New Toronto/Downsview track - update Dec 09 2009
 

Hi Everyone,

Hope all are well and have had a great year on the outdoor scene for 2009. Just wanted to update everyone on the current status of the proposed r/c facility inside Downsview Park by Grand Prix Kartways.

I want to clarify a few things before getting into any details. I will not be responding to this thread unless for updates. Anyone looking for more information or questions can email me directly at david@gpkartways.com
Forum users are more than welcome to chat away on here, but again, I will not be checking postings regularly.

We currently did a spot on RC TV as well discussing some specifics. The park has been sitting on the proposed facility for quite some time now. They are very interested in the project. No confirmation of construction date has been set or determined. At this point, location of the r/c facility in the park is being discussed as well as any other finite details before the project can be officially a go. So at this point, no confirmation, but we are very close and the park is very open to the concept.

The r/c park itself is a proposed world class facility with hopes to run an International and Canadian championship caliber race at some point in the near future. It will have mulitple tracks featuring large off road track, on road track, rock crawler pit, and set of drag race lanes. Even the timing system itself will be miles above anything seen int he r/c industry. Clubspeed is the maker of the finest karting software on the planet and we will be working with them to integrate our current karting system to the r/c tracks as well. This system will allow for amazing customer services such as personal and facility online race stats for all tracks and vehicles, email database, driver to driver contact and race challenge capabilities, etc. GPK already housing a full service restaurant, deli, and bar will also have in house and full service r/c retail shop for in stock and parts ordering.

For the indoor season, many of you will remember GPK running some r/c last winter on our indoor karting track. We will unfortunately not be doing this again this winter. We are consider opening up for electric only for indoor so feel free to email with any interest, no gas or nitro though, sorry guys. If the park does ok the building of the outdoor facility, we will then look into building an indoor off road and on road facility at the park as well to facilitate all year round r/c racing.

Best to everyone over the holidays.

Dave DiGironimo
Grand Prix Kartways

well, i know dave won't be responding, so I'm wondering if anyone knows anything else about the proposed lap counting system... specifically if its compatible with our current amb transponders, or if its something completely different.

YES! Thats what I am talking about, come on guys help get behind this and help get this track up and going. This is a great opp for all of us in the GTA to get on board and show some support.

Sounds like it's on "track" still. :UP::UP::UP::CAN::CAN:

It will be more expensive to develop new software for their current system that may or may not work with amb transponders than it is to buy the Amb system with RC scoring pro software.

Edit: Right now the best thing that I have seen is RC scoring pro combined with John Catricalas "magic". The fast laps system is amazing.

JC

Id say the systems that are currently in place work just fine. I doubt you would see much benefit to adapting a karting scoring system to RC cars. The current systems that we have now seems to be accurate enough.

Timing system
 

I will go into greater detail about the timing system just to save any confusion or rumors, etc.

The timing system will be compatible with r/c AMB transponders as that is similar to what is run in karting. The karting/POS software is much better than any r/c software. I have done the homework. It is not about timing accuracy, most are very accurate. It is about features and options not available in r/c software. Some options I'm sure are, but not to the extent they are in karting. Way bigger market so many companies have spent big dollars developing great software. Customers will be able to go online anytime via internet and check their own personal race stats by logging in as well as check all kinds of top lists for events, public racing, r/c car type classes, sizes, etc. Customers are able upon membership sign up to give themselves racer names which appear on track scoreboards, they will be part of an email program to be kept up to date with ongoing events, discounts, parts, news, etc. The system (as in karting) will assign RPM points to drivers when they race and practice. Race Performanc Measurement will award points to top lap times, top drivers in classes, etc. These points allow drivers to get free stuff, races, etc. The system also has a great feature where you can challenge other drivers to meet you at the track to race. Our karters for example who are in the top ten in RPM points will regularly contact eachother through the software and arrange race challenges at the track. To be honest, there is just too many amanzing funcitons to list on here. You guys are thinking small as in just timing. Karting/POS systems are way beyond just timing, they are about full on customer options, service, communication, etc. Drivers also get a full race diagnostic print out of their session every time they race. This gives you all kinds of useful tools that will help you see all your lap times, consistancy, race position, RPM points, ranking among members/racers, etc. This tool will help many r/c drivers find ways to improve their skills using the race session data. Our karters use it regularly and love it.

This was just to clarify some timing qustions, again, will only be responding via david@gpkartways.com

Other track/facility features I can think of off hand are lighting for night racing, in ground sprinkler system for off road track maintenance, possible heated drivers stand for longer outdoor season.

So your saying that your going to make a world class Rc facility and redesign rc scoring to make it the best it can be? What is your budget?

No offense here but your proposing a situation better than what they have in Cali with the market of Southern Ontario.

Jay he is saying it will already accept the amb transponder signal so no need to redesign anything...

A software update will have to be made for the things specific to RC(frequencys,how quals and mains are run, etc.) if he were to integrate all the extra features that he is proposing.