# Oconomowoc Raceway's new track?



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

While searching for a new track design, Brad Bowman came up with this one for us. I think it has possibilities.

The remodeling of the shop continues. More news to follow shortly.






Michael Block
www.thequarrel.com
www.oconomowocraceway.com
www.slottrak.com


----------



## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

That could be amazing fully landscaped. :thumbsup:


----------



## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

While I love all that Suzuka offers as a layout, at first I thought the one thing missing was the requisite long straight that runs the full-length of the layout - but those tables are huge - about 16' and 18', so you've got two killer straights in there already. So, what can I say? I love it. Great for racing, great for landscaping. 

Any elevation changes planned, other than the cross-over?


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

While Suzuka is NOT a billiard flat track (in real life scale), there probably won't be much elevation change, except for the overpass crossover initially. There are plans in the works for a hyper scenic detailed track (not Suzuka) to begin construction early 2011. So I am not certain as to how much scenic work will be done to Suzuka. If anyone has any great ideas or wants to help out, your ideas, talents and muscle are always welcome.

Thanks

Michael Block


----------



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Mike, I've worked a little bit with styrofoam sheet insulation. A couple years ago I did a 2 lane Laguna Seca with the old 1967 configuration. It was 6' X 6' and only 2 lanes, but it had a 14" elevation change, including a 9" elevation change in the corkscrew. 

Styrofoam sheets come usually in 4X8, same as plywood, and in varying thicknesses. I used the 1" in mine and laminated the elevation changes with liquid nails adhesive. After a little more shaping with a bent carving knife I set to work with a stuff BBQ brush and shaped the Styrofoam as I needed.










This shows the raw elevation changes from the lap counter section up to the corkscrew. If you look at the 16" sideboards for reference you can see how much of an elevation change it had in a very small area.










This is looking back uphill from the pit entrance area back towards the corkscrew, low elevation. The trees are 4" tall for reference. This shows the up hill straight and how fast the drop off from the corkscrew was. For Suzuka you won't need nearly anything this radical, but you can make several scale up hill to down hill conversions in a short distance.

I covered all of my shaped Styrofoam with white glue soaked blue paper towels I got from Walmart. This is the most expensive part of the layout, my current track uses it on the infield but Laguna Seca probably cost $25 just to do the paper mache work. But it also made it rock hard with one layer and gave me an excellent base for the rest of my landscaping. If you're going to do it to last, do it right no matter what the cost. 

Hope that gave you some ideas, it's not the only way to do elevation changes but it didn't add a lot of weight like using something like Hydracal would.


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks Pete




Mike


----------



## tossedman (Mar 19, 2006)

I love Suzuka. Hope to see this one come to fruition. Post pics please.

Todd


----------



## chopchange (Oct 25, 2010)

Why not buy the KSR, or at least ''rent'' it the same way that club in SanFran did for a while...


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

While I appreciate your comments. Being a contributing member of SFHORA and winner of the 24 hours of KSR, SFHORA never rented it, never paid for it, its not for sale and won't be put up for sale and wouldn't charge to race on it. Its a masterpiece of Brad Bowman and Jason Boye and certainly a memorial to Greg Katz. The track deserves to be put together and raced upon regularly. Its design lends itself to enduro racing better than sprint racing but it should be raced upon. 

As stated in the first post of this thread, I would like to do and will probably do Suzuka this late winter, but a KSR like scenic track with Brad and Co. is definitely in the design stages. Don't misunderstand - In regards to KSR - I hope it is reassembled very soon and I will gladly travel to race on it wherever it is.

Michael Block


----------



## chopchange (Oct 25, 2010)

My bad. Not knowing the exact arrangement SFHORA had, but surmising they were custodians rather than owners, I made a bad guess. I know Brad has it at the moment, and like you I really hope it is placed somewhere raceable again because Deane, Tony and myself really want to race on it some day


----------



## Tsooko (Oct 15, 2009)

There certainly is something special about Suzuka. The size of your track makes adding details very easy. If a guy wanted to get more speed from the cars all that needs to be done is to modify the Casio Triangle. Even the copy that I have (8' x 3.5' ) gets the cars up to a good speed.
I recorded the race this year so I could copy the scenery details around the track but I am thinking of making the track longer before that. Good luck with your track. I hope you keep posting pics as you build it.
The design is awesome.
Cheers Ted


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks for all your comments, Suzuka, has been officially ordered today.
Hopefully we can get you to come and enjoy it!







Thanks again for your suggestions and advice, I will keep you informed to its progress


Michael Block
www.oconomowocraceway.com
www.thequarrel.com
www.slottrak.com


----------



## jtslot (Apr 3, 2010)

*westchester area clubs*

looking to put a club together and race nights at my house,if any one lives in the area or near by contact me at 914 393 5556 and lets get some racing done.


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

*First Look Suzuka*

First Look Suzuka F1 in HO

Very Preliminary Picture


----------



## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

So will the track be a 4 or 6 lane? It looks like the path is pretty wide so just curious. I've raced that track on all kinds of different games from rFactor to NFS. Should be a very fun scene to build because they have a lot of gravel pits, walls etc. Keep us posted!


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Standard Bowman 4 lane width



Thanks

Michael Block


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

*Latest build pics of Oconomowoc Raceways Suzuka*

Hope you like it
We DO!




