Best Track...why so popular?

[Vitamin K]

So, it seems that Best Track is the "standard" for most high-level Pinewood Derby events, including league racing and the Mid-America and suchlike. Is there a particular reason for this, or is it just what's become the convention?

Is there something about the physics of the Best Track (inclined plane with a small curved section) that makes it preferable for high performance cars?

 

[B_Regal Racing]

I do want you to think I am greatly versed in the differences of the track designs between the manufacturers, but I did do this research prior to buying my own test track. Before I depleated my wallet of almost $700 for a single lane test track and timer, I wanted to know what I was buying.

The three basic manufacturers, Besttrack, Freedom, and DerbyMagic all charge about the same for thier tracks, so price difference was not an issue for me. All three accept a K3 timer; again, no issue. So difference was mostly in the construction.

Derby Magic tracks are some sort of plastic/PVC, and because of this, I have heard that there have been track mating problems. Plus, I thought it would be difficult to assemble and disassemble the track over and over again and get consistent results. I know people have overcome these two problems, but I did not want to deal with either of them.

Freedom appear to be a nice track, but our pack has this track. They have problems with the joints and keeping it level, although,this may be the result of how the track is cared for (league vs scouts). You also need to "bend the track" to make the curve. Again, this seems to speak towards consistency in times, since I was buying it to race in the NPWDRL. It is lightweight and stores compactly, which was nice. It comes in an anodized version, but that just does not interest me much.

Besttrack is formed aluminum (shaped, bent, whatever), so it holds its form nicely. The curve is always the same. It is not as compact as the other track types, but I can set it up over and over again with no tools and get consistent results. The curve is also more aggressive, so a well tuned car on a Besttrack should also run good on the other two.

The kicker was the NPWDRL also uses a Besttrack. Why not have the same track that people with greater experience than I have already purchased? So, I went the Besttrack route. It just seems to be the nicest overall design.

There are tons of comparisons on the different forums, if you have not looked already.

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

I have both the Freedom and the Best Track. To be honest, I prefer the Freedom and the anodized finish. It is very smooth and does not wear the wheels as quickly as a Best Track. The biggest difference is the transition or curve. The Freedom has a more gentle transition and is more forgiving. I have no issue with keeping the joints level and with the mounting plates it is very repeatable.

I bought the Best Track because it is the track that all the leagues use and my thought was I needed one if I hoped to be competitive. With only clips holding the track sections together, they can be easily knocked out of alignment by a misstep, wayward child or even my dog. I check alignment before each test session. You'll also need to sand the entire track and file the joints before you ever send a car down it. If you don't, it will shred your wheels. Be sure to file down the edge of the final section too.

In the end, it depends on what your goal is in pinewood derby. If you plan on racing league, get the Best Track. The transition is more aggressive and generally requires about .5" more steer @ 4' to stabilize the car than the Freedom. Go with the K3 timer either way. The Champ timer has a smaller read out and is more expensive. My old eyes need the larger display. Last, I would get a better starting gate. There are a couple of different options posted on the board.

 

[Vitamin K]

Our Pack owns a Freedom Track, and I like what I have seen of it. I like the gentler curve, as opposed to the sharp transition.

Your observations seem to square with my suspicions: That, basically, Best Track is what League Racers have always used, so that's what people buy.

It would seem to me that the Best Track, with the sharp transition, would be more punishing of a larger moment of inertia than the Freedom is, since the rotation is much more sudden, and much faster. This seems to favor racers who use tungsten (though all league racers are using tungsten, regardless).

I'm also a little worried about making sure that a car with low fenders can clear the transition on a Best Track. Would be nice if I had some way to test, without actually buying a curve section. I need a friend with a Best Track, or something. Maybe Best Track should sell a plastic testing section, for worried builders.

I have both the Freedom and the Best Track. To be honest, I prefer the Freedom and the anodized finish. It is very smooth and does not wear the wheels as quickly as a Best Track. The biggest difference is the transition or curve. The Freedom has a more gentle transition and is more forgiving. I have no issue with keeping the joints level and with the mounting plates it is very repeatable.

