GCRC Raceway "Evolution III"

GCRC Raceway has been a premier indoor Off Road course for some time. It's been 10 months since the venue expanded to house an indoor drift circuit. With the drift scene growing, the decision to expand further has resulted in a premier indoor drift circuit also.

Let's look a little more closely at GCRC Raceway's Drift Circuit "Evolution III".

I have been involved in the design of the last few circuits at GCRC and the evolution has been true, in that the circuit has evolved and extended more than been completely re-designed each time. That way the best parts were retained.

There were a few plans thrown around to allow for two tracks of similar size but the restrictions of space proved that the circuit would not flow well enough in the space provided with track width of only 1.2m.

With a decision made to increase the size of one of my older designs to take up 2/3rds of the entire space has allowed for increased speed, increased slides, wider track width and longer corners to resemble real speeds. The benefits include increased margin for error also.

The new layout keeps a lot of the good pieces of the last design and some corners are very very familiar but the track takes on a dual personality.

The first major change is a kink on the "straight". This is a key element to reproduce D1 style dynamic higher speed entries into a long walled section.  

Parked up in the Pit. ready for action.

the second major element in the centre sweeper. Original design was to force the cars through a second kink for more transitions, but it has proven un-necessary with the track offering enough opportunities for transitions. You can already see how the track is polishing up after just two days of heavy use.

There's a lot of width here which makes for great action leading to a flick as speed is washed off into a medium length wide hairpin. Gearing rather than motor selection will now come into play a lot more than the previous circuit.

The extra length also means space is not a problem for large groups.

We have already seen 6 to 8 car trains in play.

You will have seen the marshaling towers in a previous post. now on track and manned. I'm still to add a bit more detail to these. A small parking area links the main circuit with the SETUP track.

I've already enjoyed the opportunity to setup a car away from the battle scene.

Here is GCRC's owner testing out the circuit. We had some awesome RX-7 battles with my Pan Speed FC tonight.

It hasn't taken long for the guys to pick their lines, but there are many more places I will be exploring in the next few weeks as I push to the edges with my different setups.

Lot's more side by side to come.

Feel free to bring more track decorations. We have had a lot of donations already. 1/10 scale Coke Machines, trees, figures ( 160-180mm ) look best.

More used RC drift or touring car tyres are needed as tyre barriers.  

The RE-Fuel station has been accommodated. Another space for parking when you need a break or some photo opportunities.

With a long lens, there's much more opportunity for the "right" angles when taking photographs. High CS runners looking great through any corner. Rear wheel drive also working very well.

HDPE tyres work best at GCRC. The correct tyres help maintain the polished surface.

GCRC recommends the following for controlling race speeds.

Top Line Sports Edition Drift Tyre "HDPE" compound for Carpet or P-Tile,
RC-ART Derive RT01SH "HDPE" compound for Carpet.

Both available in the GCRC store.

NOTE!
DRIFT DADDY ABS and other ABS soft compunds CANNOT BE USED.
They layer the track with plastic and add grip to the circuit. Please talk to the staff before running.

I'll leave you with a shot of "Muruman-san" executing a perfect long sliding entry with great tyre angle on his MST VIP XXX-D

Thanks to all those who helped in the design, build and enjoyment so far.

Looking forward to another 20,000 laps over the next few months.