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Homemade Race Car Track

Racing a regular straight track in your driveway against another remote-controlled car is not as challenging as having the twists and turns of a real race car track. To race your remote-controlled car on a trickier track, you can design your own race track with materials found at most hardware stores. The only limitations are imagination and space. Use your creativity to create various types of tracks for recreational usage and race multiple cars on the tracks by playing with friends or family.

Things You'll Need

Graph paper
Pencil
Measuring tape
1/2-inch plywood boards
Table saw
Thin low-friction carpet
Permanent marker
Carpet knife
Industrial strength glue
Staple gun
Garden hose
Plastic garden edges

Instructions

- 1
  Select a flat-surface area large enough to build a race car track. Determine the dimensions of the track you want to build based on the amount of space you have in the selected area.
- 2
  Design the race car track on a piece of graph paper using a pencil. Be creative with the track by including several turns. Mark the measurements of each lane and track. The walls of each lane should be between 20 and 44 inches from each other depending on how large the remote-controlled car is. Each turn should have four to seven feet between the two lane walls to allow the cars to turn properly.
- 3
  Measure and cut plywood boards using a table saw to the measurements you have determined for the track. Cut each turn so it is a separate piece from the other pieces that will form the track. Cut the other pieces forming the lanes between two and four feet in length so they are not as tricky to manipulate.
- 4
  Roll out thin low friction carpet over the flat surface in the area you have selected.
- 5
  Place 1/2-inch plywood boards on the carpet in their appropriate positions according to the design you have created.
- 6
  Trace the pieces of wood on the carpet with a permanent marker. Allow two extra inches of carpet for all the walls of the race track. Cut the carpet along the outline of the track with a carpet knife.
- 7
  Remove the carpet pieces from under the track and place it aside. Discard extra carpet pieces.
- 8
  Apply industrial strength glue to the edges of the plywood pieces and secure the pieces together to form the race track according to your design.
- 9
  Allow the glue to dry.
- 10
  Cover the race car track with the carpeting. Use a staple gun to staple the extra two inches of carpet to the underside of the track.
- 11
  Apply industrial glue to the inside edge of a garden hose. Secure the garden hose around the edges of the race track to create a barrier that will stop the remote-controlled cars from flying off the track. Hold the garden hose in place momentarily to allow the glue to set.
- 12
  Apply industrial glue along the outside edges of the garden hose. Place the plastic garden edges around the outside edge of the garden hose and hold in place to allow the glue to set momentarily.
- 13
  Allow the glue to dry before racing the cars.

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