I bought the Best Track because it is the track that all the leagues use and my thought was I needed one if I hoped to be competitive. With only clips holding the track sections together, they can be easily knocked out of alignment by a misstep, wayward child or even my dog. I check alignment before each test session. You'll also need to sand the entire track and file the joints before you ever send a car down it. If you don't, it will shred your wheels. Be sure to file down the edge of the final section too.

In the end, it depends on what your goal is in pinewood derby. If you plan on racing league, get the Best Track. The transition is more aggressive and generally requires about .5" more steer @ 4' to stabilize the car than the Freedom. Go with the K3 timer either way. The Champ timer has a smaller read out and is more expensive. My old eyes need the larger display. Last, I would get a better starting gate. There are a couple of different options posted on the board.

 

[Kinser Racing]

(though all league racers are using tungsten, regardless).

Not all league racers use tungsten.

I'm also a little worried about making sure that a car with low fenders can clear the transition on a Best Track.

If your car is built properly you'll have no problem with it clearing the Best Track transition. /images/boards/smilies/wave.gif

 

[Vitamin K]

(though all league racers are using tungsten, regardless).

Not all league racers use tungsten.

Are there sucessful leaguers using less-dense ballast? Would be a pleasant surprise to learn.

I'm also a little worried about making sure that a car with low fenders can clear the transition on a Best Track.

If your car is built properly you'll have no problem with it clearing the Best Track transition. /images/boards/smilies/wave.gif

Well, if I had a clear set of guidelines for 'built properly', I'd feel better. For example, the car I'm working on currently /should/ clear the curved section, based on drawings I've done to visualize the car on a 48" radius curve:



However, it would be nice if there were a way to be sure before, say, spending the money to send it off to the Mid-America and having it get stuck.

 

[5KidsRacing]

Just draw out a 48" rad. on a piece of paper or cardboard..... then use a thin flexible material, thin plywood, sheet plastic, etc. and bend it to the rad. and hold in place.... holding your car roll it down curve and see if anything hits.

 

[Vitamin K]

Just draw out a 48" rad. on a piece of paper or cardboard..... then use a thin flexible material, thin plywood, sheet plastic, etc. and bend it to the rad. and hold in place.... holding your car roll it down curve and see if anything hits.

This seems sensible. I could even plot a 45" radius curve or something, if I wanted to be a little more pessimistic.

 

[gpraceman]

I've run races on Best Track and Micro Wizards tracks. With our local Awana track ministry we have used a BT and an anodized MW track. With my son's Cub Scout Pack, we used a non-anodized MW track. All of these tracks see action for multiple races per year, even the pack's track (at least while we were with the pack). That's how the pack paid off the investment by running races for other local packs. I'm running from 10 - 15 races a year with the track ministry.

Each track certainly has its pros and cons.

Storage
MW tracks certainly store away more compactly. That can be an important consideration if your storage space is limited. The machine bent curve and thickness of the BT extrusion makes it more bulky to store, as well as the width of the track legs.

Transportation
BT sections are 7ft long, so this track can be easier to fit inside a SUV or minivan. MW sections are a hair under 8ft, so the track usually must be transported in a pickup truck or trailer. Though, one time I managed to jam a MW track, in its crate, into my wife's minivan by shifting the passenger front seat all the way forward. It was not something that I wanted to do all of the time.

Anodized vs Non-Anodized
After working with BT, which is non-anodized, an anodized MW track and a non-anodized MW track, I have to say that the anodized coating makes a definite difference to limit the wear and tear on a track. The BT and non-anodized MW track show far more scratches and dings over the years of use. The anodized MW track does show some wear and tear, but after a good cleaning looks almost new. Between the BT and a non-anodized MW track, it seems that the aluminum is a bit softer on the BT, making it easier to scratch and ding. It would be nice to have an anodized BT, but I have a feeling that it would be too expensive, as it's extrusion has far more surface area than the MW extrusion.

