A Real Track (wishful thinking)

cmsustud19 · #1 05-25-2003, 07:28 AM

I have noticed something... People make these fun little home built tracks..I think they are really cool. BUT, I have to say just doing the math in my head a 1/64 scale car on a track made of even two 4x8' sheets of plywood can have a straightaway of only 16' minus turns in and out.... Meanwhile a scale mile for 1/64 scale is 82.5' so you are barely getting a 1/4 mile straightaway on the track.

Now I think it would be so awesome ( though not probably feasible for most) to make a scale model of say...Talledega Super Speedway you know an 240' of track with an 80' straightaway, banked turns, and wide enough to handle 2 cars easily....AHhhh to dream....

flatlander_14 · #2 05-25-2003, 08:35 AM

actually 82.5' is a scale mile. not quarter mile. a full mile is 5280 feet long. divide that by 4 to get 1320 feet. then down to zipzap size would be 20.625 feet. i know because i am making a scale quarter mile dragstrip

i didnt want to let anyone know because i was planning on posting it when im done... shhh, you never heard from me!

cmsustud19 · #3 05-25-2003, 09:08 AM

I meant with even two 4x8 sheets of plywood you are only getting a max of 16' which = about 1/4 mi thanks though

Azimov · #4 05-25-2003, 12:54 PM

Yup, your math is correct. A track made to scale that has 1 mile (to scale) straight a ways and room for several cars to race would be huge. But, it is possible. There are many tracks posted online that were designed for Mini z's and Epochs that are that big and bigger. They are not to the scale dimensions you mention because the cars are a larger scale. But, a Zip/Bit track made in the same area would be up to scale. You would just have to alot your entire garage or basement to the project. Not impossible though.
(edit) I just re-read this and realized not many people live in homes that have over 80 ft. in any direction. A track this size would have to be a group or school, maybe a church project. A science teacher could get away with building one on the pretext of using it as a teaching aid for physics or general relativity. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more!

PTink · #5 05-25-2003, 05:58 PM

yea one time i brought a zip and bit to class i my engineering teacher was thinking of making a track for kids who wanted to come in and race. It wouldnt be made to be the milwaukee mile but wisconsin's other big time race track, Road America. It would have to be huge, but we do have the room when the high mialage vehicle and rube goldberg projects are done.

Web site for Road America www.roadamerica.com

Azimov · #6 05-25-2003, 06:47 PM

Quote:

my engineering teacher was thinking of making a track for kids who wanted to come in and race.

That's the ticket! Maybe you could convince him to build a modular track out of those puzzle mats or the parque floor sguares. You could cover the gym floor with a huge track and pack it away when the jocks need the floor. Definately gonna need some antenna mods though. Sounds like an excellent engineering class project to me.