Slotless MagRacing Oval Track

[Vintage 1/24]

NorCal - That looks ambitious!

My 4' x 8' test oval is more of a "go-kart track" but I am learning a lot about this new type of racing, and it was basically built in an afternoon.

I was actually racing with it on New Year's Eve! - on an unpainted MDF track - and the hard plastic tires made it a real balancing act, lots of finesse needed.

As I race on it more - I have different ideas about the racing lines and lane changing. I have to get it working reasonably well and invite some of the more competitive slot car guys I know to race and see what the consensus is on lane/track design is... after they get over the initial learning curve of course.

It occurred to me that I was probably the only guy in North America racing laps with this new kind of "slotless" racing as 2012 wound down - well certainly the only guy sticking lead weights to the inside of the "slotless" car to turn left faster...

I am having trouble with getting my lane changes setup just right - so they work consistently - but I think I finally have it. I threw some spackle and paint on, and I think I will further tweak one of the lane changes - but after that I should post some video (never done that before).

I keep thinking this has potential - an altogether new kind of table top racing - but it has lots of details to be worked out.

For now I am almost certain I can make these little lightweight UK cars heavier, faster, stronger, with bigger motors and fatter tires - The American Way! - but all that is yet to come.

[Nor Cal Mike]

[Vintage 1/24]

I know this isn't really a perfect fit here - and it looks like it is pretty much just you and I NorCal Mike... but I first got interested in this myself, based on a post I saw on a slot car message board - and I think any future Slotless Magnetic Racer will likely come from "our" ranks - the *scratch building slot car enthusiast* (and probably from one who builds their own wood tracks as well).

I will post on the Mag Racing Forum with more Mag Racing specific particulars as they develop - But here is some basic progress to share:

I was racing on NYE 2012 on a bare track that I built in a day, and it was working pretty well. Then I spackled and painted the surface and "lost some magnetism" - that is - I think I went a little too thick on the spackle and paint, and it worked *less well*.

Yesterday I sanded off the spackle/paint layer, and further tweaked a lane change, and then I put a little electrical tape on the hard plastic rims for *some* level of traction - AND - it is actually working the way it should!!

BTW it is so easy to rip out a wire, cut a new groove/score, and put a new wire in place - or replace a wire completely... Much, much easier than re-routing a slot. The Dremel saw trick is the way to go IMO.

Run a slower car or two on the track, and you can work your way through the traffic by making lane choices and picking driving lines - pretty cool experience. I will say the little cars are moving pretty quickly around the short track now - and it is definitely a "chewing gum and walking at the same time" experience - you have to drive the throttle and make steering input choices (sometime 2-3 choices in less than 4 feet, at speed, on the tiny straightaways of my "go kart" test track).

It will keep you focused, if nothing else. And yes, you can drive back onto the track after a spin out - although *without reverse* sometimes you have to marshall - in actual racing with multiple drivers I think you will certainly have to marshall cars.

Also you can give a car the "chrome horn" when it is on the same driving line in front of you... a whole new kind of on-track harassment!

My next step is to paint it, provide a little detail, and shoot a video and then figure out how to post that.

[ourwayband]

You guys are getting this system going.Thanks for that! I just watched Luf's video.Hope he will post it here..There you can see how well this system can work.Please post a video of your tracks/tracks when you get a chance.
Thanks for all of the info so far!

Rusty

[woodguy32]

Great to see this being developed into Oval racing.. I have been also checking heavy into this, But I don't think anyone in my area wood care too.. heck there isn't any Oval racers at all out here..

If I did a track it wood be a combo track with both systems.. slots and slotless.. I think that can be done..

So I got to ask.. Have you tried .. Vintage and Nor Cal, just running a car on the braided slot track? does it follow the braid?

Thanks Wood

[Nor Cal Mike]

Wood, unless you had mag braid it wouldn't follow it. It probably would follow a plastic track's steel rail but it would be way too stuck down. The mag steer wire is only .028". which is pretty small wire. Wes has it all figured in on how much magnetic traction is used. Not too much, not too little. At it's present state, the cars have a tiny motor and only run on 3.5v. so there isn't much extra power to push too much extra magnetic traction. The more motor you use, the more magnet you push, the more battery you must carry.

