Six Slot-heads showed up to race Slammers and GT1 at Electron on 1/22/24. Thanks to super sub, Ken for bulking up the field. Track conditions were quite good and records were challenged.
- In Slammers it was Bob, Rich and Mark for first through third respectively
- In GT1 it was Bob, Rich and Ron for first through third respectively
Slammers are a new addition to the rotation at Electron Raceway. These cars resemble Late Model Extreme Modifieds. Slammer bodies begin their lives as 1/25 scale NASCAR kits representing cars from 1980-2007. These are then raked and shortened. Front wheels are exposed and a front push bar added as an option. The chassis/motor combination used in the Slammer class is the very same production H-Bracket common to so many other True Scale classes including Sports Car, Trans-Am, NASCAR etc.
The class’s inaugural race was held at Electron Raceway on 4/17/23 with a second contest on 6/19/23. Both races yielded some fierce competition with cars very closely matched (all but one competitor turned a fast lap in the 4.9 second/lap range).
Observations:
- Bob and Rich might be considered the favorites. Each winning one of the two previous contests. Bob holds the lap record at 93.3 and Rich holds the fast lap record of 4.926 seconds. In the end, consistency and some luck might determine the winner.
- Joe, Lowell and Ron should be battling for a podium spot. All three have posted lap totals of 88+. In the previous race, only a lap separated the three.
- Mark has no track record in the Slammers, however, his common chassis has been quite competitive in other classes. Don’t count Mark out for a podium finish
- Scott could also be in the mix for a podium finish. His car has turned a fast lap time of 5.069. The key will be staying out of trouble and avoiding unforced “offs”
Slammers Current Race
No make or model dominated grid positions. All cars were True Scale based “Slammers” except for Ken’s ride which was an OSCAR based “Dirt Devil”. The contrast in looks was striking. The Slammers feature open front fenders and chopped tails while Ken’s Dodge “Dirt Devil” was long and wide with O-ring front wheels and .790 inch diameter rear wheels. That being said, the “Slammers” and “Dirt Devils” were a reasonable match in terms of handling and fast lap times.
Editor’s Note: Ken’s Dirt Devil was a well prepared loaner from Rich. Ken did quite well with the car setting a personal best.
Bob and Rich battled for the top spot. Bob took a three section lead in heat #1 and increase his lead through his third heat. Going into the final heat it was Bob with a lead of about 1.5 laps. Rich made a gallant effort in the final heat but it was not enough. Bob won with 92.8 laps with Rich a single section behind
Mark was first in the barn with 89.7 laps setting a target for the rest of the field (and a good one at that). None of the others could overtake Mark, so it was Mark for third place. Ron was fourth about 2.5 laps behind Mark.
Scott and Ken battled it out for fifth with Scott prevailing but only by a couple of sections.
GT1 is our quickest class. Looking at the historical data, it would appear that Bob and Rich will be fighting for the top step of the podium. That being said, Ron’s Jaguar XJR8LM is capable of challenging the top dogs for one of the two top spots.
Joe, Scott, Mark and Lowell have an opportunity to challenge for a podium spot, but they will have to up their game a bit to do so.
Editor’s Note: Ken’s Jaguar XJ220 was a loaner from Rich’s stable of cars. Unfortunately, it was not competitive and needs a makeover. The side pans are too narrow for the GT1 and the front pan may be undersized.
GT1 Current Race
A new ride made its debut; Rich’s Nissan R390 sporting a 2NASTE chassis powered by a Hawk 7BB. The car performed well in testing and was ready for a trial by fire and a trial it was. Bob and Rich battled for the top step of the podium. After two heats the two were virtually tied. Rich posted a fine heat three total and eclipsed Bob by about a half of a lap. In the final heat, Rich rotated in on Red lane while Bob rotated to Yellow. Both suffered an off but Bob was able to close the gap and edge out Rich by a single section for the win with 95.3 laps.
Meanwhile the battle for the bottom step of the podium was raging. Mark began the race on the Red lane and was the first to finish his rotation posting an 86.1 lap total (an average of 21.5 laps/heat). Mark’s only challenger would be Ron, running his Jaguar XJR8LM. Ron was last to rotate in and finished his first heat on Red lane with 21.7 laps. This did not bode well for Mark because; Ron’s weakest lane has always been red. As it turned out, Ron averaged nearly 23 laps/heat for his final three rotations finishing the race with 90.4 laps for a place on the podium.
