! I plan on a modified Clubman myself..
I would like to make mine on two tables with folding legs so it can be put away...

Scott

Great job on the tables! :thumbsup:

That looks like it will be a fun and fast track, and it looks like you have a great room for it. (I sooo badly want an indoor permanent track).

Sweeeet, I wish i had that kind of room for my track!! mj

Looks pretty good to me. Like the mobility factor. That'll hold alot of track. :)


:thumbsup: :thumbsup: rr

I alway's preferred L shape tables. Looks Like your on your way, The layout looks good but don't think your done yet the tweaking bug is gonna bite you for sure.

Nice! I like the shelf underneath there for storage and whatnot. Looks like a really nice location for the track.

Thanks, guys. I know I have a long way to go, but I couldn't have gotten this far without everything I've learned from being an HT member and reading your threads. Plans changed along the way, but I expect that will continue. Fortunately, so far, those have come at an opportune time when the change made for a better result. I've never tackled a project like this before and the encouragement from everyone means a lot. Probably won't be doing much more til after Christmas, but I will keep everyone posted. Thanks again!!

I wish I had a setup that large! Looks like its going to be a very fun track to race on and plenty of room for the ocassional scenery touches. Keep us posted on the progress.

Wow nice tables. They look very familiar. :p

Wow nice tables. They look very familiar. :p

Heh heh. They certainly do. :wave:

Are you going to put up retaining walls around the table, and if so, what do you have in mind?

Are you going to put up retaining walls around the table, and if so, what do you have in mind?

Yep. Since it's a permanent display, the plan is to use 1x8 clear "show grade" lumber that will serve as both an exterior sidewall for the table and a retaining wall to keep the cars off the floor. By my calculations, the retainer will be approximately 2.5" in height.

Haven't decided yet on stain or paint, but I'm thinking the latter. I can then get some matching color foam board to install on the inside of the retaining walls to try and soften the wall shots, or to at least reduce the likelihood of bodies getting scuffed. Several of my cars are custom painted. I have to admit though, after seeing the pics of Doba's track with the stained sidewalls, I was really impressed. As good as the stain looks though, I'm afraid that if I go that route and then apply foam board on the inside, it might look kind of tacky.

Anyway, retaining walls will be the first order of business after I have the homasote laid down and painted. I'm thinking of painting it Fenway Park/tennis court green.

Good plan on the walls!

One thing that I don't like about my track are the table-tennis netting walls. While they actually do a very good job of keeping cars on the table without damaging them, they don't allow people to rest their hands on the table, and become closer to the action. Nice, sturdy walls give the track a pool-table like quality.

I also really like the stained look, and I think you could probably do this with your foam board on inside, and not make it look tacky. I'm envisioning only putting the foam board where you really need it. I bet 50% or more of your walls will not need protecting, because it will be highly unlikely that a car would hit certain portions of the walls.

Here is a thought: Determine those areas where some padding is required, and router the inside of the wall, so your foam board (or whatever you use for padding) is inlaid into it. That might look cool! And shape the inlays in an arc, instead of with straight lines. Maybe, instead of foam board, use some other type of padding, and cover it with some type of cloth. I think black leather-looking padded areas in purposeful locations, might look real sweet combined with a wood stained border wall.

Just some ideas.

I think black leather-looking padded areas in purposeful locations, might look real sweet combined with a wood stained border wall.


Wow, I like this idea. I will be researching for materials that might fit the bill. Thank you!!

My step-daughter and her boyfriend came down from Massachusetts to spend Christmas with us. After 5 minutes of running cars with me on the temporary 2-lane Clubman setup, he turned to her and said “I want one of these”. While she raced with me, he was taking pictures and videos with his phone, sending them to friends back home.

And now that the holidays are over, I’m back to spending some time working toward the long term plan for Pike Creek Raceway. Suffice it to say, construction has been a slooooooow process. Between work, the holidays, fooling around with umpteen temporary track configurations, football games, and agonizing over whether I wanted to use carpet or homasote, homasote or carpet……….I finally made a decision and did something with the table worthy of a minor update.

A few weeks ago, I purchased two sheets of homasote at Home Depot and attached them to the table top with all purpose Liquid Nails. The following week I rolled out two coats of Kilz 2 latex primer and the project sat another week. Two coats was an absolute necessity as the first coat did not provide a complete cover.

My basement rec room is only climate controlled when being used. We’ve had some really cold and wet weather here for several weeks and the room sees its share of humidity and temperature changes. On the weekend I wanted to apply color, I noticed that a few edges, particularly the corners, looked liked they warped a little and lifted upward a bit. I’m not sure if it was due to the room climate or if it was a lesson in using water based primer as opposed to oil. Maybe both. But anyway, to resolve the issue, I got a tube of Loctite All-Purpose construction adhesive and caulked all the way around the edges between the homasote and the wooden table top, clamping down the areas that appeared to need it. Once dried, I used the primer to further seal the edges of the homasote.

I applied the first coat of color last weekend. Behr 440F-4 Athenian Green. I was hoping to find a green that resembled the shade used at Fenway Park. I’m not sure if I nailed it, as the actual color that turned out looks a little bit brighter than the sample color card I got at HD. But I am happy with the results. One thing I noticed was that while the primer did a very good job of filling in the pock marks in the homasote surface with just being rolled out, the paint did not do the same. There were dozens of little white craters that needed to be filled in with a small brush later. Another minor disappointment was that the paint did not cover as well as I expected it would. There are several areas where roller marks are more apparent now that the surface has dried, resulting in thin cover areas where the white primer bleeds through. A second coat of color is being applied later today.

For those of you interested in using homasote, I would say that if I had to do it all over again, I would have used the Loctite around the edges before applying primer. But otherwise, I’m happy with the way things have gone.

I also picked up a bunch of 1x8 and 1x10 show grade Poplar for my side boards. My next step is to agonize for weeks on end as to the color of stain and type of finish I want to use on those. Just as it has been with this project so far, much more time must pass before I can report a total failure to make any significant progress. :rolleyes:

My step-daughter and her boyfriend came down from Massachusetts to spend Christmas with us. After 5 minutes of running cars with me on the temporary 2-lane Clubman setup, he turned to her and said “I want one of these”. While she raced with me, he was taking pictures and videos with his phone, sending them to friends back home.

Ain't that great! I had same experience when my family came over to race. From teenagers to senior citizens, all had a great time.

Just as it has been with this project so far, much more time must pass before I can report a total failure to make any significant progress. :rolleyes:

LOL :)

I've found that staring at the track table for long periods of time prevents me from making progress that I will regret later.

One good thing about stain - there are fewer choices then there are colors of paint!

I've found that staring at the track table for long periods of time prevents me from making progress that I will regret later.


Scaf,
That's a mouthful . If being an HT member has taught me anything, it's that there can be a number of good ways to approach each aspect of a building project. All have some pros and cons, and deciding which approach works best for yourself isn't always easy. Taking the time to mull over all of the possibilities before making a decision is pretty much my nature, so it has helped me be that much more comfortable with what I've decided once it comes time to do the work. By comparison to most guys here, I know it has been slow going, but I'm happy with the results I've gotten so far.

I know I've said it before, but I don't think I'd have gotten even this far without everything I've learned from everyone here at HT. :wave:

Been fooling around with different ideas for a 2-lane course. The table is still an 8x12 L. Note that the two 180 degree turns side by side in the lower left part of the table are 12 and 9 inch banked turns. The courses are 69 and 70 feet in length respectively. The long straight at the top would be on the front of the table, where driver stations will be. Cars will travel left to right on the straight NASCAR style (right to left when looking at the photos)

Thoughts? Preferences? Other completely different ideas where 2 lane design is concerned? (besides "Dude, you gotta go with four". I haven't completely abandoned that idea. Like I said.....I'm just goofing off with different ideas)

Rudy, I'm in your boat right now. I laid down homasote over plywood, used a caulk adhesive between them. I don't have a dampness factor in my basement, but I did notice that the edge of the materials weren't 100% flat to each other. It still resulted with an acceptable result- everything was level. I didn't want to drive a screw through the layers and left as is. Today, I don't notice anything... maybe over the course of over a month, it settled.

I'd used a handbrush in applying two coats of Kilz Original Oil-Based Sealer. While it did take longer than using a roller, I felt it forced me to pay closer attention to covering all the 'dimples' in the homasote. For finishing, I applied Rustoleum Satin Hunter Green Enamel. I didn't want a high gloss finish. Again, using a handbrush it did take a bit more time, but I paid close attention to getting full coverage as homasote isn't a smooth surface.

