www.Derbyworx.com

[RACER X]

The new Derby Worx / Pro Tools site is now up.

www.Derbyworx.com

As with many sites it is a work in progress, but we have some good tech info currently available, tool data & instruction sheets on all of the tools along with links to Pro Tool vendors.

We are working on some track tech data we hope to have out in the near future as well.

If any one has any ideas or input for our site, we always welcome it because site design and layout is new to us.

Good Racing to all

Racer X

[gpraceman]

Racer X,

A very nice looking site.

I would suggest a "Contact Us" link so people can email you questions and provide feedback. Maybe also an "About Us" page or statment on your home page to let visitors know about the history of your Pro Tools and how you got into this in the first place.

I did notice that your "Sign In or Sign Up here" link is not working. If you will be collecting vistor's email addresses or other personal information with this page, I would suggest that you state a "Privacy Policy" somewhere. Many sites put this statement on a Privacy Policy page and provide an easy to find link to it. This statement is to let visitors know how you will be using their personal information. Here's an example from my software site http://grandprix-software-central.com/privacy.php. You probably don't need so much legalese if you will not be selling from that site.

[Darin McGrew]

Font sizes specified in px (or pt) are inappropriate on the WWW: http://css.nu/faq/ciwas-aFAQ.html#QA02

You use Hn elements for everything, including paragraphs that should be P elements.

The fixed-width design forces horizontal scrolling in my default browser windows. See http://www.htmlhelp.com/faq/html/design ... creen-size and http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/webmatter ... esign.html

You have navigation links that are images of text, but you don't have any ALT attributes: http://www.htmlhelp.com/feature/art3.htm

On the tools page (and perhaps elsewhere), you should use real thumbnail images rather than using HTML's HEIGHT and WIDTH attributes to shrink full-sized images: http://www.htmlhelp.com/faq/html/images.html#thumbnail

On the tech page, there's an odd blank space between the headings (e.g., "2. Pro Body Tool") and the next paragraph (e.g., "The Pro Body Tool is designed..."). I don't really get why you have a tech page with basically the same info as the tools page.

[RACER X]

Darin,

Thank-you for your in put on the site, this is new to me and we are still working on several things. I have had many people look at the site and most have had no problem with font size or viewing, but we will look into it.

Also, you might want to look again, the tool page and the tech page, the text is totaly different. Try this, go to tools, pull one up, after reading the text, go to the bottom of the page and click on "Tech". Tech and tool info should be different, unless I missed one.


Thanks again

Racer X

[Sylvar]

Racer X,
I would agree with Darin on the width. Its fine for me if I view full screen with my resolution at 1024X768, But I don't usually full screen my browser. Also if you come in at 600X800 you have no chioce but to scroll. 600X800 is still a very popular resolution out there in the real world and a lot of computers that aren't that old won't go higher than that.

Shane

[gpraceman]

Racer X,
I would agree with Darin on the width. Its fine for me if I view full screen with my resolution at 1024X768, But I don't usually full screen my browser. Also if you come in at 600X800 you have no chioce but to scroll. 600X800 is still a very popular resolution out there in the real world and a lot of computers that aren't that old won't go higher than that.

Shane

I believe that you meant 800X600. Easy mistake to make. Web pages should be built to a minimum of 800 pixels in width to prevent horizontal scrolling. I prefer a web page design that also will expand to fill the full width of the browser window. This can reduce the vertical scrolling for those of us that run with higher screen resolutions.

[clemsontigerfanatic]

I was just checking out your website. The 991 car you have on the front
page- I take it gives you a head start over the other cars? Is this faster than the the more airodynamic 1/4" flat piece of wood design on a standard 45 ft track?

[Darin McGrew]

I was just checking out your website. The 991 car you have on the front page - I take it gives you a head start over the other cars? Is this faster than the the more airodynamic 1/4" flat piece of wood design on a standard 45 ft track?

That design is a simple variation of the (unfortunately named) "cheater bar" design. It doesn't make the car faster. It gives the car a head start in races where the starting gate opens slowly (as often happens with manually opened starting gates).

The main idea is to move the car's front bumper (the point that contacts the starting pin) as high as possible. The idea is that the car can move forward as far as possible, as soon as possible, when the starting pin is lowered slowly.

The secondary idea is to move the rest of the car (and thus, the car's CM) as far back from the starting pin as possible. This helps mainly in races that require the original slots to be used. By chopping off the block just behind the rear wheels, and adding a "cheater bar" or other elevated extension to the front, you get the same effect as moving the axles back.

[RACER X]

Darin,

You are exactly right on all accounts.

