26 replies to this topic

[bradblohm]

Competitors will race 2 (or 3 if preferred) minute heats on each lane of the Fiedler Flat Track.  Competitors will also judge and score all cars (except their own) for Concours d'Elegance.  Overall finishing order determined by combined racing placement and Concours placement.

 

Racing Specs:

- must use original unmodified Cox 36D sidewinder frame (either motor clip in or motor plate)

- must use Mabuchi 36D motor (rewinds allowed, but please no modern neo magnets)

- must use injected styrene body, but need not be original Cox

- any tires allowed, but must fit inside body (must not be visible when viewed from above)

- ground clearance rules set by house (Mike has final say as it's his track, so be respectful!)

 

Concours Specs:

- each competitor judges all other cars on a 0-20 scale (20 being high)

  - my thinking when scoring in Bordeaux is that I give 10 points for showing up

  - I may give or take away a couple points based on quality of paint and livery

  - I may give or take away a couple points based on look and accuracy of wheels/tires

  - I may give or take away a couple points based on originality/condition of chassis/motor/guide

  - I may give or take away a couple points based on appearance of driver/interior

  - finally, I may give or take away a couple points based on "whatever feelings I may have, and they're mine!"

 

Doors open 8AM for registration, testing, and celebrating vintage slot car stuff!

Concours voting to start around 11:30

Break for lunch between 12-1PM

Racing to start around 1:30

Hopefully done around 3:30

 

Let's also have a discussion about possibilities for next race next year.  Vintage events in Europe have themes, so...

 

[Dave Crevie]

Why only one class of Cox exclusively? Not every one of us from back in the 60's ran Cox cars.

[MSwiss]

Dave,
We'll have plenty time to race anything, and everything, afterwards.

 

I've left the whole day open for vintage racing, for anyone that sticks around after the official event, listed above.

[Dave Crevie]

Great! I feel much better. Having been there, I know that Cox was only a small part of the slot racing scene. As

we have seen in the posts in the vintage section of this site, slot car manufacturers were falling from the sky. I

would like to see them all represented. Especially the ones I don't even know about.   

[Ramcatlarry]

My Lotus 40 is ready.

[Dave Crevie]

Mine, too. Along with a nice selection of others from my youth. Be there in a little while.

[Mark Mattei]

Picking out my cars now, see you soon.

[MSwiss]

Brad Blohm and Nick Zuk got here about 20 minutes ago.

[MSwiss]

Brad's beautiful Fireball Robert's NART Ferrari, complete with wire wheels and hood bug deflectors.

[MSwiss]

As I was filling my snack shelves, I noticed this car scooting around, real smoothly, with the wing operating very nicely, under braking.

I think I posted pics of Larry Kelley's 51 year old car, previously.

[MSwiss]

Mark Mattei, holding a mini-symposium on the AMT turnpike system and cars.

[MSwiss]

The starting lineup.

[MSwiss]

Mark's pickup truck took the race over Dave's #55 Lotus 40, by 1/2 lap.

Dave Crevie's time was a rider.

I noticed he went at least 8.9.


With concours points figured in, Dave took the win.

[slotbaker]

Cool.

 

Any chassis photos of the cars??

[MSwiss]

Not unless Nick or Brad took them.

[MattD]

thanks Mike

[Dave Crevie]

Someone might have got some, but basically the chassis are unmodified Cox die cast magnesium chassis with the plastic

front subframe supplied with the kit. No high tech stuff here.

 

I want to thank Brad for getting this ball rolling, and Mike Swiss for hosting. It was great fun. The first full eight heat race I

have entered in probably over a year. 

[bradblohm]

Dropped Nick off at home half an hour ago, and I'm home and unpacked.

 

Congrats to Nick for winning Concours, and congrats to Mark for winning the racing, but biggest congrats to Dave for the combined win.  Shows what a nice car that also runs well can do!  Also, big thanks to Mike for opening early and hosting.  Great fun, and I hope others enjoyed!

 

There was some discussion about doing it again, and a possible theme of using Classic Manta Ray chassis.  They made a million, so easy to find, and sticking with 36D power is easy, and lots of bodies can fit that chassis.  I think the Fiedler flat is one that favors setup and driving rather than power, so...  For the record I wish Dave F. were still with us as I'm sure he would enjoy this!  Anyway, my suggestion would again be the Saturday before the Highland swap meet (date is known, but not at the moment) because of the people traveling to the swap meet who might also come and race, and several from the Chicago area at the swap meet said they want in for the next time.  If Mike is agreeable, let's discuss any tweaks to rules or format and get it posted so it's not a last-minute rush (my fault, and sorry for that!).

 

Thanks again Mike!