I laid out my four-lane track and got up and running... sans any side board retaining walls. I just wanted to race!

Now since the table was set up about a foot and a half away from my concrete basement walls on three sides (a rather unique basement footprint), I didn't have any room for error around turns. After having my neice and nephew over one weekend shortly after the track was running, I decided the next step was the side boards. I chose 1/8 plywood, and secured it that it was a foot high off table level. Plenty of height for any mishap. I'd sadisticly tested my fasted cars, pushing them full-tilt around the most problematic turns on my layout. I'd get a healthy 'thunk', and my cars now stay on the table. The wood is soft enough that even F1 cars don't see any wing damage.

The walls remain unpainted, but I haven't made any decisions on changing that YET. The layout remains rather plain, with only the side boards up and the hunter green paint on the homasote, with the track on top. I'm even procrastinating about apron borders, something I wanted to try out earlier on instead of using the stock guardrails... which give a distinct advantage to the occupants of the outside lane on my layout.

While I'm slow-going in moving forward with the decorative aspect, I haven't made any decisions I regret ;)... lesson being, some of the best decisions you make are the ones that you DON'T make! Take your time, and the ideas will flow in. I'm having a blast with the track, and when my nephew and his buddy were over yesterday, they had some ideas that I may use.

I've found that staring at the track table for long periods of time prevents me from making progress that I will regret later.

... there's a lot of truth in that observation. Just have fun with your layouts, and in time it will develop.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, valongi. Patience definitely works best for me.

Speaking of borders, after careful thought and research here on HT, I have decided on a plan. Now that I finally went out and got the supplies and a Dremel, I plan to work on some test pieces this afternoon :rolleyes:

I purchased a box of HO scale RR cork roadbed. The pieces split in two, which creates a bevel on the outside edge. Since the roadbed is not quite the same height as Tomy track, I also bought a few sheets of black sticky-backed felt to cut into strips and attach to the underside of the cork. It appears that this will bring the roadbed up to the same height of the track nicely. Next, I will spray the cork black to match the track and make it appear like an extension of the road surface. The cork then gets tacked into place around the edges of the track with the beveled edge facing out, using black RR tracks nails. A shout out to SwamperGene for the whole idea :wave: Thanks!!

As for guard rails, I have a ton of Tomy rails already on hand. I plan to cut or clip the hooks off them just below the nub that sits on top of the track surface. The backside of the rail posts have a skinny slot where a nail can be super-glued into place. I would like for the nails to be long enough so that they go completely through the cork and sink into the homasote. I know I have seen this idea used by another HT member, but I cannot recall who it was :confused: Sorry!!

Before installing the rails, I want to try and give them a realistic look by spraying them with Rustoleum “Hammered Finish”. I’m hoping this will give them the look of real galvanized steel. If the Rustoleum doesn’t work out, I will try other paint finishes until I can get the desired result.

Anyway, once that is done, I plan to sink the rails into the flat part of the cork bed just inside the beveled edge. I’m hoping that this will leave sufficient room between the cars and the rail so as it is not an advantage for the outside lane any longer. I won’t be using any FISA striping as what I am hoping to achieve is an old school NASCAR type look from the 50s, when many of the tracks still had guard rails instead of concrete walls.

PS I may have mentioned it earlier here, but a guy I know has the walls of his track lined with foam poster board to reduce the shock of when the cars hit the wall. I may also be giving this a try once the walls are installed.

Ok RudyK....what's the deal with thinking about going to 2 lanes?

Please share your thoughts on this. Just curious, as there is probably a 2 laner in my future, and I'm wondering if you are weighing the pro's and cons much like me.

Hi Jeff,

Umm, wow, where do I begin? Well, there were a few reasons that are contributing to my current frame of mind. WARNING: All of this is subject to change :freak:

a) As much as I like the idea of doing the Aurora Clubman, 49 feet of lap length seemed short for having 64 sq. ft. of table space. It probably has to do with the L configuration being limiting, but I'm not in a position to arrange the tables into a 4x16. Well, technically I could, but that would mean sqeezing it into a 4x17 area and losing my planned space for a pit/workbench. Anyway, the 2-lane plans create a 69 foot lap length, which seems to be about the average for what I could have accomplished had I been able to do a standard 4x16 club table.

