Intel Corp. is Building an Artificial Turf Track -- Need Tips

[dkosawa]

As the title states, Intel is building an outdoor turf track, and we would love to hear from anyone that has any experience with turf tracks with tips and suggestions.

Our main concern is drainage. It's going to be built in the states (Pacific Northwest) where it rains a lot in the winter months. We want to make sure that it drains as fast as possible, to maximize driving opportunities between rainy days.

The current plan is to use non-padded, carpet like turf. The turf in consideration is not backed by a rubber liner, so drainage through the turf itself should not be a problem. The thought was to build a 60'x100' rectangular "sand box" about 1-2 feet deep using sharp sand. The sand would be mostly flat, maybe formed into banks around turns, and the turf would lay flat directly on the top. Jumps would be constructed out of wood and would be placed on top of the turf. Padded turf would lay on top of the jumps. Having the jumps this way would allow us to easily re-arrange the track. We haven't decided on lane dividers.

Any concerns with this approach? Should we consider some sort of French drainage system under the sand? Suggestions and comments of course are welcome. Below is a RCTech.net link to a thread that's related to this new track. Thanks in advance!

http://www.rctech.net/forum/electric...rc-tracks.html