Extending New Pit Stop Challenge Track - Any ideas???

[MooseKat]

Hi Guys, 

At the weekend I impulse bought the Scalextric Pit Stop Challenge Track for me and my 2 sons from Hawkins for a reasonable £100. 

Anyway, we have had an absolute blast playing it, apart from the pit stop game, which we still have not read the instructions for. I really did not think there was anything that would drag my kids away from computer or tablets, but there is.... But now, 4 days later, we want a bigger track!! So the first upgrade I wanted was a Lap counter, that I have bought used off ebay. From now on, I am open to ideas on what to do next...

we are building a new 5mx5m shed that hopefully will incorporate a table tennis table. I want to be able to put the track onto this. I also cannot afford to go and buy £300 of track at once, so I will be looking online for used stuff when money (and wife) allow.. The track itself cannot be too demanding, as my 8 year old is still getting used to slot cars. Also it would be great to have it semi permanently attached to some plywood or mdf so that we dont have to spend too long swapping between scalextric and ping pong!

So an ideas on what my next reasonable purchase should be, creating permanent tracks or anywhere to steal other peoples track ideas would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks

Nick 

[gorp]

Guessing you have powerbase 4 since bought a used lapcounter.

Realisticly its limit is 3 cars on the track when using only a couple of straight dual changers.

Use only straight because unlike the curve changers, they come lane isolated which means in a hurry you can pull out just the pb4 and lapcounter to install a cheap analog powerbase.

So dont waste your money on curved changers  and take pit game off track to save power.

A third controller can be rubberband to use as a pace car.

If used lap counter works thats great but have encountered problem with old counter and new style changers, but if you buy them used too, probably wont be a problem.

Avoid r3 and r4 curves because of cost.

You can make a couple simple tracks using 12 pcs of r2 (540 deg)  using just full straights.

Halfs and quarter straights add interest.

Add 4 "short" straight pieces to make another design and then adding 4 r1s (180 deg) with the same 4 shorts to make a more difficult turn.

The grandkids here enjoy basic digital racing on these simple track designs which are very affordable.

[gorp]

correction: The last suggested design uses 4 shorts followed or preceded by 4 r2s in a flatten V ie r,l,l,and r.

This equals 3 full straights.

When  using 4 r2s for a  180 curve, the matching 180  uses 4 shorts and 4 r1s, ie r1,r1,s,s,s,s,r1,r1.

Thus the minimum number of shorts required by a track builder would be 8.

( 9 shorts equals 2 full straights so 8 shorts allow many combinations and corrections.

Halfs  and quarters balance out available track space.

Suggest at least 4  of each.

When using the lap counter it must be on the opposite side of the lane to the powerbase.

Always use minimum of half straight before entry to lap  counter to straighten out car.

Never ever buy used chips.