New Year's/Super Bowl Launchers Rip-n-Roll Tourney

Finished Product and a little test racing!

http://s650.photobucket.com/user/jjgargerii/media/Finished%20Track_zpsglrsy6po.jpg.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaqHaIRZ7oY

Thanks for posting...good to see it all working together. So the tree isn't connected to the track, right? It's not like an automated launch.

This type of event will be very interesting to watch. It's a totally different dynamic for making or picking cars to run. It's no longer all about weight and gravity...lighter might actually fair better here. Always fun to keep people on their toes. I'd send in a couple cars to see fly down the track...I have some theories to test.

My only suggestion would be to have the track be longer. Right now it looks like 6' or so? Extending that to at least 12' feet would be pretty sweet. Then there's a chance that a car might not even finish and close racing might be easier to see. 

But even with the short track...go head and pick a date for your tournament and toss up some rules. You'll be able to gauge entry levels pretty quickly and refine from there. Just look at some other tournaments for the sections on dates, rules, etc...it's a decent template to start with.

Good stuff, man...welcome to the fold :)

@ redlinederby Correct the tree is only there for a visual start. I put it in as a way to make the action even more interesting. ( And for the kids to learn drag racing) Say you and your buddies are around or the kids whoever.  Yes its important to have a fast car, BUT its the fastest to the finish once the light turns green.  There is actually a gal right now Erica Enders who won 3 consecutive NHRA finals off of hole shots!! So its an added element for head to head action. However I do need a red light for faults. Which is a future project. For real racing with the fairest of starts I will be using a stick that will depress both levers at the same time. Video of that in action after I come up with the device.

Oh these cars could do another 4-8' easy. As you can see in the video almost all of them can make there way thru the curve and back to the start. Built the track in mind for the space we had in my sons room. You are right tho I think another 4' would be great and an easy add on for the tournament. Maybe a 7-ft and 15' double tourney. Or a series short, medium and long track racing!

For extra for the tourney. I am even thinking of a pick your driver option.  After the real racing.  A second for fun race. (With a prize of course!) Where when you enter your car you can pick from myself and 3 other race staff members ( May even be a kiddo. Who knows they have better eyes and quicker reflexes then us older folks) to race your car(s) in the pick your driver race. Then we race the cars head to head off the tree! Hole shots win!! lol

Will get a set date and details to come by Halloween. Glad you guys showed some interest!

Yeah I am planning on modifying the launchers. Gonna angle down the front of them. Should not effect the performance of it. Some of the winged cars have trouble. N we have one really fast one. But you have to finagle it on top of the launcher. But it zips if you get it just right. The mod should fix that. Also I will shoot a vid of heavy cars vs light ones so we can all kinda see what we need to bring to the table!

Not trying to steal your thread but here is what we did to have a working tree.This is a gravity track ,but would work great with your launchers too.AW HO drag strip Tree.You can find these cheap now on the bay if you look a little.You do red light if you miss the hole shot..

Rusty

That's sweet! Working red light... Yeah buddy. Mine was a 10 buck project kit that I had to solder together. Fun part of the build as I had never soldered anything in my life before. Was thinking I would have to go the ardunio route for a red light/timing/electronic finish in the future. Do they sell a compatible finish and maybe a timing system for that?? The more me and the lad get into this the more serious it will end up being! Lol Still a fun project with my father in law either way. But I do wish I would of stumbled upon this earlier. Also will keep you guys posted on my sons reaction to this. His bday party is just two days away... Then the racing of the 100s of hot wheels he has laying around begins!!

Well Happy Birthday young racer!!!

Here is a picture of one we modded for the finish line though

to me the one your using works just as well.