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Wooloowin Raceway (out of use)

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wixwacing
Marshal!!!
Posts: 1871
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:22 am

Wooloowin Raceway (out of use)

Post by wixwacing »

Wooloowin Raceway
Brisbane Boardtrack Racing



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Probably the most challenging track in Brisbane is Lindsay Smith’s Wooloowin raceway. The track is now five years old or more and was built in the first instant to replace a fairly fast but unexciting Ninco track. Both tracks sat side by side for some while until eventually the Ninco track was dismantled and the board track was expanded to include some extra circuit plus a four lane pit lane. This was to be the first attempt before the amazing Oxenford Raceway single pit lane was built.



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Looking towards the start gantry, this has the sensor illumination lamps over the IR sensors in the track. It also has a series of red lights and a green light to start the racing.


The track started life as a large kidney shape and imagination was allowed to run wild. Converging corner lanes and squeeze sections. A vicious chicane and left hander at the end of the stop start straight. Hardly a straight piece of track on it. It wasn’t long before it sorted the men from the boys and the track went on to be a venue for the old Albion slot car club. Surprisingly though, most of the regulars got used to the concept of giving way, it was just as likely for both cars to deslot in a tight corner and therefore forcing a passing manoeuvre was a gamble. The track was later increased in length. Gone was the Ninco four lane track, south went the stop start straight.



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Looking up the main straight in the direction of travel to the chicane and left hander


The start is at the north end of the main straight and after a precarious trip through the chicane in the middle of the straight you pass into a good left sweeper for turn one. It is at the point the flippers are mounted for the pit entry lanes. Another shorter straight sees the cars converge on each other for a left hand 180. This causes cars on adjacent lanes to severely rub door handles. This also has the exit lanes for the pits converging here. Another medium straight and there is a sweeping 180 right hander with an infuriating left-right kink which will shake you from the slot if hit too hard! Another short burst takes you to a medium left hander with a squared off squeeze section. Fom here, both outside lanes can touch! Off down another medium straight with good spacing and you’re on the next hazard, a medium left into a hard squeezed right and a series of Esses which see the lanes spread out once more for a 90 deg. Right hander and then a sweeping 180 left hande into a short right then hard left for the start line.



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Turning left the track went to the first ‘Squeeze’ left hander.



It takes about eleven seconds for the middle range of models to race this and tyre care is all important. The track is painted with a mid grey board paint and has a mild grit in it for a bit of extra grip. Before racing the track is sponged and it can take twenty to thirty laps to get some rubber down, enough for a serious event. The conductor rail is self adhesive copper tape purchased from the local lead light emporium/glazier. This sticks well to the painted surface and is simple to repair should there be any glitches.





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The squared off top bend and squeeze !


Timing is by a windows based race management system and a whole host of names can be entered into the data base and the program will manage them, calling heats and rotating people across all four lanes and finally tallying the results when everybody has reced. The program boldly displays laps completed. Current lap number, fastest lap time, last lap time and average lap time. All results are saveable and the program will even save the results from several races to give a days overall tally.


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The sharp right and ’Esses’. Not much room here for SCM’s



Other features include Time or lap based racing, start light feature and multiple power relay management. As well as several other minor features to enhance race management. Each lane has its own power supply to avoid any surge problems and the previously mentioned pit lanes have four flippers mounted into each lane at turn one. These are activated by a push button mounted on the side board of the track at the controller plugs.



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Another shot coming into the ‘Esses’


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Going from the ‘Esses’ into the north end sweeper.



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The north end sweeper


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Another shot of the north end sweeper leading onto the start straight.



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The modified start straight leading onto the new section and the pits.


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Pit turn off lanes exit right

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The pit lane


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Schumacher in trouble!!


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Pit lane exit

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View from the South end

Board track racing is a special skill in itself. People who haven’t experienced it are missing out on another dimension in slot car racing. Some still build low talent board tracks, were all the lanes have the same lane spacing, those were you just go round and round in your own lane without interaction with any others on the track. To me that is a great waste of a good concept and racing soon becomes bland. The challenge is to work your way through a field, or back markers, with skill and due regard to all hazards. Isn’t that what digital is all about too!!

So, get yourself along to a good board track and you will be more than entertained, make use of the opportunities each lap presents and before you know it you will be hooked too!

If you live in Brisbane and environs and would like to try this track, email me on this board or at pwix@yahoo.com
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When I'm not racing slotcars,
I'm out in the back yard, burning food!!

When I win, it's because of my talent, not my car or my controller!
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