We received several emails over the weekend with regards to the APR track. We thought this information would be helpful to all.
1. The track remains set up from race to race. We do not pack it up. We do not move it. 2. The track gets cleaned at the beginning of each race day, while live video is streaming for our builders to see. 3. The track gets laser aligned from top to bottom, also at the beginning of each race day as well as streamed live for you all to see.
Footnote: During the February race we cleaned the track 2 times. The 1st time was at the beginning of the race day. The 2nd time was after the Cubby Pure Stock race. Scott hustled across Ohio in snowy weather to see how his boy's Scout cars would on a league track as well as a foundation for more building. Being Scout cars, they were running on graphite, so we cleaned the track a 2nd time after the race to keep things fair for the oil cars. The wheels will pick up the graphite and eventually it transfers to the bores. Over time this could greatly sludge up wheel.
The track was also laser aligned after the Cubby Pure Stock race! This was done to make sure the track had not shifted out of alignment while getting cleaned.
All absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we can not resemble...
Not everyone thinks the way you think, knows the things you know, believes the things you believe, nor acts the way you would act...
Remember this and you will go a long way in getting along with people...
The questions which came in were referencing leagues from the past who did not leave their tracks set up from race to race.
Since 2006'ish there have been many leagues builders could race. Some of the league due to space have had to tear down and reset up their tracks, month in month out. The general con-census from derby car builders of all levels was they wanted a venue where a track was not set up for each race. There were many reason given in support of a stationary league track:
Track Records - Far the biggest outcry from builders was the concern to the perceived consistency of their leagues track. Leagues lashed out against leagues who did not leave their track set up. Leagues who moved their tracks were referred to as Club Racing.
Track Consistency - Another huge issue.
Peoples minds change over time, especially to fit their needs.
All absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we can not resemble...
Not everyone thinks the way you think, knows the things you know, believes the things you believe, nor acts the way you would act...
Remember this and you will go a long way in getting along with people...
Post by BSB Racing on Feb 24, 2014 13:05:24 GMT -5
NO doubt about it! A stationary track is the only way to race at a professional level. I have had on occasion a flood in my basement and had to pull up the track and QUICK. It took me a long time and much adjusting to get it back to where it was previously. It takes very little to get things out of kilter, but a whole lot of fiddling to get it right. I hate it when I had a base line between my track and the league track and then it's lost. It works both ways, move your track......or move the league track........you just don't know where you are at. I think APR takes great pride in providing cleanliness, consistency, and courtesy to all that race there.
Last Edit: Feb 24, 2014 13:06:52 GMT -5 by BSB Racing
Post by Wayne Schmidt on Apr 11, 2015 0:30:17 GMT -5
I read the posts and while they talk a lot about how the track is maintained, I couldn't find where the track itself is described. I searched through the forum and couldn't find this information. Is it the standard 42-foot aluminum BestTrack? If so, have the lanes been polished or just cleaned? If polished, what procedure was used and how much does that reduce run times? The biggest question of all is what is what is the drop distance from the base of the start pin to the top of the flat sections of track? If it's a BestTrack, their plans call for that to be 46 inches (48 inches above the floor minus 2 inches for the track section's thickness.)
I want to align my track to match the APR's so I can get a good idea if my cars are fast enough to send in.
Thank you to anyone who can help answer these questions.
I read the posts and while they talk a lot about how the track is maintained, I couldn't find where the track itself is described. I searched through the forum and couldn't find this information. Is it the standard 42-foot aluminum BestTrack? If so, have the lanes been polished or just cleaned? If polished, what procedure was used and how much does that reduce run times? The biggest question of all is what is what is the drop distance from the base of the start pin to the top of the flat sections of track? If it's a BestTrack, their plans call for that to be 46 inches (48 inches above the floor minus 2 inches for the track section's thickness.)
I want to align my track to match the APR's so I can get a good idea if my cars are fast enough to send in.
Thank you to anyone who can help answer these questions.
A finer, well maintained track you will not find! The track is a 42', 3 lane Best Track, a custom bearing gate with a solenoid release built by Fred Wheeler and a 2nd timer which is located on the hill. (if you are there live you can actually see how well your car fairs on the hill) The track is set at 27.1* which is the standard for League racing. The track is polished, joints are filed, sanded, deburred so there is no mismatch between sections. Before the race (and you can watch this on the live feed on race day) Terry aligns the track with a laser. I believe there is a double length stop section (don't know the distance in inches?) but no one has an issue stopping.
The recent post from Terry on the distance from the pin to the back end of the track has to do with the November MOG race. It will feature Pickup trucks for the build and you must earn a spot to get in. First place pays $500 to win, $300 for 2nd, and $200 for 3rd. This is the only league that offers a pay back for your hard work during the year. The pickup trucks are longer than a car, so the racers asked Terry what the distance is to make sure that their wheels would be engaged on the track and not off the back edge.
