Hobby shop tracks; Whats wrong with this picture?
10-21-2004, 01:23 PM
#61
Somewhere along the line, this thread became somewhat of a " defend road rails " discussion.
As the owner and president of a local club, I can say with all honesty..." this system is not for everyone. It is not perfect. But it offers many thing the average PVC or wood track can't.
Portability. An obvious no brainer. 6 ft lightweight sections vs. multiple lengths of pvc vs. wood which is extremely heavy. For the driver, pvc or wood may be preferred but if you're the guy having to store it, move it or set it up.......the Rails become a whole lot more attractive.
Cost. PVC is cheap. It also doesn't last long in the sun. Road Rails will out live it by a long shot. Even with the additional cost of connectors, I think pvc is still cheaper than the rails....in the short term. Same with wood. But remember the Portability issue.
Looks. May not be important to some but for us owners, promoters and club directors, it's worth a little extra to try and look as professional as we can. Remember, there's still a whole lot of people who can't understand why our "toy's" cost hundreds of dollars. Professionalism is a selling point. Not a drivers concern but it is one of mine.
Overall ease of use. When I was considering a PVC track, I ran in to numerous small issues. First, I needed radiused corner pieces. Do you know someone with a PVC bender !!?? I didn't and I went through hell trying to find someone who would do it. After numerous outrageous cost quotes, I gave up. Then there was the connection hardware. What type?? How best to install it?? Not important to you drivers.....but real important to me when I considered how many man hours it would take to set up and tear down the track twice a month.
Nobody will argue that Road Rails fit every drivers needs. I personally wouldn't suggest them for Nitro or even Mod electric. The question here is whether they can help reduce damage. The answer is a resounding YES !!! Yes, some drivers will jump a rail and t-bone you.....yes, they may get moved a bit. SO WHAT.....I've never raced on a temporary PVC track that didn't move a bit with a good hit. I've also seen many a car roll over a PVC pipe into my lane. Especially after the PVC or plow disc dots just shredded some poor drivers front suspension.
All things being considered, I'll stand by Road Rails any day but they're not go to please everbody.
As the owner and president of a local club, I can say with all honesty..." this system is not for everyone. It is not perfect. But it offers many thing the average PVC or wood track can't.
Portability. An obvious no brainer. 6 ft lightweight sections vs. multiple lengths of pvc vs. wood which is extremely heavy. For the driver, pvc or wood may be preferred but if you're the guy having to store it, move it or set it up.......the Rails become a whole lot more attractive.
Cost. PVC is cheap. It also doesn't last long in the sun. Road Rails will out live it by a long shot. Even with the additional cost of connectors, I think pvc is still cheaper than the rails....in the short term. Same with wood. But remember the Portability issue.
Looks. May not be important to some but for us owners, promoters and club directors, it's worth a little extra to try and look as professional as we can. Remember, there's still a whole lot of people who can't understand why our "toy's" cost hundreds of dollars. Professionalism is a selling point. Not a drivers concern but it is one of mine.
Overall ease of use. When I was considering a PVC track, I ran in to numerous small issues. First, I needed radiused corner pieces. Do you know someone with a PVC bender !!?? I didn't and I went through hell trying to find someone who would do it. After numerous outrageous cost quotes, I gave up. Then there was the connection hardware. What type?? How best to install it?? Not important to you drivers.....but real important to me when I considered how many man hours it would take to set up and tear down the track twice a month.
Nobody will argue that Road Rails fit every drivers needs. I personally wouldn't suggest them for Nitro or even Mod electric. The question here is whether they can help reduce damage. The answer is a resounding YES !!! Yes, some drivers will jump a rail and t-bone you.....yes, they may get moved a bit. SO WHAT.....I've never raced on a temporary PVC track that didn't move a bit with a good hit. I've also seen many a car roll over a PVC pipe into my lane. Especially after the PVC or plow disc dots just shredded some poor drivers front suspension.
All things being considered, I'll stand by Road Rails any day but they're not go to please everbody.
Right on the money
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