MAGracing Forum

Hi all, I'm looking at building a magracing track and would like some feedback on the design so far. I already have the base board hinged to the garage wall that currently has a slot track on it. The area I have measures 2950mm x 805mm. I'm starting off with a simple oval with racing lines and two lane changes...



I've been reading through the forum and have drawn the lane/racing line changes in line with current thinking using 40mm gaps/12mm parallel wire etc. The track runs clockwise.

The lane spacing is 89mm except the turns where its 12mm (when using the racing line)

I will use 22swg (0.7mm piano wire) and plaster method for track construction on top of the plywood base I already have.

What do you guys think? Have I made any serious errors here?

For cars I was thinking of getting something like this..http://www.modelsport.co.uk/hpi-q32-1-3 ... cts/387710 to modify to a magracer and try.

I don't see any major errors but I do have a few suggestions.
1. If you plan to run only clockwise, the lane change in the lower left corner, that allows a car to go from the outside lane to the inside lane just before the curve, is not likely to be very useful. I suggest that you move that lane change to the lower right corner. Locate it so that there is about 450mm of straight wire just prior to the lane change.
2. You might consider a pit lane on the inside of the oval. If so, make it as long as practical.
3. You didn't mention the radius of the inside corners. I recommend a minimum of 230mm. 250mm would be a better minimum.

Using the original lane change plates, you should be able to run clockwise as well as counter clockwise.

I suspect that converting the baja buggy to run on a magracing track will be fairly challenging. Good luck with your project.

Hi Ned, thanks for your reply. The rad of the inside lane is 238.5mm the racing line is 348mm. I'll move that lane change to bottom right. With regards lane changing are the plates just self adhesive strips? If so I assume they need to be set to the same height as the piano wire?

The baja buggy just seems a way to get started cheaply, I plan to use the electronics, motors and steering with everything else changed out so I can make a 1/32 scale GP car. Maybe look into swapping out the hard wired battery for something else also.

The standard lane change plates measure 0.2mm x 4.8mm x 35mm. They are not adhesive backed. They are made of some kind of steel and have a bright silver appearance. The plates are thinner than the 0.7mm wire. The bottom surface of the plates should be set at the same height as the bottom of the music wire. That implies that the top of the plate is lower than the top of the wire.

For more info see
http://www.magneticracing.com/track/track.html

Thanks for the info on the lane change plates Ned. I can make those easily enough. I guess the next step is to order some piano wire and give it a go.

nobody will ever drive in the inner lane on that track NEVER

because the magnet are not strong as a guide on a slotcar, so the speed in the inner corner is much lower than the outside, and on top of that you only have made race line on the outside, that a mistake.

If I see any real racing the car making a inside overtaking and the end of a straight, the car ALWAYS search the outer line again to try getting as much racing line as possible before the corner.

so let say you are going clockwise, then make a left change just before the corner, not to the outer lane, but to the racingline, I did that on some corners and it should be everywhere in my opinion.


lane change are almost free, so make some more, it is NOT fun to stick behind another car for a complete lap and then another lap because the other car change lane too.

and make the lane change longer, it is racing speed, not model train lane change, are they to short the car loose to much speed changing and that is not real, i can change lane on the highway without loosing speed.


good luck with the track

Hi Keld, thanks for the advice on racing lines. I understand what you mean and will make some modifications before laying the wire.

With regards to longer lane changes, the longer they are the longer it takes to clear (enough width between the cars) in front, on this relatively short track I might run out of room before I overtake?

Marlon wrote:With regards to longer lane changes, the longer they are the longer it takes to clear (enough width between the cars) in front, on this relatively short track I might run out of room before I overtake?

My lane changes are 24" long. The distance between the point at which a car leaves one lane/wire and merges with the other parallel lane/wire is 610mm. They work fine at maximum top speed.