HVAC25000

iTrader: (19)

Hey guys. I'm looking for a way to improve my track. The dirt's, well, crappy. When packed, it's great, but after 6 or 7 laps, it's just all torn up and loose again, like a motorcross track. Dirt being slung everywhere, deep ruts, berms being torn up, etc.

Here's a pic of what I'm contending with. It's mostly organic dirt and decomposed granite.

Click for larger




Anyone have any suggestions on how I could improve it? Aside from completely replacing it, that is. Is there anything I can add to it to make it more stable?


Thanks guys
Chris

UN4RACING

iTrader: (22)

Do you water before at least 3 or 4 times and during the rounds a couple of times.?
And do you run at night or day.

Personally I like a track that changes threw the race and or blue grooves.

Bigedmond

iTrader: (20)

sift and sugar water.

Sift all of the none dirt element, IE twigs. Then use sugar water. At a track near me, we use 1 part sugar, 3 parts water. Use hot water is possible, then mix and spray using a pesticide sprayer.

You could also buy alot of 2 litter soda from walmart, then shake the hell out of it. Then use an exacto on the bottom, and spray a good coat on the track. Once either the sugar, or soda is dry, use a lite mist of water to help wash the sugars into the soil. Then reapply the sugar/soda. Our 10th scale track is 120x50 and it takes about 200lbs of sugar, but the surface lasts months. We still have parts of the track that havent been touched in 10 months, which includes lots of racing, and rain.

HVAC25000

iTrader: (19)

I don't mind a track that changes, but after 2-3 packs of batteries I've got to go and gather up all the dirt thrown off the berms and such. It gets old after a while, since it throws the dirt onto another part of the track.

I have to water, or I run in a dustbowl and get almost zero traction. I run at various times of the day, the track of course performs better at night because the water stays, but either way, I get loose dirt and ruts develop.

I'd be happy with a track that would bluegroove, but only hard surfaces blue groove and I have the opposite of a hard surface...



So does your method create a track that can bluegroove? And does your surface just eat tires? A local track where I am tried bluegroove once, with a mix of sand and clay, and it took 2-3 sets of tires to get through a nights practice and racing. The surface was like sandpaper. If I do as you suggested, will I end up with a sandpaper surface, or will mine be less abrasive due to the organic dirt as opposed to the sand they had?


Thanks guys
Chris

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

Soft dirt is not such a bad thing. To get it to stick together would require clay being added to the soil. I don't think sugar water will do much for you unless you change the dirt to something else. How about this for an experiment, run on your track for a couple of days and instead of raking the dirt back into the line, rake it away from the line and see what's underneath? Maybe you've got lot's of decomposed grass and leaf material in the top couple of inches and something more packable underneath.

HVAC25000

iTrader: (19)

What's underneath is at least 2 feet of the same stuff, it never changes. Ask me how I know It's all organic dirt and decomposed granite, the entire valley I live in is. I've got several geology books that concur with me, there's no clay or anything else where I live.

How can I add clay to it? Can it be purchased in dried powdered form and mixed in with my dirt?

windellmc

iTrader: (4)

You will need many dump truck loads of clay to do anything. It will be incredibly expensive since there is probably no source in your area. Even if clay is available locally it will still be expensive to pay for the trucking to have it moved. Hemet is a lot like your track sounds so I would suggest you look at some of their layouts for ideas on how to make the track livable. Lots of berms and make the layouts relatively easy so as the track ruts up it is not too difficult.

UN4RACING

iTrader: (22)

Sounds like a head ache. We water ours all day till the rounds and then water again once or twice depending on how busy it is? Do you pack your after you water? We water it and then drag it with a piece of fence. Then water and just drive the tractor lawn mower over it. If its wet enough it packs real well. This starts at 10:00 or 11:00 in the am. Then all day till its to crowded from practice.

That soil you are showing looks like corn field soil?

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

It sounds awesome really. My favorite track is like that, we use step pins and it 's a blast. That's what real off road should be.

HVAC25000

iTrader: (19)

I pack as best I can after I water. It would be a lot better if I had one of those asphalt compactors. A persons foot only weighs so much, and those rolling things don't even weigh as much as a person. I don't even have a regular lawn mower, much less a tractor, lol.

Water drag? Not sure what that is.

I actually live 4000ft up in the mountains in San Diego county, no corn fields here, lol.


Thanks for all the help so far guys.

Bigedmond

iTrader: (20)

the sugar water will create a bit of sand paper, but if you get the sugar deep enough, it will be a smooth layer after a few hours of practice. Also, when it is sand paperish, use bald tires and that will help put rubber down faster to get the groove.

As for the water roller, fill it with silica sand from a home depot. You can fill a decent water roller with almost 300lbs of silica sand.

HVAC25000

iTrader: (19)

Thanks for the tips!

Andy Haynes

Make sure to take a video of you pulling that 300 pound roller yourself btw.

HVAC25000

iTrader: (19)

i will