Scooter Tracks - Minimum Requirements

By Chris Densmore

The countryside is dotted with hundreds of race tracks, but not all are suitable for racing scooters. Some are more suitable for certain types of scooters than for other types. Differences in track surface material, layout, length, elevation, and location all have to be considered when choosing a track. Unfortunately, the best tracks are not always convenient, available, or affordable, so scooter racers have to make do with a less-than-perfect track. Still, if you're lucky enough to have a choice, it's good to know what to base a decision on.
	Track Surface top Tracks all need a surface. Tracks without a surface are hard to negotiate, because scooters tend to disappear into the earth. Fortunately, such tracks are extremely rare. The surface used most often for scooter racing is asphalt, but occasionally patches of concrete are encountered. Certain events can be held on dirt or grass, and I suppose in northern climes races can be held on ice. However, the scooter road racing promoted by this author is best accomplished on a firm, smooth, grippy surface such as that afforded by plain old asphalt. One observation I've made is that patches of concrete amidst a sea of asphalt can be tricky, especially when wet.
Barriers top Ideally, nobody would ever lose control of their scooter, but realistically it happens all the time. Seemingly to the same people. Therefore, it's always a plus if the areas where out-of-control scooters end up is free of hard, immoveable objects like trees and parked cars. The best track layouts provide ample horizontal space on the outside radius of turns for vectoring vehicles and their former pilots to decelerate in a timely manner before encountering vertical bits of the environment. Such space is called a run-off. Aside from giant mounds of pillows, run-offs are probably the best way to prevent injuries to out-of-control racers. Realistically, space limitations and the need to make the track interesting often force track designers to place barriers which prevent out-of-control racers from impacting objects or from encroaching into the path of other racers on other parts of the track. These barriers can take many forms, from concrete "Jersey barriers" to hay bales. Stacks of old tires are commonly used, since these are cheap and plentiful, and they can be strung together so they retain their general location when struck.
Concrete barriers top Stock car tracks favor the concrete type barriers, placed a good distance from where the cars are supposed to drive. Because there is a fair amount of asphalt between the line racers try to follow and the barrier, they only threaten the wildest of out-of-control scooterists. Still, it's always good to keep the wall in mind. If you're out-of-control and headed straight for the wall at a high rate of speed, and you're not already sliding/tumbling on the ground, you need to seriously consider whether defacing your new set of leathers is more or less painful than multiple compound fractures. Scrapes on you and on your machine always heal faster than injuries from very sudden stoppage. In theory, one could leap into the air just before impact with the wall, and hit the ground running on the far side. I'm not aware of anyone successfully accomplishing this feat. Plus, the vehicle is still subject to the laws of physics pertaining to the eternal question of whether two objects can occupy the same space at the same time, and whether a 30-ton concrete block would notice when your cherished scooter tries to go through, rather than over, it.
	Rubber barriers top No, not condoms! I mean the stacks or rows of old tires frequently lining and defining the course at go-kart tracks. These are a cheap and durable barrier, and when strung together they are a safe and effective way to keep go-karts under control. They're less than ideal for scooters, though, because scooters are much taller than karts, with a higher center of gravity. When a typical go-kart hits a typical two-tier-tire barrier, it typically comes to an abrupt halt. The center-of-gravity of the kart is very low, relative to the fulcrum point, which in this case is the front tires or bumper of the kart. Since the barrier tires aren't typically anchored to anything besides each other, the barrier has a small amount of flexibility, and can often stop or deflect a kart without damaging the kart or the injuring the driver. This is good.
However, when a scooter hits that same barrier at the same velocity, the results will be entirely different. If the scooter hits the barrier at or near a right angle (90 degrees) then its front tire will stop. Because the center-of-gravity of the combined scooter/rider mass is much higher than the point of contact with the barrier (the fulcrum), the scooter and its rider will do the Newtonian thing: tend to continue on their trajectory. The rear tire of the scooter will rise off the ground, and will buck the rider like a bronco. The rider will then be catapulted in an arc, with a slight but significant forward spin. If he or she has sufficient presence of mind and upper body strength, a quick body tuck followed by a timely extension of the extremities can allow him or her to alight, catlike, (or half-catlike) on two feet, and ready to continue deceleration in a graceful manner, to the applause of admiring spectators. If he or she is anything like me, the crown of the helmet will be the initial point of contact, followed in rapid succession by the back, the buttocks, and then the heels of the feet. This is bad. If the scooter encounters this barrier at less than a right angle, then the front wheel will be deflected, while the mass of the scooter and rider will continue in an arc until either the ground or another object are encountered. This is bad, too. All this pertains in an even more severe fashion when kart tracks use steel guard rails for barriers instead of stacked tires. Needless to say, we don't race on those kart tracks.
Track Layout top There are a number of different general track layouts: straight, circle, oval, road course, and combinations of these. Note how Sunshine Speedway has an oval track, but with the infield this track can be used as a road course for karts, and as a figure-eight for demolition derbies. In the background is also a drag strip. Many different layouts can be designed using this track.	Sunshine Speedway
Talladega is not a kart track.	Gateway is a dual-purpose track.
Track layout - Turns and Straights top This is what makes it fun. Without turns, it would be drag racing, or sprinting. Well, okay some of us would like that, but I think road racing is more interesting. Turns can be banked (sloped) or flat. Banking is usually in the direction of the turn, but not always. They can also be tight (hairpin), wide, or variable. Turns can also be combined with elevation changes (corkscrews) for even more fun.
Track Layout - Elevation Changes top Gravity will affect the scooter's ability to change speed and direction. You'll accelerate faster, but decelerate more slowly, going downhill. The opposite is true when going uphill. Elevation changes play a more important role in off-road racing, where it's typical for vehicles to become completely airborne. This is less noticeable when road-racing a scooter, but it's still a factor if the wheels ever leave the ground. It's impossible to change your vector, (turn or change speed) when the wheels are off the ground. Multi-purpose tracks often have few or no elevation changes, while dedicated road courses have them in plenty.	Here the elevation changes dramatically, just before and well into the turn.
Safety Needs top In addition to the barriers mentioned above, another important safety feature every track should have is access to emergency medical treatment. Big-money events can have ambulances, helicopters, and EMTs (emergency medical technicians) on hand, but scooter racing isn't as dangerous as many other events, so those expensive items can be foregone with a bit of care. Appropriate fire extinguishers, basic emergency medical kits, and a person trained in first aid are the bare minimum. An accredited EMT is a big plus, as are easy access to evacuation vehicles and hospitals with emergency rooms. If your body is facing east, and your head is facing west, you don't want me treating you, and you don't want to have to ride in the bed of a pickup the 2 hours to a walk-in clinic. Fortunately, race track operators know very well what the needs are, and what to do in an emergency. It's their job. Tracks will make you sign waivers so you can't sue them, but they still have a legal and moral responsibility to provide the emergency equipment and/or personnel required. Just don't let them soak you for tons of unnecessary things. After all, this is a low-budget sport.





Comments or suggestions about track minimum requirements are welcome. Email them to me at: chris@whizwheels.com