Gents,

In the hopes that someday I will have the room to do so, I am seriously thinking of making the track below:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y80/9thWaffenSS/SlotCarStuff/PortugalFinal.jpg

This is made using 1/32 scale SCX Digital track pieces. The black border around the track would be the table edges. As you can see, the center part is accessible for retrieving de-slotted cars. Arrows at the top of the screen indicate direction of travel. This setup would allow for 6 cars to be racing at the same time. Length is about 30 feet, height is about 18. Area underneath the track would be used for storage of miscellaneous stuff I have gathered through the years. Track height would probably be around 36 to 40 inches high, laid out on plywood and 2X4 tables. Track will be countersunk into the environment, which will be landscaped and painted.

If you will notice, at the top of the long straightaway, there is a short single lane access road that feeds into the long straight just before the large sweeping first turn at the end. That is where cars that de-slot would be re-introduced to the racing circuit. On my track, if you de slot, YOU retrieve your car, bring it back, put it on that access road, and start your lap again, basically from the beginning. Does not matter where you deslot, it could be the last couple of turns before the main straight, you start all the way back at the beginning. Makes for more disciplined driving, in my opinion, if you both have to retrieve your own car, and start at the beginning of the track.

Anyhow, interested in thoughts/comments/criticisms/overall reactions to this track. Please tell me what you like and dislike.

killer!all i could say is that maybe on the left hand side you could tighten it up a bit to reduce the overall footprint.but,if space is not an issue,spread out!nice looking layout all together,wish we had the space to do that!

I'd have to agree with Slotnewbie - you have a HUGE (maybe even Giagantic) track and it looks like it would be a blast to race on, but, that left hand side has some significant green looming. Are you planning on filling that space with scenary or other items? If not or if you are tight on space, I'd pull everything in to fill in that area. Then again, you may want to leave it if you have some future plans of building more into that area or maybe you put down a track loop for that area that can be switched in and out of the overall layout? Just seems weird having that much space with nothing there.

Awesome track layout! Hope you get to build it one day soon!

PD2:thumbsup:

WOW, that's great. Nothing like a 29 foot straight to test out the old reflexes, a banked turn would be nice at the end of that. I like that most of the turns are not symetrical, makes you drive the car through them, tons more fun. :thumbsup:

Thanks, guys. I took inspiration for the track from an HO track I saw, called "Portugal in a playroom" or something like that. It follows the general flow of that track.

As mentioned, the big green area on the left side of the track is very open, but that is by design. I have looked at lots of tracks, and for me, some are too "busy". Too many dips and turns and kinks and whatnot, almost like the idea of open space is against a law of nature or something. Since I focus on F-1 and DTM racing, the idea of a flowing track is more interesting to me then one that crams every possible inch out of a table surface. So, a bit of an open area, perhaps I will plant some trees there and make a forest setting, ala Hockenheim.

Ah, I see Rolo! Sounds cool! F1 and DTM tracks, though, are not that big, are they? LOL! Been a while since I watched an F1 or DTM race. I just don't recall the tracks being that large. But still, I get what you are going for and the idea. Hope you get to pull it together soon!

Have fun!
PD2:thumbsup:

i only thought tightening up the left side would make marshalling easier...i sure hope you get to build that so we can all drool over the pics!

Yeah, it would be my "dream" track. May have to scale back some on the overall length depending on what my new basement will look like, but someday, I will build myself a dedicated hobby wing off of my house to house this sucker.

That does look like it would be spectacular. I see what looks like a few R1 turns around. My only recommendation would be to put a few together for a 180 degree hairpin with the squeeze tracks. This usually leads to having to modify the guidepin on other brands of cars, but I have two 180's on my track and when racing cars where they both don't fit at the same time, it can lead to some real exciting racing. Enjoy!

This is interesting. 1) how much track will you use in construction? 2) about how big of a space will it fill up? My basement is large and open ( free of obstructions) .I have some bench work built and was thinking of a BIG layout. When you said lenght was about 30 feet, did you mean one lap around? or was that one side of the layout only?

WOW! That is an absolutely stunning layout! You have about every type of turn in there and it is not too bunched up. The open space really gives it the look of a 1:1 scale track. You could be walking around Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta, Road America, Riverside or Laguna Seca if you shrank down and wondered aroung your track. I was always put off from 1:32 due to the amount of room it takes but seeing what can be accomplished when you do have the room is most impressive. WOW!

I like it... :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Dude, your track will totally rock!

Just remember to include pix! :thumbsup: rr

Nice huge track! you would probably need to research power taps for that long of a track though. Might want to check on the SCX worldwide forums. Gene

I love the 20 foot straight, to me that is the key to having a fun track. I think that it would be fun for experienced racers but for me it would be too difficult for most of my visitors. I have a lot of novices and I think that it would just be too difficult for them, a novice wouldn't have too much fun learning the track and probably wouldn't be back. Plus the digital aspect would be way way too much for about half of the people that come to race. If you have a lot of really good racers it would be fine, but if you have a lot of newbies like me it'll just be too hard for them to race. Plus, you need to consider the sight lines if you have a marshall standing in the middle of the track (it look like you have plenty of access).