Beware the Bear
Siberia Racing
Beware the Bear
Introducing - Siberia International Raceway II (a.k.a. The Bear)
Siberia International Raceway - II is nicknamed "The Bear". The track is a four lane routed TKO track. The track features 57 feet of action on a 4' x 15 table'. Normal track direction is shown in the following photos. The track is equipped with reversing switches and is designed to be run in both directions. The track is routed from custom light gray sintra. Trakmate and Slotrak provides the lapcounting and race management software. The design went through about a dozen iterations before the design was finished. This included a last minute change to increase the table to its final length.. TKO did a marvelous job converting my sketch into a finished product and delivering the track on schedule. The track features variable lane spacing. In the front straight the lanes are spaced two inches apart. The remainder of the track has conventional Tyco lane spacing. The transitions between normal and wide lane spacing are done in the two turns at the top and bottom ends of the main straight and are almost imperceptible. The transitions are the first of their kind but the final product was worth the wait.
"The Bear" is an over/under design based in part on TKOs first routed track, a Brystal/Bucktrak "Velocitydome" and some of my own ideas. Following the first MSRA race, two red track call pushbuttons were added to the inside of the reversing turns at the rear of the track along with a digital voltmeter in the center of the driver's stations. For 2016 an additional green track call pushbutton was added in the center of the drivers panel. These pushbuttons are interlocked with the lane power relays. The green pushbutton can start the race or resume it following a track call. The green pushbutton however cannot initiate a track call. The two red pushbuttons located on the table can initiate a track call but cannot start or restart a race following a track call. Like CRR "The Bear" is equipped with both the Slottrak or Trakmate race management systems. Individual lane power control is available when Slottrak is used.. The track has its fans and with my permission TKO has subsequently routed a very close cousin of "The Bear".
The primary reason for the change from CRR to "The Bear" is that CRRs Maxtrax rail material and the rail dimensions made it impossible to set up a HOPRA Super Stock or other “magnet” car at home for use at another track. This also prevented getting the track on the Illinois HOPRAs calendar. I put up with the problem for a few years but the decision was made when I arrived home from a Super Stock race in Indiana, put the car that finished a strong third on CRR and it wouldn’t move. That significant fail started a search for a new track design and constructor. Like CRR the TKO track is designed to be easy to learn, hard to master and to not have a home track advantage. The first race on "The Bear" indicated that these goals were attained! At the first MSRA race the G-Jet race and GT-40 G-Jet IROC race was decided by less than a lap after 20 and 16 minutes of racing respectively. Two of the three classes at the first GLSS race saw first and second separated by just one lap following 20 minutes of racing. The track design criteria that was so successful with CRR was amended to require that a car set up at home should work and not require significant setup changes to run well on an away track. Likewise a car that worked well on an away track should not require significant changes to work at home. The Super Stock car that finished third required significant changes to work on a track with conventional rail and wouldn't move when brought home. Sometime during “The Bear’s” development I decided that an overpass would be nice. That decision has proven to be a good one.
Proof that the added design criteria was met when I built up a BSRT Level 10 G3-R chassis and dusted off the BSRT G3/G3-R Super Stock chassis for a race away from home. A Level 10 car has significantly more downforce than a Super Stock car. When I arrived at the away track the super stock cars set up at home were right on the money and no changes were required. The Level 10 car had to be rebuilt before the race because I was out of touch and did not understand all the steps necessary to build a “proper” Level 10 car when the car was first built. Due to my own fault I missed the Super Stock main. However, the revised Level 10 car qualified fourth and finished a strong third. When brought home all of the cars ran well with no tire or setup changes required.
"The Bear" is Ready for the First Race
MSRA G-Jet Action at "The Bear's" First Race
MSRA T-Jet Action at "The Bear's" First Race
"The Bear's" Last Race In Illinois.
The second and last race on The Bear before its move to the east coast was for the Great Lakes Slot Car Series. The GLSS is a primarily Northwest Indiana group of racers and tracks race that race T-Jet cars based for the most part on the old N.I.T.R.O rules. They are a fierce group of racers and can be found on Facebook. On that day we raced Skinny Tire (1.085 width) Indy and Fat-Tire (a.k.a. E-Fray) cars. I was fortunate to win the skinny tire race and finish a close second in the Indy car race. The last race of the day was the Fat Tire race. The race was between Mike Wontorski and myself. Click on the link to view a YouTube video of the first segment of the race which was a battle of the gutter lanes between Mike and myself. Mike was running the Orange car and I had the Purple one. In the first segment I was in red, took the lead from the start and finished the segment with about half a lap lead over Mike who was in Yellow. Click on this link to see the second segment which is the first time where both Mike and I are in the center lanes. With European lane rotation every other segment is either a gutter or center lane. When it was all over I ended up winning by about a lap and a half over Mike who pushed hard all race and never gave up. As I have done many times, I won the race in the gutters and held on in the center lanes. In the last segment both Mike and I were in the center lanes and I was able to pace Mike for half of the last segment. Once I did that I was able to back off just a little and there was no danger of losing the lead. I don't have any photos of the day other than these podium pictures.
GLSS Podiums at "The Bear's" Last Race in Naperville
"The Bear's" Construction Photos
The superfast Bucktrack Velocitydone and TKO's first track Inspired "The Bear's" Layout.
"The Bear's" Fully Triangulated Frame Is A Direct Evolution of CRR's Successful Three Piece Fame
The table surface consists of three pieces of 1/2" five-layer plywood
Bob Muys Opening The Shipping Crate Containing the Eight Routed Track Sections
Many thanks to Bill and Bob for transporting the track from the delivery point to the town house, uncrating it and moving the track sections to the basement.
"The Bear" is Ready to be Wired
About a week later. The elevated section is up and the track is secured to the table. Some of the crash walls are up and I am working on red lane sight lines. Note the fiber noise suppression material under the raised section and the long white crash wall at the far end.
More Noise Suppression Material under the Bridge Approach
The white crash wall at the far end hid the cars from view and was revised to use a clear Lexan center section.
The Short Lived White "Velocitydome Turn" Wall
The white wall blocked the view of the yellow lane from the Yellow driver's station and was replaced with a clear Lexan center section.
The Final Clear Lexan "Velocitydome Turn" Wall With Ribbed Foam "Safer Barrier"
As you can see the cars in the Yellow lane are clearly visible with the clear wall in place. The ribbed "Safer Barrier" was borrowed from Sabatona Super Speedway which also uses this very effective material on its wall impact areas.
Wires, Relays, Reversing Switches, Slotrak Relay Board, Trakmate Card Enclosure, InfraRed Sensors, Caps, and Eight Power Taps
The power wiring from drivers station to each lane is all copper #14 AWG wire. To minimize voltage drop two wires are run to each lanes power taps and current paths are not shared between lanes downstream of the driver's stations. Two additional jumpers similar to the yellow ones shown were added after this photo was taken between the four lower terminal blocks to complete the double feeeder, ring bus wiring arrangement. With this arrangement four current paths exist from each drivers station to every point on the track. Overcurrent protection is provided by six amp thermal magnetic DC circuit breakers. A buzzer alerts the race director should a breaker trip. The track is wired for use with both the Slottrak and Trakmate race management systems. Each lane has a separate 30 Amp automotive relay to allow for individual lane power control when Slottrak is used. A bypass switch allows track power to be turned on without having to fire up the PC. If I had to do it all over again I would have removed the reversing switches once I discovered that, unlike CRR, the track did not race well in reverse.
Flipping the Table Upright After Wiring Shows the Stiffness of "The Bear's" Fully Triangulated Table
Once the wiring was done and the drivers stations were added Lisa and I couldn't safely rotate the competed table upright after wiring was complete so heavy duty eyebolts were installed in the overhead beams and webbed straps were used to rotate the track back from its side and back onto its legs. In the above photo the three piece table is airborne, about six inches above the concrete floor, and supported only by a strap at each end section. The table is ruler straight! Do not try this without a fully triangulated frame! The landing was a little rough but as they say any landing you can walk away from is a good one!
A Unique Feature of the "The Bear's" Design is Variable Lane Spacing
Two-inch spacing for the front straight and normal spacing elsewhere. Also shown is the yellow taught line used to align the front straight
"The Bear's" sister track. Routed by TKO with permission.