Thanks

Michael Block
www.thequarrel.com
www.oconomowocraceway.com
www.slottrak.com


----------



## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

Looks fantastic! Even better than I pictured from the early sketches and I was drooling over it then. Beautiful!


----------



## Tycoarm (Jan 7, 2006)

Amazing track, I'm digg'n the sweepers. I sure hope landscaping is planned.


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Suzuka has arrived and apparently intact!!

Will uncrate this evening


Will post updated pictures


Thanks

Michael Block


----------



## Ovalhead (Nov 20, 2010)

*DRUM ROLL PLEASE​*


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Buh Duhm Bump!


----------



## SCJ (Jul 15, 1999)

fsmra-

While I LOVE Suzuka, I built a 18~20 foot long tomy track version and found it very difficult to marshall....there are just a ton of blind spots.

Maybe extending it to your awesome OVERSIZED scale will help.....it looks like a great track, hope to get up your way sometime and run on it. Will you allow old guys to run old cars on her!?! 

---------------------------
www.SlotCarJohnnies.com


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

No blind spots, marshaling shouldn't be a problem, just requires lots of marshals

This one is an exact copy of a google earth shot, although certainly not to scale, this is an exact replica (in design).

Hope to see you come and race on it soon


Pictures coming this weekend


Mike


----------



## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

I've seen a few shots and it looks like a great, fast, flowy circuit.


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Ok here are some VERY preliminary pictures

Just a test fitting to make sure there are no table/support conflicts...


Enjoy - and thanks for the nice comments!

Michael Block
www.oconomowocraceway.com
www.thequarrel.com
www.slottrak.com


----------



## Ovalhead (Nov 20, 2010)

*Beautiful, just beautiful ! :thumbsup: Let the good times roll :roll:

The Casino Triangle is the trick ! :woohoo:

*


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Final Prelim
Track Secure (Mostly) working on overpass//bridge and table extension for hairpin - Next set of pics after these should be operational (I HOPE!)


Long Day - time to go home but thanks for the commentary and encouragement



Michael Block


----------



## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Wow!!! Gorgeous!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

Amazing looking track that will be a joy to run on and a challenge to marshal. You'll need more marshals than racers if you run conventional race formats.

Mike, you certainly have a very impressive inventory of track layouts and a sharp looking facility. Do you have a regularly scheduled racing series tied to any of the national organizations? 

My bucket list just got longer.


----------



## rodstrguy (Feb 14, 2002)

May have to make a 1 hour trip to race on this track...


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Come right ahead! Glad to have you come and race

Mike


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Suzuka is now operational sans, exterior walls, overpass walls and table top graphics by Mr Nagy. Interior walls are pending a shipment. Have run laps with G-Jet and Fray car. Now its time to clean the track of the construction dust.. And try again.



Pictures and video coming soon



Thanks

Michael Block


----------



## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

The track looks great.I have a Brad Boman track and it's great. Tom Stumpf


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

More pictures Sunday

Hopefully final pictures


Mike


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

*Final Suzuka Pics*

Only thing missing is the clear wall around 130R hasn't been glued to the track yet!

All else is done


Thanks for the support



Michael Block
www.thequarrel.com
www.oconomowocraceway.com
www.slottrak.com


----------



## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Beautiful!!!! Talk about a HUGE work of art!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

It's GLORIOUS!


----------



## 783alder (Nov 5, 2010)

I might have to come out to the 2012 Quarrel. Or maybe I'll move out there when I retire, which might be before the 2012 Quarrel.

BobR
candrhoracing.com


----------



## Gareth (Mar 8, 2011)

Michael, 

Congratulations on your amazing Suzuka circuit. As an avid F1 fan, it is one of my favourite circuits in the world and Brad and yourself have done a wonderful job. Get that Ferris wheel built though! It almost doesn't look quite right without it if you'll permit me to say so!

I'm in the process of building my first cookie cutter (small flat, needs must) and I feel very envious of you right now! I race with EAHORC in the UK and we use some of Brad's track in the big 150 foot layouts we race on. It is such nice track to drive on.

Well done again.

Cheers

Gareth


----------



## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

Road Trip!


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Oconomowoc Raceways Next Project
6 Lane, modified to fit table (8' x 16')
Autodromo de Algarve

Drawings coming soon (I hope), if Brad and I can agree on modifications 

Michael Block


----------



## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Had the opportunity to run on this track Thursday and it is a glorious thing indeed :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Was turning about 7.6sec with a stock Tyco X2 Indy car running on PVT-01s at about 14-15 volts, so nice & _FAST_ . . .


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind words!


Michael Block
Oconomowoc Raceway


----------



## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

*Final Design New Track Autodromo do Algarve*

It "resembles" Algarve, sort of, but we like it enough to build it.

8' x 16', 80' Lap length, 6 lanes

2012 Quarrel Individual Track

Hope you enjoy this new addition

Drawn as it will be laid out on 4 4'x8' tables

Thanks

Michael Block
Oconomowoc Raceway


----------



## Crimnick (May 28, 2006)

Ohhh...also looks simular to the kats-spa-ring....:thumbsup:


----------



## Extreme Hobby (Jun 26, 2011)

*New Slot Car Tracks in North Jersey*

Here is a new 1/32nd Scalextric track we just opened in Little Falls at: www.ExtremeHobby.net


----------

