The track was assembled by 400 volunteers and used approximately 20,000 pieces which measured 2.75 miles (4.43 km) long. The building of a track faced a number of obstacles as James insisted on using the original Brooklands track, of which most has now been removed and built over. Obstacles including residential housing, commercial building, fences, a road, and the most challenging obstacle - a large pond. The track broke the world record for the longest successful Scalextric track, with the previous record measuring 1.59 miles (2.56 km).