The Magazine For Slot Car Enthusiasts
Daniel Groulx Interview - Founder of TrakMate timing software
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This is an online interview with Daniel Groulx, founder of Trakmate PC based software for slotcar race scorekeeping and timing.
Q.What city do you live in? How long?
A. I was born and raised in Montreal and yes I do speak French also. I now live just outside of Vancouver, BC Canada

Q.What is your profession?
A.I have a business in the electronics industry doing component repairs.

Q. How long have you been involved with TrakMate?
A.I started working on TrakMate in November of 1996,

Q. How did it start?
A. A friend of mine wanted me to make a lap counter. I convinced him that a PC based lap counter was the way to go. He was a Mac user so it took some persuasion.

Q. I can understan that. We are also Mac users. Have there been any problems along the way?
A. Well, I have had challenges, I had a request for a dead strip version of TrakMate, it took a few days but when I was done it was working. If you already have a dead strip in your track it's the way to go.
Screen Shot of a 4-lane Set Up
Q.Any unusual stories to tell, like your favorite experience with TrakMate, or your biggest nightmare? (Both would be nice).
A.Yes my favorite experience is when a friend of mine had setup a temporary two lane tomy track on his ping-pong table and asked me to come over and install trakmate and do some racing. Well I decided to bring the reed switch version over. We used masking tape to secure the reed switches to the underside of the track. We were up and running in less then 5 minutes. He was quite impressed.

Q. You are currently working with Rick Phillis for The Fray in Ferndale. Tell us how that came about.
A. I was contacted by Rick because the TrakMate software was very close to doing what they wanted to do with it. I'm still in the process of modifying it, and it is near completion. It will support two teams of 5 racers each and auto score the points.

Q. Tell us how your software works. How it connects to the track. What hardware we need. Can we get it all from you? How much, approx?
A. TrakMate was written in C and assembler and has true 1/1000 of second accuracy. It even runs on old PCs that were made in the early eighties. It also supports a relay for turning track power on/off which is almost a must for club racers who do lane rotation. For a 4 lane system $68 can get you started with cable assembly including sensors and software. The sensors are easy to install, just drill a 1/8" hole and keep the sensor in place using hot glue.
LED Tower For a 2-lane
Q. Sounds great. Some old PC's are free. That makes this very inexpensive. What would you like us to know about TrakMate?
A. TrakMate is available in dead strips, reed switch and infrared versions. Software updates are also free.

Q. Where is the future of TrakMate?
A.TrakMate will continue to be enhanced to meet the demand of club racers.

Q. Any other products?
A.Yes, there is also the TrakMate drag racing timing system. I also have a light kit with active brake light for 1/32 scale cars.