# Modified AW dragstrip



## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

I wanted to see if I could use the standard AW dragstrip electronics in a two-track-wide modular setup. I made three 5 foot sections of track, plus a shorter finish line module and another shutdown module. Length is 1000 scale ft, plus shutdown.

I took the wiring and PCB's out of the AW barriers and overheads, and mounted them under an MDF base raised on feet (I don't have room for a table). 

I put the batteries in holders I got from Radio Shack, and mounted them on the side of the track along with the tree starting button. I converted the overhead tree to work from the ground, and mounted it on a post near the starting line. I also split the Win lights to span the wider track.

A lot of wire splicing was involved, but it works well and I like the way the wider track looks.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

that is very cool and professionally done.
you made it portable as well and you can be the life of every party.
you should certainly send an email to AW with pics attached showing your handy work.
they may hire you to engineer out the next generation.
I would be happy to race on your terrific drag strip anytime.


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## Dyno (Jan 26, 2009)

Very very nice:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

Great idea and wonderful execution! Professional job!


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

YES ! And that's WHAT an Sectional HO Dragstrip Should look like :thumbsup: 
"IF" AW would have built it this way originally- I would have Bought one of their sets, but until they do- I Won't !
Awesome Work- Kudos !


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Nice job .

I'd like to do that to mine . Are you sharing tech info ?

Gonzo


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Thanks for the positive comments.

I really did this project as a 'proof of concept', just wanting to see if it could be done. I am happy to answer any questions about it.

The hardest part for me was the tree. When removed from the overhead support, the ribbon wires are coming out of the top of the tree. I split part of the ribbon in half, dremelled a channel down each side of the tree, and ran half the wires down each side. 
I encased the lights with pieces of the plastic AW uses to cover the optical sensors under the track.
I cut a slot in a piece of holllow brass rod (post) to accept the wires so I could route them through the track to re-connect to the starting PCB mounted under the base.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Great concept. I will now patten your idea and make millions...


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## swamibob (Jan 20, 2009)

GTPguy the it 100% BITCHIN!!!!!!! 

Tom


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## Hittman101 (Oct 21, 2009)

That is AWESOME!!!


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Some cooooool engineering!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: RM


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Thanks.
I dressed up the tree post a bit with the sponsor's logo.


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## pat4gis (Jan 12, 2008)

A local auto merchant was selling the drag set for $59.00. I have not pulled th trigger, but figure the track alone would be worth it, plus the 4 cars, plus timing/starting tree. Gotta do it!


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

Awesome work GTPguy. Very cool!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

GTPguy said:


> Thanks.
> I dressed up the tree post a bit with the sponsor's logo.


DANG, I gotta land me those Mopars!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

...as long as it aint' a T-jet, right Tex?


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## Szzzper (Nov 29, 2013)

*Sensors*

Did you move the original start and finish line optic sensors to the new sections, or did you use new ones?


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

I removed the sensors from the AW start track by carefully prying them off the hot glue from underneath, drilling holes in the new start track, and hot glueing them back in.


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## Slothead (Jan 25, 2011)

*Nicely done!*

Have you ever heard of Slot Car Dragon Racing Systems? Elapsed Times, Reaction Times, reflects Hole-shot Wins, real stag lights add a whole new demention of stratigy(Early staging, late staging, staging first, staging last, rolling starts, etc). Cheap too.


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## Slothead (Jan 25, 2011)

*Ah, the patent myth.*



NTxSlotCars said:


> Great concept. I will now patten your idea and make millions...


That's exactly what I thought before I took this very concept, patent app in hand, to John Force's PR company(fan club) nineteen months before AW came out with the John Force Racing Set for HO in January 2010. A functioning prototype had been in my basement for seventeen years.

You see, patents are just pieces of paper that don't protect anybody from anything. All they do is give the holder the right to sue in federal court. And court battles are just that, battles. Where the guns are attorneys and the ammunition is money. Like all battles, usually the side with the most guns and ammunition wins. And even if the little guy does win, the other side will just appeal. In fact the strategy in a civil battle is to never win anything by way of merit, it is simply two entities throwing money at a law suit and the first side too come to their sences, looses.

I am sad to say that the golden age of invention, when ideas were worth a dime a dozen, have long gone. Today ideas are worth less than a dime per bail, in ten bail lots. Galileo died in exile, Tesla died a pauper. Edison, his greatest invention was the most ruthless gang of renegade lawyers the world had ever known at the time.

Mm coy I feel better and this post really might save somebody out there a heck of a stack of cash.


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## Ovalhead (Nov 20, 2010)

Very nice work ! Love the track and the motivation. Keep it going. :thumbsup:​


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## Szzzper (Nov 29, 2013)

Just picked up a new in box less cars set for $24.95. Time to get to work on mine.


