Does size really matter?

1927 Views 29 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Wingless Wonder, Feb 26, 2007

Pete McKay

Discussion Starter · Feb 23, 2007

It's a question that makes every mans blood run cold, but we're talking slot car tracks here.

Recently I took a tiny 4 lane oval to work and had an absolute blast racing out of the back of my car, so much so that I'm now seriously considering making it into a permanent track and abandoning my 1/6th mile. The trend here is to build big, complicated tracks with technical infield sections and long, high speed straights. Is going the other direction so wrong?

Little Bullring II will be the same size as LBI was, with 30" of straights and really tight 6" inside radius corners. My table I bought last night is 24" X 48" and it will be permanently mounted to that. I had to give Martin his 6" corners back so I'll have to order another set, but the outside corners will be set later this evening. Lane 3, the qualifying lane, will be 103" laps or just over 8 1/2'. With polymers the cars will really crank but the drivers skill must be at their peak to hold the corners, and acceleration becomes the key instead of top speed. Getting a car to hook up and not deslot isn't an easy task.

So the question is: When is small too small.

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Slott V

· #2 · Feb 23, 2007

Doctor Phil-in-the-slot says; If you truly love your slot racing hobby then size doesn't matter.

:tongue:

When is small too small?

4 9" turns making a donut? :freak:

Hornet

· #3 · Feb 24, 2007

I think it depends on the style of car you like.
Up here we run nothing but Polymer Modifieds (R/O) cars,and they like a longer style track,but if you're into T-jets and their like,then a shorter track is definitely okay.

ee_prof

· #4 · Feb 24, 2007

I would have to agree with Hornet. I just built a 3x14 foot oval. Magnet cars are fun, but T-Jets are boring. Before the oval I had a much smaller Daytona Road Course set up. It was much more fun with the slower cars, but not the magnet cars.
Greg

Pete McKay

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 24, 2007

Slott V said:
4 9" turns making a donut? :freak:

That's called a skid pad.

I think 'ol Martin summed it up the best way today when he told me that as long as the track required the use of drivers skill, no track could be too short or too long.

Bill Hall

· #6 · Feb 24, 2007

I have a small slot room that houses my 8x11 dogleg. It's just big enough so that you have to move your head and pay attention. I sponge painted the bare board with a couple different green shades and fogged some bombcan brown and grey for some earthier spots. The green was fogged with some bomb yellow that had a bad nozzle. It looks just like acres of meadowy dandelions.

The grandkids love it. So so do I. It's just a lil' lock and joiner rattler. It's great for testing with some good straight aways and some tight turns.

Sure I'd like to unleash forty years of model railroad landscaping experience on a new train/slot combo layout. I'm realistic about my available space at the moment, and the knowledge that a routered set up is in my future. For now it's about the size of the fun in the track, not about the size of the track being fun.

Pete McKay

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 24, 2007 (Edited)

I spent part of a summer living in Trenton as a teenager, about a mile from the speedway, I went to a couple of races there in 1975. I was more interested in swimming in the infield lake than watching the Champ cars run back then, especially since there was a redhead named Monica in a bikini in the lake too. BTW, Gordon Johncock won the race, I did remember that much.

Anyway, for you youngn's Trenton had a dogleg in the back straight, and it gave the Champ Cars a devil of a time. I don't remember who it was, maybe Sneva, but he spun in practice every other lap going into turn 3. This went on until he finally smacked the wall. I've only raced on one slot car track of the same configuration...with the same results.

Montoya1

· #8 · Feb 24, 2007 (Edited)

I have raced on every type of circuit. That my favourite is 233' long and fills a gymnasium, my second favourite was 210' and the third was 201' plus the one track I would kill to run on is the KSR whilst the Ferndale tracks do zero for me, should tell you how I feel on this issue!

Who would not want to run on this if the could?

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Crimnick

· #9 · Feb 24, 2007

Yes I'd love to run the katz-spa-ring...even more...I wish I had gotten the chance to meet greg...

Pete McKay

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 24, 2007

Yeah :::slobers::: that is a nice track. I like the monorail, very cool.

TX Street Racer

· #11 · Feb 24, 2007

Bill Hall said:
I'm realistic about my available space at the moment

See, that's the issue I have... I WANT a huge track.... but my available space is just not that great. Currently, I have my table built (been done a couple years actually) but no track setup at my house. I have all of the Tomy track, the plans, and I've had it set up before...just not powered.

I REALLY want to get crackin' on it......but the table always gets used for some odd chore....be it ebay pics,ebay packing, or just a general catch all.

I have some more pressing financial obligations that I hope to have taken care of within a couple months...and then hopefully I can get the power supply that I desire, and begin constructing my track. for now I have to be content with running on my friend Max's layout.

Bill Hall

· #12 · Feb 24, 2007

Montoya1 said:
I have raced on every type of circuit. That my favourite is 233' long and fills a gymnasium, my second favourite was 210' and the third was 201' plus the one track I would kill to run on is the KSR whilst the Ferndale tracks do zero for me, should tell you how I feel on this issue!

Who would not want to run on this if the could?

Ya just had to post this one! Didnt ya?

Montoya1

· #13 · Feb 24, 2007

can't find a picture of the Derby 24hr track, so had to ''settle'' for one of the KSR!

1976Cordoba

· #14 · Feb 25, 2007

2

Montoya1 said:
can't find a picture of the Derby 24hr track, so had to ''settle'' for one of the KSR!

Here ya go Dean --

I like big tracks too; here's mine again, a work in progress --

'doba

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1976Cordoba

· #15 · Feb 25, 2007 (Edited)

2

And this is one of the times I set up an HO Monza circuit. This pic is from 2004, when we ran the race at night in September --

Here's how it looks in the Tracker 2000 program:

'doba

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Pete McKay

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 25, 2007

'doba, what's the dimensions of your track, looks to be a 6' X 18' maybe?

1976Cordoba

· #17 · Feb 25, 2007

Pete McKay said:
'doba, what's the dimensions of your track, looks to be a 6' X 18' maybe?

Close, 8' x 16' -- Hence all the straightaways in the middle (easier to marshall with turns near the edges).

'doba

zanza

· #18 · Feb 25, 2007

I think we definitely all like big tracks... But when you must rely on small spaces only, you do the best possible and have pleasure with small track too.

My tiny foldable track is a fun to run (especially with slower cars)

More pictures of it available on my website

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Montoya1

· #19 · Feb 25, 2007

zanza said:
I think we definitely all like big tracks... But when you must rely on small spaces only, you do the best possible and have pleasure with small track too.

My tiny foldable track is a fun to run (especially with slower cars)

More pictures of it available on my website

I must admit I do a school fete each sumer, running F&F X-traction on a 6' x 2' table and it is fun.

What software do you use for your track plans Zanza?

Rawafx

· #20 · Feb 25, 2007

3

If you'd like long straights on a home track, check out mine. Hopefully, the pictures will download. The backstretch straight is 24 feet long.

Bob Weichbrodt
"Rawafx"
W-S, NC

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