There's no right way to build an RC track. There are several wrong ways, but the right way depends on tools, space, time, soil, and what you want to do with it.
For example, a backyard track for you and some friends can have narrower lanes and lots of crossover segments to conserve space. A competitive track will have very wide lanes and maybe only 1 crossover section to create consistent conditions for racing.
The best thing to do if you are feeling stuck is get out where you plan to build the track, and drive with the cars you plan to drive on it! This will give you an idea of your car's strengths and weaknesses and what feels fun to drive. Use some cones or stakes and string to mark it out. Once you are experienced, you may be able to design a track on paper without this step. But if you are new, it's invaluable.
There are three major things driving how wide the lanes need to be:
| Vehicle Scale | Cars on track | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 Cars | 2-5 Cars | 5+ Cars | |
| <1:24 (Micro) | 1-2' | 2-3' | 3-4' |
| 1:14-1:18 (Mini) | 2-3' | 3-4' | 4-6' |
| 1:10 | 3-6' | 6-8' | 8-12' |
| 1:8 | 6-8' | 8-10' | 10-14' |
| 1:5-1:7 (Large) | 8-10' | 10-12' | 12-16' |
Start placing jumps and see where the car lands. This will tell you where to put landing ramps. If you are consistently able to jump 3 feet, put the landing starting around 2 feet, for example.
Designing a jump can be trickier than you think. Ramp up too fast, you bottom out your suspension and lose speed. Ramp up too slow and it just becomes a hill.