HYBRID Hairpin Curve

Since the release of the CARRERA HYBRID starter sets a year ago, here’s a new track element, or rather a pair: hairpins.

This pair of elements will allow you to create up to two very tight turns on your track.

It is perfectly possible to use these hairpins from a starter set; there is no need to purchase any other items. A diagram is provided on the back of the box.

Each hairpin is made up of two parts that must be assembled.

There’s no room for error because the border colors and widths eliminate any doubt. Furthermore, a code is printed on the back of each element.

Each turn is coded with a letter, G and H, and each element with a number, 1 and 2. Thus, you simply assemble G1 with G2 and H1 with H2.

You’ll notice that a hairpin isn’t just a simple turn, but also a short straight line and a 180° curve. This is because the construction principle of HYBRID tracks is a grid made up of hexagons. Therefore, each element must start and end on an edge of this grid. And thanks to this clever design, it fits perfectly into the grid.

The assembly

For my first attempt, I chose not to follow the proposed plan but to create my own and understand what it allows.

Here is a very compact track.

Hybrid tracks require a lot of floor space, and the major advantage of these switchbacks is that you can extend your track without increasing the surface area used.

Track laps

The cars are loaded, it’s time to hit the track. The first part of the circuit is fairly fast and familiar, but as you approach the first hairpin, having a good racing line is crucial if you don’t want to go off the track at the end of the corner. And above all, you have to brake. The principle of a hairpin is that it’s a very tight corner.

First lap, sure enough, I go off the track. Choosing to take two hairpins in a row proved fatal for me. Second lap, more caution is needed. The important thing is to have a good racing line entering the corner, but there are two in quick succession, so you have to be careful to maintain a smooth line and not slow down too much.

These hairpins add spice to the track by adding two technical sections (or one longer one). They will test everyone’s driving skills. No doubt there will be plenty of overtaking here.

Don’t make any of the following mistakes:

Too much speed -> off-track excursion
Too slow -> wasted time
Wrong trajectory -> wasted time

This sensitive area will almost certainly be punctuated by collisions between cars.

The app

Since the fall, the application includes this rail and allows you to create circuits without any problems using the two Hairpins.

Slot Track IA Generator

The availability of hairpins greatly increases the possibilities for different circuits, and if you are looking for ideas you can use our automatic circuit generation tool which will find you some surprising circuits.

https://www.carrera-fun.com/track_architect/gen_HYBRID.php

And if you want to create circuits without using the app on your phone but rather on your computer, you can use our free online editor which takes hairpins into account.

https://carrera-fun.com/track_architect/interface_HYBRID.php