7 replies to this topic

[MG Brown]

Here are some photos of Goodspeed Slot Car Club in central Michigan.

 

 

 

 

 

For more information or to arrange a visit, please contact John Lacko <jalacko@aol.com>.

[MG Brown]

Sadly the club lost their lease on the building that they were using as of September 2017.

 

The track has recently been moved to the Gilmore Automobile Museum in Hickory Corners, MI.

 

The below photos show the progress in building the new "Red Barns Raceway".

 

 

 

[Mattb]

Hope they can keep the new setup going strong. That's a twisty looking, hard to drive track, but if it's what they like, good for them.  
 
Anybody in that club have any info or relationship to any of the guys that were in the initial rail track in Kalamazoo? I think it is generally regarded as the first club rail track in the US.

[MG Brown]

03 March 2018  

 

 

The new Red Barns Raceway at the Gilmore Car Museum has four lanes with very little competitive difference proven once again by the number of race laps turned.  

 

Apparently the cross over has equalized the lanes.  

 

A glitch with the timing system caused a 45 minute delay during the GT-3 race at the Red Barns Raceway.  

 

After some careful cleaning and clear thinking the system was back in operation during the twelfth heat of seventeen.  

 

 

Seventeen 3 minute heats because seventeen racers turned out for the race.  Unfortunately, lap times were lost during the timing problem.  

 

 

The next event at Red Barns will be on March 18 for Test & Tune and hosting interested attendees from the GCM Speaker Series event that same day at 3 PM.   The Slot Cars and the Kalamazoo Connection presentation will begin with a discussion centered around Kalamazoo being the location of the first slot car track in the U. S. of A. in 1956 and a brief history of slot cars up to Red Barns Raceway.  

 

Different types of slot cars will be explained as well.  

 

Finally 1:32 scale road racing will be explored with an explanation of our rules and classes.  

 

Then interested audience members will be invited to walk over to the RBR to see slot cars in action and talk to participants to learn more.

 

[MG Brown]

 

08 August 2018  About half the racers at RBR prepare a second car for each race, just in case something knocks out their main car.  Back up cars are seldom used but must pass tech inspection just in case.  

 

Wednesday evening John Lacko had his MRRC Cobra lose power during its second heat so out came his backup Scalextric Caterham.  The Caterham was fine for ten laps or so, then it lost power, but John finished the race by first alternating between the two cars.  Then his Fly Ferrari Daytona was teched for the last heat.  As the often heard saying goes, "that's racing."  Racers included; Bill Blett, Brian Casterline,  Cierra Casterline, Lonny Convis, John Lacko, Craig Salisbury and Jerry Wofford.  Heats were 4 minutes long.  Lap records indicated with an *.  

 

 

 

C9 Third, Second and First place finishers

 

C9   NASCAR A  (1960-1968)                150 gram magnet limit                                                                                                Laps Per Lane            1        2        3        4        

1. Lonny, 104 laps, Scalextric Dodge Charger #2, 96 g. weight, 148 g. magnet, 28 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                  25     27      27      25

2. John, 102 laps, Pioneer Dodge Charges #40, 107 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 29 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                  25     26      27      24

3. Cierra, 101 laps, Scalextric Dodge Charger #22, 91 g. weight, 146 g. magnet, 27 KPH speed Quick Slicks tires                                                      25     25      26      25

4. Brian, 99 laps, Monogram Plymouth GTX #99. 97 g. weight, 130 g. magnet, 29 KPH speed, Maxx Trac tires                                                           24     26      25      24

5. Bill, 94 laps, Monogram Ford Fairlane #29, 106 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 35 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                      24     25     24      21

6. Jerry, 89 laps, Monogram Plymouth GTX #43, 106 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 32 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                 23     23     20      23

 

Exhibition Craig, 88 laps, Monogram Ford Fairlane #29, 96 g. weight, 164 g. magnet, 40 KPH speed, Super tires                                                        20     21     26      21

 

Fastest Times Per Lane

#1. Cierra 8.765, Brian 8.981, Lonny 9.004, John 9.023, Bill 9.421, Craig 9.595, Jerry 9.741

