First race a great success!
Ran my first races last night and it was a total blast!
Took my track to the local bi-weekly get together with my hot rod and custom car friends at a local bar. Had a great turn out and lots of fun. I opened the track for about an hour for people to run the cars and see which they wanted to run. Each person was allowed to run 2 cars, I had planned on classes but just ran it all open for my first try...it was easier!
Ran 44 cars, best 2 out of 3 for each heat which was less that I thought would run, but still took awhile!
Learned about the weaknesses of my track and where I need to make changes and improvements...right lane was running faster all night! The final came down to a vintage 70's stock car and a vette roadster.
Here are some pics my friend Blake took...fun pics of the racers and cars but some shots of the track and crowd in there...we're a fun loving bunch!
http://s335.photobucket.com/albums/m441 ... t%20Drags/
Such a great time we're going to do it again in a month...now to find some seamless track and work on a better finish gate!
Thanks for this forum and your plans!
Bryan
Discussion
Yeah, issues were at the transition with mine as well as some of the track connections.
Also the fact the track was on a sloping parking lot so it wasn't level in either direction.
I'm planning on seamless track, making the track longer, way to level it out if needed and working on a new finish gate.
Maybe leave this one set up for my boys and build one for the 'big kids'
ok...tips on making a sensor finish gate?
Making a DIY finish line that is reliable and practical is like the achilles heal for us racers it seems. I've had some bad luck with sensor finish lines and making a mechanical playset-style finish line with store bought parts seems beyond ability in many ways.
If you check out the old Redline forum you'll find a lot of talk about finish line building:
http://redlineracing.ning.com/forum/top ... h-line-diy
I suggest starting up a new topic for finish lines and starting gates if you want to post your thoughts.
In my experience, if you plan on racing outside in natrual/ambient sunlight, a sensor finish line won't cut it. I had a home built LED sensor finish line that worked great in the kitchen under room light, but out on my patio room where there is a lot of ambient light it didn't detect finishes accurately at all. I was bummed.
I'm eyeing one of those vintage HW finish lines, the yellow one, that lets track pass through it rather than be the end point. Unless someone can create finish line made out of Home Depot parts that works, I think we're stuck with playset lines or expensive electronic ones.
Yeah, my finish like gate failed on me last night...flag fell the wrong way!
So all the finishes last night were by visuals...the close ones being judged by multiple people.
I'm looking at the v-drop final and modifying it to work.
Was thinking maybe a circuit with a couple of mercury switches. First car hits a flap, sets the switch off and lights up a small LED or bulb. When one switch goes off,it cancels the other so it can't light up...of course I have no idea how to do any sorts of electronics!
Looks like everyone had a fun time! Great to see photos of people enjoying Hot Wheels.
I've found my lanes gain/lose speed at the transition. If both lanes aren't bending the same amount then one lane will probably react differently when the cars pass.
Given out home brew race tracks, I don't think there is any way to eliminate the problem. I've given up worrying about it, honestly. Sometimes one lane is just faster than another, that's the way it goes. And it'll be different with the next setup...unless you have a permanent-ish track where the track is bolted to the base, I think it's a lost cause.
I see you have the vintage HW finish line...does that work well? I like that the track goes *through* the finish line instead of stopping there. My playset line has recently been having some issues in crashing cars...looking at some alternatives.