Here is a little nifty added bonus we found out at districts with this design.
The track was a standard 32' Piadosi wooden track, but the timer [not sure of the manufacture] had a horizontal optic about 3" out of the gate to start the clock and a vertical eye with a over head light at the finish line. The district the champion was dertimined by time so this car was not only fast [wheels, axles & alighnment] but the body and timer configuration gave us a 1.8" advantage. The timer did not start until it was tripped with the front wheels and it stopped when the light was broke with the tip of the nose [a Cheater Bar will not trip the eye] giving it a head start on the timing device as well.

Our times were almost .100 sec. per run faster than second place. No one could figure out why we were so fast, so of course we must of been cheating. The car was legal to the "T".

Race Fast

Racer X

[gpraceman]

The track was a standard 32' Piadosi wooden track, but the timer [not sure of the manufacture] had a horizontal optic about 3" out of the gate to start the clock and a vertical eye with a over head light at the finish line. The district the champion was dertimined by time so this car was not only fast [wheels, axles & alighnment] but the body and timer configuration gave us a 1.8" advantage. The timer did not start until it was tripped with the front wheels and it stopped when the light was broke with the tip of the nose [a Cheater Bar will not trip the eye] giving it a head start on the timing device as well.

Our times were almost .100 sec. per run faster than second place. No one could figure out why we were so fast, so of course we must of been cheating. The car was legal to the "T".

That is why I don't really like using a photosensor as the start signal. I think the only way that it would be fair to use one is to have the start pins be what is breaking the beam, not the cars. This does mean mounting the photosensor pretty close to the pins, which is not always possible due to start gate design.

[Darin McGrew]

That is why I don't really like using a photosensor as the start signal.

I've heard of similar problems with finish gates that have mechanical switches triggered by the front wheels. If the cars start with their noses even, then the car with the shortest nose has an advantage at the finish.

Really, if you're going to be timing, then (among other things) you have to make sure you're timing something that makes sense. Measure the time it takes for the nose to move from the starting gate to the finish line. Measure the time it takes for the front wheel to move from the starting gate to the finish line. Measure the time it takes for anything else to move from the starting gate to the finish line. But measuring one thing at the starting gate and another thing at the finish line is just silly.

[gpraceman]

I've heard of similar problems with finish gates that have mechanical switches triggered by the front wheels. If the cars start with their noses even, then the car with the shortest nose has an advantage at the finish.

I hadn't heard of an application of a mechanical switch triggered by the front wheels. Usually the mechanical switch is activated by the movement of the start gate itself.

Really, if you're going to be timing, then (among other things) you have to make sure you're timing something that makes sense. Measure the time it takes for the nose to move from the starting gate to the finish line. Measure the time it takes for the front wheel to move from the starting gate to the finish line. Measure the time it takes for anything else to move from the starting gate to the finish line. But measuring one thing at the starting gate and another thing at the finish line is just silly.

To me it seems better to just use a switch or sensor activated by the start gate. You would always be timing off of the same event, not one that could be influenced by car design. The moving of the start gate would be the earliest possible moment that the nose of any car could start moving. Then the finish line sensors (assuming a typical photosensor setup) would detect off of the nose of the cars, so you are timing nose to nose.

[RACER X]

I totaly agree that gate activated timer is the fairest way to race. WE use a New Bold Products timer with a microswitch on the gate which works well, but as I always say "to go for the win you need to know your track" and the timer our district uses is a widely available system, so we "Tuned for the race". It didn't hurt that we got 2nd. at districts the year before on the same track so we had a idea of what was going on.

I would have to think that a photo eye for the start would be great for testing. It should remove any variables of the starting gate when tuning a car for max speed

Race Fast

Racer X

[RACER X]

DERBY WORX PRO "RS" WHEELS

The Derby Worx Pro "RS" wheels that are featured on the wheel page of www.Derbyworx.com are now in stock at Hodges Hobby House, Pinewood Pro & ABC Pinewood. You can be linked their from the "Retailers" tab of our web site.

Don't be fooled. Derby Worx Pro "RS" wheels are the ONLY light weight open class wheel razor style wheel with the Pat. Pend. "ANTI-FRICTION" strip on the inside that reduces wheel to track contact by over 98% compaired to a traditional flat side razor wheel.


Race Fast

Racer X

[RACER X]

Well Derby Fans, we have added some pics and info to the "Track Facts" section of the Derby Worx site. We have some great pics both showing and compairing features of wooden and aluminum tracks. We also have some dimensions of these tracks and some preliminary run data as a baseline that might be helpful to those who are not familiar with the different types of tracks.

We are currently building several test cars to do a variety of tests that will be displayed in the future.

Also check out the pic of the effects of a standard "Razor Wheel" against the guide strip on a Aluminum track in the wheel section, OUCH!!!

Race Fast

Racer X