523 replies to this topic

[Duffy]

"...For our snark WAS a Boojum, you see..."

[Gator Bob]

"...For our snark WAS a Boojum, you see..."

Whoz this our ... more than one? It didn't sound like a poem .... so, where ya going?

 

 Lil Driver Snarky Snark - and the Funky Bunch said ... "_{We can't lose ... if I stay home}"

I replied  " But....the Demon IS balanced"

[One_Track_Mind]

 

Drivers for the Lucky 13 Car at REM

L-R Kevin Cosgrove red, (not shown) Brian McPherson white, Mike Peskar green, Ron Vincek orange, George Katzakis blue,

Mike McDowell yellow, Bud Bartos purple,Steve Koepp black 

 

 

 

Car Name                                Laps                Section               Best Time         Lane        Driver

 

1. Pablo Wolcott                      174                     2                     5.1599              Purple       Bud Bartos

2. Steve Kempson                    173                    14                    5.530              Orange      Ron Vincek

3. Last Minute Men                  173                      4                    5.1596             Purple        Bud Bartos

4.Mike Zimmerman                  171                      4                    5.320               Purple        Bud Bartos

5. Team REM                          170                     15                   5.209               Purple        Bud Bartos

6.Andy Brown Searle                170                    12                    5.329               Purple        Bud Bartos

7. Evil Minnows                        170                     1                    5.312                Blue       George Katzakis

8. Steve King                           169                      7                   5.484                Green      Mike Peskar

9. Lo Bucks Racing                  169                     3                    5.273                Purple       Bud Bartos

10. Jaak BK                             168                     3                    5.491                Purple        Bud Bartos

11. Tony Davey                         167                    3                     5.379                Purple        Bud Bartos

12. Ray Fellows                        166                    23                   5.439                Orange       Ron Vincek

13. Team WSC                         165                    12                   5.429                Purple         Bud Bartos

14. Jim Struckel                        163                    14                   5.430                Purple         Bud Bartos

15. Ben Kernan                         159                    18                   5.593                Blue     George Katzakis

16. Weldon/Walker                    159                    11                   5.598                Orange     Ron Vincek

17. John Dilworth                       158                    11                   5.540                Purple          Bud Bartos

18. Gary Vogeler                        155                    2                    5.8200              Orange       Ron Vincek

19 Al Bond                                154                    15                   5.769                Purple          Bud Bartos

20. Rod Morrison                       142                    10                   5.8203              Orange       Ron Vincek

 

 

 

[Lowrider]

Congrats to Pablo and the Last Minute Team. Big 'well done' to Brian and the REM crew.

These are not specialized dragsters. I asked Brian to apply as little stress to the cars as possible while running them down the strip so disagreements with the chosen drag race format should probably be directed towards me. Mike's suggestion that the cars could have been pre-qualified is a sensible one but, under the circumstances, a random draw worked almost as well in my opinion. It's unfortunate that the Last Minute Team came up against the eventual winner in the first round, the same car took me out in the second round, but it was a truly random event. No-one but chance is to blame.

Perhaps Manta Ray and John will take solace from their very close third place finish in the road race?

Regards,

[Gator Bob]

 Way to Go-Go Pab-Lo You got them beat !!!

And ... super close for Fast Lap.   And Tight up top too.

 

 

Where is the next race?

[slotbaker]

Well done Pablo. You've certainly built a fast car for this proxy.

[Lowrider]

Series points after 6 rounds:

P1: 106 + 24 = 130 points - Team Lowrider (no change)
P2: 103 + 22 = 125 points - Mike Zimmerman (+1)
P3: 106 + 18 = 124 points - Team SSME (-2)
P4: 95 + 25 = 120 points - Pablo Wolcott (+2)
P5: 97 + 20 = 117 points - Andy Brown-Searle (-1)
P6: 95 + 19 = 114 points - Team Evil Minnows (+2)
P7: 90 + 21 = 111 points - Team REM (+1)
P8: 97 + 10 = 107 points - Team Weldon/Walker (-4)
P9: 83 + 15 = 98 points - Tony Davey (nc)
P10: 71 + 23 = 94 points - Team Last Minute Men (+1)
P11: 81 + 7 = 88 points - Al Bond (-1)
P12: 69 + 17 = 86 points - Team Lo Bucks (+2)
P13=: 69 + 14 = 83 points - Ray Fellows (+1)
P13=: 70 + 13 = 83 points - Team WSC (nc)
P15: 65 + 16 = 81 points - Jaak BK (+1)
P16: 71 + 9 = 80 points - John Dilworth (-5)
P17: 62 + 6 = 68 points - Rod Morrison (nc)
P18: 50 + 12 = 62 points - Jim Struckel (nc)
P19=: 48 + 8 = 56 points - Gary Vogeler (nc)
P19=: 45 + 11 = 56 points - Ben Kernan (+1)