Setup
- BTs are easier to setup. Though, I have never been a fan of the binder clips to secure the sections together. A section can still get bumped out of line, which I have seen happen at a race. I'd like to see a more positive way to secure the sections together.
- MW tracks do take a bit longer to setup. The first two sections must be secured together on their sides. That can be a challenge, especially if the floor is not perfectly flat. I've already made a recommendation to MW for a small design change that would allow for these two sections to be assembled flat to the floor. I'll likely make that change to our track ministry's track. Other sections are more easily assembled. With joiner plates and screws to keep the sections together, there is little chance of them getting out of line during a race. Realigning the lanes to each other, from section to section, is easy to do, if it becomes necessary. Assembly can be sped up by replacing the phillips screws with wing screws and using wing nuts to secure the start gate.

Stop Section
The BT stop section is definitely better. The Piantedosi stop section design performs just as well, but when MW bought the Piantedosi track business BT sued MW for patent infringement (a nice welcome to the track business present). That led to a bit of a redesign of the stop section. That one doesn't perform as well, as cars with low hanging weights can catch on the edge of the foam tape on the uphill ramp. It would be nice if the MW stop section was a bit longer, to stop the faster cars. I always put something at the end of the stop section, just in case, with any of the tracks that I use.

Start Gate
I like the ease of triggering the BT start gate. The MW start gate takes a bit more effort. If kids are starting the heats, often they will push the MW lever the wrong way. I just don't want them to pinch their fingers between the lever and the side of the track. Both start gates snap open a bit too strongly. I see from discussions on the league forums that you guys have been making adjustments to your gates to reduce that snap to keep the vibrations from affecting the cars.

Accessories
BT does have some nice accessories, like the lift kit, leveling kit, loop section and semi-truck extension. The only track accessory for MW is a semi-truck extension (which they don't even mention on their website). There is no way to lift a MW track, other than on tables.

Number of Lanes
BT offers 1-8 lane tracks. MW only offers 2-6 lane tracks. MW is missing out on the test track market.

Racing Performance
Cars can perform differently on the two tracks, with the difference being the tighter curve on the BT. The MW track has a gentler curve and thus cars don't experience as much G-force going through it. The curve on very early BTs was tighter but fortunately, they eased up on that. This issue isn't really a pro or con to me, just something for the racer to be aware of when tuning their car.

Overall, both tracks are excellent tracks and both companies provide great customer service. Some will base their purchase decision on what is used at their race or an upper level race. Some will go for the cheapest option. Some others will actually do their due diligence to see which track is the best fit for their needs.

I will say that I think that BT has grabbed a larger share of the market just by being more aggressive on marketing their tracks. MW really has not been very aggressive since they bought the track company from Piantedosi.

 

[bracketracer]

- BTs are easier to setup. Though, I have never been a fan of the binder clips to secure the sections together. A section can still get bumped out of line, which I have seen happen at a race. I'd like to see a more positive way to secure the sections together.

I've seen some people leave the binder clips off and drill holes for 1/4" bolts and wing nuts to run horizontally through the aluminum track connector angles instead. I haven't done this yet to mine. It would have been much easier to drill these holes before the initial assembly but I have to disassemble the track anyway because I bought additional angles and levelers to install halfway down each span.

 

[Vitamin K]

Racing Performance
Cars can perform differently on the two tracks, with the difference being the tighter curve on the BT. The MW track has a gentler curve and thus cars don't experience as much G-force going through it. The curve on very early BTs was tighter but fortunately, they eased up on that. This issue isn't really a pro or con to me, just something for the racer to be aware of when tuning their car.

This is of interest to me, as I want to be able to make sure that any cars I build clear a Best Track curve. The current curve is of a 48" radius, according to manufacturer specs. Do you know how tight the early versions were?

