21 replies to this topic

[cosmicnode]

Hi,

This is my first post. I thought you might like to see what we race over this side of the pond. I race at Raceway 81 a very competitive place where we race D3 a lot.

This chassis design is a proven winner with Richy Kettleson (my son) winning the D3 event finals in all the classes last year at Raceway 81. The F1 was almost identical to these. These are quick and put the power down well. I must have built 50-60 chassis in the last 18 months working out the best way to go.







I recently returned to slot racing, and actually raced against Bob Emott at Tottenham, Currently prepping cars for the beginning of this year's three event championship. First race is at North London in May.

[JerseyJohn]

Great work!

It's nice to see Retro alive and well in the UK.

Regards,

JJ

[John Streisguth]

I have to wonder if the construction would be considered to have a center hinge? Not sure about D3, but I know that's not IRRA™ legal if it is (top two pics... the bottom pics looks like different chassis).

But I agree with John, nice to see what people are running in other parts of the world. Keep the pics coming!

[Noose]

They run by the UKRRA rules which are essentially like IRRA™ with some minor differences. And they have a Saloooooon class. Imagine all the sponsors I could paint on one of those!

And welcome, Mike!

[Mike Patterson]

I don't think that's a center hinge. Looks more like a pan upstop to me.

[cosmicnode]

It's not a centre hinge, it's a third rail higher than the chassis to help prevent decking into the entry of our banking, which can launch cars to destruction. It's triangulating the other rails and is solidly soldered.

[JerseyJohn]

Mike,

What kind of motors do you run?

[Noose]

John,

They use all of the same motors we do in F1 except for the ProSlots.

[JerseyJohn]

Cool, thanks.

I didn't think they ran Retro in UK. It seems they run mostly plastic club tracks.

[Cheater]

John,

I think most of the 1/24 club racing in the UK happens on three and four-lane wood tracks, but I could be wrong.

[Howmet TX]

We've been running D3 for years! In fact, I think we invented it. Yup. Pretty sure.

[Duffy]

I invented bad jazz. And I'm not even Russian.

[cosmicnode]

Cheater,

There are a lot of club tracks to BSCRA rules with minimum of four lanes. Raceway 81 (see web site) is six-lane and quite a few others are as well.

If you check out their web site you will find links to many of the clubs to see the tracks. UK tracks are funded and built by the members and made to fit whatever room's can be rented or loaned; we have very few or no commercial tracks.

[Martin]

Hi Mike,

Good-looking chassis. well done.

Off subject... I have been trying to find someone that remembers Hounslow Raceway. I raced there many times, drove at Hammersmith, Southend, and the Vineyard also but never made it to Tottenham. Racing with Bob Emott, what a great memory.

Glad to see slot car racing is alive and well in your family.

[Cheater]

Mike,

I am actually a BSCRA member, as Pat Skene will confirm, just haven't made it over to run with that group. One of these days I am going to have to get a passport... LOL!!!

There are very few commercial raceways anywhere in the world except the US. Glad to hear that many of the club tracks are six lane; that I didn't know.

[George Kimber]

Good to see my fellow Raceway 81 Mike posting in Slotblog for the first time.

As previously mentioned by Howmet, Retro racing in the UK has been around since the '90s. North London and Wellingborough have led the interest but the majority of racing has been in 1/32 as three-quarters of the tracks are four lane. Only one eight-lane track Millstream has any commercial links. The UK has around eight six- or eight-lane tracks of which two have been venues for what is now the official UK Retro Racing 1/24 National Championships.

As Noose confirmed this has largely IRRA™ rules in F1 and Can-Am (we don't allow Pro Slot Puppy Dog motors, only the various Falcon 7s).

As we are European our Saloon/Sedan/NASCAR class has several different rules compared with IRRA™.

There is no set wheelbase which allows UK Jaguar XJ6s, Minis, and Capris, etc.
The rear tyres at the start of a race have to be a minimum of .750" to cut down costs of rubber and the chassis width, including axles, is 3 inches.

We also run Anglewinder Can-Am using '60s/early '70s Mura or Champion C-cans with .500" ceramic mags with choice of armatures having a minimum diameter of .500". You can build any chassis configuration up to 1973. However no flexi hinges are allowed.

The 2012 UK Retro Championships first round starts at North London on the weekend of the May 12-13, with a further two rounds at Raceway 81 and Wellingborough during the year.

[TSR]

George,

Welcome to our forum.

You can build any chassis configuration up to 1973. However no flexi hinges are allowed.

And this would be 100% correct since they only appeared in the last two years of the 1970 decade...

By 1973, the open-class chassis were either of an Iso design (Tony P, Jan Limpach, Art Tarver...) or of a Diamond design (Tony P, Yours Truly...) or of some form of independent hinged front wheels (Joel Montague...).

By 1974, the conventional front axle had all but disappeared from top-level, open-class pro cars, but the chassis hinges were still pretty much the same as in 1969, except that the drop-arm hinge had gone to pasture.

[cosmicnode]

Martin,

I visited Hounslow once and the same at Southend (Wonderland Raceway?), whilst on holiday, but never raced.

[JerseyJohn]

We've been running D3 for years! In fact, I think we invented it. Yup. Pretty sure.

John, we need to see photos!!!

[Duffy]

Proof, or ente...

John, we need to see photos!!!

Proof, or entertainment?

[Howmet TX]

Sorry - all the original photos of the inaugural London D3 race were destroyed in the Blitz.

You'll just have to take my word on this one.

[Martin]

Thanks Mike for taking the time to get back to me. My Grand parants lived in Westcliff so it was a sort way to Southend, Wonderland Racway. Interesting track remember you drove from the top of the banking and I remember the 4 foot (?)drop to the track at the far end.
Hounslow had a feature of its own. if your car came off going into the banking it could launch you into the ladies bathroom. Its retrival was quite a novelty for a young lad.