Test Track

[gdurban]

Do you Pro racers all have your own test tracks?

For any that don't, how do you test your cars?

I have our pack track but no where to set it up even if I wanted to.
(other than the living room....which would result in a divorce attorney)

Thanks.

 

[Kinser Racing]

I don't have a track but have been lucky enough to always be able to tune on one. Testing is a pain without one and even coordinating a tuning session was always a challenge.

 

[bracketracer]

Yes, we all have our own test tracks, wind tunnels, and eddy current derby car chassis dyno!

ok, not really.

I would say you have to at least have a tuning board.

There was a test posted on here a while back where the fellow let the car roll down the tuning board and rebound off the foam bumper. He would mark how far the nose bounced back and then try different things to see if he could make it bounce back farther. The farther it rebounded, the more speed it must have been carrying was his reasoning. I gather he did this with minimal steer so it would not bounce to the side.

Some people use a "friction test track". A length of the blue test track they sell at the scout shop with one end propped up a couple inches. No timer needed because you mark a start line, let the car roll, and record how far it rolls before it stops. Less drag equals a longer free roll.

Make the best of what you have, where you are!

 

[Vitamin K]

There was a test posted on here a while back where the fellow let the car roll down the tuning board and rebound off the foam bumper. He would mark how far the nose bounced back and then try different things to see if he could make it bounce back farther. The farther it rebounded, the more speed it must have been carrying was his reasoning. I gather he did this with minimal steer so it would not bounce to the side.

Some people use a "friction test track". A length of the blue test track they sell at the scout shop with one end propped up a couple inches. No timer needed because you mark a start line, let the car roll, and record how far it rolls before it stops. Less drag equals a longer free roll.

Make the best of what you have, where you are!

Word of caution with these rebound or friction tests: The performance you get from them is very dependent upon your lubrication setup. What I mean is that graphite is very "loose" at low velocities, while oil is more "sluggish" at low velocities, but really shines at higher speeds. Thus, if you're comparing a graphite and an oil car on a shorter length of track, you may come away thinking that your oil car is inferior, when it will actually smoke the graphite car on a real track.

That said, benchmarking an oil car against another oil car on a short track (or tuning board) may yield accurate relative results.

 

[McDoodle]

I have a test track but I am far from a pro. I was lucky enough to find it on Craigslist for pretty cheap compared to buying a new one. I've also offered to the parents at the local boy scout pack to come test their cars on it.

 

[gdurban]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Wayne Schmidt]

Even though I'm not a competitor, I have a 42-foot Besttrack and found that tuning on it reduces run times by as much as 0.1 seconds over board or treadmill alignments.

I love the beast. It's a hassle to set up but once it is, it's a thing of beauty. I just wish they were cheaper. To maintain a balanced trade deficit with my wife I had to buy her an opal... and a sewing machine... two new dresses... er... you get the idea.

The best thing about having a track is being able to loan it to local race venues. Not many have a good tracks and those maintained by racers, as opposed the club's general maintenance man, are more often in top condition.

They're expensive but I found it has been worth it.

 

[BulldogRacing]

Even though I'm not a competitor,

You need to start racing with us brother, you have a huge passion for this and much to add, you'll love it!