 

[Vitamin K]

- BTs are easier to setup. Though, I have never been a fan of the binder clips to secure the sections together. A section can still get bumped out of line, which I have seen happen at a race. I'd like to see a more positive way to secure the sections together.

I've seen some people leave the binder clips off and drill holes for 1/4" bolts and wing nuts to run horizontally through the aluminum track connector angles instead. I haven't done this yet to mine. It would have been much easier to drill these holes before the initial assembly but I have to disassemble the track anyway because I bought additional angles and levelers to install halfway down each span.

I've never messed with a Best Track, but I saw in one assembly video, the person suggested replacing the binder clips with heavier steel spring clamps:

 

[gpraceman]

Looking at an old Derby Talk post, it looks like the old BT curve had a 2 ft radius. Pretty tight.

Those steel spring clamps would seem to be more secure than the binder clips. I just would be concerned about them sticking out and someone tripping over them as they are running cars. The bolts and wing nuts solution would not have anything sticking out, but just how easy is it to tighten down the wing nuts?

I wonder if these "steel beam clamps" would work, but replace the screw with a wing screw for easier tightening.

 

[GravityX]

Here's an idea I had sometime ago but never went forward with it. I had planned on using a suitcase draw latch, like that shown below, on the left. My only concern at the time was, what if I needed to "adjust" the track for alignment, would it just "spring back" after moving it? So, in my infinite way of thinking, I thought I needed an adjustable latch. The toggle latch, shown below, on the right, in my mind, was the solution. This latch brought some adjustability with it. My thinking was that I didn't have to be exact when installing, because I could then "tune" the latch when tuning the track. Eventually I'll get around to this project, but for now it's "spring binder clips" for me.

I guess a bonus with this idea here is that you'll never has to look for the binder clips anymore. These latches would stay with the track. They also don't stick out and get in the way.

 

[derbychip]

I use these (harbor freight brand though)
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductImagesView?D=904170&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051

 

[gpraceman]

Here's an idea I had sometime ago but never went forward with it. I had planned on using a suitcase draw latch, like that shown below, on the left. My only concern at the time was, what if I needed to "adjust" the track for alignment, would it just "spring back" after moving it? So, in my infinite way of thinking, I thought I needed an adjustable latch. The toggle latch, shown below, on the right, in my mind, was the solution. This latch brought some adjustability with it. My thinking was that I didn't have to be exact when installing, because I could then "tune" the latch when tuning the track.

That's an interesting idea. You could do something like below. That has some adjustability to it by how tight you do up the strap.

You could use a velcro strap instead.

 

[Rocket car]

I use binder clips from office max. 4 per section. Best and flattest thing out there,so you can put it on the floor.

 

[GravityX]

I use binder clips from office max. 4 per section. Best and flattest thing out there,so you can put it on the floor.

Brian, the idea of the toggle clamps would prevent you from having to roll the track up on it's side to install the binder clips. The toggle clamps would go along the sides of the track so you wouldn't have to tilt the track on its side and only protrude just under 5/8" from the side once closed.

 

[Rocket car]

I use binder clips from office max. 4 per section. Best and flattest thing out there,so you can put it on the floor.

Brian, the idea of the toggle clamps would prevent you from having to roll the track up on it's side to install the binder clips. The toggle clamps would go along the sides of the track so you wouldn't have to tilt the track on its side and only protrude just under 5/8" from the side once closed.

I might have to redo the track.

 

[BulldogRacing]

I built small blocks the width of my track by about 7 inches. I painted them black and installed 4 cabinet leg levelers on each block. The blocks go under the track where each seam of track sections meet. I never have to flip the track on it's side, I just push the block to the side enough to snap one of the office clamps on the track, then I move the block enough to get another clamp on the other side of the track. The cabinet levelers have enough adjust ability to level the track quickly with a laser level. here is a link of the type of cabinet feet I'm talking about. http://www.wwhardware.com/titus-leg-leveler-components-titus-leg-levelers. If the system I'm explaining makes little sense I can post pics of the set up.