We @ Echeconnee Superspeedway in Macon GA are considering construction of a carpet track and are wondering how to go about it. I have always known about Ozite and I am hearing now about another product called Fanfare. Are these the only two carpets available, which is preffered and why? Is there something else that can be considered an equivalent? The track will be 36X80 and the carpet will be laid on a concrete floor. Does anyone have any installation tips for putting the seams together? Do you have to glue the carpet down or is there another suitable means of securing it? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I only want to do this once.

Clifford Kline

Cliff,
Please tell me your not puttin carpet on your CONCRETE OVAL :(

no, no, we are getting 6600 square feet of indoor space to put in a track and full blown hobby shop, so we can quit freezing our Butts(tm) off. LOL I couldn't resist

Things I've seen carpet tracks do wrong.....dont put the seams anywhere near the corners, exit, entry, or middle if at all possible. The cars grab and rip up the carpet anyway. Keep the pile going all the same way and the seams in the middle of the straights if possible...

whatever your carpet comes in lap it say 3 inches and glue everything but the edges and seems down. after you get it all glued down do a double cut. run a knife down both seems of carpet and cut through leaving one row almost perfectly fitted together do not use a machine. run you carpet long ways also. the fewer seems the better the length doesnt matter. get the best glue possible dont go cheap.

We have been running indoor/outdoor carpet for about 3 years now. IT seems to hold up alot better than ozite. Lowes or Menards carry it black or gray. It took about 3-4 weeks to get a groove in it and now it has all kinds of bite. We used liquid nails to secure it the concrete plus we were the first oval track to use "soft wall" technology.

any pics Ken? I would like to see that where did the soft wall material come from?

we used plastic/vinyl fencing material that can be found at lowes you put braces every 8 or 9 ft and it will flex when a car hits it, it also bends to make a shape and has no inside pertrusions so if u wanted you could run your car all the way round the outside if u want to look at it on a concrete track go to:

www.littletalladega.sytes.net

Cliff don't know what kind of carpet it is but the stuff that is on the track at Snadhills has a TON of bite..... make the trip up north for the NORRCA nats and check it out..... realy great stuff.......

Billy

Ken, that sounds like an inexpensive way to go if it's working now, as far as soft wall technology goes, you would have had to build your track back in 1992 or before to be first in that field. I would really like to see how you accomplished a soft wall though, post some pics.

Echeconnee. Kent at little talladega.is right i believe it is the 6" wide vinyl fencing,and it is the most forgiving on a car iv'e seen.and i have tested there walls out very well.and haven't broke a part YET. They went two rows high with it.awsome. :thumbsup:

I saw the pictures, it looks good. I just happen to own a fence company so that will be an option we will look at when and if we ever have to replace the existing wall. thanks

If you have a choice get all the carpet that you need on one roll. It can change from roll to roll, makes for inconsitant wear on then you have one coner with grip and one without.

Call Ray at RC Toybox 802-748-1030 Ray has built 3 tracks. Most recently he just built a new track. The tracks are nice and smooth. Check out the photos of his new track on his site www.rctoybox.com.

This is for future reference but if you guys were going to lay carpet on flat concrete and the concrete needed to be smoothed and leveled what would you use and is it a do-it-yourself project or would you call in a pro?


This will be a Snowbirds size track so it will take a lot of leveling compound to fill in a few cracks and smooth out some shallow places. I have never even seen this done so I have no idea what it will take to do it right.

I can't get the link or addy to work

Mclin,

Is there a track going in somewhere?

This is about something that "might" happen next year. It all depends on the support that the racers give to the Gordonsville track. "IF" things work out this season and the business will allow for the expansion, there are some pretty big plans for the future. Ernie is one that will not do it unless it is done right and that will require the leveling of the concrete in a pretty large area of the building.


I'll give you a hint though. What would you think of a Snowbirds size flat track with an equally large and "completely different track" for a Road Course for TC's and 12th scales???? This could happen "IF" there is enough support for what he has now. I don't mean to "preach" on this but NOW is the time for the VA area racers to come out and race there if they want BIG things to happen in the future. The expansion will be purely based on a business decision. Without their support it won’t happen.

It’s been a long time since I have seen someone with the enthusiasm that Ernie has in making our hobby grow in this area and <again> “IF” the support is there FIRST….it will happen.

Mclin, What's your e-mail address?

kt4jt@firstsaga.com

My Advice
CRC Racing Carpet!
it is expensive but it is the best.
Jim

Go to CRC's Website they have all the details on there.

This is for future reference but if you guys were going to lay carpet on flat concrete and the concrete needed to be smoothed and leveled what would you use and is it a do-it-yourself project or would you call in a pro?


Just call me.... I get the carpet area handled for ya....

Kenny@RAPTOR

Put in a wood floor over the concrete if your budget will allow it. Contact other track owners, I'm sure they can help you avoid the pitfalls.

Doug P

Cliff,contact Allan Arrington up @ greeneville Tn.,i'm pretty sure it's on concrete,and even i'll brag on it and i hate carpet racing!

let me know when yall are going to race next im in valdosta and dont have to many options on tracks also let me know what set ups yall run im gonna leave my email address hit me back there i dont get on here much patrickjcarlo@yahoo.com

i see your loged on now if you could give me some info on your track and what classes yall run that would be cool

I can't get the link or addy to work

need info on your track

PatrickJCarlo, you do know that this thread is over three years old, correct? Clifford gets on here quite bit, so maybe he'll hit ya up, but yeah...this topic is over *three years* old...

Cliff still has a track. Indoor Carpet oval.
He has a newer thread,

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=257531

Or try him here:

Rug-Ratz indoor carpet oval
1505 N. Avondale cir.
Macon GA 31216
(478) 256-2032

let me know when yall are going to race next im in valdosta and dont have to many options on tracks also let me know what set ups yall run im gonna leave my email address hit me back there i dont get on here much patrickjcarlo@yahoo.com

Heres the Track link on Hobbytalk for the RugRatz track ( Cliffs track ) http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=257531&page=51
Fun place to race and a Great bunch of racers

I forgot about this old thread, lol. Sorry bout that. We were actually looking at using a different space when I posted this thing.We ended up with a smaller space (30 X 60) but even though it's smaller we have a great time. The run line is 115' and the track has an awesome racing groove. We are running 21.5 2C, 13.5 1C and a break out class. We run again January 3rd and January 17th @ 2pm.