Quarter-mile quest

Hey hey! I found a post that didn't get finished and posted! So without any further delay, from some time in the past:

I've been planning and thinking about it ever since I took delivery of my BluTrack (recall: a dual-lane Hot Wheels track alternative) and now I've built it. A portable and relatively easy-to-store ramp with built-in starting gate.

BluTrack comes with a plastic plate at one end which has a hole in it for hooking onto things. There is also a big suction cup that fits into the hook-hole to suction it to a window or other smooth surface. There is also an adhesive on the plate in case one buys a second track and wants them connected permanently, but I don't think I'll be taking that route as I want to turn my attention back to games if I can, plus the 18' starter track is only a couple feet short of a quarter-mile at Hot Wheels scale (20.6') and that's fine by me.

The suction cup method is what we have been using 'til now. But there were a couple of issues that just bugged me. One issue was that the suction cup didn't stay stuck to some of the surfaces we were using - desktop, metal fire place - the cup would lose suction and after a few runs the track would slide forward and sag. When we used the suction cup on a window, it stayed stuck, but the second problem was still present; without a support underneath it, the flexible track would hang down as vertical as is could get and since the window we used was right over the couch, the track followed the contours of the couch on the way down. Because the track followed the contours of the couch, the cars would go flying off at the seat, rarely landing back on the track.

I needed a solution. Some kind of ramp that I could set up anywhere, that would hold the track up so it didn't slide forward or cause cars to leave the track nine times out of 10, would be high enough that most Hot Wheels/Matchbox type cars would actually run the entire length of the track, and easy to store in the house or shed.

As I was thinking on this problem and surveying my dump-run finds, I hit upon an idea. A section of old crib railing would be my medium! I used the top and bottom rails and four of the twelve or so vertical bars. I now have a completely portable starting ramp custom made for the BluTrack. And a plus, it's light-weight and folds up for easy storage! 

Simple, no?

But I couldn't stop there! I have a two-lane track. That means racing! That means I need a way to start cars evenly with each other. So a piece of plexiglass and a length of dowelling later I had a simple starting gate to ensure one car isn't slightly ahead of the other at the start. This is important if the kids are cheering on different cars.

1962 Corvette (Matchbox) and a 1955 Alfa Romeo BAT (Hot Wheels) waiting on the green light.

Now I'm ready to race all of our Hot Wheels/Matchbox/etc. to see which is the fastest in the house! That should give me something to blog about for a little while, eh! Of course, I could have finishes that are too close to call... hmm. How to build a finish line that will accurately indicate the winner...

Since the move, we now have space long enough to set up 18 feet of track without being in the way of much. Also, shortly after the move, we found a 4-lane Hot Wheels race ramp with a finish-line indicator! I'm very sure I can rig up some way to merge the two so that close-enough-to-quarter-mile races can be had and a clear winner chosen every time. I haven't found the fastest car in the house, but one of these days, the kids and I will hold a race day. I look forward to reporting on the excitement!

They're off!