[Dave Crevie]

A few years ago we ran Manta Rays as part of the weekly Saturday night program. Dave Feidler and Ray Price were

the instigators, and we were surprised at how many of the regulars had Manta Rays. Ray started buying up the ones

on e-bay, and would loan them out to people who wanted to get into the race. (It's how Ray got the Nickname Manta Ray)

It was great fun. And a real departure from the GT-1 and Retro cars we also ran on those nights.  

[MSwiss]

My impressions of the event.

It turned out fine.

Great comaradarie and lots of laughs.

A few of the racers would of spent less time in the pits if they had used some loctite on their threaded wheels.

Some cars handled the sponge rubbered up surface, better than others.

Mark Mattei's car, with narrow Speedway silicones, went around the track absolutely normal.

I don't know what Dave Crevie's car had for rear tires, but it did not.

But he did a great job driving, and probably would of taken the track portion win, but twice started the heat with his car on the lane, he finished the previous heat on.

Brad's car, with Ortman(?) urethane, looked like it ran around normally.

Speaking of which, despite Brad short-selling his driving ability and competitiveness, he took to the Fiedler Flat, like a duck to water.

He drove great on it, to finish within a few laps of a couple CR regulars.

With it's plentiful availability, the Manta Ray is obviously a good choice.

I'll just add that from past experiences racing them, the guide seems a little fragile.

I thought maybe it was because of the esses, but I've replaced a guide for a local guy, who didn't care much about the originality, and I opened the 1/8" hole up with a unibit, to 3/16", and installed a Starburst.

So the type of guide shoe, that is allowed, IMO, should be addressed.

Note,the esses section, has long been flipped over to the straight portion.

My infinitely adjustable power worked out great.

IMO, the 10.5V, Brad and Nick agreed on, was perfect.

In a future event, I'm up to cleaning the track, but I would like to see a few more guys.

I also wouldn't mind a 2nd race, for no other reason than my entertainment.

Maybe a run what you brung, with some sort of handicap scoring, awarding a co-winner title to the racer who ran the steadiest, based on his best lap time.

To provide enough time, if there was enough advance notice, maybe the Saturday room trading can happen at the raceway.

I don't care if money changes hand on sales of vintage cars and equipment.

Just my thoughts.

Not a requirement for me to hold the next race.

Regardless of the amount of racing, I would hold the total price of $20, for racing and practice, and $12 for people that just want to practice.

No charge for sellers only, if that materializes.

That includes running on the King, which also has infinitely adjustable power, and soft walls.

[sportblazer350]

good to see that others are also racing vintage cars. If i could have been there i have a Cox Cheetah and a Lotus that would have been entered, and plenty more 36D powered cars for other races. Hopefully someday, somehow, we can get a race with NJ and Chicago racers.  

[Dave Crevie]

I would be all in favor of another race in the spring. I believe there is another meet at Highland then, and could be coordinated

with that. Or something separate, if this begins to build up momentum. I feel the same about vintage slot cars as I do about

real vintage racing. The cars were meant to be on the track, and we should embrace that. As to classes, we could easily run

three races, as they do with the retro cars. Classes could be broken down by eras, i.e., up through 1964 RTRs and un-modified

kits, 1965 and up RTRs and unmodified kits, and scratchbuilts, including modified RTRs and kits. Topics for discussion. 

 

As to my performance Saturday, I made the mistake of pairing very soft foam rears with a mild re-wind. Made for a very bouncy

car.  I had to really feather it coming out of the corners. Putting the car on the wrong lane twice didn't help, but fortunately didn't

really hurt me that much. Mark Mattei is a very accomplished driver, pushing what should have been a brick to first place. Well

deserved. 

[bradblohm]

All for the ideas so far, just hoping to keep it vintage and simple.  Also like the Concours aspect on at least one class to give a push for good looking cars.  Always been a "the cars are the stars" guy, so...

 

Pretty sure the next Highland swap meet is March 15, 2020, so if Mike is okay with March 14 we can start filling out a schedule of events.  Pretty sure a few more from Detroit would play, perhaps a couple of the St Louis crowd, and I know several from the Chicago area want in!

 

The tires on my Chaparral were Ortmann urethane, and trued there that morning.  If time is taken to wet polish them after truing they work really well!  To my knowledge the Paul Gage tires from Canada are a very similar urethane to the Ortmann's from Germany and have heard good things.  I've known Michael Ortmann for 20 years, so I get directly from him when I go to Slotmania in Stuttgart.

[Mark Mattei]

My pickup with Speedway silicones as noted by Mike, hotted up 36D courtesy of Mister H (first time Ive used one of your motors, its just Great!), and a Chicagoland low CG flag (the only flag I use and the only one you should). Finished the car the morning of the event, got there in time to run @ 10 warm up laps, was a bit tippy in the corners, slapped on some lead and raced. Great fun, looking forward to doing it again. Thanks All.

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[bradblohm]

And next time it will have a driver?  Perhaps do like Mike and include a passenger with built in silicone air bags!  Probably need more lead on the bottom as the car would be even more top heavy!