Having signed a 5-year contract with Nascar sponsors the IMCA wishes to let built a typical Nascar Tri-Oval track, including a working pit road section. As example the 3/4-mile Richmond International Raceway (RIR) was choosen to be built at scale 1/24th (total length = 50.28 metres). The main difference between the original RIR track and the 1/24th scale copy is that we replaced the smooth left curb between front stretch and back stretch by introducing a 90° curb with small radius (R=1.50 m). This was necessary to avoid that the track shoulds be "to easy" for slot-racers. The track should be easily transportable, totally wired and braided. To enter the "pit road" switches (as with trains) need to be built in in each of the slots. There will be 9 lanes with a distance of 12 cm between the slots, so that the track can be used both for 124 and 132 cars. A ninth lane need to be added for a pace car coming automatically out at each caution yellow. Such track allows very realistic model car racing. By including the sharp curb (R=1.50 m) at the end of the front stretch the track will be much more difficult to race than it looks. The IMCA asks all famous track builders in Europe and America to send their offer by e-mail to jppro@pandora.be. The track needs to be finished by March 31, 2003. All lanes will be powered by 5A 18V batteries (more than enough for model cars using slow Igarashi motors). The track will be used for the IMCA EuroNats, IMCA Model Car World Championship and IMCA Mello Yello Junior World Championship between 2003 and 2007. 

Characteristics LENGTH: 50.28 metres LANES: 9, numbered from 0 to 8 (the inner lane 0 is reserved for the pace car, coming out on  on "caution yellow"). Indication of lanes by (discrete) numbers, not by colours LAP COUNTING: By slot interruption DISTANCE BETWEEN SLOTS: 12 cm, but 9 cm at the pit road stretch COPY OF: post 1988 3/4-mile RIR (Richmond International Raceway) INCL. PIT ROAD, needing 9 switches - Pit road straight need to be an apart section powered by 7.5 volt BANKED CURBS: With percentages being at model car standards MAY BE USED FOR: 124 and 132 WCS Nascar cars, Nastrucks and BGN cars RACER'S STAND: Behind the Back Strectch, with a swith button (to go into the pit lane) and a green and yellow light  in front of all  8 racers INFIELD: Must be closed - also the infield between Pit Road and Front Stretch must be closed. LIGHTS: The track will later be provided by 18 0.270 mA BRAWA spots in order to allow night racing, typical for RIR. READY: By March 31, 2003. To be delivered well braided & wired, including lap counting system 8 lanes, without batteries, in RTR condition WRITTEN PRICE OFFERS: By e-mail to jppro@pandora.be

Pit Road Characteristics PITS: At the end of the pit road there are 8 pits, 40 cm long, following each other. At each pit box a stop place is marked on the track b y a yellow line. Over a distance of 10 cm before the line the current is interrupted during exactly 10 seconds (electronic timers are to built in under the 8 pit stop places), indicated by a little red light burning during 10 seconds.  If a car passed the yellow line the red light goes off, indicating that there was no valid pit stop. [The pit road need to be built in such way that on crossing the yellow line the red light goes automatically off.] So the car, having missed the correct stop place has to make a new lap and to come in again. PIT STOPS: 4 pit stops per car have to be respected per race. The best way is to make them on "caution yellow". CAUTION YELLOW: At the four first "track calls" of every heat the pace car comes out on lane 0. No car is allowed to pass the pace car (on sanction of 2 laps). The pace car makes 3 complete laps at a speed of 12 seconds per lap, enough to come in for a pit stop and to pick in at the end of the queue. Cars are not allowed to pass each other on caution yellow. Should there be no four track calls during a segment the race direction has to add the missing cautions so that the number is always 4 per heat. COMING IN & LEAVING: The car coming into the pits (and having to cross race lanes) or coming out the pits (and having agan to cross race lanes) is responsable for all collisions. On provoking a collision the car is sanctionned by 2 laps.

The 1/2 mile Nascar tracks of Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway - simple ovals - are too simple to allow good slot-racing. Among the 3/4 mile tracks Richmond International Raceway and Memphis were to be considered. All other tracks, being 1-mile or longer, could hardly be considered due to reflexions concerning workable space. Richmond International Raceway has hosted the NASCAR Winston Cup Series since 1953. Lee Petty won the first race that year. Initially, after its construction in 1940,  the track was used for "dirt racing". In 1968 the formerly a half-mile oval was paved. In 1988 the track was  redesigned  between the spring and fall races. Distance was increased to 3/4-mile. Recent renovations have made it one of the most modern speedways on the tour. Richmond offers fans a unique blend of short-track intimacy and superspeedway-style racing. Grandstand seating for 95,000 nearly encircles the track, bringing the fans close to the action while providing a complete view of the racing surface from almost every seat. The track itself is wide and smooth, giving the drivers plenty of room to race. Richmond International Raceway hosts every year two rounds of the Nascar Winston Cup Series, two rounds of the Nascar Busch Grand National, one round of the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series and one round of the Nascar Featherlight Modified Series. The track is also equipped for night racing, being one of the strong attractions of the annual WCS tour. The model car version slightly differs from the original shape, since it made the distance between the front stretch and the pit road wide enough to ensure the presence of a pit road marshall between them. The Tri-Oval shape is also the same as used at Michigan International Speedway (being much longer). The track will be equipped with 18 spots, 0.270 mA strong and 24 cm high, as manufactured at scale 1/24th by BRAWA. Along the pit road 10 additional BRAWA floor spots will be added, so that racing in the dark is perfectly possible. The infield will be remade by IMCA modelists to be a true reflection of the 1/1 track. No less than 43 Nascar trucks, some 400 cars and some 500 Preiser/Elastolin figures will be installed at the infield, where the two garages will be built at scale 1/24th.