Race Scene

[wild_chld81]

hello all! Just wondering if anyone could send me some ideas or pics on how to build a turn on a race track. I'm currently in the process of building a replica of a race car my grandfather drove on a local short track and want to make it look like the car is in the middle of a banked turn! Any info is greatly appriciated! Thanks

[Eshaver]

hello all! Just wondering if anyone could send me some ideas or pics on how to build a turn on a race track. I'm currently in the process of building a replica of a race car my grandfather drove on a local short track and want to make it look like the car is in the middle of a banked turn! Any info is greatly appriciated! Thanks

In my day, there were two kinds of amateur tracks , , Banked kinda and not banked at all. Here in Richmond Virginia home of Denny Hamlin , he would go out with his family to South side speedway out off Hull street Road on Friday night . The track there was dirt until I think about 1968 when it got surfaced about the time the big track at Richmond got asphalt . It's the big leagues there now being a NASCAR track and all. If it were me I would use some Foam Core , the very same stuff I use to build my service stations from . You can either buy real fine "Dirt " from Michiaels or a hobby store . You can also go out and sift your own dirt through a screen sifter too. Still, mix a little very fine black gravel with the dirt as the amateurs had to run what they could afford , that means some oil on the track !

As to banking the track, heck just tilt the corner slightly and glue some wood or some kind of supports under the driving surface . You want the audience to view the Diorama from the front , not the top so much as the front will have a better overall impact . Go out to a race track and take pictures or go to the library and look at every picture you can from every racing event you can find . This is what I do when I'm researching the filling stations sometimes . Ed Shaver

[Mike Whatshisname]

Eds' idea of foam core is good. Posterboard supports or wood supports built at the desired angles can also be a way to go.

[LUKE'57]

Go to the local "big box" hardware store and look in the department that has the foam insulation sheeting. At least 3/4" thick will work fine. Then check out the stacks and look for broken edges on the sheets. I got a 4X8 foot sheet of 2 inch for less than half price because the edge was broken. I only lost about six inches on one of the short sides when I trimmed the damaged part. Paint it with flat red primer, wet heavy coat for the groove and dry spray for the "marbles", and add some strips of corrugated cardboard for the railing with dowels for the posts and you're in business.

[Mercman]

Hope this helps you out. Here is the base it's 2x2 ft. square. I cut the wedges at a 7 degree angle.

Added dowel rods to hold the fence.

Covered it with window screen.

Them mixed a batch of Durham's water putty for wood, and smoothed it on.

[Mercman]

Here the screen has been added, along with white glue mixed with water, and spritzed on the screen. The I threw real dirt on it to stick. Base coat was flat black with gray spray paint over it.

Cut a bunch of tire in half, and painted them with craft paints, and added gras from model railroading supplies.

And finally a finished shot of the dio.

Hope this helps you out. If you use dirt, I sifted mine 2-3 times through various size mesh till I got the size I wanted. Also dilute white glue like Elmers 50-59 with water.