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Hello all,
Started Designing my first routed track and looking for some comments on the design.
I have 3 4x8 tables and room to configure them in any combination. Below is my first attempt to design a 3 lane. My son is into Nascar but I prefer a few turns so this was a compromise. I plan on trying to Bank the 180 curve 20degs.
I am trying to keep it simple since this will be my first attempt to learn how to route a track.
Is the long straight too long? Any issues with the tightness of the curves? Does anyone have a similar type layout?
Thank You all in advanced.
Jimmy

Welcome Jimmy :D
Gonna be a real fast track.....that ain't bad !
I think,like an oval,it will be the most fun with friends and 3 lanes will help with that.
Don't see any issues with too tight turns.
With that nice wide open center you could add more road course elements later if you please.

Have fun with your build :dance:

That's an interesting design to combine aspects of an oval with a road course.

The 'hairpin' turn at the left could be tight on the inside for 3 lanes. I have a 4' wide oval with 2 lanes and the inside lane is fast but if it was any tighter could be hard to negotiate. For your track it could depend on your lane spacing and direction of travel. Hitting that tight turn after the long straight could be challenging, but if cars are going clockwise might not be a problem. In that direction the corners after the straight start out wide, then get tighter - I like that.

It might me worthwhile to consider collapsing the lane spacing at the left hand 'hairpin' turn so cars enter and go around it single file then spread out on exit. Lane spacing at the hairpin turn on my road course is 1 1/2", but could be as little as 1".

My 6' by 14' road course has about a 9' straight at the back which is just about right for my cars (mostly Fly GT cars and Scalextric & Pioneer Trans Am cars). They reach top speed about half way along and can glide nicely into a sweeping banked right hand turn like you have on your design. If your surface could overhang the tables a bit and gain another foot or so of width at the middle and left side you could fit in some wiggly bits at the front side. Or, lengthen laps by looping back to the right, then left, in what now might be your infield before getting to the far right turn.

Slothead

Welcome! Decent design in my opinion and should satisfy both of you. You could though make a road and oval that you simply swap a section out for depending on what you want to run. Several folks here have done it.

That's going to be a fast and smooth track! I have a 4 x 16 3 lane with about a 13 ft straight. Slot-it cars don't make it to full speed but most anything else will. I tend to run slower cars anyway, so that's no problem for me.

Personally, I like wiggly bits....it makes the track more challenging to actually drive vs a punch-brake rhythm type track...and the L section will require that driving. There are lots of interesting T shaped tracks out there too...if you are interested in something like that.

The biggest deal is make sawdust and get 'er done. Routed tracks can be changed too...a little Durham's or some bondo makes quick changes to a routed track.

The track you have is better than any track you don't.....make the router spin!

Others have commented on the oval aspect of your design which I agree with. If oval simplicity is your goal then by all means build what you want. But since wood track guys can't help but chime in whenever someone posts a track build, I will chime in with my $0.02.

To perhaps add more variety, I see how the short straight could be changed to a broad S curve before it hits the left/righthander towards the L. If you want to retain that oval "look" you could paint in a true oval roadway into the the table and have the extra left and right hand curves look like they were added for road racing purposes much like many larger ovals today ( Indy, Daytona) have road racing options built in.

Now get out your router Sir! Oh and nothing is forever when it comes to routed tracks. Build it one way today and fill and reroute her another way tomorrow. Copper foil tape is cheap to replace.

This is a blurry pic of my first routed track. It's three 4X4 sections with 3.5" lane spacing. Only the longest cars smack the wall exiting a turn, but really, should'nt they have the tail tucked in anyway?

Thanks everyone for the replies. Here is the revised Design. Hopefully be routing soon.


4x20-L-A2.JPG

Looks good. Where are your drivers stations going? It matters because if they are up close to the upper inside part of the L in your table, the corner that protrudes outward at the bottom of the L might be blocked from view if drivers stand too close.

I like it, and suspect that you may grow to like those sweeping esses too.

Looks like a fun design with a lot of good variety! :D

I like your revised design, I think you will find it more interesting to drive with the elements you have added. I like sweepers and free form routing using the flexible strip method, must more realistic to drive, and just is more flowing and fun. Even a straight should not be exactly straight in my opinion. I tend to think that even non banked curves should have just a slight bank to them. Looks better and drives better. Elevation change is fun and adds realism too.

Instead of worrying about which direction to race the track, incorporate DPDT switches at your drivers station, then you can race either way, it's like getting a free second track. Also, you can extend the wires of your controllers using extension cord, so you can race from just about anywhere around the track too.

j.

1481740998443-1727319402.jpgAny design you go with will be awsome, after setting up plastic track in a 9x13 area my son and i decided to go for a routed 4 lane 8x26 footer. Found a cad guy and a cnc guy, it was off and running, started in july and finished in December.

That is a sharp looking track! :D