Show off your tracks
A 1/64 scale1/8 mile is 10 ft. and a scale 1/4 mile is 20 ft. How did super long tracks become the norm?
A 1/64 scale1/8 mile is 10 ft. and a scale 1/4 mile is 20 ft. How did super long tracks become the norm?
I doubt it is the norm. Most of the guys with long tracks are the guys taking them to shops and events. A longer track does make a more pleasing public showcase....takes it out of the realm of being just a kids toy.
Also, I think guys with bigger tracks are more likely to take pics and show them off online, so it might seem that there's more photos of long tracks floating around the web.
But I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts that 99 percent of guys just racinng at home have smaller tracks. Heck...I have a decent sized basement and the scale 1/4 mile is as much as I can comfortably fit. I'm making mine modular so I can add length when I take it out to shows.
A 1/64 scale1/8 mile is 10 ft. and a scale 1/4 mile is 20 ft. How did super long tracks become the norm?
Yeah I always thought about 18 ft was the 1/4 mile equivalent.
How did super long tracks become the norm?
I doubt also that 50 ft tracks are the norm. Most people just don't have the room.
I've tried several different lengths. I think the shorter tracks and the races are over super quick. So you think to make it longer. Over time they get longer and longer...
I went from 25 to 32 feet. That's when I noticed I was doing A LOT more walking on my trip from the starting line to the finish line to pick up the cars. Twenty five feet started looking like a good distance for racing.
I don't know if there is a norm per se but I'd probably agree with Shadow that the bigger tracks are for guys that travel with their tracks. I wish I had time/money/space to build a big track and tote it around town. My "official" track is only 20-ft and that's because that's the most I can fit in my space.
Seeing the monster 50-foot tracks is spectacular but don't feel bad about your own track. I take joy in knowing that my track cost less, is more portable, and frankly, can be just as much fun to race on. You can dress up any track to look more professional. Heck, my track is just planks and hinges - talk about unprofessional - but it's what I have and I think that's what I love about all the tracks shared here is that they're homemade and approachable. Kinda like old NASCAR...when you saw cars you saw on the street it was a lot more personal that seeing super cars that no one can actually drive.
And BTW, if you're looking for a quick race length converter, here you go: http://www.redlinederby.com/calc.html
I am currently starting to build a track that will eventually have an electronic finish. It is currently just something for the neighborhood. We wanted a scale 1/4 mile, but I am a bit confused. The calculator shown just above indicates a 1/4 mile at just over 17'. 1320/64=20.625. Am I missing something?
Thanks.
WELCOME ABOARD ! ...I think we all go with between 17. ? and 18 feet as scale for 1/4 mile....
but our tracks fit our houses.
Thanks. This is a great community. It brings back childhood memories and i have recently started making new memories with my daughter at a local weekly track.
Quick response too, by the way. I barely had time to read about making custom decals!
Thanks for the info and discussion. That calculator is nice. I was trying to do the math myself so I'm sure my numbers were off.
I took our track on our beach vacation and the family had a blast with it.
Here's a track that we built for our foundation. We raise money to benefit kids with disablilities who are graduating from high school and need help transitioning. Diecast racing is something that is even, whether you have a disability or not. Our track has a 4ft drop over roughly 24ft - then an 8ft flat runoff - totaling 32ft. The built the aluminum support system to hold 4 lanes of blutrack. The start gate can either be operated by hand, or by a remote servo. We have The Judge as our electronic finish line, and a foam catch box at the end. We've used the tracks at two events so far and both times they were won by young children! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
-Travis
PS...the HW track on the left side is simply a return track for the winners to be roller back down to the start.
Awesome! Who sez you have to have a 40 foot drag strip anyway? Thumbs up.