How Are Track Lengths Measured?

[PWD_addict]

New person here. Recently competed in our Pack races and won the Pack (by the skin of our teeth ). I'm wondering how track lengths are determined.

No one in our pack seems knowledgeable about the track that we have. It is a very nice 8 lane aluminum track. Computer started and timed (using GPRM). It seems to be a standard modern track. 4 foot high at the start gates, etc. If there are four 8 foot sections of track on the flat part of the track, how long does that make the total length of the track? Does the 8 foot stop section count? My guess is 44 feet but I'm not really sure. I know that a benefactor (Mr. Gambrill--thus the name) bought the "raw" track and two of our leaders put it all together.

Here's the starting gate (my son's is the one of the right):


Here's the stop section:


If you go to our website you can see one of the heats:
http://www.mdpack355.com/pub/content/ga ... efault.asp

Fastest heat time was 4.1759 seconds (not our car, but our's stayed consistent when that one slowed down in the finals).

[doct1010]

Very nice set-up! I could be wrong, I believe they are measured pin to pin and not overall length including stop section ect.

[gpraceman]

The commercial track makers measure by overall length. Best Track makes theirs in 7ft sections and Piantedosi Oars in 8ft sections.

[PWD]

There are two measurements with the track. The first is what the track manufacturer sells it at. This includes all sections and the stop section. The second measurement is from pin to the stop sensor. THis is really the length that maters, IMHO.

If you look at the Freedom track from Pionadosi compared to the BestTrack. The most popular length of the two tracks is 40' and 42' respectively. But in reality the 40' Freedom track pin to pin is 37' 6" and the 42' BestTrack is really pin to pin 36' 11" or on some 37'. So the 40' track is longer than the 42' track. Figure that. You will also find times are faster on the Freedom versus the BestTrack because of track shape. But that is another discussion for another day.

So when comparing tracks it really makes more sense to compare pin to pin lengths.

When comparing times you also need to look at timing mechanism utilized. If a laser timer is being used you will see much lower times on the same track. This is because the start is not triggered until the car breaks the laser. Versus a traditional timing system usually starts once the start mechanism is triggered.

Hope this is helpful

[Buckeye]

Actually the Piantedosi sections are 94", not 96" or 8'. Also the 40' Piantedosi does not include the length of the stopping section. The 42' Best track does.

The reasoning for the 94" sections is to be able to fit them into a case made from 8' plywood.

[gpraceman]

The reasoning for the 94" sections is to be able to fit them into a case made from 8' plywood.

True, and I like that feature. We built two crates (one for our pack's track and one for our Awana missionary's track) and they do a good job at protecting the track during storage and transportation. But, boy, can they be heavy with all of that aluminum inside!

[PWD_addict]

Given all these fine replies (Thanks very much), how can you determine the brand of the track if the original purchaser doesn't remember? I didn't really look on the bottom of the track when we put it together to see if it had a product stamp on it.

The track is held to the wooden frame using small screws. The joints between track sections are only pins that go into the raised sections of the track. The curve looks (from memory) less sharp than the picture on the Best Track site and more like the Piantedosi curve. The track is believed to be 7 or 8 years old. I don't know if the track lengths are 96" or 94", although that would be good info to have.

Any guesses?

[gpraceman]

The track is held to the wooden frame using small screws. The joints between track sections are only pins that go into the raised sections of the track.

Sounds like Beta Craft plating over a home made wooden structure. This is called "The Challenger" track. See http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/pwd-challenger.html

[Go Bubba Go]

Given all these fine replies (Thanks very much), how can you determine the brand of the track if the original purchaser doesn't remember? I didn't really look on the bottom of the track when we put it together to see if it had a product stamp on it.

Beyond the characteristics, you can also check the track sellers' web sites.

It may not be true of the others (I didn't check), but Piantedosi has a list of "Packs with our Tracks" on their website. That is how I confirmed the "identity" on ours

If you suspect it is a "Challenger" track as gpraceman indicates, you could probably contact Beta Crafts to confirm.

[woodenshoe1]

Don't want to get away from the topic, but all this talk about track length got me to thinking about what we will run on at our Awana regional. Does anyone know the length, pin to pin, of the Awana track built from their plans? I tried to search here and on their site but had no luck?

Thanks,
Wooden Shoe

[gpraceman]

Does anyone know the length, pin to pin, of the Awana track built from their plans?

Someone built one of these tracks for our Awana club several years back. Off the top of my head, I believe that it was 3 feet shorter than the actual track length (1 foot before the pins and 2 feet after the finish). I could be wrong, since it has been quite awhile.

That track only lasted 1 year with our club. It did not have a good way to keep the sections aligned, so I ended up building a track to replace it that had alignment plates on each section.

[TAL]

Paintdesio track sections come in 94" running surface but are 96" if the connecting plate is left on one end of that section, so you will still need 96 1/2" for storage if you store with connecting plate still installed on one end for quicker assembly and setup, but the first plate on the hill section is even longer...

Paintesio track sections also have 2 and or 3 holes in the center of each lane at the ends 1/4" diameter for section plate attachments...

The photo looks simular to the aluminum sections that BSA stores sell...

That is where you build the platform with wood and cover it with the aluminum sections...

I believe most manufactures give other measurements of over all surface rather than the actual running surface length pin to pin...

I mean which sounds more appealing as a customer;
You can get a 40 foot track or you can get a 37' 6" track...
Actually sounds like you would get the better deal with the 40 footer , but yet it is the same track...

[gpraceman]

Guess I missed the picture. That definitely looks like a Challenger track. The Beta Crafts plating was sold from the BSA catalog, but I don't know if it still is. The wood structure would have been home built.

[PWD_addict]

The track is held to the wooden frame using small screws. The joints between track sections are only pins that go into the raised sections of the track.

Sounds like Beta Craft plating over a home made wooden structure. This is called "The Challenger" track. See http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/pwd-challenger.html

That certainly looks identical to the cross-section of our track. Thanks for solving the mystery!!

Now, back to track length, pin to pin should be 6 93" sections minus about 6" for the finish line to the stopping section and minus another foot or so for the start of the track. That would make it 45' pin-to-pin. Does that sound right?

We do have issues with the joints between sections. Next time it's set up, I plan to bring a large supply of washers to use as shims between sections that are uneven.

[SuperDave]

gpraceman is correct in saying that track manufacturers measure end to end but of course he left out SuperTrack which uses 7' sections.

We originally used 8' but as an early customer noted, that comes from the standard length of plywood. Since both our ABS plastic and the other aluminum tracks are extruded (our 2 miles at a time), the lengths are arbitrary. However, again as user of our noted, 7' sections fit in a mini-van, weigh less and stand up in an 8' room, even in the box. Kind of a no-brainer, but it was an enormous effort to change our early production from 8' to 7'.

BTW, with SuperTrack, the start is 9" down, the finish 15 from the end so overall race length is 2' less then specified track length.