b) The more I think about it, the more I realize that chances are most of the time, I alone will be spending time with this track. If there is any competition, it will be the Mrs. running cars with me. As much as she enjoys it though, she spends far less time than I. Occassions that involve others such as my brother, Dad, son-in-law and nephew have been rare at best. Racing still seems like a foreign thing to most people I know, so club racing is not likely and I've resigned myself to the idea that this is strictly a "home" track.

c) I have been moving oh so slow with this. I've gotten to the point of where I am tired of looking at temporary layouts with track sections coming apart, crappy box controllers, or a blank table top in between umpteen other ideas that keep coming to my head, LOL I need to make a decision, stick with it, and start doing some serious building. Unfortunately though, there's been a change in the construction budget because..........

d) My company has given notice that our jobs are going to be outsourced to a low-cost software factory in India. All that remains is to get our work-through dates after they make final arrangements with the outsourcing firm. I've come this far and don't want to scrap the whole idea of building a good permanent track, but I need to think of the lower cost option right now.

Probably all TMI, but you asked :rolleyes: How's things going with Orange Raceway? Looking good last time I saw!!

d) My company has given notice that our jobs are going to be outsourced to a low-cost software factory in India.

Been here... did this. Sorry your going through it. Hang in there. ... As far as your track plan goes, sounds like your making the right moves (even though it feels like you're not making any). There are umpteen ways to go, but bottom line is that you need to find one that is in line with your new budget AND makes you smile. That can take time and there is no harm or foul in scaling back to a 2 laner based on the circumstances. There are no really "bad" layouts either. Any track is better than no track when yer "Jones-ing" to run some little cars. Keep it fun. nd

Keep your head up rudy! You've got an awesome start and ideas flowing so keep on!

Rudy, hang in there with your job situation.

I never posted this up here since I'm not into self-pity, but my wife and I just made it through the holidays under the following circumstances: a) lost my job between Thanksgiving and Christmas, b) knowing that we were adopting our newborn baby who was born on Jan. 17th c) with adoption costs and lawyer fees to take care of... and d) unclear of a date on when I was going to land a position, and risk not having medical coverage for our family. And paying $1,300+ a month for COBRA was as palatable as an enema. I could unfortunately relate to having to build your layout with an uncertain revenue stream in the near future ;)

I did sign on with my new job Feb 11th, so all things considered we are VERY lucky in life right now. I relish every damn day I'm able to come home to my wife and kids, and run a car around that little track every couple of days. It will forever remind me of the delicate balance we enjoy in the good times, and of the times that you want to down some Mylanta over the stresses of supporting your family.

You'll come out of this. Just believe in yourself....

Anthony,

Sorry to hear about the job situation. Hopefully it turns into a positive event, such as finding a job you prefer more then the current one - one you may not have realized was out there just waiting for you.

Regarding the track, I do agree with you that 49 feet of track seems a bit short for the amount of table space and floor space in your house that you are dedicating to the track. Not that it would be wrong to do, and especially if you wanted large areas to landscape. I think 60 to 70 feet of track, be it 2 or 4 lane, is probably a decent benchmark for your table area. My Eron 70 track on same size table was ~70, and was a good fit, but not much room for landscaping.

As for most of the time running solo or with the Mrs., I can totally relate. If I remember correctly, there has only been 3 times in the past year that I had more then 2 people racing at same time. I was questioning the reason for having 4 lanes of track. At one point, I took down the Eron set-up, and created a 2 lane track that was ~130 feet. My neighbor and I agreed that this was far better then the 4 lane track. But a few weeks later, I went back to 4 lanes. For one, it was just way too much track on the table. It was too easy to lose track of where your car was at, and what was coming up next.

But the main reason was that, even though 99% of my racing was being done as 1 or 2 people, the one time up to that point when I was actually able to field 4 racers, it was more fun then all the 2 person races combined. Sometime later I was able to have about a dozen people here to race. And I can still remember all the fun we had, while I have pretty much forgotten all the 2 person races.

Granted, my budget wasn't a factor, since I had already purchased everything I needed for a 4 lane set-up. But if the budget had been a factor, and knowing what I know now, I would probably build a semi-permanent 2 lane track, knowing that when finances allowed, I would then convert to the 4 lane.

I didn't want to post a "Dude, you have to go 4 lane" or "Build it, and they will come", because you don't have to, and even if you do, they may not come. But there are some very good reasons to keep a 4-laner in your thoughts, or in your future.

