5 replies to this topic

[MSwiss]

I somehow wound up with it, so I guess I have to post pics of it. lol



John Pierce's Lava Machine 2, with some added lettering, after its "incident", at the 1988 Seattle Slugfest. LOL.



The back end, with the slightly-deformed rear spoiler from the heat of the Estes engine.



The bottom, with the covering, I presume, to protect the track.



The body, with its added "heat shielding."



Charred and rusty, but the nicely designed and built chassis.
 


Super-nice job on the double pillow block, split axle, rear end.

[Dominator]

Did this actually run on a king? Years ago at Fishkill Raceway one of my friends and a couple of locals did this will a drag car. It clocked 125 mph on a 1/4 mile.

[MSwiss]

The first time, it was Jerry Kulich's King at a Midwest USRA points race.
 
With a "small" engine, it was very unimpressive.

It took off down the straight, slowed down, and coasted around the Bank.
 
The original Lava Machine, a Camaro or Firebird, was much more impressive, obliterating a G7 powered, Raisin built rail, on the the drag strip at Andy Smith's Family Hobby and Cones.
 
At the 1988 Slugfest, John Pierce, dominated the first 2 heats of the his Semi.

I remember thinking, John looks like a shoe-in for the Main.

After having a real rough 3rd heat, he dropped to 7th or 8th place.
 
With about 30 seconds left in the intermission, I walked over to my marshaling spot on the lead-on, and the Lave Machine was sitting there, with John at the panel, hooking up his controller, getting ready for blast off, at the start of the 4th heat.

I looked over my shoulder, to the nearby race director stand.

The W.S.S & H. owner, and race director, Steve Horford, was holding up his fairly newborn daughter, by her hands, and had her "dancing" on the race director's table, totalky oblivious to what was going on.

I thought long and hard, and with about 10 seconds left for the heat to start, much to John's chagrin, I picked up the car and placed it in front of Steve.

So I ruined what would of been probably the craziest moment in slot racing, a racer running an Estes-powered car in a G7 race.
 
Hosford spent the last heat, checking out car, totally fascinated by it, and was all for seeing it run, so as soon as the Semi was over, John took a "pass" with it.
 
It obviously had a much more powerful engine than at Jerry's, a month or two, earlier.
 
It made it about a third or half way around the bank, launched, bounced off the close back wall, at about a 30 degree angle, and buzzed another Pro racer and his girlfriend, who were walking by, and I'm pretty sure, unaware of the goings-on, having just walked in through the back door, and were approaching the Finger.

It hit her, or at least got close enough, that the racer confronted John, as John walked over to retrieve the car.

There was a real enthusiastic 2 hand shove, and a declaration of "Jerk" from the other guy.

IIRC, John just shrugged his shoulders, realizing that was the least he deserved, and proceeded to pick up the car, and walked away.

[Overdrive]

Thanks, Mike,
 
That description was good for a solid belly laugh.
 
I wasn't there but wish I was.
 
I tell ya, us slot racers can be some pretty motley geniuses!
 
Happy New Year!

[MSwiss]

I can still remember, standing there in the lead-on, watching as Hosford, sort of ignored his race director duties, while marveling at it.

[Dave Crevie]

See!!! Slot racing can be fun.