Convert a cardboard box (we used a Costco diaper box) into simple race lanes for Hot Wheels cars! This simple race track releases four cars at one time.

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track The boys and Janie have been having fun playing with this race track, and it hasn’t broken yet. 🙂 This is a perfect project for a bad weather day.

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Lanes

The release mechanism is the same as our design for our LEGO race lanes.

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track

Lift up the cardboard arm, and the cars go racing down the track! It’s fun to have a fair race because you can really test which cars are the fastest. Very important at our house.

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track

Our wood floors have ridges on them which send the cars in funny directions (hand scraped texture), so we have been playing with the race track on the rug. We put two sheets of poster board (taped together) in front of the race track, and that has worked well.

My husband put this race track together out of a Costco diaper box, but any large box would work. The diaper boxes are a particularly good shape for this because they are so long and narrow.

To make this race track you will need:

  • Cardboard Box
  • Extra cardboard – we used a tri-fold display board that had already been written on and used.
  • Duct tape
  • An X-Acto knife or utility knife
  • A ruler
  • Hot glue

To give the ramp plenty of support, my husband cut one of the flaps off the bottom of the box and taped it to the top flap as shown in the photo below. He taped this support structure to the bottom of the box to keep it secure.

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track

For the actual ramp, he used extra cardboard from a tri-fold display board.

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track

He cut down the sides of the box and covered the entire thing in duct tape.

For the lane dividers, my husband cut strips of cardboard from the display board and covered them in duct tape. Then he hot glued them to the track.

The release mechanism is super simple. My husband cut a slit out of each lane divider and then cut a cardboard strip to hold the cars. He covered this with duct tape also – makes it more sturdy.

Cardboard Box Race Track for Hot Wheels Cars

In this photo you can see the entire set-up:

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track

We love making cardboard toys! Here are some more ideas:

Cardboard Box Hot Wheels Race Track

3 Comments

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  1. Tody Apr 12, 2016

    My son really loves the HotWheels
    He have about 100 mini cars
    I will make the Track for him tonight
    THanks

    Reply
  2. supplement agency Oct 10, 2017

    Do you have any video of that? I'd want to find out more
    details.

    Reply
  3. lisa l wright Jan 14, 2022

    can't wait to make this for my grandkids

    Reply

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