La Raza Del Sol Raceway
By: Lee Wright

Intro:

My first experience with slot cars was in the late 80’s when commercial tracks were popular. My friends and I all had the 1/24 Parma Flexi chassis cars and raced at our local raceway. Even as a kid growing up I had the small HO tracks, one of my favorites being the Dukes of Hazzard set. I have fond memories of spending countless hours with that track. 

Recently I was in a local hobby shop and came across the 1/32 slot cars they had for sale. I had seen them about a year before at a Cub Scout event that somebody had set up for the kids to play with. After years of collecting numerous scales of diecast cars, I was amazed at the detail these cars had and instead of them just sitting on shelves collecting dust I could actually race these 1/32 cars and that is what really got me interested in them. 

After much searching on the web for more information on these cars and tracks I came across David Reinecke’s website and the great layout he has done. In fact, his track inspired me so much that I jumped right in and bought a track to get started. David has really helped me throughout the process and I have to give many thanks to him for the time he has taken to answer my many questions on constructing my layout. I also found various help and info from many of the forums on the web such as http://www.slotcarillustrated.com/, http://homeracingworld.com/, http://www.slotcarplace.com/, http://www.slotforum.com/, I would like to thank those sites also for keeping this great hobby going and giving other’s the chance to share their knowledge. 

Layout:

I knew when I started my layout that I would want to do a permanent one. I had the space on one side of our garage and it has worked out good. Deciding on a layout was a difficult one but, I knew what I wanted and I spent many hours setting something up and trying it out before I committed to it. I purchased the Tracker 2000 program (which I highly recommend) to get a better idea of what each setup would look like and if it would join together when I got to the last pieces. It saved me a lot of time with the layout.

Table Construction:

When I decided on the place that I could put my track I decided on the size of my table. I made my table 10x5. It takes up one side of our 2 car garage but it also leaves enough room to walk around to get a car if it should deslot. It also works well so the kids can reach the cars also. I used the great write-up on Greg Braun’s site http://hoslotcarracing.com/, to construct my table. The only thing I did differently was I used 2 more 1x4’s to brace the middle of my table. Most likely it didn’t need it but I wanted it to be as sturdy as possible. 

My elevations consisted of using a separate piece of wood. I used ¼ plywood and placed the section of track to be elevated on top of it, then I traced around the track allowing enough room for any of the stock borders that would be used. After I had it all traced out I cut it with a jigsaw. I then used a 2x4 and cut pieces to the height I wanted the elevations, the highest point on mine is just about 7in.and goes smaller from there. 
On one side of my table around the dogleg turn I traced around the track on the table top the same as mentioned above and used small blocks of wood to elevate the section, so it is the actual plywood used for the table top and not a separate piece of wood. 

Track Selection:

The two manufactures I was most interested in were Scalextric and Ninco. I thought very hard about this and decided on the Scalextric Sport track. I started with the Le Mans 24 set and with the extra pieces I have added the total track length is just over 39ft. 

Painting the Track:

Like others have done I wanted to paint my track for a more realistic look. I wasn’t crazy about how fake the black plastic looked when most real race track surfaces are a grayish color from the weathering of the sun. Once I had my layout and elevations completed I began by disassembling my track and painting a few pieces at a time. 
I used a latex primer by Krylon and applied it with a foam brush. The process I used to paint the track pieces was to do very light almost dry coats. I applied two coats for each piece and it took a few tries to get it right but once you get the hang of it, you will fly right through the process. Just remember two light coats are better than one heavy coat. The end result should be that the track looks real and is not perfect because most road surfaces are not perfect. I found that the almost dry coats created and grading look much the same as a real road might have. 

Borders:

I also painted all of my Scalextric borders the same to match my track. The only exception I made was I wanted to keep the red and white rumble strips so I removed them and kept them the colors they came. I have also added foam borders around the whole track to give the track a wider appearance. I purchased the self adhesive 1” foam rubber strip from the McMaster-Carr Supply Company,http://www.mcmaster.com/products.html it comes in 50ft rolls and is just a little less in height than the sport track. I found that the same latex primer worked well for painting this also. I used the same technique with this as I did on the track. 

