96 replies to this topic

[Noose]

Oh heck, let's go with hand-out everything and you it together the cars with the parts. Everyone throws their stuff in the proper box and you pick.

[Mike Patterson]

I thought about that, too. I figured the motors would be simpler than whole cars.

Remember, we're talking about a one-off race here, NOT a complete re-writing of the Retro paradigm.

[JHMerriman]

What's to stop someone from putting in a crap motor? Since there is no way they'll have to run it...

[LindsayB]

Wasn't there so I guess comments probably don't mean much. But could you have a system - where you had 20 hand-out motors - luck of the draw - who gets what.

All motors marked with who used them. All motors handed back - finalist get to choose a motor out of the pool of 20 - top laps first choice.

Racers need to keep track of who they think has a good motor, so they know what to choose.

[Jay Guard]

Ralph:

I'd be honored to be VP, and even if it's only Chris and I (and a few others) racing it will be a darn good race without having to worry about a having a "fast" motor.

BTW... Will you race on the flat track with us or just wait for the King track race? Oh wait, I probably already know the answer judging from the ROC flat track results.

[redbackspyder]

Jay,

Can we get on board with the Flat Track Assn? Many of us at BPR love our flat track much more than our record-setting King, and we have lots of flat track racers on the left coast. Howie and Sano Dave love to race on our Flat Track. Separates the drivers real quickly.

[Ralph Thorne]

I'd be honored to be VP, and even if it's only Chris and I (and a few others) racing it will be a darn good race without having to worry about a having a "fast" motor.

BTW... Will you race on the flat track with us or just wait for the King Track Race? Oh wait, I probably already know the answer judging from the ROC flat track results.

Of course you would make an assumption based on the only time in my life I've been to a race and didn't run on a flat track when it was available.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

To continue the thread creep...

I, of course, have a King. Even though it is an original King the timing and design is very similar to all other Kings. Flat tracks, on the other hand, all tend to be unique. IMO that is why the King has become the standard for major events. Someone traveling cross country to race won't start out at such a HUGE disadvantage.

I would love to race on the flat tracks at Mid-America or SpeedZone and I know I would almost certainly get my butt kicked by those that have raced there before. Given the chance I would still travel the 6+ hours to do that. Many won't. Consider that before you bash those who race on Kings.

[kvanpelt]

Jay, I'll be on board for that flat track thing when you get it going.

Don't be so hard on Ralph for his absence in the flat track at ROC. Just walking in the door, the "Midwest Monster" has scared away many of slot cars finest racers. LOL.

[Bernie]

I will second that, Kevin!

Many people have said they think the Flat Track at Chicagoland is harder than the Monster but for me it is the other way around. Maybe because I have thousands of laps on that track .

The Monster is very intimidating but we are getting better every time out. Just takes laps and help from guys like KVP and Mazur to get you on the right track. Practice, practice, practice .

[jimht]

As if there were something goofy/unfair about the locals having an advantage over the out-of-towners...
They're usually at a disadvantage with experience and equipment-wise anyway.

You only drive one turn at a time and the next one is more important.
"Learning" any track has more to do with knowing where the wrecks happen (that delay the orderly process of your winning ) than anything else.

Real drivers know how to avoid wrecks and make laps in traffic.
That's why they win, regardless... YOMV.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

Never said the locals don't have an advantage on ANY track they normally run on. However no one can argue that the learning curve on a King that you have never seen before is MUCH less than on a flat track. And "learning" a track is way more than learning where the wrecks happen. You need to find the breaking points, acceleration points, blind spots, and timing. Only then can you start trying to avoid the inevitable wrecks.

A competent driver can drive most any track and avoid wrecks. But the drivers who have experience on the track will lose much less time on a lap because they already know the timing, etc. And most flat tracks have more than the King's five corners so there are many more opportunities to fall behind.

Again, I would like the challenge of a flat track. Many don't.

[Bernie]

Those that would like to "test out" flat track racing at a major event should come to Da Sano at Chicagoland Raceway in October! Mike runs two flat track races on Friday night for Can-Am and F1.

You can then stay for the King races as well! Best of both worlds .

[Rick Davis]

Glad to hear the groundswell of flat track support. TSS hobbies had a Tunkel black that I thought was a real fun track, and not quite as devious as either the Monster or Mike Swiss's creation, but nobody wanted to race on it. Was sorry to see it leave for Montreal.

[FastG]

I only raced the flat track at ROC, The king at Mid America is so fast it's crazy, even faster after Roger bolted the track to the floor. But to me 2 blips a lap is not driving. I am not in any way saying it does not take skill to get the best out of a lap, it does, it's just a skill I do not want to learn. To me it's poor quality wing car racing. The king at Chicagoland at least takes a little more driving, but I still have not decided if I will race the king at Sano VI. The handout motors at ROC showed that some people have some serious HP in there boxes, so a king running against big motors is another reason to walk over to the flat track.

I paid for all these bands on the controller, I really want to use them all:)

Graham

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

I love this comment.

"I paid for all these bands on the controller, I really want to use them all."

Fair warning. I am going to use it as often as possible.

[jimht]

Personally I too could care less about the design of the track I race on.
This attitude is quite opposite to the majority of people I've sold or rented slot cars to... they prefer the biggest or the simplest or the fastest, preferably all three at once, which is why the King has become the standard eight-lane commercial race track worldwide.

Elsewhere a while back I brought up all these non-standard 10-11-12 turn nightmares as being detrimental to participation by traveling racers... a situation that might possibly be resolved by coming up with a standard flat track design.
The racers that responded preferred non-standard... liked the challenge, they said.
Maybe they liked the challenge of not having to compete against the traveling racers that wouldn't show up, go figure.
The flat track designs such as the MTT and the UK Black that started this trend were certainly challenging enough, but most of the newer stuff is about as un-King-like as it can be.

No doubt the designers have let their creative juices flow and come up with these things just to attract the fanatics that think they're neat.

My opinion is that the track builders/designers have gone overboard in the wrong direction.
These multi-turn flat tracks cater to just as small a group for racing as the swoopy Kings do... and they're really useless for the casual customer just wanting to play (that doesn't happen to have six or eight turn marshals handy).

No magic solutions from me here, just a comment that six-eight turns is enough if they're flat, and more likely to get participation from the "travelers".

Kinda goes back to the start of the thread.
Limiting motors too much means those who can't afford to spend the bucks to find the Golden Turd or those who can't get the most out of a Turkey tend to drift away... dissatisfied.
Likewise with tracks, those who can't afford the time to learn or just want to play without wrecking ten times a lap just drift away, too.

[Ron Hershman]

I love this comment.

"I paid for all these bands on the controller, I really want to use them all."

Fair warning. I am going to use it as often as possible.

Hey Mike... I use all the "bands" on your King.

[MantaRay]

What we want to know... is the "blips".

LOL.

[Noose]

They coincide with his blinks.

[Rick]

He doesn't blink for 24 minutes... LOL.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

Hey Mike... I use all the "bands" on your King.

Well then... you're welcome!