As for running mag cars with slot cars on the same track, it could be possible but it would be a little tricky if the magsteer lanes had to cross over the slots. The mag steer goes yahoody pretty quickly without the wire to keep it straight. A slot width is OK if the car is traveling in a straight line as it passes. But you wouldn't want the magnetic break any longer. The magnetic wire would short out the braids of the slot car track so you would have to keep them separated at the crossovers. I'm thinking this out as I write but it would probably be best to stop the braid and bridge it around the wire where the two cross similar to how you would do it with a slot cross over. Considering your oval, I am quite sure you of all people are well versed in wiring crossovers.

[racer6583]

Both of you have got me thinking of getting a couple ,but I'm going to wait and see how you and Vintage Mericanize it and see how your slot pals like it I will be reading about you and vintage progress it sounds like it will be a blast to run this type of table top racing with a bunch of people.

I hope they develop it more so you can run other types of racing like rally that would get me to get some, you know I might get some and see if I can build a rally course just to see if it can be done.
You could even set up a solemn course and time trials the possibilities are only limited be what you want.

[Nor Cal Mike]

Ovals are good. Rally racing on smooth dirt type roads is well suited too. But if you are driving over lots of big bumps, crossing streams or driving over off camber stuff, you will have trouble because the wheels can only steer as good as the magnet can maintain an optimum distance from the guide wire, That distance is critical and can't vary very much.

[Vintage 1/24]

I have been turning laps again - this time with paint...

Slotless 4' by 8' test track on the ping pong table



Scale go kart track ready for some racing –


The small 1/32 cars and super short track, made me think of a local racing kart track that closed almost ten years ago.


Those are "1/24 scale" go karts –



Racing lanes and racing lines –
The track is built with two lanes, an inside and an outside - it also has a *racing line* at each end.



The 'kart" in the middle is on the *racing line* - it is the fastest way around.



The racing line returns it again to the outside lane on the next straight.


The track also has a lane change (out-to-in and in-to-out) on each straight - so it is extremely "busy" during a sub 3-second lap - making decisions less than every 3/4 seconds...

I am learning a bit.

I shot these with an iPhone, and I also shot some video...

I am not sure - I think I have to post the video to YouTube and then post a link here?

[Vintage 1/24]

[goosenapper]

That looks great, and they are moving a lot faster than I thought they could from reading about this. Near the end of the video, it looks like one car actually shoves another out of the way, but the passed car just slides right back to where it's supposed to go. That's neat. How long do the batteries last?

[Vintage 1/24]

The batteries last a pretty long time - They are rechargeable Lithium-ion (the size of a single AAA) and put out 600mAh and 3.7 volts.

Just cruising around they will last... For the first test runs I did on an unpainted track on NYE I never changed the batteries all evening. Now, with the track painted and the car tires tweaked for slightly more grip, and driving the laps hard with lots of turn inputs - I find I can drain the batteries - the steering starts to go first and the steering coil will actually get warm...

But remember, my track only has about .50 or .75 seconds between steering inputs because it is so short. Also I think if you really want to test machines - run them on an oval - really tears up equipment - no matter what the scale!

I think you could run a 100-200 lap feature race very easily without having a loss of steering performance or straightaway speed.

Yes, that little nudge did drive the car off the track, but a gentle steering input easily put the offended car back onto the "guide wire" to continue racing.

I like the way the cars drift - a little different than slot cars because the front tires are actually working, and turning the car with grip - so understeer or "push" is possible if they slip - and if you hit it right - four wheel drift is possible in the turns.

However, generally I am finding *little* interest in this MagRacing from the slot car community - But for me it just captured my imagination, kind of like the way the "Authentic Model Turnpike" might have done, half a century ago. Hopefully it will enjoy more development and success than the early 1960s "Authentic Model Turnpike" cars.

[Burglar]

When they issue late '90s aero stockers I will invest in a set!

[ourwayband]

Thanks for the pictures and video.They really show how well this system can work.I ,like some others here,am watching this system with great interest.Looks like the perfect way to run an oval,maybe a 4x12 or 16 foot oval..

Rusty

[racerpaul]