Having said all that :), I really thought the reason you might have been thinking 2 lane was because of the awesome landscaping that can be done on a large 2 lane table, such as Peacefield Raceway. That track is what gave me pause about going 4 lane. But, the landscaping is a big unknown to me, so I made the decision to stick with a 4 lane with room for some landscaping practice, and maybe the 2 lane will be my future track.

As for Orange Raceway, I have been working on it, but not much to show yet for all the work since my last update. I can actually race on it now, which is good, and after a year plus of this hobby, my wife actually raced a car for just the first time this past weekend. She is far from hooked, but I could tell from her "I'm winning!" laughs and her "Noooo" deslots that she was having fun, and has a slightly better understanding of the hobby.

Best wishes to ya!

Thanks guys. Went through a similar situation in '98 that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As Jeff pointed out, it sometimes does, so we'll see. I really appreciate the kind words of support. What a great bunch here. And valongi, congrats on the new gig last month :thumbsup:

Jeff, as you pointed out, the idea of a 2-laner also made me think of the potential for doing some scenery. I prefer that word over landscaping because honestly, not sure I want to go as serious as Peacefield. Must be the "Dover" in me. There's nothing pretty about the place, but I love being there all the same. Peacefield on the other hand is a work of art. I'd be happy to start with a decent looking pit road and the 4-lane Clubman sort of presents challenges in that regard.

I have the extra track pieces I need being shipped to me to try out my 2-lane ideas. They're going via DHL through Wilmington OHIO right now (wrong state!!) but I should have everything set up to test this weekend. A lot of my final decision may very well rest in how much or little I like the 2-lane plans I'm trying out. I haven't totally abandoned or committed to any ideas yet.

BTW, Jeff, do you have a Tracker plan for the 130 foot 2-lane course you put together? My eyes popped when I saw that number and I am intrigued by what that looked like.

BTW, Jeff, do you have a Tracker plan for the 130 foot 2-lane course you put together? My eyes popped when I saw that number and I am intrigued by what that looked like.

It was based on Greg Braun's Whitewater Farms layout, which fits a 4x8 table. I duplicated the track on both tables, then connected them together.

http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/23272/2147026820099980462S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2147026820099980462vlBzlx)

Actual footage ended up being 122/123 feet.

Tracker file attached, but renamed from a *.tr3 file to a *.txt file.

Sorry to hear about the job sitch Rudy. I think we've all been there at one time or another. I don't know if it will lift your spirits but when I was unemployed during the summer of 1991, I spent all kinds of time on my track and grew it into the final layout it is today. That's when I took it from a 4' X 8', 2 lane layout to 4' X 22', 4 laner. :D That's when racing really took off at my place. So many guys would come by my "soup kitchen" during the day that were either also unemployed, worked nights or were going to school that I never got lonely and the track saw tons of action then, ironically. Once unemployment ran out it was time to get back to work. :cry:

-Scott

It was too easy to lose track of where your car was at, and what was coming up next.

AYE CARUMBA!!!
After seeing the later post with the track plan, I'm pretty sure I'd have gotten lost going around it too :)

I was unemployed during the summer of 1991, I spent all kinds of time on my track and grew it into the final layout it is today.

-Scott

Oh yeah.....thoughts like that have crossed my mind ;)

I'd be okay with

a) long enough to get a build done :thumbsup: and
b) not so long that the severance pay runs out :freak:

Wow, that is one helluva layout Scaf. I'm sure that after a few laps around it for a few days, you'd get used to it. It reminds me of a brain-teaser maze game. I dig the ping-pong nets, very practical and very car friendly.

Wow, that is one helluva layout Scaf. I'm sure that after a few laps around it for a few days, you'd get used to it. It reminds me of a brain-teaser maze game. I dig the ping-pong nets, very practical and very car friendly.

It was a fun layout while I had it up. I believe lap times were in the 12+ sec range with SG+ cars at wall-wart voltage. I didn't have a regulated PS at the time, nor any cars other then SG+ or SRT cars - I think a lower voltage and different cars would have made it more challenging. But I was looking to screw something down and make it permanent, and this layout was just not what I had in mind.

The ping-ping nets did actually work very well, though securing them with pencils and rubber bands as I tried on this layout didn't quite cut it for long. I still think they are a viable option for certain tracks, and worked quite well on a small tuckaway track I built for a friend, using removable dowels to support them.