x-GTer

I've been out of the hobby for awhile but now that my son is getting interested in RC, I want to get back in - I won't be travelling to the races with a 6 year old but I'd like to build a backyard track to run our gas trucks on. I had a small track a few years back but I'd like it different this time.

This vid will give you an idea of what my old track was like - you guys might get a kick out of a bunch of hacks goin' at it LOL:

CLICKETY

This time I don't want berms and the lanes will be seperated by drainage pipe. My questions are:

How do I go about building it? Last time I just dumped 3 - 4" of material over the grass and spread it out. Should I cut up the sod in the shape of the track first this time? I thought it might take less material that way, plus I could have some small, infield grass areas What do you guys think?

Next, what do I use for material? The stuff in the vid was fresh that day (well, there was a fresh top layer added that morning) so it wasn't normally that soft... but it still wasn't the greatest.

My backyard is a little different now but I should still be able to easily get a 35x65 track (same as the one in the vid) and if my son really gets into it I could make it bigge next year.

I would really appreciate any advice on the best way to do this.

Thanks in advance

Pauly6401

iTrader: (53)

I would put some basic drainage in - some drainage pipes (just that plastic tubing, buried even) to carry water away and then a layer of crushed rock (not gravel, the finer stuff) on top of that to let the water through but keep the dirt above it in place. Then you will have a firm foundation to put the clay on top of. We just did this for a walkway we installed in our yard and the crushed rocks keep everything level but let the water drain.

This will at least keep your track from washing away or having huge puddles sit on it forever. Also, it will keep grass and weeds out better. I'm not sure what to recommend for clay that will make up the actual track surface. It probably depends on where you live as to what is available. I think you want clay as opposed to just whatever dirt is in the ground to keep the track surface hard and consistent.

That all being said - how much effort are you going to be putting into this? And money?

petevette

iTrader: (13)

Talk about build it and they will come. That is a lot of trucks for a back yard track.

Sorry, don't know much about building tracks, but I thought the video was cool.

x-GTer

Pauly6401, thanks for the tips. Even that last track I had required a lot of effort to keep it decent... so I guess I'll do what it takes ;-) I don't know how much money I'm willing to throw at it - I'll take it as it comes.

petevette, yeah I had some of the crew over that day... we had a blast. I built a drivers stand (which I gave away):



... and we even had several pit tables: