# The Clubman concept...re-introduction plus technology?



## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

Many here are familar with The AFX Clubman track of the early 1970s. If not, it was a 4 lane club type raceway created by Aurora and Auto World. It fit on a table constructed of two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.

The unique concept was that standard Clubman tracks could be built allowing racers to compete (with lap times) across the nation "by mail." I don't know if this really caught on but the Clubman and the concept were widely promoted by Auto World and (I have been told) Boy's Life magazine.

Racing by mail in no way could compare with the instant information age we live in today. Maybe via the internet the Clubman concept should be revisited? It would make a great track for clubs or groups of racers nationwide to build.

A modern day version could possibly be revamped slightly to include wider radiused turns, etc.. The requirement of two 4 x 8s could be expanded to two 5 x 9 ping- pong size sheets of plywood. Couple this with a modern timing system and this would be a great track.

Our group built a Clubman in May of 2009 (search "Clubman" on Hobbytalk) and it was a great track to race. The "only wrench in the works" is that the Clubman requires the use of 7" straights. Tomy opted to not manufacture this piece when the AFX track was redesigned. And, that is a shame.

Would there be any interest in resurecting the Clubman concept 38 years later amid modern technology and the information age?

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

edit.


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## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

Any layout details or photos?

Is the HO DL Challenge the same track layout?


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## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

Cwbam:

Search the phrase "A 2009 Clubman, photos, Mega-Gs and SRTs" on the Hobbytalk forum and you can see photos of the Clubman track we recently built. Great track to race.

Also, the original AFX Clubman plan can be found on the internet occasionally.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL


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## neorules (Oct 20, 2006)

I recently found out that the clubman was designed by Tony Porcelli of Slottech when he worked at Aurora. I had one of these at one time and it was an Awesome concept. Mike Block had a redesigned clubman recently made by TKO that was cool as well. Dan decosmo has a flat turn clubman that is longer, I think 4 by 16 on the long track. You can see a picture by going to:http://www.gofastest.com/marc/TajMaHO.htm
I think BSRT tried the Scorpion as the universal track but it seems it was only mildly accepted.


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*great idea*

I have wanted that set up for years with out the bank turn.

I guess what is old is new again...

Scott


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## bemoore (Dec 23, 2008)

Neat idea. I like it. But...



Jim Norton said:


> The requirement of two 4 x 8s could be expanded to two 5 x 9 ping- pong size sheets of plywood.


5 x 9 plywood is not readily available. I would prefer a design that used standard 4 x 8's.

This idea has been done before, and not just with the Clubman. The HO DL Challenge layout was the result.

I like the idea. I used to race Mini-Z's and they have something like this, but they have a series where the layout changes every event. I think it's once a month. That's the only thing, IMO, that is keeping Mini-Z's alive.

For HO racing, however, that exact model, IMO, doesn't work. Mini-Z tracks are trivially simple to assemble, so changing a layout is easy. Building a smooth working HO layout takes MUCH more work, so we should come up with a layout and stick with it.


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## fsmra (Feb 28, 2005)

*Quarrel Clubman*

Here ie our Clubman, 4' x 16' x 4' (using 3 4x8's) 
1-4' x 12' table and 1- 4'x 8'


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## tasman (Feb 17, 2007)

*Power*

In order to insure complete fairness wouldn't you have to make sure all of the tracks had the exact same power source.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

neorules said:


> I recently found out that the clubman was designed by Tony Porcelli of Slottech when he worked at Aurora. I had one of these at one time and it was an Awesome concept. Mike Block had a redesigned clubman recently made by TKO that was cool as well. Dan decosmo has a flat turn clubman that is longer, I think 4 by 16 on the long track. You can see a picture by going to:http://www.gofastest.com/marc/TajMaHO.htm
> I think BSRT tried the Scorpion as the universal track but it seems it was only mildly accepted.


speaking of TKO tracks? has anyone got input on longevity? ease of use? durability? I heard a rumor that I don't want to spread. i DO want to hear from folks that have TKO tracks or those that race on them frequently. thank you in advance for your input and kind consideration.

alpink
Norristown
Pennsylvania
United States of America
Earth


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## brownie374 (Nov 21, 2007)

I have had mine for about a year and a half Great track.I have had alot of racers at my house and they all like it.I hear stories about tkos service my experience and it was great.Todd returned my emails and messages very promptly and my track was delivered in less than a month.Very satisfied.My track is a one off track with 2 -10 deg banks and is convertable to an oval.Anybody on the board that wants to check it out is welcome to.No pics I am not a computer guy.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

cwbam said:


> Any layout details or photos?


Pics in this thread, which Jim started back in 2009.


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## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

Rolls: Thanks so much for posting the link to our 2009 Clubman. 

It would be so easy for everyone to build this track if Tomy would re-introduce Aurora's 7" straight. So many great tracks can't be built today for lack of the 7" and 5" straights.

I wish AW or AFX would just bite the bullet and offer the Clubman as a set, Special Edition or even as a subscription offering. Somewhere in all the shuffle the Clubman has been left behind.

As far as power goes....The original idea was having 2 of the AFX Pink transformers running things. I do like the routed track as thats pretty cool. However, having a bank turn at the end of the 11' straight is great driving/racing experience.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL


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## Ogre (Jan 31, 2007)

Would the 2 layouts on HO Slot Car site be good for what you want?


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

I think you can separate the Clubman Track from the Clubman Concept. As a track the Clubman layout is a nice layout that fits in a shorter footprint than the other common 2-sheet plywood track layout, the 4x16 track. The 12 foot length is kind of nice if you are limited in how long of a track you can accommodate but you give up a few feet of maximum straightaway potential. The banked turn on the clubman is a detractor for some folks because it relies on the 9" banked turn which is too steep for box stock TJets and too tight for modern HO cars like the MegaG that are pressing up against the 1:64 rendition of scale. I see the Clubman track as one of many possible well designed 2-sheet L-shaped layouts. If I were doing a 2-sheet L layout today I would forego the banks and find a way to incorporate the new 18" turns. There are dozens of layouts possible for the same footprint table that would be equally attractive from a racing standpoint, especially with the new larger radius turns. 

The Clubman Concept of a "club spec track" can be rendered in any layout and track type. However it is only valid for widespread comparison sake if every single "club spec track" is absolutely identical, down to the power sources, taps, wiring, racing direction, and timing system. Once you deviate from the spec the club-to-club comparisons become somewhat meaningless. The "club spec track" is still a viable concept if you really want to be able to compare your performance against other folks in distant places who you would otherwise be unable to race head to head against. The big question is who would buy into the concept and how widespread would the adoption be? In reality, it would probably be a very low number. If the governing body (who?) dictated something like Tomy track you'd get backlash from the elite clubs who are allergic to plastic. If you picked a low production custom like MaxTrax or TKO you'd be asking cash strapped clubs to fork over money that's in short supply. It comes down to an interesting concept that tickles our nostalgic inner child but has a hard time holding up to the cat herding reality that defines the nature of today's crop of HO enthusiasts.

But yeah, I was just like everyone else when I saw the Clubman ads in Car Model magazine and was dreaming up ways to invent ficticious fellow club members to qualify as a "club" so I could get one of those tracks. Aurora knew how to capture our imagination, even when the reality didn't quite live up to the glossy hype.


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## Stingray Johnny (Dec 5, 2020)

Jim Norton said:


> Many here are familar with The AFX Clubman track of the early 1970s. If not, it was a 4 lane club type raceway created by Aurora and Auto World. It fit on a table constructed of two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.
> 
> The unique concept was that standard Clubman tracks could be built allowing racers to compete (with lap times) across the nation "by mail." I don't know if this really caught on but the Clubman and the concept were widely promoted by Auto World and (I have been told) Boy's Life magazine.
> 
> ...


I just built one using 9 inch straights instead of the 7's Works great!


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