Slotlandia photos

http://assoslotalpin.canalblog.com/archives/2012/10/01/25225648.html

Photos from Slotlandia 2012.

IRRL 2012-2013 Racing Season Begins

The 2nd season of the newly formed Illinois Retro Racing League began at Chicagoland Raceway September 22nd, 2012 on the 155' King track.

Both F1 and Can-Am retro races were held. Here are the results:

F1 A-Main Results
19 Entries - Howie Ursaner TQ 4.626

1 – 283 Ron Hershman
2 – 279 Kevin Van Pelt
3 – 274 Dave Gehring
4 – 272 Howie Ursaner
5 – 272 Dave Fiedler
6 – 256 Jack Beers
7 – 240 Mike Swiss (move up)
8 – 066 Greg Gorski (move up)

F1 Podium Drivers (L-R)
Dave Gehring, Ron Hershman, Kevin Van Pelt

F1 Podium Cars

Can-Am A-Main Results
17 Entries - Howie Ursaner TQ 4.382

1 – 291 Ron Hershman
2 – 288 Mike Swiss
3 – 286 Kevin Van Pelt
4 – 286 Howie Ursaner
5 – 280 Ray Price (move up)
6 – 278 Dave Fiedler
7 – 275 John Austin
8 – 273 Rick Stagen (move up)

Can-Am Podium Drivers (L-R)
Kevin Van Pelt, Ron Hershman, Mike Swiss

Can-Am Podium Cars.

Next IRRL series race is Oct. 27 - Lake Barrington Speedway, Barrington, IL. Contact the Raceway for details.

Photos courtesy of Mike Swiss at Chicagoland Raceway.

More photos here: IRRL 2012 Race 1 Gallery

http://www.porsche.com/all/motorsport/pccd/livestream.htm
Watch the Porsche Cup Germany at this link now live!

Pedersen wins 9th National Title at Buena Park "Nats"

Congratulations to Paul "BEUF" Pedersen the 2012 USRA Pro Group 7 National Champion!

Although Petr Krcil of the Czech Republic was the top pro qualifier among the 30 entries with a lap of 1.434 seconds, Beuf ran a virtually flawless 40 minute main to take the win.

This is BEUF's 4th Pro G7 Victory in a row and 9th overall Nats Pro G7 Victory with 1229 Laps! The race was held on the 155' Blue King track at Buena Park Raceway, Buena Park, CA on August 11th 2012.

BEUF dedicated this race & the win to the loving memory of his late Mom, Veta Darling Pedersen.

A bit worn out after an intense week of preparation and racing, the national champion thanked his wife Sherri and his daughters for their support.

Beuf's race and concours winning car was painted by Gil Rivera in Beuf's usual patriotic scheme.

Thanks to Bill Skinner and Stupidfast Racing for their sponsorship of the Pro G7 race. Stupidfast Thunder Rubber was the overwhelming choice of the Pro G7 entries.

At the annual USRA membership meeting, Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies was chosen  to host the 2013 Division I National Championship races. 

They will be held August 24-31 2013 in Downers Grove, IL which is a western suburb of Chicago. Check Mid-America's facebook page for the latest details about this event.

Racer (RCR 63B) 512S #20 Sebring 12hrs. 1979 - J. Ickx / P. Schetty

My local slot shop Mini Grid recently received a shipment of Racer cars. Included in their shipment was Racer's Ferrari 512S. This release has allowed me to add another car from the legendary 1970 Sebring 12 hour race to my collection. It's Racer's Ickx / Schetty Ferrari 512S. Truly, a work of art in slot car form:

Judging from historical photos taken back in the day, Racer has nailed it aside from the lack of prancing horse emblem on their model's nose.

My guess is that this detail was omitted due to licensing issues. An easy enough fix with the appropriate decal...another mod added to my slot car to-do list, so I'll get around to is some day.Racer has done a nice job on the interior and Mr. Ickx' helmet:

Some nice detail on the rear of this model:

Here are shots that compare the Racer 512S (left) to its Fly counterpart (right):

Underneath lurks a Slot.it drivetrain - what we've come to expect in a Racer. This guarantees the car will run as good as it looks. My example exhibited a bit of tire rub, but with the adjustable nature of the Slot.it drivetrain this is easily fixable.

