When I built the Redline Derby race track the hardest part wasn’t building it, it was finding actual race track to put on it. For the longest time the only way to get Hot Wheels race track was to buy a playset. Playsets are great fun but if you’re just looking for track you’ll get a lot of extra pieces you don’t need at a very expensive price. Thankfully there are a few places where you can just buy individual track pieces, and there are a few places to buy alternatives.
Standard issue orange track
For authentic orange Hot Wheels track your first stops should be Walmart and Toys R Us. On occasion you’ll find Track Packs at Walmart for about $3. These track packs include five 12″ pieces of track with connectors. The track is pretty thing and bendy since they are made for creating loops and turns, but they are a pretty cheap and accessible way to get your hands on some track.
If you have a Toys R Us store near by you should check to see if they have individual pieces as well. The TRU in my town sells 16″ pieces for $.89 each. They are the heavier orange plastic and are great for the drop and home stretch of your derby track. Connectors are not a guarantee so make sure you grab some if you see them. My TRU simply had an open box with track pieces in it, so you could buy as many as you wanted. You kind of had to fish for connectors. Toys R Us is also selling individual playset pieces too, like banked curces, jumps, and loops. Very cool if you just want one part without having to by a whole set. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like TRU offer individual pieces on-line so you’ll have to check in-store.
Good ol' orange track
And you can, of course, always scour eBay for track. I’ve found that people ask way to much for track on eBay, especially once you figure in shipping. A lot of folks on eBay are selling “vintage” track that came with older pre-1990 playsets. These sellers seem to be marketing them less as track to use and more as collectors items, thus they charge outrageous prices, so just beware. EBay should probably be reserved as a last resort in the hunt for track.
The alternative is blue
Available at BluTrack.com
One downside to the orange track is track joints, where the track pieces come together and connectors are needed. An alternative to orange track is BluTrack. BluTrack is a single piece of track plastic that matches the specifications of the orange track. It rolls up for easy storage and offers interlocking pieces so you can expand the number of lanes. I haven’t used any BluTrack so I can’t speak for quality or usability, but if you’re looking for more than a 2-lane derby then BluTrack is probably the best option. Had I discovered BluTrack before I had already purchased mounds of orange track, I probably would have tried it instead. However, the $30 – $50 price tag may be a bit steep if you’re only have room for a shorter track.
Your choices for track are really dependent on what retail options are available in your area. I’m a firm believer or good ol’ orange track but BluTrack is certainly an alternative to consider.
If you’re is having a hard time finding track, please contact me on Twitter or Facebook and I’ll see if I can’t find you some track locally here and mail it to you.
I use the blutrack and enjoy it. Easy setup and take down and storage. As far as the price I bought 2 6′ extensions and connected them together for one 12′ track. Only cost me $24 and it actually came out cheaper per foot than the same amount of orange track.
The only downside is after it’s been coiled up for a while it needs to be warmed to get all of the bumps out but a few minutes in the sun or a warm bath and Good to Go!