Inslot's Checkered Flag Raceway - Renovation (Page 1 of 8)

After getting the lane length measurements I was able to order new braid for the track. I ordered a 500 foot roll of 1/4 inch tinned copper braid and a 250 foot roll from Slot Car Corner. This will give me a little bit of extra braid for any future repairs. I also ordered a new router bit for cutting the recess next to the guide slot for the braid to sit in. I have a bit, but like most everything else I have I have no idea exactly where it is right now. It could be next year by the time I find it.

When I measured the lanes on this track I did something different to get a feel for how the course change I have planned will affect the whole layout. I used small pieces of tape to mark the track at each 6 foot increment. The result was pretty interesting to me as it gave me a better idea of how "equal" the lanes really are.

Here is the 6 foot tape from the tape measurer I used to place inside the slot.

I started measuring each lane at the start finish line. I marked the end point of each 6 foot measurement with a piece of colored electrical tape. This point is approximately one foot into the banked curve, and you can see how the yellow lane already has an advantage in distance covered.

By the center of the banked corner the yellow lane has greatly increased its advantage.

In the right hand "dead man" curve after the bank, the lanes equal out as the yellow lanes advantage is erased. This point is 30 feet into the circuit, or just under halfway around. The first 30 feet of the circuit clearly favor the yellow lane as far as distance travelled (the preferred distance being the shortest distance).

I usually clean the track off completely and reglue it before a race. If I leave it like this with the rubber on it it stays grippy for practice sessions.

That sounds like a good remedy Stan. Although the "everybody runs the same lanes" argument does somewhat apply. I guess it boils down to just how exact do you want or need to be? Before I measured this track out in this manner I never gave it much thought. It sounds like you and I may have a similar anal type problem?..........

Good job on the design Al! Ending up with all the lanes exactly the same is quite an accomplishment! My old TooBad track was close with only 3/4" between the outside and inside lane. It came out accidentally because I did no pre- planning of that track! It was strictly a build as I went kind of deal. I think that it was only three lanes helped. The Checkered Flag track has such different radius curves it would be difficult to make it any closer, but the lanes are pretty equal at the end and at near the halfway point.

The course revision I have planned probably won't change the equality in length between the lanes. It will only add about 10 feet to the overall lap length. My main goal is to reduce wear and tear on the "dead man" curve at the end of the banked curve section. I'm hoping this revision may also improve the flow of the course as a side benefit. We'll see..........

And so it begins. There have been three official races held on the track since it was moved here in January of 2019, one PASER race, and two OSCAR races. The track performed well with only a couple minor glitches, those being braid issues due to the age of the track. Although most of the braid is still in good shape, due to the track's age the glue securing the braid is starting to lose it's bond.

Since I started this thread in March I have been working on the shop as far as sorting and organizing slot cars, parts, and miscellaneous. Today I decided I was close enough to organized to start work on the track. I have an OSCAR race scheduled for December, so I feel it is time to get started.

Since part of my renovation plans call for new driver's stations and controller hookups, today I removed the driver's stations and disconnected the track wiring. A portion of the track will be rewired to accommodate the new driver station locations and new controller hookups.

All of the track revisions are being made to this end of the track.

These original controller hookups will be replaced by a set up originally designed by my friend Hugh Ellsworth in the late 80's, when he helped me with my first 1/24 track which was a major rebuild.

The controller hookups on the other hand were an entirely different matter! I have had a lot of different tracks through the years and I've seen all kinds of controller hookups. I would say the majority of them have been, and usually are equipped with some sort of screw or bolt set up for the controller alligator clips to connect to. This set up usually works fine but, I have seen instances where the screws or bolts in this type of set loosen causing bad electrical connections. That potential problem was addressed in this design by using what appears to be threaded rod, or extra long screws where the heads were cut off after installation. The threaded rods extend all the way through the 3 1/2" dimension of the tracks 2x4 frame, being exposed for access through holes cross-drilled through the 1 1/2" dimension of the 2x4. The threaded rods appear to have also been epoxied into place inside the holes. Needless to say these were not easy to remove!

I'm tellin' ya, these rods were LONG!

Here's where the day ended. Driver's stations and controller hookups removed.

This is the hairpin turn that will be coming off next and relocated to the end of the new track extensions.