I now have three cars in my Sebring 1970 collection: Andretti's custom liveried Fly 512S, the Revson / McQueen Fly Porsche 908 Flunder, and the Ickx / Schetty Racer 512S:

All I need now is some track time. I'm looking forward to getting this beauty on the track to see how it stacks up against its race mates.

Spa 24 Hour live stream link

http://tv.audi.com/#/01
Watch the Spa 24 Hour race at this link.

New Gold Sloting Plus wheels

Available from Professor Motor Dealers in North America
Same wheels are available in silver finish (3 sizes)
These wheels fit standard Slot.it, NSR, Indy Grips and many Super Tires as well as Sloting plus tires.

Precision Slotcar FCR Set-Up Blocks

Precision Slotcar is now offering a companion to their National Championsip Chassis Fixture (previously reviewed May 22).


The part number 1401 "FCR Set-Up Wheel Blocks" helps the builder to set the clearance to .032" as specified by the NCS.

Select the tire size, with the blocks on the axle and the bushings in place, grind or file out the axle uprights until the chassis sits flat on the PSC chassis fixture. The clearance is set .010" higher than tire size so you can practice, break in the tires and still make tech.

The design of PSC's setup blocks is different from those offered by other companies- offering 4 sizes per block. This is accomplished by the use of a precision-drilled offset axle hole in the block.

To Order, visit Precision Slotcar's online ordering system at www.pslotcar.com or Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies in Downers Grove, IL who is a stocking dealer for Precision Slotcar products.

LeMans live link!

http://live.lemans-tv.com/
Watch LeMans live at this link.

Not One, Not Two, But Three New Super Tires!!!

Super Tires is proud to announce three (3) additional Dan O'Grady "R" Series tires featuring rounded outer sidewalls which will replace 3 existing Super Tires.  The 1402R, 1403R and 1404R replace the 1402, 1403 and 1404 Super Tires respectively.  These popular tires fit many Eurosport-style 15x8, 16.5x8 and 17x8mm wheels from a variety of manufacturers.  Initially available in the silicone ("Classic") compound (part #'s 1402RC, 1403RC and 1404RC), they will also be offered in a urethane ("Yellow Dog") compound in the not-too-distant future.   Outer diameters (o.d.) on 15x8mm wheels are as follows:  1402R (.748"/19.00mm), 1403R (.777"/19.74mm) and 1404R (.805"/20.45mm).  The new tires are available immediately from your favorite Super Tires dealer (or directly from Slot Car Corner or Slot Car Corner Canada).

1402RC shown on Slot.it Toyota 88C - mounted on stock 16.5x8mm wheels 

1403RC shown on Slot.it Chaparral - mounted on stock 15x8mm wheels 

1404RC shown on Monogram Classic Stock Car - mounted on 15x8mm C.B. Design Classic Steel Wheels 

National Championship Series Chassis Fixture
by Precision Slot Cars

Way back what seems like a long time ago- chassis builders started their tasks with music wire, brass sheet, and a useful tool called a “jig”.

The slot car chassis jig was patterned after 1:1 racing chassis building fixtures and allowed the scale scratch builder to create a slot racing chassis where all of the parts lined up straight and true.

In recent years, builders of “stamped” chassis slot cars discovered that using a chassis jig or fixture could help them build straighter and faster slot racers.

One of the leaders offering custom stamped chassis building fixtures is Precision Slot Cars of Warren Michigan. Their latest chassis-building fixture allows the builder to set up and build the following types of stamped chassis:

• Champion Turbo-Flex 4”
• Champion Turbo-Flex 4 1/2”
• F.C.R. 4”
• F.C.R. 4 1/2”
• Parma Flexi 5 4” (1/8” and 3/32” rear axle sizes)

Precision Slot Cars NCS Fixture

Yes- you read that right; this one fixture is designed to allow straight and true building of all of the chassis types that are used in Parma’s “National Championship Series” of races.

