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NICE RICO!

YES! These are to be used for common connection points of the negative contact braids for each lane at each power tap. One hole on each end for mounting points to the underside of the tabletop, four tinned holes for braid connection points, one tinned hole for a jumper wire to the controller hook-up for brakes, and one ear for connection to the main ground that runs the length of the tabletop. This is all just further development of a track wiring system Hugh Ellsworth designed in the early 1980s.

Today I finished wiring up the controller hook-ups at each driver's station. This was my view for most of the morning. One improvement today over Tuesday, I did not fall asleep on my creeper today!

Thank you Howie! We really appreciate you hosting our Halloween races and being so flexible!

SO.......would there be a better day or time to reschedule the Halloween race so more people can participate?

=========Bill

Howie, it was another great event at Rapid Raceway! Really good turn-out and some awesome competition! Thanks for puting on another fantastic Rapid 500!

Send me some photos and I'll get them posted!

I'm ready to start reinstalling the wiring. I'll be rewiring some of it.

Then I will be ready to rebraid the track. I'm thinking I will be rebraiding the entire track. The track is 18 years old now and most of the glue holding the existing braid down is giving up, it's old and brittle with little to no grip. The braid pulls up easily and is prone to damage during races.

After I finish laying down the braid I need to repaint some of the lane striping.

Then reinstall the side boards and the under skirting.

Then it is break in time!

Here's a great photo of the field from Howie!  - Thanks Howie!

DC -
"The chassis shall consist of 3 pans only: 1 a center pan and 2 a right pan and 3 a left pan. If you make your own chassis it must be a copy of a Hanna chassis using 3 pans with no hinges and inline only - see example photo below. Side pans can move back and forth. No independent movement of the front end from the center pan. Front axle housing must be soldered to the center pan. No part of the chassis may protrude from the body. Front axle must extend through each front wheel and be one piece. Tires can roll independently and coated.  Maximum tracking front and rear: 3.250" measured from outside of tires. "

I like this controller hook-up for a number of reasons. The wiring is easily soldered to the hook-ups, no screws and nuts to loosen up over time. The copper tubing offers excellent electrical contact to the alligator clips. The copper tubing hook-ups are very solidly mounted. These set ups are very easy to make at very little cost. The use of the copper tubing for controller hook-ups was originally thought up by Hugh Ellsworth in the early '80s. Over the years I have refined his original concept.

This is what the driver's stations will look like when completed:

I need to finish painting the faceplates for the controller hook-ups for the other lanes.

I haven't posted an update for awhile so here it is. I've been working on the track most every day, mostly on painting. The track surface is painted, color sanded, and ready for the braid to be laid. The driver's stations are built and have three coats of white base color on them. Today I applied the first coats of color to the driver's stations to identify which lanes each serves. I also remounted the electrical track control center that houses all the relays and connections for the lap counting system.

COLOR!....Something other than tan or white!

As a track owner I DO NOT like having problems or issues during a race! It can happen but what makes it even worse is having to crawl around under the track trying to figure out the source of the problem. With the track controls mounted here with easy access, it will make performing any necessary diagnostics much easier! I am planning to redo/redesign all the electrical connections and hardware that connects the wiring to the track braid and controller hookups. Part of the plan is to use fewer nuts, bolts, and screws!

I can also bring an extra controller.