FastTrack vs Pianteosi vs Beta Craft

Commercial tracks.
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milleta3
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FastTrack vs Pianteosi vs Beta Craft

Post by milleta3 »

Hurray!

I’ve received $500 funding for a new track. Now the dilemma is which track to get or do I just buy the aluminum plating from Beta Craft and build my own. From the research I’ve done it seems the two leading makers of quality aluminum tracks are BastTrack and Pianteosi Oars. Given there is not much of a price difference between comparable tracks, I’m leaning toward the Pianteosi track for it’s gradual gravity based slope approach. However from what I can tell, its start mechanism does not seem to be a good as the BestTrack. If I get just the track plating from Beta Craft, I think I can make the track much cheaper, but not sure it would be of the same quality as buying one.

Any advice or observation will be appreciated.
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Stan Pope
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Re: FastTrack vs Pianteosi vs Beta Craft

Post by Stan Pope »

If you qualify racers from the pack races to district/council races, try to match the track type used at the district/council races. Otherwise, your racers enter with a disadvantage, because the cars that perform well on the district tracks may not perform on as well on a different style track.

If above is not a factor, then, unless environmental factors (such as high humidity storage problems) dictate aluminum, I'd go Piantedosi wood. Their wood doesn't crimp!

Aluminum tends to be a faster surface. Folks with aluminum tracks seem to want to make them longer, which creates some setup limitations ... you need a bigger room!
Stan
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Da Graphite Kid
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Re: FastTrack vs Pianteosi vs Beta Craft

Post by Da Graphite Kid »

milleta3,
Please check out the other postings under the Tracks section. I too was concerned about the start gate for the Piantedosi tracks but after a more careful review of the pictures and text on their web site and a brief conversation with Gary at Piantedosi, I ordered one of their aluminum tracks.

Stan is right about the longer aluminum tracks; I ordered a 48 footer!

In another week, I may be able to write a review of the track set-up, start gate and stop section.

Da Graphite Kid
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milleta3
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Re: FastTrack vs Pianteosi vs Beta Craft

Post by milleta3 »

Thanks for the feedback Stan and Da Graphite Kid. Since our district uses an aluminum track with quite a sharp transition from the “hill” of the track to the flat area, I’m going to go with the BestTrack. Although the newer Best Track curve design will be a much more gradual transition than the district track, I feel it will be a closer match than the Piantedosi track. I’ll let you know how it works out.
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