The Mini-Drome

[Retro Racer 44]

[munter]

Looks great Keith...I'm starting to like ovals thanks to various threads on here.

I cant help thinking that a figure eight must be better though.

[TuscoTodd]

Great video - lots of cool references in there! :D

[Wolseley Hornet]

Great demonstration that size isn't everything !

Sure, it would be nice to have a big road track with sweeping curves and long undulating straights - but you can have a lot of fun with a tiny oval, and there are plenty of small cars even in 1/32, so they won't look silly.

. . . and you can bring a small track indoors in Winter - so you don't freeze anything off!


David.

[HomeRacingWorld]

You have a track, well done. I like the KISS method.

[dreinecke]

With the goal you had in mind, I think it superb! Nice work, and the fact that you worked with the Jedi-Master, Luf, on it - all the better! Hope the kids have a ball with it!

[ourwayband]

Look like fun to me!!!

Rusty

[Retro Racer 44]

Thanks everyone.

John, I did consider a figure eight with an overpass and underpass so neither lane would require as much bending. I know the kids would love a flat eight with a criss-cross in the middle, but I don't think I can build cars fast enough to keep up with that scenario, eh?

Harry, what is the Kiss Method?

I got the last necessary bit of copper tape to cover and smooth the wire taps. Luf is going to cut me two strips of white plastic to make "safer barriers" for each end. I still plan to print advertising billboards onto sticker paper and line the barriers with them. I still have my crowd and catch fence from my first SLOP track.

I tested the track with an old train transformer, but I had bought a variable TrackMate power pack from a club-mate for a future project. It may be overkill for such a small track, but I think I will use it. The kids will need low power to begin with.

I have an old lap-top for timing and lap counting, but will need to get sensors.

So far, so good!

Cheers,

Keith

[jcis4me]

K epp
I t
S imple
S tupid
My way of living!!!
Marty

[WB2]

I'm curious how the elliptical curves are to drive, as opposed to constant radius turns.

David

[Retro Racer 44]

I've only done a few laps on it, but the cars slide out at the mid point of the corner, where there is lots of room, rather than on entry or exit of the turns where they could hit the wall.

[VenturaAlfa]

Great little track and that video is outstanding!!

Harry, at the end of the video there is trailer figure 8 racing at Orange show speedway. You need to check that out for your trailer races.

The track in the video is, unfortunately, long gone. I remember that track very well from when I was a little kid. It is Ascot raceway in Gardena, CA the outside track was a 1/2 mile that held Grand National stock car races with a few guys some of you may know. There were names I grew up watching like Parnelli, Mario, Dan, Herchel McGriff, Petty just to name a few. Gurney and Jones both ended up with shops just a short distance from that track. They also held Sprint car, TT races and Motocross. If you look closely you can see the big jump for the motocross track in a couple of the figure 8 shots.

The best part was that they had ponds at either end of the track with Palm tree islands. No matter what was racing there somebody always managed to end up in the ponds. Used to be broadcast on the local TV channel.

The figure 8 guys were absolutely insane and that is being kind. Seat belts and roll bars were not mandated they were recommended and about 1/2 the guys had them. I still remember a hit that left me scarred for life. Car was turned around in the crossover and hit broadside on the driver's side. Driver's door opened as the car flipped and the seat, steering wheel, and driver all went flying out. He hit the fence near the grand stands. Did not make it. Horrible thing to see. Not to long after that they mandated that seats be bolted to the floor and that seat belts and roll bars be used in addition to making driver's side door hits out of bounds.

I was scheduled to drive a 360 non-winged sprint car in the final race there that belonged to an owner by the name of Mitch Culp. Unfortunately, he was injured in a wreck the week before that left him paralyzed and the car destroyed. He was 6'6' or so and hit the wall in between turns one and two top first. The roll cage was built for a 6 footer and his helmet hit the wall before the car did.

Ventura Alfa