What's Going on here?

[Chief]

[font="times new roman, times, serif"]I would really like you guys to help me with something...I have been looking at some pics of my sons district races, but before I go in too deep let me give the details. It was an 8 lane old wood track, I think it was a 37 foot track. OK so why is it that some lanes are faster than others? in one lane we set the track record of the evening ( dont know the all time record) and then in another lane we came in dead last place? it was very inconsistent....I mean for example in lane 1 we would come in 1st by half a car link, lane two 1st but just by a nose, then in lane 4 we would get like 3rd and the 1st again and back and forth and then we would completely lose. I am pretty sure it was not his car, we took it to his uncles pack and used their aluminum track and was quite consistent??? can you guys give some explaining to a much confused dad? Please and thank you!![/font]

 

[DNA RACING]

there are a great many factors that make a wood track VERY inconsistent.
while stored a wood track will absorb moisture and swell, it may be very dry and shrink and crack, even if the track is varnished. the swelling will be most noticeable at the joints between the sections. they may not all fit perfectly and the surface of the track will be raised a small amount and lastly the actual surface texture will differ and be more porous in some places than in others. all of which means a very inconsistent track even lane to lane.

 

[DNA RACING]

also, the air temp will affect the wood track more than an aluminum one, the wood will expand and contract differently according to moisture content. while an aluminum track will expand and contract consistently the same.

 

[Kinser Racing]

Were you running the rail? The rail could have been very rough on certain lanes. The track also could have been really out of level, eight lanes is pretty wide.

 

[Chief]

[font="times new roman, times, serif"]Yes his car is a rail runner (it was our first attempt, did pretty well with not having a tuning table). Well that all helps put my wee brain at ease, thanx for the insight!! It just didn't seem like there should have been that big of difference. Oh well, we have to race on what is available, kinda like nascar, every track is going to be different? again thank you very much!!![/font]

 

[derby freak]

Also, staging of the car plays a big part in consistancy as well. The more consistant you stage your car the more consistant your runs will be.

 

[Chief]

Is there a trick or method of staging the car? I wondered about that...the guy at the gate putting the cars on seemed a little shaky.

 

[derby freak]

put alignment marks on your car, that will help a lot. Also , you may have set the record on the outside lane and then when you where put in the middle your car may noy handle the dirty air very well causing your car to wobble and loose speed. Fenders on all four wheel will help against this.

 

[Chief]

Ya the guys running the race were a Little different, they used a point system to tell who won the race...there were 8 lanes so for 1st place you got 8 points and for 8th place you got 1 point we managed to take 3rd overall, however when I added up the times we would have took 1st, oh well it is good for our sons to be humbled now and again. That's funny you mention fenders I was just looking a putting fenders on next years car, I would do it this year but the car is pretty much done except for paint. I was wondering if there is much of a difference in speed or times if you just put fenders on just the front or just the rear?

 

[derby freak]

If I could only put fenders on one end of the car I would put them on the rear this will offer the most help by stabilizing the car in dirty air situations. I have also seen speed gains by putting fenders on the front and rear of the car vs just putting fenders on the rear. There is a lot of things that come together in making a fast car. Speaking in terms of a scout type car I would suggest making the car around 5/16" thick(thinner the faster) fenders at all 4 wheels, made just big enough to barely cover the wheels. polish the axles and wheel bores as slick as possible with DD4H's axle and wheel bore polising kit set your com at 5/8" of if you use the three scale method try to achieve .7 oz on the DFW. If you use oil use a micro scope to make sure you get everything off the axles. clean the axles with a micro fiber cloth. Jig -A - loo will leave a slime on the axles that can only be seen with a micro scope all that stuff must come off when you reprep.

 

[Chief]

[font="times new roman, times, serif"]COOL! thanx for all the help. I dont know if all that will be possible for my boys car, he has some pretty out there ideas and at ten years old they want speed and the best looking car, and well that is not always possible, so I will give that a shot on my car and I will let him make his choice. My prediction is a repeat in history...I could never beat my dad at anything either, I thought I was always smarter haha...and so it goes! thanx![/font]

 

[DerbyDad4Hire]

DNA is becoming a true PRO! Nice work!