43 replies to this topic

[mdiv]

Btw Mike Boemker, if I'm mistaken let me know but nice to hear you are racing again!

[MrWeiler]

For anybody with the idea that womps are hard to drive...correct. That’s what makes them fun for experienced racers and a good car for a beginner. They are EZ to fix when bent, parts are cheep and if someone learns to drive with a womp they will likely find it easier to adapt to other classes.

BTW, when the Parma Womp chassis was designed, the motors that were fitted were about the same performance and weight as a Mini Brute motor. The AWRA rules for the Legends body cars with the mini brute motor are PERFECT for beginner racers.

JMHO

[sportblazer350]

Keeping things simple can make racing fun and not too expensive.   If racers aren't skilled in building and tuning.    Nothing is better than a Womp with a little extra weight to be a fun racer.    

 

The guys with great skills that like to see what they can do, aren't happy with this entry level position.   that's OK, they do retro or whatever they like.    It is pretty easy for anybody to have fun with a Womp and basic controller.    No mortgage is needed on the house!

Matt- I agree with you completely. For example, when we were racing H&R Racing Hardbody cars, 25,000 rpm motors, car are much slower than modern cars. Every now and then a Flexi racer would watch us for a while, and always the same comment/question: why do you guys race such slow cars? Same answer I gave every time: because we like them, because they are real SCALE and hardbody cars, just like when the hobby started: Model Car Racing. So the same goes with Womps: simple, fun and inexpensive slot car racing that anyone can race, not just the fastest racers. 

[sportblazer350]

and here is my Womp Womp and related collection, including a Sprints Plus car, 2 Riggen home set cars, etc:

 IMG_1639.JPG   108.69KB   5 downloads

 

 IMG_1637.JPG   79.07KB   5 downloads

 

 IMG_1638.JPG   85.99KB   5 downloads

[Bill from NH]

Nice collection Glenn!  If I had to pick a favorite, it'd be the blue #3 with the Riggen chassis.

[NJ Racer]

Raced them in the Eastern Oval Series years back in NJ & PA. Rules & specs were manageable:

 

1/32 SCALE
LEGENDS CARS

These cars are to be run the way they are produced !!!!

Chassis: Champion # 401 or Parma #572 or #573 only. Weight may be added to chassis. No bracing allowed. No opening front axle holes for movement. Rear oilites may be soldered, or glued to chassis. This is the only chassis modification allowed: Guide flag mounts in chassis may be braced, but may not be altered, relocated or repositioned

Bodies: are to be run as produced on the RTR Champion cars w/no body rake. Champion # 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 2061/32 scale cars must maintain a 3/64" track clearance at all points

1/32 scale cars may not exceed a maximum width of 3 1/8

Axles: 1/8" solid steel. Maximum 1/8 offset is allowed.

Tires: Front: 5/8" minimum diameter foam, 1/2" minimum width.

Rear: .790 minimum rear.

Independent front wheels are permitted 

Gears: Any ratio. Spur gear must be 48 pitch plastic only.

Motor: Parma #500 tape sealed motor. No modifications permitted

The only other mandatory rule in this class is...have fun.

 

Examples:

 

 Legends4.jpg   53.85KB   5 downloads

 

 Legends5.jpg   57.22KB   5 downloads

 

 Legends3.jpg   8.41KB   5 downloads

 

 Legends1stEOS.jpg   10.68KB   5 downloads

 

[Bill from NH]

Is the Eastern Oval Series still around or was it headed up by the same person who also headed up a drag racing series? He has since passed away, but his name escapes me..

[NJ Racer]

Ralph Jones was the primary organizer, however unfortunately he passed away too early .  

 

 

 

 EOS Ralph Jones.jpg   9.47KB   5 downloads

[smithspeedway]

We run open and restricted divisions on our flat oval. The open division tends to favor faster cars. The restricted division (21k motors, no silicones, etc.) has closer racing and better races. Which someone prefers is entirely a function of which aspect they prefer. Neither is "better". The overall speed of the cars just makes the racing experience different.

 

 

Matt- I agree with you completely. For example, when we were racing H&R Racing Hardbody cars, 25,000 rpm motors, car are much slower than modern cars. Every now and then a Flexi racer would watch us for a while, and always the same comment/question: why do you guys race such slow cars? Same answer I gave every time: because we like them, because they are real SCALE and hardbody cars, just like when the hobby started: Model Car Racing. So the same goes with Womps: simple, fun and inexpensive slot car racing that anyone can race, not just the fastest racers. 

