There is a business here locally that has a former go-kart track behind it and I have always thought it would be fun to run an rc on it. Well this afternoon I had some time to kill so I loaded up my SC8 and headed there to see if they would allow me to run there. Turns out the owner's of the business are super nice and were cool with me using the track. They said I was welcome to play on it anytime and if I want to bring a broom and weedeater and clean it off they were fine with that too.
I backed my truck up to the edge of the lot near the track,set up my pit on my tailgate and started preparing to run. I tested my transmitter/receiver and verified throttle, brake, and steering. Filled it fuel and went to start the motor. That's where I thought briefly my day was already over. The roto-starter was spinning but not turning over the engine. The SC8 uses a wand with the end shaped like a ball-end hex wrench because you cannot reach the motor back plate in straight line. Poor design really as the ball end wears out easily. Luckily I was able to switch ends of the wand and although not a ball end I was able make it contact well enough to spin the motor. Now I was able to start it and it;s time for some fun!
I ran 2 tanks of fuel through it racing around the track and had a blast doing it. The sound attracted a few customers to watch a few laps. It wasn't without a couple of issues though. Without a driver's stand the far end was hard to judge and I cut it short into the grass many many times. Then the grass strips growing through the asphalt acted as ramps and hitting them off-camber thew me into the tall weeds on the back stretch. And one time I hit a grass strip going into the uphill turn and flipped it on it's lid.
It was bit hot to stay too long today but I can't wait to go back and do it again. I will probably clear off the track next time too. I wish I had some video to show you but I didn't have any help with me. I tried to set up my phone on a concrete support in the in field but as soon as I started the video I ran out of fuel. Here's some pics of the track layout though.
I backed my truck up to the edge of the lot near the track,set up my pit on my tailgate and started preparing to run. I tested my transmitter/receiver and verified throttle, brake, and steering. Filled it fuel and went to start the motor. That's where I thought briefly my day was already over. The roto-starter was spinning but not turning over the engine. The SC8 uses a wand with the end shaped like a ball-end hex wrench because you cannot reach the motor back plate in straight line. Poor design really as the ball end wears out easily. Luckily I was able to switch ends of the wand and although not a ball end I was able make it contact well enough to spin the motor. Now I was able to start it and it;s time for some fun!
I ran 2 tanks of fuel through it racing around the track and had a blast doing it. The sound attracted a few customers to watch a few laps. It wasn't without a couple of issues though. Without a driver's stand the far end was hard to judge and I cut it short into the grass many many times. Then the grass strips growing through the asphalt acted as ramps and hitting them off-camber thew me into the tall weeds on the back stretch. And one time I hit a grass strip going into the uphill turn and flipped it on it's lid.
It was bit hot to stay too long today but I can't wait to go back and do it again. I will probably clear off the track next time too. I wish I had some video to show you but I didn't have any help with me. I tried to set up my phone on a concrete support in the in field but as soon as I started the video I ran out of fuel. Here's some pics of the track layout though.
