Track Set-up Guidelines?

[FAST Racing]

This may seem like a dumb question, but here goes... When setting up the track for racing do most people level the track from Start to Finish? (Not the incline,of course, but the horizontal part) Also is 48 inches the most common Start Pin height?

[Mike Parrish]

We level ours in both planes.

As far as height, I have seen anywhere from 46" to 50".

Good luck.

[TAL]

We have a 40' paintedosi aluminum track and the track surface is 45" at the starting pin and has a 8" staging overhang with a final track height of 49"...

We make sure the primary setup surface is level and also check final track setup surface side to side all the way down and also check the running surface length ways ...

Also with some tracks they will flex slightly side to side (whole track not straight ) so for this we will run a stringline down the side of the track during initial setup to make sure the entire track is totally straight...

[FAST Racing]

I've built a "Bosworth" style wooden track,as a follow-up question, What has worked best for getting the track "off the floor" , So the Kids can see the racing better? Still be able to level in both directions.

[TAL]

How long and wide is your track and how many people will attend???

Who will be staging the cars???

[Mike Parrish]

...What has worked best for getting the track "off the floor" , So the Kids can see the racing better? Still be able to level in both directions.

Our grand prix team built risers out out plywood and 2 x 4's wide enough to allow for leveling. It is off the floor about two and a half feet.

[FAST Racing]

The track is 15 7/8 inches wide and a total of 42 feet long. Pin to Pin is exactly 40 feet. As this will be our first Derby on the new track that I built, Myself and another Commander will be staging the cars. This first Derby is planned as a "Vintage Race" The Rangers will be able to use prior year cars. Kinda like a "Fun Run" for the boys. If this goes smoothly then we would like to have "Fun Runs" about every 6 weeks. To steal Stan's line- "If it's not for the boys, It's for the birds"

[TAL]

If the kids are having fun run's I would keep the track low as possible so the kids can stage their own cars...

If both sides of the track are open for the people to veiw the race, each side should accomadate at least 24 people with the track on the floor...
There is a post on here somewhere with a description of how to handle the veiwing audience...

If raising the track is desired ,I agree with parrish ; Plywood and 2x4's...

Remember though , the top of the track is around 4 foot high already and will probably require a stool for the kids to stage a car during fun runs...

[Mike Parrish]

...Remember though , the top of the track is around 4 foot high already and will probably require a stool for the kids to stage a car during fun runs...

Great point TAL. I should have specified that the starting gate is on the stage at our church so the kids are still able to stage their own cars.

[gpraceman]

At our old church, the track start line was up on the edge of the stage and the rest of the track was up on tables, going out into the audience. Kids could still easily stage their own cars by going up on stage.

There is, of course, one hazard to raising a track --- Cars jumping their lane and ending up on the floor, possibly breaking. If the whole track can be put up on a stage then that is not a problem and the audience can get a better view.