Information on the FCR National Championship Series can be found at: www.fcrseries.com and the new Flexi National Championship Series can be found at: www.flexiseries.com.

Because the NCS races are restricted to what equipment you may use in each division, aligning the rear axle bushings and guide to the rest of the car becomes important for less rolling friction. And as a bonus, the NCS chassis fixture allows you to build a chassis that tracks true and consistent on both the straights and turns.

If this wasn’t enough- the Precision Slot Cars NCS chassis fixture will help with the chore of straightening out chassis that have had a “meeting” with the wall or other solid object. The "plate" of the NCS fixture is a precision surface allowing for all chassis parts to be restored to perfect relative alignment.

Take it from me, being able to easily salvage damaged chassis certainly saves money in the long run.

Below are some photos showing how the Precision Slot Cars NCS chassis fixture can be used:

Turbo Flex 4"

Turbo Flex 4 1/2"

Flexi-5 4"

FCR 4 1/2"

Get your Precision Slot Cars NCS chassis fixture at www.pslotcar.com or Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies, who are a stocking dealer for Precision Slot Cars products.


(Photos courtesy of Precision Slot Cars)

Renown Mazda by Slot It.

CA15c - Mazda 787B #202 500Km Sugo 1991

New Sloting Plus axles and bearings

Just for inform you about some new Sloting Plus parts :
New sizes of hollow axles 2,38 mm under references SLPL 2152, 2160 and new 3 mm axles under references SLPL 22360, 22365.
Special ball bearings doule flanged for NSR axles under reference SLPL 1009.
New Universal wheel size 16,5 x 8,5 mm under reference SLPL 40116508.

Carroll Shelby video

Carroll Shelby in his own words.

Slot Car News mourns the loss of an icon... Carroll Shelby passed away today at the age of 89.

Senna movie trailer

Thinking of Senna today!

Fly News

Book review-Digital Slot Car Racing

Digital Slot Car Racing in 1/32 Scale by Dave Chang (Crowood Press, 2011, $34.95) Reviewed in April 2012 by Philip Hendrickson Dave Chang’s previous book, The Slot Car Handbook, is a handy aid for new slot racers, but much of its content is familiar to veterans. By comparison, Chang’s new book is useful for slot racers of any experience level who want to learn how digital technology can add to the slot racing experience.