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## woodcote (Mar 24, 2009)

Superb work.

I think the AW set-up is great - people of all ages love it whenever mine gets set up at home, at the club or at slot car fairs.

But what you've done is take it to another level of realism :thumbsup:


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## Stevie_D (Feb 22, 2014)

*Message for GTPguy*

Hi there,

GTPguy I have asked a few questions re. your Dragstrip in a PM.
Can you please have a look and see if you can answer any of my questions ?

Regards

Stevie_D


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Stevie, PM sent.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

* how's about
ask
and
answer
here
?
for the benefit of all ! ?


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

OK, here's what I sent in response to a general question about how I put it together and what the dimensions are.


I started with base sections made of 3/4" MDF (mediuum density fiberboard), 8 1/2" wide.
The long sections are about 5' long. Instead of measuring though, I put the track sections together on top of the material and marked where the square end of the track ends. I have the track tabs hanging over the end so they can fit into the next section.

I added 3 pairs of feet under the sections, using 2" long pieces of a wooden closet pole i cut up. I secured them fromthe top of the base with countersunk screws.

The shoulder that borders the track is 1/4" thick MDF, cut 1 1/4" wide. It is tacked down to the base, and the track is floating. So the two widths of track (2X3") and two border pieces (2X 1 1/4") equals the 8 1/2" base.

I used 'biscuits' to align and hold together the base sections. They are put into slots I cut with a plate joiner tool.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

excellent and well done. thank you


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

GTP ,

I commented on your drag strip when you had it posted before . It's a fantastic build and more realistic than the county road look from AW .

I'm ready to do mine now and have some questions to start . I'll even have more after I start I'm sure of it .

OK so , here we go :

1. You mentioned cutting ribbon wire and dremeling and channeling . Can you give us a picture of what you did ? 

2. I only assume that the wires split apart enough to go from one track to another ?

3. Did you solder you wiring when slicing or use wire nuts ?

If I can get this part clear in my mind , I'll be able to get this project underway . I appreciate your help and thank you in advance .

Gonzo


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## Boosted-Z71 (Nov 26, 2007)

One of these days I am going to build me one of these to go with the rest of the tracks that my wife likes to tease me about.

Really nice Drag strip, I really like what you have done

Boosted


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## joegri (Feb 13, 2008)

same me boosted just not enough room in the cave with my road trak taking up all the useable space. gtp guy no you have me thinkin bout a drag strip...but only for a moment.yours looks really cool good job man.


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Ive been hoping that GTP guy would reply .

Gonzo


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Gonzo,
I was away for a while and just saw your questions. I'll try my best to answer, based on what I remember.


1. The tree wiring was the place where I manually separated the ribbon wire in half, so that I could route each half down the sides of the tree. The objective is to take the wires that come out the top of the AW tree and make them come out the bottom, enclosed in the new tree post.

Once you remove the AW light tree from the overhead gantry, you will see the ribbon wire it uses. The sides of the AW light tree are wavy, and that's where I dremeled the plastic away down the length of the tree. My goal was to inset the wires into the sides of the tree as much as possible so it didn't turn out too bulky.

I held each half of the ribbon wire against each side of tree to see how wide I needed the trench to be. I tried to center it down the side, and not cut so deep as to go thru the plastic sides.

Sorry I don't have a picture of that, since I enclosed the AW tree in small rectangles of plastic to cover up the wires and trench and make it look a little better.

2. So the wires I talked above go directly into the start PCB mounted on the underside. I didn't want to have to splice the ribbon wire from the tree, so I had to keep the PCB pretty close to where to light tree post comes thru the MDF.

3. To extend individual wires to the AW PCB (that I mounted under the start and finish modules, I used some old phone wire I had. The good thing about that is all the colors it has to match the AW colors. I used crimp connectors for the splices, and wrapped them in electrical tape. Soldering would be better, but I've never really done it before.

Hope that helps. I'll try to answer other question you may have.


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

I just remembered that I had some more details about this dragstrip modification in other threads. One is named "AW dragstrip modifications" and one is named "AW dragstrip wiring exposed". Some of the pictures in the latter one have disappeared, but it may still be helpful.

Just search all HT forums with keyword "dragstrip" and user "gtpguy".


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## N.H. Norman (Jan 19, 2004)

That is really cool!!:thumbsup:

Much better than stock, the Christmas tree looks like you're at New England Dragway!:thumbsup:


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

GTP , 

I'll try to find it .

Thx,
Gonzo


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

GTP ,

I found it . With the weather chasing me inside , I have time to work on it now . 

I'll probably have more questions but I'll see what I can do for now . 

Thank You ,
Gonzo


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## sjracer (May 25, 2008)

Anybody have the pictures to this thread or any additional information?


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