Size matters, even for racers who drive cars that are 1/64th the size of the real thing. Is there a slot car racer alive who hasn’t wished for a 200’ track? Unfortunately, the realities of available space and available funds usually limit HO layouts to whatever will fit in a spare bedroom, basement or garage.

It is possible, however, to quadruple the length of your four-lane Tomy track for less than $20 using specialty sections. A cross-over straight and a pair of 3” radius hairpins are all that’s required.

It’s well known that inserting a single cross-over in a two-lane track will make the car drive in both lanes. Obviously this is bad for racing your buddy, but it’s fine when you’re practicing or testing by yourself. However, this still leaves two lanes unused when you are driving solo on a four-lane circuit.

I found the solution while cruising my favorite slot car sites looking for inspiration. Jeff Vladika’s excellent AFX Racing site describes his 185’ track as “a two-lane Tomy disguised as a four-lane.” Puzzling over this odd description, I studied the photos – and then the light went on. His layout is actually two side-by-side two-lane tracks joined by a 3” radius hairpin at the end of a straight. Brilliant!

I adapted the idea to my own 50’ four-lane Tomy road course and added a twist. By replacing a short section of straight track with a cross-over and two hairpins, I can now use all four lanes to complete one lap, effectively making a 200’ track in the same space. The conversion can be made in less than two minutes, and I can easily restore the track to its original four-lane configuration for group races. The total cost of two hairpins and a pair of 9” cross-overs from Scale Auto was $17.70. I consigned one of the cross-overs to my stack of extra track, since only one was needed for this project.

On my layout, a car starts in Lane 1 (outside lane) in a counter-clockwise direction. The first hairpin reverses the car’s direction and puts it in Lane 4 (inside lane). The cross-over and second hairpin direct the car into Lane 2 running counter-clockwise, and the next hairpin shuffles the car into Lane 3 in a clockwise direction. The cross-over and final hairpin then put the car back in Lane 1 to complete the extended lap. Trust me, it’s easier to watch the process than it is to describe it. Of course, by reversing the polarity, I can run all four lanes in the opposite directions.

So why would you want to run four lanes to complete a single lap? This technique adds interest to a circuit you’ve driven a million times while increasing the degree of difficulty. For example, my layout has increasing-radius and decreasing-radius turns that must be driven differently depending on the car’s direction of travel. Corners that are at the start of a long straight require a different technique when they’re at the end of the straight going in the opposite direction. Finally, running all four lanes gives you an opportunity to drive tight inside turns and sweeping outside curves on the same track, thereby eliminating the favored “fast lane” syndrome.

Extending the lap length with specialty sections also improves your ability to test accurately. For example, on a track with a quick 5-second lap time, it can be difficult to judge whether a small improvement in speed was the result of a genuine gain in the car’s performance or the result of better driving on one or two corners. By quadrupling the lap length and extending the lap time to 20 seconds, even a slight improvement in performance will be readily apparent.

Are cross-overs and hairpins the perfect solution to creating long tracks in small spaces? Well, there are disadvantages. The current from the controller must go through four times as many track joints as it does when running in a single lane, making electrical resistance an issue. If you have auxiliary power feeds, jumper cables can be connected to send the current to all four lanes from a single controller.

Not everyone is a fan of Tomy’s 3” radius hairpins; they are very tight and frustrating to drive quickly. If you have the space, hairpins constructed with 6” radius curves are more realistic and driver-friendly, although this alternative adds seven more joints per hairpin. Also, the geometry of the 6” curves leaves a wide gap between the two lanes that must be accommodated.

If you’re getting bored with your current layout or just want to enjoy the challenge of an extended track length, I recommend cross-overs and hairpins. After all, size does matter, even for HO racers.