Dave in Mexico City has been a great customer and friend. He is the current Unlimited Champion there. They race on a wood routed 8-lane track. Most all of their cars are set up to run neo magnets.
They post some of their races on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/user/Deiv80racing If you notice, they run 'Crash & Burn' rules. One absolutely must stay on to win!!
But a more interesting story is the tracks they run on. Up here in the State most of us run on plastic Tomy or any number of the major custom routed brands. We take for granted how easy it really is to get a track set up.
One of the things that David needs is tires. So he's always ordering monster sizes (to us) around the .500 OD. So I asked David why the huge tires? And the answer is in the tracks and the builder.
A gentleman named Martin started building tracks in Mexico City during the Tyco 440 hay days. To make the cars handle better, rails were specified .020 tall out of heavy material. That was great - till neo cars came on the scene. No kissing the rails in setting those cars up!
The top two photos is of a portable track. The next three is the "Penultimate" track. The bottom two are "San Jeronimo". You will see all of the YouTube videos run on San Jeronimo.
David gives us the story of Martin the track builder in his own words:
The Guy who made all tracks here in Mexico city is Martin. He is the Big man hemade all tracks in pine wood of first class. The traction rail is slightly more high than the home tracks: has 0.20 tall and is a little more wide than the plastic home track (about .007 more wide) and has a little shower of copper for best way for the electricity. When Martin made all tracks was young. Now Martin is old but still alive but he don't have good shape and force for make tracks anymore.
Martin made 15 to 20 (more or less) pine wood tracks for business and home here on Mexico. In this moment only works 3 tracks in business (what I know).All time Martin was worried in making the tracks with the best possible quality.
Martin The Track Builder Is Back!!
Dave sent some photos of a tarck that Martin is working on. It's been a while since Martin has tackled a track project so I asked some questions:
1) Who is the track for? "Nobody in this moment - is only a test track. When martin finishes the track and if a racer will be interested in buy, maybe Martin could sell the track."
2) What is the motivation for Martin to do another track after all these years? "He feels old now, he was taken in the hospital some times for health problems. He thinks that he could not make more tracks in the future. I talked much with him about the problems with the rail of electricity and down force. The rail is very wide and a little high (on previous tracks). You know Terry for this reason we have problems with the neo cars. We need big tires. I told Martin that he needs make a rail more small and more narrow. We need to run more down with the cars, almost to level of the floor in the track of pine wood. So? He wants to make your masterpiece. One track that not need big tires like you runs. I told to Martin if he get the success with the track, i will want one for me."
3) What is the track made of? "The track has metalic laminate and wood of pine but with some improvements. Here we can't get any CNC materials."
4) What class of cars is the track designed for? "The track was designed originally for 2 scales 1/32 and 1/64."
5) When did he start it and when will it be finished? "He started May 20. I dont know when he will finish."
6) Why is it made of the material it is? Why not a pine track? "Yes, the track will has 2 layers, 1 of metal and 1 of wood."
7) Where is the track now and where will it end up? "Now the track is in the workshop of Martin, in building yet."