In the Choti Challenge:

P1: 36 + 10 = 46 points - Pablo Wolcott (nc)
P2: 32 + 9 = 41 points - Team Last Minute Men (+1)
P3=: 33 + 6 = 39 points - Jaak BK (-1)
P3=: 31 + 8 = 39 points - Team REM (+1)
P5: 27 + 7 = 34 points - Team Lo Bucks (nc)
P6=: 24 + 4 = 28 points - Rod Morrison (nc)
P6=: 23 + 5 = 28 points - Ben Kernan (+1)

Location of the next round is currently under negotiation. Either St Louis, courtesy of Mike Zimmerman, or PA at the Washington Slotcar Club if their track renovation is complete in time. I'll let everyone know here.

Bob Israelite! That looks plenty Thingie enough for me. Give it some track time, mail it to the next location and you can be entrant #21.

Regards,

[Pablo]

Thanks Guys !
Yesterday was just my day.
It was very close racing. One extra deslot, and I could have been third or something.

[MantaRay]

WTG Pablo

[Lowrider]

Two rounds in St Louis will be next up.
One has a date set aside for early August. Mike can run his second round either side of that. These will be small, club style tracks of which there are a few in the area. Mike held several quickfire rounds for the SunChaser series a few years back and knows exactly what is required.

Champion of The World, Bud Bartos, has agreed to look at four of the most under-performing cars for us. Rod Morrison, Al Bond, Gary Vogeler and Ben Kernan are all set to profit from his expertise.
Thanks Bud.

Regards,

[Gator Bob]

Bob Israelite! That looks plenty Thingie enough for me. Give it some track time, mail it to the next location and you can be entrant #21.

Regards

Thanks Steve,

Can you please point to the link that describes the Choti (sub) Challenge .... same rules, just Choti body? 

I like the 3/32" fronts for handling but with the amount of movement on the chassis shown that body just doesn't seem to work out without going to little tiny fronts.

Any commercial tracks coming up?

[Lowrider]

Hi Bob.

Choti Challenge? Same cars, just a fun side-show for cars racing with the Choti #5 body. Seven at the last count with scores from 10 downwards according to race finishes. Nothing serious.

There may be one or two commercial raceways on the horizon when the cars visit Jairus in Oregon but he is best placed to describe them in detail. I don't think either of his rounds will be held on speed bowls though.
Partly for financial reasons and partly to slightly reduce the compromises necessary in car design, this series was always aimed at shorter club-style tracks. This isn't to say that some of the upcoming tracks aren't fast but there aren't any Kings likely to come up.

If the chassis you've pictured prefers Can-Am fronts, simply cut some 'breathing holes' in the front of the body for clearance. Tiny wheels are okay as well if you want to modify the front axle to suit them.

Regards,

[Jairus]

The first track is at "A Step Above Hobbies" which is the same track we ran the last Dynamic Challenge race which is 110' long 8 lane Commercial track.

This was taken in 2012 just prior to the last race. They cleaned up the track and finished setting it up just for the race.
After that the track has been open 6 days a week and has now become the cash cow of the hobby shop.  Very busy and an active racing program every Wednesday evening. (I go every other Wednesday due to the price of gas now days.)

Since that pic was taken.... Paul Painter raised the bank and leveled out some of the corners.  The track is pretty quick with 4 second times for a hot S16D powered Euro Flexi.  NASCARS, which are limited to the Parma 16D's run a very consistent 5 second lap times so... don't fall off or you lose.  Check out some of the laps in the race report. The guys who win never fall off!

The second track is "Edgewater Raceway" not more than a mile from the bunker.
It was finished right about January and they hold Drag races every Tuesday night and NASCAR flexi (same rules as ASA) every Thursday evening. The track in 135' long and lap times almost the same.  

