180 replies to this topic

[Gator Bob]

I have a long list of thanks ...

First to the twenty four proxy "Participant" plaque holders  ... y'all made it happen. Brave Entrants, Great Drivers, Dedicated volunteer staff of marshals and reporters. 

Bill Pinch didn't get a plaque but did a wonderful job keeping this event (and us) all 'on track'.

Mike Swiss for the car kits and concept promo and Ray Price for providing logistics.

 

 

"How the Race was Run"

 

• Track voltage lowered to 11v, qualifying was done at 12 volts.
• This race was run Round Robin with 5th thru 12th starting first and the top 4 qualifiers rotated in bottom up 4,3,2,1.  
• We ran a 'casual practice no-race/race' at 30 seconds power on for everyone to get a 'test ride' of every flavor variety of car and understand the whole 'car moves and the driver stays' concept.
• Then we ran the main at 1.5 minutes on, 'game on' .... procedurally it went smooth, on track there was fast action and the expected oval carnage could actually have been worse.

We don't run 'Natural' rubber tires on the oval, I don't know if the 'foam' rubber laid down had everyone skating until the natural rubber got built up.

[Gator Bob]

Official Race Statistics.

 

 

[Gator Bob]

We should continue this delicious event!

 

Next race in NY/NJ?

 

   ;-)

 

Sorry Jens .... The cars will need to go back to their respective or selected shop for repairs.

 

Locals asked 'where do they go next, I'll send mine, can we do it again, maybe I'll build one too'  

 

Lets do another oval

[Jencar17]

Up and away to the next oval!!

 

[CoastalAngler1]

I always save a nice one in the baitwell, just in case...The Carnage:

 

 

I was rooting for the Dean Van Lines car, alas the guide nut came unbuttoned.  I voted concourse for the Wynns car and her front came unbuttoned.  I guess the media should stay neutral.    Loved the fu-man-chu mustache on the Evil Bucks driver.

[Ramcatlarry]

Track conditions: The track was NOT sprayglued?..?

I would have put on fresh tires...glad I did not mount the soft wonder that works so well with our yankee hardbodies.

[Gator Bob]

I always save a nice one in the baitwell, just in case...The Carnage:

 

Carnage.jpg

 

I was rooting for the Dean Van Lines car, alas the guide nut came unbuttoned.  I voted concourse for the Wynns car and her front came unbuttoned.  I guess the media should stay neutral.    Loved the fu-man-chu mustache on the Evil Bucks driver.

 

He will have to shave it off before the next event ... don't jinx him... LOL

 

"Hit the pace car"   http://www.youtube.c...h?v=OIe1KtfpDzw

[Gator Bob]

Racers,

Track was not spray glued for this event.

I think it turned out to be a pretty close race considering all the variables.

 

Track was loose but look at the big gains made by cars that were near impossible to drive in qualifying.

Some of the cars had 'very dry' tires and we worked on them.

 

Compare the Q time to the Fast lap.

In the race the whole field was separated by .22 sec. That's a pretty good race for 12 cars.

[Jaak]

Heya Bob,

I think you may have missed my post, Just to be sure when I get it back I would love to know where I can improve.

this is the main reason I do proxies it is to improve my skills.

I have no track to test these on and all clubs in my area race on plastic Hardbody nearly stock cars and all on rubber or urethane so my sponge knowledge is also zero,( I am building my own 3 lane routed track as we speak)
 

I am extremely interested in the whole retro / brass chassis scene but have no way of learning anything from others except for what is written on forums,

as you know there is not much information given on what works what not and what is best.

I asked in post #117:
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated on what is wrong.
Is it the chassis design? where the tires just that bad? was it the motor that had no more oomph..bad luck.

Love to hear more!
  

[JohnnySlotcar]

Seeing how according to Tony P., all the cars were extremely loose, a spray glue touch up should have been in order! These cars ran 2 complete races at Swiss's and did not have traction problems.

[CoastalAngler1]

This photo didn't make the story, but now I can share it...group shot not the best quality image, lighting is everything

 

[Jencar17]

Very sympathic people on the picture! May be 500 years of experience!!    

 

It was and is a real pleasure! Thanks again!!

