It’s finally time to play and do a bit of "smoke testing" on your track to make absolutely certain everything is "according to Hoyle." Some track owners dislike "glue" so bad they do not allow any type of traction substance to be put on their track surfaces. Many insist that all racing be done on a "dry," clean surface. Others adopt a more benevolent attitude and are not averse to traction substances. We recommend, whether you love glue, or dislike it intensely, that you go to the trouble - at least once - by applying a small amount of "spray glue" to the surface before it is run the first time.

Spray glue is easy to make up…just one bottle of "heavy" (brown) glue - either Koford, Camen, or other brand into a quart of Coleman fuel or Naphtha. Mix very thoroughly and screw on the atomizer top. Lightly …"mist" all the flat corners plus a very light mist in the high bank. Apply just a little to all braking areas and the lead-on to the main straightaway. Using old cars - even heavy rental cars - drive one lane at a time until the little bit of spray glue is tracked around.

Chances are the car will pick up that final bit of dust that, no matter how hard you tried, you weren’t able to vacuum out of the slots. Take a couple of slow laps per lane, then clean the tires with lighter fluid and take a few more laps. I recommend you do this operation yourself, preferably late at night when no one else is around. You’ll get all sorts of volunteers, but you need to do the testing before you allow your friends or customers on the track.

You might find a joint or two that need realignment or readjustment, or a slot or two that aren’t perfectly aligned. Those spots you will have to do a tad of careful trimming with a sharp X-Acto knife. This is also a good time to check your isolated section and computer program. Are the laps counting properly? Are you getting the correct lap time readings? It will take approximately one to two solid weeks of racing on the track to thoroughly "break in" the surface so traction is consistent all the way around and on all the lanes.