Scenic Base:

I have never done anything like this before and really was not even sure where to start. I contacted David Reinecke and he gave me a lot of good info on how to do this. I started by using ¼ hardboard for the backing on the table, once they were all cut to size, I then used a marker to draw the outline of a mountain terrain. After that was complete I used a jigsaw to cut out the pattern and I attached it to the table with wood screws. I did this across the back of the table, sides and small pieces will be used on the front corners to finish it off.

Once I had the backboard on the table, I used aluminum screening and stapled it from the table to the top of the hardboard backing. The screening was also used the same way for the elevations and anywhere there was a gap or height difference on the table. I used a product called Sculptamold to cover the screen and my scenic areas. Most U.S. hobby and craft stores have this readily available. I used a common dinner fork to spread it and also used my fingers to smooth out the areas. When doing the vertical areas on elevations and the backboard, I found it easier to work from the bottom up on the screen. 

For my rock outcroppings I used Woodland Scenics rock molds. I used two different molds, Weathered Rock and Wind Rock. To form the molds I used cheap Plaster of Paris I found at a craft store. The reason I used this is because it dries very fast and I could get a lot done in a small amount of time. You can also use the Sculptamold to make your molds, I just preferred the plaster. After a few molds were done I began placing them in various positions to see where they looked the best. I also broke some of the molds to get different effects with the rocks so it wasn’t to repetitive. Once I had them placed where they were going to be, I used the Sculptamold again as glue to hold the rocks and then smoothed it around the edges of the rock to fill in any gaps. For the flat surfaces of the table I just spread the Sculptamold around and right up to the edge of the track border. I then proceed to smooth out the areas with my fingers. 

Scenery and grass:

When I started this I knew I wanted a rough, barren looking terrain surrounding the track. I began with the rock areas first. To get the weathered look on the rocks I started by painting them with a tan colored latex paint. Then in a spray bottle I mixed a slate grey acrylic from Woodland Scenics and thinned it down to the same consistency as India ink. While the paint was still wet on the rock areas I sprayed the slate grey color on them and lightly dabbed the rocks with a sponge. The end result gave the rocks a realistic weathered look. 

For the rest of the scenic areas I use the same tan colored latex paint that I used on the rocks. Once I found the color paint I wanted I had my local home improvement store mix it for me. All the grass colors I have used are from Woodland Scenics and I use a shaker bottle to spread it. I started on the rest of the scenery by painting an 8x8 section with the same tan colored paint that I used on the rock areas and sprinkle on the Blended Turf Grass. I stopped sprinkling the turf about 1” from each edge so that I can blend in the next area I am working on. Then when I am done with that area I move on to the next and continue the process. The turf colors I have used are Blended Turf Grass “earth blend” and Blended Turf Grass “green blend” When the first area of paint and grass are dry I use a spray bottle with Woodland Scenics scenery glue. You can also use a diluted Elmer’s glue or Mod Podge craft glue. I sprayed the completed area with the glue and then sprinkle the Green Grass on certain areas for highlights. After that has dried I soak all the completed areas with the glue. It will have a milky look to it but once it has dried it will be clear. I also keep a wet sponge handy to wipe any excess glue that sprays onto the track. Once everything is dry you can use a small shop vac to clean up any excess grass or dirt lying on or around the track. I am trying to have a dry, barren look to my scenery so I don’t put on heavy coats of grass. This way it gives the impression that dirt is showing through dried out areas. 
I am also in the process of also adding bushes to the scenery. For this I am using Woodland Scenics Clump Foliage “light green” I use craft glue and place them in various areas where I think it looks right. 

In conclusion:

This is where I am at now with my layout; I still have a lot of work left to do before it’s completed. I still have another side of the table to finish the paint and scenery. I also need to add some trees and I will be working on a pit area with buildings and possibly a tower after the scenery is completed. Also, I am planning to add a variable power supply and putting in power taps. I have found that many ideas come to you as you watch the layout unfold before you. Anyone can do this, all you need to do is find out what you want, and go to work on it. 
As I said earlier, I have never done anything like this before but with some helpful advice from a friend and patience anything is possible. I had never even thought about a slot car track having a scenic layout like model railroads. I can really appreciate the work now that they have been doing for years on their layouts. A full scenic layout really gives a whole new dimension to slot car tracks and I hope I can give back as much as I have learned throughout the process of this track. 
I would also like to thank my wife and children for their support and patience they have given for “Dad’s toy cars”.
As always, I am willing to help or answer anyone’s questions. Feel free to email me at:

CrewCab@tampabay.rr.com