TooBad Motorplex

by wb0s » Sun Feb 16, 2014 2:56 pm

This is TooBad Motorplex located in Fairview, Oregon. TooBad got it's name as a direct result of a race held on February 16, 2008. This was the initial race on a six lane 1/24 track that was moved to Fairview from Roseburg. The six lane track was named The Bullring due to it's tight but fast layout design. During that first action packed, problematic race on the Bullring, a common phrase was heard throughout the evening. The phrase was too bad, as in too bad for you! After that first race the phrase became the name that stuck. The track didn't stick, and was sold and returned to Roseburg, Oregon.

TooBad Motorplex is actually home to two tracks. One track being a three lane routed HO track, which has been temporarily sidelined from competition, and the three lane routed 1/32 track pictured here. This 1/32 track has a lap length of 84 feet 5 inches, and varies less than 3 inches from the inside lane to the outside lane. The track surface is grey latex paint over a base coat of Rustoleum Magnetic Primer. The Magnetic Primer base coat gives the track a metallic base heavy enough to provide magnetic traction to cars equipped with downforce traction magnets. Electrical contact to the cars is provided by copper tape. The track is powered by a Tenma variable voltage 25 amp power supply. Lap counting and timing is controlled by a Trackmate system for Windows.

Construction on TooBad's 1/32 track started on May 1, 2010. It took a long two years to get the track to a race ready point. The first race held on the 1/32 track was the SCX Proxy on May 27, 2012. Since that first race the track has kept a busy schedule, hosting NASTE Point Series Championship races, as well as evening races on odd dated Thursdays. As a newly developing class for Odd Thursday Racing, 1/24 BRM Porsche 962s have made appearances, demonstarting the versatility of the TooBad 1/32 track.