#2. Cierra 8.522, John 8.543, Lonny 8.604, Brian 8.877, Craig 9.120, Bill 9.261, Jerry 9.589

#3. Lonny 8.339*, Cierra 8.416, John 8.496, Craig 8.540, Brian 8.661, Bill 9.134, Jerry 9.447

#4. Lonny 8.720, Brian 8.800, John 8.963, Cierra 9.023, Craig 9.144, Jerry 9.487, Bill 10.394

 

 

 

C9 Third, Second and First place finishers

 

C6  Big Bore Production (1962-1976)     150 gram magnet limit                                                                                            Laps Per Lane            1        2        3        4       

1. Brian, 116 laps, Scalextric Caterham #30, 59 g. weight, 142 g. magnet, 28 KPH speed, Slot it tires                                                                          28       28      30      30

2. Lonny, 110 laps, Scalextric Caterham #1, 60 g. weight, 127 g. magnet, 28 KPH speed, Slot it tires                                                                           27       29      27      27

3. Cierra, 108 laps, Scalextric Caterham #19, 61 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 27 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                        25       27      29      27 

4. Bill, 99 laps, Fly Ferrari Daytona #34, 75 g. weight, 146 g. magnet, 29 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                                25       21      27      26

5. Jerry, 94 laps, Scalextric Caterhamn #19, 61 g. weight, 135 g. magnet, 27 KPH speed, Indy Grip tires                                                                     21      26      25       22

6. John, 93 laps, MRRC Cobra #18, 76 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 30 KPH speed, Super tires                                                                                       26      20      26       21

                            Scalextric Caterham #5, 64 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 29 KPH speed, Super tires

                            Fly Ferrari Daytona #39, 88 g. weight, 150 g. magnet, 30 KPH speed, Super tires

 

Exhibition: Craig, 103 laps, Scalextric Caterham #5, 81 g. weight, 197 g. magnet, 32 KPH speed, Super tires                                                             23       27      28       25

 

Fastest Times Per Lane

#1. Brian 7.841, Lonny 8.083, Cierra 8.087, John 8.451, Bill 8.567, Craig 8.581, Jerry 8.951

#2. Lonny 7.638, Cierra 7.818, Craig 7.899, Brian 7.915, Jerry 8.180, Bill 8.509, John 9.635

#3. Brian  7.491*, Lonny 7.637, Cierra 7.853, John 7.904, Craig 8.050, Bill 8.155, Jerry 8.430

#4. Brian 7.661, Cierra 7.677, Lonny 7.679, Craig 7.877, Jerry  8.609, Bill 8.809, John 8.956

 

 

 

Next Race at Red Barns  Raceway                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Wednesday August 22, track opens at 6 PM, technical inspection at 7 PM, racing after tech.  Classes to be run:

 

C32 L88 Bow Tie 175 grams magnet limit

 

       Scalextric Corvette L88s

 

C26 Contemporary F1/Open Wheel 1 (F1, Champ car, A1 GP) (2000+) (FC-130 & FF motors) 150 grams magnet limit

 

       Carrera

       Ninco

       Scalextric

       SCX

 

 

News                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

New Premier Series Classes  The Premier Series that we race is intended to be an easy way for new racers to get started.  One of the nine classes in the series are run as part of every race in order.  The Premier Series classes are also among the most popular among racers and feature the most affordable slot cars.  Two classes have been replaced in the series; C9 NASCAR A (1960-1968) and C14 NASCAR B (1969-1971).  They will be replaced with C24 GT3 and C28 BTCC in the next racing schedule.

 

Test and Tune 8/15 1 PM to 5 PM  While we wait for the Menards delivery truck to bring the paneling for the North and East walls of the barn, let's do some testing and tuning.  Then when the truck arrives, we have to move the 17 sheets of paneling and 12 sheets of 1/2 inch wallboard into the barn.     

        

C9 Possible Rules Change  The magnet limit for the Monogram cars in C9 may be increased to 175 grams to make them more competitive with the Scalextric and Pioneer Dodges.

[raisin27]

It sure would be fun to race cars that looked like that.

[MG Brown]

It sure would be fun to race cars that looked like that.

 

It's possible you know. They are very welcoming to newbs.

[MG Brown]