I was asked for permission to use "The Bear" as a base for another racers new track. Of course I agreed. That track is shown below. As far as I can tell the only changes are lane colors, crash wall locations and infield spacing. I am not a fan of the lack of a gap between the two infield turns, the lap counter location and some of the crash walls. My preference is to locate the walls to protect adjacent track sections from a deslotted car and not to trap the crashed car on the racing line. With my wall design the deslotted cars end up on the table as opposed to up against a wall and blocking a gutter lane. Likewise I locate the lap counter in an area where deslots don't happen. That isn't the case here. Cars have been known to push out of the slot coming out of the hairpin and end up riding an adjacent lane down the backstraight. Should that happen at "The Bear" the errant car typically is taken out at the "Velocitydome" corner and never makes it to the main straight. On the sister track you most likely would have a miscount. I wouldn't have built it like this but to each their own.
"The Bear's" Sister Track By TKO
"The Bear's" New Home at LenJet Raceway
Retirement came my way in January 2018. Unfortunately retirement meant that the Naperville house was going on the market. "The Bear" had to find a new home as there was no room for it in our winter digs in Florida or in our new summer home in Iowa. I was fortunate that Peter Lentros stepped up to the plate. The track was delivered to LenJet Raceway in Ashland Mass in May of 2018. Lenjet Raceay is a private club operated by Peter that is attached to Modelville Hobby. At LenJet raceway "The Bear" joins other tracks such as the 72 Parma Nationals Track, the Viper Boomerang, a Brystal Viper, the 1970 6 Lane Car Model Magazine Engleman track, Brad Bowman's Shamrock Glen, Champion Raceway and Purple Mile and last but not least a Bucktrack Scorpion. In its new home "The Bear" has been well recieved. While I am sad to see it go I am glad that it has such a good new home. Click here for more info about LenJet Raceway.
The delivery was a story that I may relate some day. Lets just say that the vicious potholes that litter the Indiana, Ohio and New York roads tried their best to destroy the poor rental truck and its contents. Fortunately the truck, track, monitors, power supplies, computer, printer and me were made of sturdier stuff and we all arrived safely. Over a two day period "The Bear" was reassembled and tested. The only restoration work required after the trip was some touch up paint for the table's black satin sidewalls.
There are plans for a new smaller 3' x 12' three-lane routed test track that will be located in Iowa. This, currently un-named, track is currently in the preliminary planning stages and is scheduled to be built in Summer 2019.
"The Bear" In Its New Home At Lenjet Raceway
Shortly after its arrival Lenjet Raceway held a race on the relocated track. The following photo appears to be from either practice or a pre-race warmup session. The racers look like they are enjoying themselves. One of these days I have to go out there to visit "The Bear" to see if I still know the fast way around!
East Coast Racers Trying to Tame "The Bear" In Its New Home at Lenjet Raceway
The 47th HOPRA National Championship Races
In June of 2022 "The Bear" will be one of the tracks that will host the 47th HO Professional Racing Association (HOPRA) National Championship Races. "The Bear" will host the Gravity and Pro Super Stock races. I am honored that the track was chosen and thrilled that the track will get the national attention that I believe it deserves.
The gravity cars are custom built "zero downforce" cars. These scratch built cars are among the most complex to build. Referred to as the "jewelry" of H.O. you can see how design and craftsmanship can provide some of the best racing. The cars shown below, built by John Reimels, are just two examples of a Gravity car. While the two chassis are similar the sharp eye will pick out the diffrences between the two chassis. Like the chassis some cars feature bespoke Lexan bodies that are unique to this class. On race day there will be as many variations of the gravity car as there are entrants.
Motown "Center Hinge" Gravity Cars
Unlike the bespoke Gravity Cars the Super Stock cars are based on the commercially available BSRT G3, Viper V1 and Wizzard Fusion platforms. The cars use ceramic motor and traction magnets, are powered by 6 ohm motors and feature lightweight Lexan bodies as well as upgraded, gears, wheels and tires. Its a fast and an extremely competitive class.
Super Stock car based on the Wizzard Fusion
The 47th HOPRA nationals will feature more than a dozen diffrent classes of cars racing on ten diffrent tracks. The cars being raced range from the lighting fast unlimiteds to the skinny tire T-Jets. This years tracks feature examples from Bowman, Brystal, MaxTrax, TKO and Viper Scale Racing along with the one of a kind "Brass Wars" wooden track. There is something for everyone as Modelville Hobby is immediately adjacent to LenJet raceway. Modelville Hobby features a number of 1/24th tracks including a beautifully restored Purple Mile. LenJet raceway also features a custom built HO scale replica of the Purple Mile. If you race any kind of slot car you need to put this event on your list. For more information about the 47th HOPRA National Championship Races click on the photo below.
Revised January 27, 2022