[Gator Bob]

Jaak,

I award you for entering this (and other proxies) without having any support locally or experience with these kinds of tires. I didn't drive the cars but I can say that your tires condition would make it very difficult to say if your chassis design was ok or would work.

 

Your skills are much better now, I saw the recent Jail Door Thingy.

 

The only chassis that 'really worked' in both qualifying and in the race was Matt's. A full shaker pan/center plate, flexi style.

[Jaak]

Thanks Bob,

If there will be a next round I will put ultra fresh tires on it and send it in seal bag.
I understand that not much can be felt or seen when the car has no traction...contemplated getting new spongies but thought they where still ok.   

If the next round would have a concourse I will do the body again but this time do it right....first time no decal setting solution and they just broke off.
Second time around they looked fantastic until I got the bright idea of spraying some WD40 on the body to make it shine more...found out decals and WD40 don't mix  

Yeah the Jaildoor is doing much better then I expected as it is competing with "full race design" angle winders... I chose for more show and Inline.
Thank you for the compliment.

More Jaildoors coming soon to a forum near you   
 

[Ramcatlarry]

Thanks to the organizers and drivers for putting on the show.  Hope everyone learned something for another event.

I know that I added about 5 grams of bracing and left hand ballast to mine.  One question  or two that we should have asked about the track is 1)length of straight, 2)std glue condition. 

 

I had in mind a (?) similar ogivlie 55 ft trioval around Chicago, so I kept my smaller OD tires hoping that would make the effective gear ratio better.  My usual practice for many ovals is to put a new tire on the right to improve the stagger with the inside tire being smaller  Pictures did not look like the track I had in mind.  We usually use one camen medium to a qt of naptha to glue a track.

 

My experience with the retros is happy cars weigh 110 - 118 grams.  Lots of banking can be lighter and lots of flat turns can be heavier.  Rick, Bob A,  and Dave's cars were heavier, but made great times.  Sliding weights should work, but most work better with much less the 1/8" of movement...more like less than 1/16".....  Gear area mass may be better than more centered between the axles.

[Pablo]

As far as "looseness" of the track, they sure looked like they were scooting around pretty fast in the video !

Everybody ran the same track.  I'd rather have looseness than too sticky and have them tilting at every corner.

 

Next time I won't trim my flag post so short ! Lesson learned, my post was fine until the addition of spacers to allow for 30 thou braid recess.  I'm happy just knowing my car handled well and was competitive.  

 

Jaak it's real hard to give advice on miniature cars long distance, however, I will make you a proposal, as long as the car is already here in the US, have it sent to me along with mine instead of going home.  I'll examine it in detail and tell you every single thing I think you could improve, then send it back to you.

[Gator Bob]

I'm waiting for the video to upload to youtube, then will send everything to Gator Bob to review and post up...while we're waiting -

 

"No Doc, you can't see my secret weapon chassis!"     

 

No Doc you cant see my Secret Chassis Weapon.JPG

 

 

 

No secrets under there  ... LOL

 

Doc was trying to figure out 'who built that unmarked chassis , tony, Bob .... or Bill?'

 

Look ... tony didn't want to say nothin'.

Will the real builder please stand up.    

 

   

[Gator Bob]

 

 

I had in mind a (?) similar ogivlie 55 ft trioval around Chicago, .... 

TRACK picture? ... can this cars run there?

[Pablo]

What do the "**" double asterisks mean in post 133 ?

 

Any close up pictures of my special Pablo oilite ball bearings ?   

[Gator Bob]

Any close up pictures of my special Pablo oilite ball bearings ?   

Only the one you sent me ....   

[Pablo]

I've already seen that one 

[Gator Bob]

Those are TinBall Bushings 

[Pablo]

   

[Gator Bob]

What do the "**" double asterisks mean in post 133 ?

 

 

Official members of the small tire club.

[Pablo]

Aha.  Thanks.

I'd feel guilty, if I hadn't finished dead last 

On the undersized rubber, lesson learned for all of us, rubber is subject to a lot of temperature and humidity changes in the course of shipping.

For some reason it always results in shrinkage, not expansion. Next time I'll probably set my car up for about 1.015