[sportblazer350]

Hi Ray, well we might just be racing these at Dom's Raceway sometime soon! First i want to see who has them, what configurations of parts/set up, and then if enough are interested, to start racing. Possibly the current AWRA rules. So if you have any, bring them to our next event at Dom's and we'll go from there. 

[Bill from NH]

Ralph Jones was the primary organizer, however unfortunately he passed away too early .  

 

 

 

EOS Ralph Jones.jpg

Thanks for Ralph's name, He was the one I forgot. I used to read Ralph's posts on OWH & a couple times I bought some dirt mod bodies off him.

[Pete L.]

I'd love to race Womps on an oval again. I still have my fully braced, paper bodied Womp Modified waiting in the wings so to speak...

 

I also have an old/new Paper body and some clear bodies waiting as well as some chassis and motors and such. Various dirt late model bodies as well as old NASCAR Stockers in my stash.

[sportblazer350]

Pete- bring some of your Womps to our club meeting tonight. I freshened up most of mine and will see how they hold up to track testing. Then, somewhere in the depths of my slot car shelves of parts and such, is a box of various era Womp bodies, chassis, etc. This could turn out to be fun!  

[Steve Adkins]

I am surprised at the growth of WOMPS in the past few years. When the first AWRA race was held back in 2014, there were three legal chassis for WOMPS. Now there are about a dozen with more coming in 2020. We have gone from the old 16D motors to the faster and lighter mini can motors, and the performance difference is amazing. In 2014, there were only a few bodies to be had. Now there are several dozen. We are not drawing the numbers that we would like to, but we are drawing a different crowd. The atmosphere at an AWRA event is different, Who else has racers dressed as pink dinosaurs and unicorns? Make no mistake, the on-track competition is very serious, but the attitude is different. First, the racers understand that a WOMP will never really handle and that leads to a more relaxed race. Take a look at the podium photos on the AWRA facebook and you will see people laughing and having FUN. 

If you would like to know more about the AWRA. check out our web page at http://awrawomp.com/

Or our facebook page at https://www.facebook...18121901759886/

Or our collection of tech articles at https://www.facebook...admin_todo_tour

Or our rules page at https://business.fac.../awrawomprules/

[MrWeiler]

Someone said earlier that the $15 womp from 1981 is now $42.  Well, now you need to buy a motor but $15 in 1981 equals $42.99 in 2019 dollars...

[mdiv]

Steel chassis RTR womp was $31.99 in 2006.

 

For your legends womps do you guys race them on Ovals or small road courses?

Smith Scale Speedway had Parma do a big batch of Gremlins for them a few years back and I got a few, was a great idea....I've wanted to do one up but my painting skills are terrible, so I gave Jerry the remaining ones I had.

 

Some more memories:

Back in 2007 I worked at the race place for a few months until my regular 8-5 picked up steam again and that winter they started running dirt mods on Saturday nights on the challenger oval.  I remember huge turn outs, guys making bodies out of sheets of Champion lexan, then moving to Caveman (or another brand, I don't remember offhand) paper bodies strictly.  Steel womp vs brass womp vs thumper....guys having custom bodies made with their numbers and likeness in the cockpit, bleeding fingers from the nerf bars, oh man.

 

If there's one thing I've learned by spending so much time with myself.  2am mutterings zzzzzz

[Pete L.]

Mike,

 

 I've got one of those Womp modifieds with the nerf bars and bumper along with the paper body. We ran them Tuesday nights as well as 1/24 Flexi dirt late models...I still have that body too.

 

Maybe I'll post some pics one day ?

[orangecrate]

I like the womps, I have quite a number of them with different bodies and setups. 

 

My womps I have to drive them thru the turns and when the chassis's get bent do body fender work get those chassis's flat. 

[Brian Czeiner]

Someone said earlier that the $15 womp from 1981 is now $42.  Well, now you need to buy a motor but $15 in 1981 equals $42.99 in 2019 dollars...

Maybe this is part of the reason there is a return to womps? While prices have gone up, they haven't increased nearly as high as 1/24.