Track Tac

Rolling wheel measuring device at Amazon.

XXX#40 said:
Buy it and start measuring
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I totally expected this sort of response. But here's the problem; the nearest track to me is about 50 miles or so and I'm severely handicapped with very poor eyesight and no drivers license, hell I don't have a car. Any Other Brilliant Suggestions?

It's apparent you have no idea how helpful this device could be for you personally.
 
alvin l nunley said:
I totally expected this sort of response. But here's the problem; the nearest track to me is about 50 miles or so and I'm severely handicapped with very poor eyesight and no drivers license, hell I don't have a car. Any Other Brilliant Suggestions?

It's apparent you have no idea how helpful this device could be for you personally.
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Don't need one al, I go to a track I don't know, which is hardly ever, I watch videos on youtube when I get there I just look at it, and I pretty much know where the start with gearing, stagger changes, setup is always set back to baseline every week on the scales after being cleaned.
If you don't measure them yourself you'll never know
 
Vintagequest said:
And then different folks would probably measure differently...(1) outside, (2) inside, or (3) around the center. (??)
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Do you say that because you think it makes a difference? Is long as they don't keep it a secret where they measured, I don't see how it could make any difference.
 
If people are going to ask you for a setup, wouldn't it be better if they could tell you the layout of their 1/8 mile track?
 
I run the mychron GPS and get all those details just by rolling around. Plus I get turn radius and can segment the track and put timing beacons into the track map.
 
arc100 said:
I run the mychron GPS and get all those details just by rolling around. Plus I get turn radius and can segment the track and put timing beacons into the track map.
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The wonders of modern science, isn't it great! But what do you do with a track you've never been to? And what about the people who can't afford those sort of things?

It makes me wonder, with all these wonderful marvels around, why do people keep asking for setups? From what people are telling me, the answer is so simple!
 
Bless Al's heart guys lets be nice. I have rolled a local track to see what it is before with a wheel like this Al. And the line you drive on the track aka in the groove is where you want to measure it. I measured because I wanted to know the true speed I was going because I know my tire size gear ratio and RPM. Most tracks if not all calculate your speed based on a track size that is smaller than the actual one we run so it shows higher MPH on the time sheets. I how ever do not use this wheel to calculate gear ratio or turn radius. I am bored, so I will type this out just in case your wondering why, gear ratios go up and down all day with how much the dirt is gaining or losing bite. If I know I went xxxx rpm the previous time out and the track has slowed down or picked up aproximately xx tenths, I will make an educated guess on how many teeth to change. Two idenically laid out tracks may take two completely different clutch driver and axle gear sizes to get the same RPM that you desire to turn the same engine due to this. Did I type that so that it makes sense? If not I will try again.
 
Wes Snow said:
Bless Al's heart guys lets be nice. I have rolled a local track to see what it is before with a wheel like this Al. And the line you drive on the track aka in the groove is where you want to measure it. I measured because I wanted to know the true speed I was going because I know my tire size gear ratio and RPM. Most tracks if not all calculate your speed based on a track size that is smaller than the actual one we run so it shows higher MPH on the time sheets. I how ever do not use this wheel to calculate gear ratio or turn radius. I am bored, so I will type this out just in case your wondering why, gear ratios go up and down all day with how much the dirt is gaining or losing bite. If I know I went xxxx rpm the previous time out and the track has slowed down or picked up aproximately xx tenths, I will make an educated guess on how many teeth to change. Two idenically laid out tracks may take two completely different clutch driver and axle gear sizes to get the same RPM that you desire to turn the same engine due to this. Did I type that so that it makes sense? If not I will try again.
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You make perfect sense. The only thing you need for calculating stagger is turn radius. That's all I'm trying to accomplish. I personally don't think you can calculate gear ratio. You estimate what is needed, you test that estimate and try something different. If you go faster or slower, your 1st estimate is either right or wrong.
 
I have a question for ya.. What about a track with 2 different size corners? Do you split the difference and get up on the wheel, tune for the tighter corner, or what would be the correct plan of action?
 
I believe tracks do not measure on purpose. It is my belief that over the years tracks overestimate the size of their track. It's good advertising for them. You can be the "fastest 1/4 mile track" or "fastest 1/8th mile track" by being just a little under that measurement and posting your laptimes. So the tracks have no interest in being "exact" on their measurement. I don't know of one track that I've ever been to that measured correctly (based on GPS or mychron data).
 
alvin l nunley said:
................. The only thing you need for calculating stagger is turn radius. That's all I'm trying to accomplish. ..................
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It might be helpful if someone described just how to determine a "turn radius" in the dirt........on foot.

Some tracks appear to be just a continuous series of multiple radius arcs...........with "straights" being in name only............not in reality.
 
alvin l nunley said:
The wonders of modern science, isn't it great! But what do you do with a track you've never been to? And what about the people who can't afford those sort of things?

It makes me wonder, with all these wonderful marvels around, why do people keep asking for setups? From what people are telling me, the answer is so simple!
Click to expand...

Most people don't use the capabilities of the hi tech gadgets. That's one reason, and there are many others but a main reason is the surface characteristics. Dirt can be and often is very different from one place to another as well as time of year.
 
Jamie Webb said:
I believe tracks do not measure on purpose. It is my belief that over the years tracks overestimate the size of their track. It's good advertising for them. You can be the "fastest 1/4 mile track" or "fastest 1/8th mile track" by being just a little under that measurement and posting your laptimes. So the tracks have no interest in being "exact" on their measurement. I don't know of one track that I've ever been to that measured correctly (based on GPS or mychron data).
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Amen to that. The Mychron gps is great for a reality check. So any times I hear people say how fast the top speeds are and I'm like ahhhh no we don't, we don't go that fast it just looks fast and feels fast. I beat you and I was topping out at 100kph so I don't know how you were doing 120.
 
As has been said often in the past, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. It sometimes amazes me the resistance I see to new ideas.

Actually knowing the size of the track you're racing on, what a concept. All I can think is; it's just too radical an idea.
 
MagnumRacer1 said:
I have a question for ya.. What about a track with 2 different size corners? Do you split the difference and get up on the wheel, tune for the tighter corner, or what would be the correct plan of action?
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Sorry for the delay in getting to your question.

2 different corners does present a problem. You could set up for one and don't worry about the other, or split the difference and be wrong on both. Add the 2 together and divide by 2. Then again, I've heard of a track where one corner is really bad because of underground water, while the other corner is nice and dry and easy to maneuver. You could set up your stagger for one, get some lap times, then set up for the other and see which is best.

It's called tuning, and tuning is tough. (Al Nunley)
 
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