At 207 pages, Digital Slot Car Racing in 1/32 Scale is not just a handbook. Chang gives the history of digital slot racing, starting with Davic in 1997, and right away admits the major limitation of digital racing: incompatibility between systems. However, as he aptly demonstrates, digital racing changes the focus of the slot car experience. Where analogue racers are mostly concerned with the track and their car’s performance, digital racers must focus more on the location of other cars, places to pass, when to pit and so on. Digital is a more interactive experience than analogue, and not everyone will like both. The author’s intent is to inform about digital racing, not argue over which is better. After the introduction, Chang shows the basics of how digital systems work (including how data is coded digitally). He discusses the “big four” popular systems and high-end systems, exploring the new features digital provides beyond simply MCPL (multiple cars per lane). He offers guidance for digital track layouts and shares a variety of racing formats for small and large competitions. Chang covered basic slot car setup in his previous book, so here he only covers setup issues specific to digital – such as why good braid contact is crucial in dead-strip systems like N-Digital. Chang also shows general approaches to building hybrid analogue/digital tracks before moving into the specifics of each digital system. The majority of the book comprises chapters on these digital systems: Scalextric SSD, SCX Digital, Carrera Digital 132, Ninco N-Digital, Davic Evo3, Slot.It oXigen, Scorpius, Slotfire D-Race, BLST and routed digital. In the chapter discussing how to choose a system, a comparison chart has features up to 2010. This is obviously a bit behind, but since no revolutionary system changes were rolled out in 2011 or 2012, the information is still useful. For recent developments (or the status of specific slot car companies), readers should rely on sources like Slot Car News, online forums or slot company websites. The technology underlying these systems varies widely, and Chang discusses the strengths and drawbacks of each approach. Having only raced Carrera Digital, I was fascinated to read about the contrasting approaches. Now I can see why we are so far from a digital standard, given the significant differences in underlying technology. Chapters on SSD, Carrera Digital and Ninco N-Digital are pretty thorough. Other systems receive fewer pages, but readers still get a good understanding of how each works. More importantly, Chang shows how hobbyists have been deeply involved in advancing digital slot technology – especially for SSD, the system with which he is obviously most familiar. Scalextric has chosen to make their data protocols open source and to license their technology to other slot car makers. This provides more developers for their system, but also might explain why the company has not pushed as hard to further their own system. Carrera, on the other hand, continues rapidly adding features to their system. This is great, but also has led to problems of backward compatibility with previous versions of their system. In my opinion Chang puts too much emphasis on this issue, but those who invested heavily in Pro-X equipment might agree with him. The amount of detail in these system-specific chapters makes this book an effective manual, tip sheet and troubleshooting guide for each of the “big four” systems. Typical tasks such as programming a car to a controller or setting speed levels are described for SSD, Carrera, SCXD and N-Digital. The custom and high-end systems each get a slightly shorter chapter, but readers still get a good feel for how each works. Features may have advanced noticeably since the book was written, but Chang gives a good understanding of the technology used in each. A new slot racer or an analog racer considering “taking the plunge” should definitely read this book to see which system looks best suited to his or her personal situation. What value does the book have for someone who already races digital slots? First, it is great to see how systems work for the “other guys.” Also, Chang provides numerous DIY projects with wiring diagrams and photos of works in progress. Sample projects include wiring ghost car circuits for N-Digital, SCXD and SSD, using diode circuits to reduce top speed and braking, options for adding custom lighting to cars, tips for digitizing analog cars, wiring multi-lane finish lines and so on. Chang also catalogues all the English-language software programs available for digital track layout and race management (as of 2010), and includes a glossary and relevant links. High-end digital systems have features like telemetry, sector timing and best-line racing. They transmit car data wirelessly instead of through the rails. Considering that the first system only appeared in 1997, digital slot racing technology has come far. Many of us hope for a standard that will allow compatibility between systems. This might require a hobbyist to develop an über-system that works with cars from any system, or it may never appear. But even without a standard, the digital experience continues captivating many slot racers. So far, digital slot racing has been advanced largely by hobbyists in Europe. With continued development by hobbyists around the world and slot companies both large and small, we digital racers have great fun coming our way! Digital Slot Car Racing in 1/32 Scale is now available in North America through online booksellers and slot retailers or from Motorbooks International, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401; trade@mbipublishing.com; 612-344-8151. Thanks to Crowood Press for providing a review copy.

New Slot Car Corner "steel wheel"

From the review by Harry Wise of Home Racing World:
Advancements in slot car wheel design and manufacture have come a long way in just the past few years. With new CAD applications and finer milling tolerances we have seen many designs come along that allow us great variety. Slot Car Corner is a leader in this art-form of wheel design and already has an impressive line to choose from.

But with all this variety, only ONE style has been what this slot racer has wanted. That's right, the good old stamped steel wheel.

No other wheel has had such an impact on our car culture in my opinion. From backyard rat rods, stock cars, and weekend draggers to the high banks of Daytona, this reliable "spare wheel" has seen it all. Yet in our scale hobby it has been quite elusive. Of course we already have insert wheels that allows to make our own, but now we have a "bolt on" ready to run option that will save a lot of time and effort for those of us modeling the many cars they appeared on.


Read the full review at this link.

New NSR Audi R18 test

This car features :

Aluminum setscrew wheels on all 4 corners
All metal setscrew mount ultra smooth and quiet gearing
Machined bronze self lubricating bushings with heat treated axles
Adjustable front axle ride height
Suspension type motor pod
Industry exclusive drop arm type guide flag holder
Inline powertrain configuration with adjustable pivoting motor pod
New High Torque / High Performance dynamically balanced "Magnetic Effect" motor
Removable traction magnet
85 grams total car weight with decorated body of only 17 grams