The best thing for you to do since you have a track is to clean, align, set your angle and tune, tune, tune your cars as good as you can. You will not have any idea what "fast" is until you send them in, and see what the difference between your track and APR's track is. That is what everyone does, it's called getting a "Baseline" and it is a very important number as you will use it to tune in the future. APR's track does not get taken apart and put back together between races so the number you get will stay constant.
Glad to have you on the Forum and WELCOME! I hope you will race with us and join the fun. I started exactly the way you did..........Grand daughter...........hey, just another reason to love her more!!!
Last Edit: Apr 11, 2015 4:42:35 GMT -5 by BSB Racing
Post by Ca$h Racing on Apr 11, 2015 6:23:34 GMT -5
Bill, great description of APR's track!! I will add,I have over 100 man hours just in sanding, de-burring, and polishing this track. Plus another 50/60 hours leveling, installing a state the art (Fred Wheeler) gate system and dialing track in, so every lane is equal within a ten thousand of each other.
I want to align my track to match the APR's so I can get a good idea if my cars are fast enough to send in.
Now you have 3 extra weeks to get your cars ready! I see you live in CA. I send mine in on a Monday and they usually get there on Wednesday. I think if you send on a Monday they will make it by Friday? If you are not sure, then by all means ship on Friday the previous week. I don't think there are any guys from CA that race here, but I know Cycrunner lives in WA state so PM him and see when he sends in his cars. That should be a good indicator for you.
I read the posts and while they talk a lot about how the track is maintained, I couldn't find where the track itself is described. I searched through the forum and couldn't find this information. Is it the standard 42-foot aluminum BestTrack? If so, have the lanes been polished or just cleaned? If polished, what procedure was used and how much does that reduce run times? The biggest question of all is what is what is the drop distance from the base of the start pin to the top of the flat sections of track? If it's a BestTrack, their plans call for that to be 46 inches (48 inches above the floor minus 2 inches for the track section's thickness.)
I want to align my track to match the APR's so I can get a good idea if my cars are fast enough to send in.
Thank you to anyone who can help answer these questions.
A finer, well maintained track you will not find! The track is a 42', 3 lane Best Track, a custom bearing gate with a solenoid release built by Fred Wheeler and a 2nd timer which is located on the hill. (if you are there live you can actually see how well your car fairs on the hill) The track is set at 27.1* which is the standard for League racing. The track is polished, joints are filed, sanded, deburred so there is no mismatch between sections. Before the race (and you can watch this on the live feed on race day) Terry aligns the track with a laser. I believe there is a double length stop section (don't know the distance in inches?) but no one has an issue stopping.
The recent post from Terry on the distance from the pin to the back end of the track has to do with the November MOG race. It will feature Pickup trucks for the build and you must earn a spot to get in. First place pays $500 to win, $300 for 2nd, and $200 for 3rd. This is the only league that offers a pay back for your hard work during the year. The pickup trucks are longer than a car, so the racers asked Terry what the distance is to make sure that their wheels would be engaged on the track and not off the back edge.
The best thing for you to do since you have a track is to clean, align, set your angle and tune, tune, tune your cars as good as you can. You will not have any idea what "fast" is until you send them in, and see what the difference between your track and APR's track is. That is what everyone does, it's called getting a "Baseline" and it is a very important number as you will use it to tune in the future. APR's track does not get taken apart and put back together between races so the number you get will stay constant.
Glad to have you on the Forum and WELCOME! I hope you will race with us and join the fun. I started exactly the way you did..........Grand daughter...........hey, just another reason to love her more!!!
Post by Wayne Schmidt on Apr 11, 2015 11:50:30 GMT -5
That's great information! Thanks. Just what I was looking for.
I'm trying to get my track aligned to some sort of established standard but so far the few people I've found who have Besttracks all set them up differently. I thought the answer would be to follow Besttracks setup instructions, but they are impossible because the numbers on the diagram don't compute. If you use their angle of 26 degrees you can't get their heights. That's why your reply was so useful. Thanks again.
About polishing: I use Never Dull Wadding Polish followed with Mother's Billet metal polish. Both are cleaners/mechanical polishing compounds that don't leave a film on the track. Is this the sort of technique you mean when you say the APR track is "polished?"
Post by Wayne Schmidt on Apr 11, 2015 14:47:27 GMT -5
I've heard from three more venues and they all state 27.1-degrees is the standard so that's what I'll be setting my track too. Actually this is good news because my cars were running times that were much too fast because the track was at 29-degrees. I apologize to anyone who was mislead by the times I reported. It was not done to deceive.
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Table 3 content
BASX Pro
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.9408 (3/18)
BASX Xtreme
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.9164 (5/20)
Eliminator
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.8678 (5/20)
FWB
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.9116 (3/18)
Mid America
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.9036 (4/22)
Mini Cooper
Single Pass • Mojo Racing 2.9672 (5/20)
Pro Stock
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.9029 (3/18)
Pure Stock
Single Pass • DWS Racing 2.9299 (5/20)
Street Stock
Single Pass • Mid-Atlantic Racing 2.9148 (4/22)