track and wheelbase?

Question

Can someone tell me what they mean and what is better for a derby car (just a small one, about 7.25 inch x 4.5 inch)?
Right now the wheelbase of my car will be about 4.875 inches

Answer 1

There are some web sites with info on building soap box racers. Like the ones some boy scouts build. They have hints and some may even offer some cheats, like filing down the wheels just a little and leave only the center part of the wheel touching the track to reduce the drag..

Answer 2

Wheelbase is the distance between axles on a vehicle. Don't you mean gauge? I.e. the distance between the rails? This can be anything from 15" on a minimum gauge railway to 5' 6" as used in Spain and Portugal. Most railways (including those of Britain, most of Europe and North America) are laid to the 'standard gauge' of 4' 8.5". There are also extensive 3' 6" gauge systems e.g. in Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Metre gauge is common for light railways in Europe, while the world's largest rail system is that of Russia, which has a gauge of 4' 11 7/8". The widest rail gauge ever was Brunel's 7' 0.25" system of the Great Western Railway which was in use from 1838 to 1892. There is a section of reconstructed broad gauge and a replica locomotive at the Great Western Society Museum, Didcot, Oxfordshire, England.

Answer 3

Track is the width of the axle measured from middle of the right tire to the middle of the left tire. Wheelbase is the distance from the front axle to the rear axle. A longer wheelbase will make the be more stable and the car go straighter. Make your wheelbase longer, as long as you can within the rules.