I am just about finished with my track, and I would like to ask dirt track owners what they use to prep the track. We have two types of red clay in my area(Richmond, Va.) the red clay I have has a little more sand in it then I want, so it can washout in times of hard rain, was talking to some go-cart tracks in the area that have clay tracks and they us calcium chloride which hold the track together, is this what you would use on your dirt ovals.
thanks
tom

I know that the last few years I ran the R/c pro series there was one track that used calcium on the clay and if you didnt get your car cleaned off really well the bolts nuts and bearings would be junk in just a few days,,,,,something to consider

The main thing is to pack it good. We used a golf cart to roll the track. We don't have any sand in our clay here in upper SC.

If you use calcium it will make the track like concrete. Plus as stated earlier it will kill bearings and other metal parts on the car.

The main thing is to pack it good. We used a golf cart to roll the track. We don't have any sand in our clay here in upper SC.

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_pics/golf_cart_home.jpg

Was it this one..... Jeff?

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_pics/golf_cart_home.jpg

Was it this one..... Jeff?
thats the one Tanner you can tell by the orange seat cover!!

Lol yep mike that's it looks like it gets a lot of down force

I am by far no expert in this subject. But I have been fooling around with dirt chemistry for some time LOL.

To firm up the consistency of the soil, Lime/Calcium Chloride will do it the fastest. But as stated above not recommend for RC Cars. "Very corrosive".

On my tracks here in Kansas, we have to soften the soil to make lots of traction. Gypsum is the least expensive way to do this.

But I have a area on the offroad about 15K sqft that I have to firm up the dirt to make it the same condition as the rest of the track. I use LYE SOAP (Sodium Hydroxide). This is also corrosive but not as bad as it gets adsorbed in the soil very well.

I would suggest experimenting with laundry detergent mixed one pound per gallon of water. Then do a test on a area one foot square.
Dave

LOL, We had some stuff on it to add a little weight but damn man that thing is loaded. I think that is Sadler and Jim headed to IL. LOL:p:thumbsup:http://www.dailyhaha.com/_pics/golf_cart_home.jpg

Was it this one..... Jeff?

LOL, We had some stuff on it to add a little weight but damn man that thing is loaded. I think that is Sadler and Jim headed to IL. LOL:p:thumbsup:

Hey! Where did you spot my camper. It was stolen some time last year and I want it back. I just bought indoor plumbing for it and want to get it back so I can install it. I sure do miss that ole buggy. Not a lot of room but it will run for days for little or nothing.Please help.

Luddenham Speedway was resurfaced yesterday. 4 years since it was last done.
The dirt we use is a red dolomite aggregate mix, very similar material to a "clay" tennis court or baseball diamonds.
62 tons were mixed in with the old surface.
A tip for making water wetter. Sometimes we add dish washing detergent to our water truck....works well.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/NewTrack037.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/NewTrack050.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/NewTrack054.jpg

Track looks real nice. I wish I liked racing on dirt. I went to the dirt nationals at Timberline raceway and I may have to try it one more time and see if it is any better than the first time I tried it. With a properly prepared track it looks fun. You track is looking awesome.

Thanks Fred,
More photos can be seen at....
http://www.fourwidemedia.com/thumbnails.php?album=72

Thanks for all the info, almost there. some pics one standing on the 10' tall drivers stand. thank again

http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad128/tnh4456/oval%20track/?action=view&current=OvalTrack001-1.jpg
http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad128/tnh4456/oval%20track/?action=view&current=OvalTrack004.jpg
http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad128/tnh4456/oval%20track/?action=view&current=OvalTrack005.jpg

I had a RC dirt oval in my back yard for 16 years. I got pretty good at surface prep. I kept is SIMPLE!! First one club member brought in dump truck loads of good red Ohio clay. I knocked it down and formed it with decent banks. Enough that you had to sit on the high side of the garden tractor to work the top!

Prep was simple. NO CHEMICALS, namely calcium, except for occasional soap in the water. I would cut the track up with a homemade "harrow" with teeth spaced 2 inches apart, and rip up the top inch or so. This broke any "hardpan" created by the previous racing. Then I drove it in lightly and watered the snot out of it SLOWLY, over and over. No fire hose just a nice heavy mist. It took lots of time.

Race night I got there plenty early and misted heavily, NEVER letting it run down the banking. I hit the tops of the turns heavier than the rest. It actually made a scale sized cushion during the racing! No one was allowed on the track until we knew it would not peel up.

After the racing the first thing I did was to take an areator and poke millions of holes in it. This allowed the rains to move very slowly down the track and kept it from beating the sand to the surface. Night before the weekly race I screened the track with a chain link fence drag. Work it right and ALL rocks and little gravel rolls to the bottom and you shovel them up. If it needed "harrowed" I would do it, no big deal. Lightly pack and water again. We ran foams only and you could see little tire grooves all over the track. Even the siping cuts would be visable. I would take a broom handle and walk the track and drop the round end on the track to check for moisture, it will make a little dent if it is moist enough. Water lightly between round and WAH-LAH, a high bite track, no dust, no stupid calcium and the poorer racers tires lasted for months.

I have a real dislike for track operators who think putting calcium down is the way to go. Cut up the top half inch and water it!!! Break the hardpan and let the water wick upwards during the evening. How hard is that!?! ALWAYS consider the low budget racers when it comes to foam tires. Not every one can afford new skins every two weeks because of a dirt track that is hard and abrasive as concrete.

What is the key? Thinking! Get good dirt, screen the rocks out, cut it an inch deep weekly, pack lightly and water it. And most importantly...study your dirt, and be prepared to work for a few hours. If you aren't willing to put in time and to study your dirt...pave it. Period.

Good luck and study up on physics!