ALMOST.... because while this track has a very smooth surface, it has no glue on the so tires have to be different than those used on the ASA track.  At least for my racing programs.
Also... this track has much tighter corners requiring slower speeds while the straight and bank are about the same.  As far as footprints go... this one is smaller than ASA by a lot... but longer because it folds in upon itself and is only 4 lanes.  But do not be mistaken, once one learns the course the lap times are the same.  

 

Matthew and Glen at ASA are very eager to hold one of the up-coming proxy rounds.  The track will be plenty glued up so even dry tires will have some grip.
I will take it upon myself to clean Edgewater Raceway's surface and glue the corners prior to running the cars there.  Also... I'll do any repairs between races in order to give everyone an even chance.


Except Lowrider..... and that fish car..... and....     
 

[Gator Bob]

Awesome, thanks guys.

I'll figure something out and send a car on to Jairus.

 

Looking forward to joining in on the fun.  

[SlotStox#53]

Those two tracks look awesome to race on! Good luck to all the cars in the upcoming events

[One_Track_Mind]

Bob,
I'm sending the cars to Mike Zimmerman first. I believe he has a couple of tracks also?
Just saying, why wait till its JHW turn? Run in all of them ya can!!


Brian McPherson
REM Raceway

[Gator Bob]

 Thanks Brian ...  

 

But ... I will need the extra fascination with procrastination time.     

 

Hey, hey, hey. Hey. 

[Pablo]

Don't procrastinate too much, or we will stage a procrastination intervention.

Resulting in a one-way ticket to Slot Car Boot Camp.

I can imagine the look on your face when you enter a room full of Slotblog members, all with letters, and crying with Kleenex

 

By the way, you are WAY down on points, dude

Maybe next proxy they will give 2 years lead time

[Gator Bob]

Can we go to Waffle House first ... Sir... ?  One, Two, One, Two ... ya had a good home and ya left ...

 

     ..--->  <---..      

 

Once upon a time I lead the points .. the only way is down Pablo.

Not points racing this time .. just comin to take some of yours...

[Pablo]

If you agree to Waffle House, then calisthenics, OK

You can steal my proxy points, but, face it, you are late late late, and there is no catching up.

Maybe next time you will play it smart and enlist pablo to build you a competitive proxy car on time on budget

Good Night, Sir.  It's all in fun, Bob.

 

Short tracks are coming up, and I have a feeling I'm going to get my clock cleaned (unless somebody swaps my motor to the 7T pinion motor)........

[Lowrider]

Nice one, Pablo! Go 'til they blow is our motto here.

This coming week will see the cars mailed from REM to Mike Zimmerman in St Louis, MO. Last week has been taken up by repairs or modifications to four cars in the hope of unlocking more reliability or performance. This work was undertaken, as I mentioned earlier, by the excellent Bud Bartos. Bud may have a few equals in slot car chassis building but I don't believe they come any better than him.

Rod Morrison's Highland Hot Rod had it's seized rear bearings replaced.
Al Bond's 'Gat-mobile' had a pin tube replaced and a fresh coat of paint on the whitewall tires.
Gary Vogeler's spectacular chassis received "a spring setup to keep all the moving parts moving the right way" to quote Bud. This slight limiting of the moving pans seems to have borne fruit and improvement was noted when the cars were tested at REM yesterday.


Photo by Brian McPherson.

Ben Kernan's car had the most work done. Ben's Choti has a new FSF motor bracket and ball bearings at the rear in place of his bushings which had been identified as a problem area. This has helped the car's handling but I'm told it still tracks slightly sideways under braking. Something amiss with the car's basic geometry is Doc Bartos' diagnosis but replacing main rails is beyond the scope of what he set out to do. We'll see how it goes in St Louis.






Photos by Brian McPherson.

Now on to the upcoming races. Round 7 will be held at Atlasta Motor Speedway on Wednesday, August 7th.
Here's the track:


Photo courtesy of Mike Zimmerman.

No firm plans at this time for the second St Louis round but it's most likely to take place on Mike's own Burnout Alley Raceway. Fantastic track. Very jealous, looking at this photo.


Photo courtesy of Mike Zimmerman.

More news as it happens.
Regards,

[MantaRay]

Thanks for the update Steve, Hope to race on all the tracks you pictured.....

[Jaak]

Me too next time I am getting a bigger box..one I can fit in along with the car 

[Gator Bob]

"Jaak in the Box"

[Jairus]

*sigh*