Slot MiniAuto Issue #55

SLOT MINIAUTO 55 – MAY

The new Lancia Delta S4 of Scx is the cover protagonist of SlotMiniAuto in May. On the inside you can find the track tests of the new Racer Alfa Romeo 33 / 3, the Jim Hall Chevrolet Camaro Chaparral by Scalextric, the Aston Martin DB3S Coupé of MMK and a test for the Ninco Lightning Acura LMP. Also, for Le Mans race fans, the Porsche 914-6 participating in early 1970 editions.
You can also read the presentation of the new SCX Nascar Pro, new japanese GSlot models, Honda and Toyota, the Mazda 787B of French Le Mans Miniatures, and the Vaillante VS61 of Proto Slot Kit, based on Jean Graton’s Michel Vaillant stories.
(More information on www.revistasprofesionales.com)



SLOT MINIAUTO 55 - MAYO

El nuevo Lancia Delta S4 de Scalextric es el protagonista destacado de la portada de SlotMiniAuto del mes de mayo. En el interior se pueden encontrar las pruebas en pista de los nuevos Alfa Romeo 33/3 de Racer, el Chevrolet Camaro de Jim Hall reproducido por Superslot, el Aston Martin DB3S Coupé de MMK y una toma de contacto del Acura LMP Lightning de Ninco. También, para los amantes de Le Mans, los Porsche 914-6 que participaron en las ediciones del 70 y 71.
Además se puede leer la presentación de los nuevos Nascar Pro de SCX, los nuevos modelos de GSlot, el Mazda 787B de Le Mans Miniatures, y del Vaillante VS61 de Proto Slot Kit.
(Más información en www.revistasprofesionales.com)

New SCX Lancia Delta

New Sideways DP's

SW03 - Riley MkXX Michael Shank Racing
Milville 2008 winner - O.Negri / M.Patterson

SW04 - Riley MkXX Michael Shank Racing
Utah Motorsports Park 2008 winner - I.James / J. Pew / R. Matos

Both cars are due for release in about 3 weeks.

New slot shirt from Geek Chic

Check out this link to see another slot car shirt from Geek Chic's collection on RedBubble.com: http://www.redbubble.com/people/geekchic/t-shirts/2955744-1-slots-ii

Version two of GeekChic’s most popular design.

This time on the track is a legendary ‘Le Mans’ Porsche 917s and an equally legendary Ford GT40. In their correct racing colours too. The shirt is $24.99.

SCX Abarth 1000 newsletter

SCX Ferrari 599 newsletter

New SCX Talbot Sunbeam

Photos to show today of the new SCX Talbot Sunbeam rally car.

SCX motor issue resolution

Copied from this message from the SCX General manager:

"Hello,

My name is Sergio Pastor, the Managing Director of Tecnitoys (SCX).

Just before the Nuremberg Toy Fair, I was talking with Dave Kennedy about the motors we should put in our cars, and Dave mentioned that the RX-42 motor is not fast enough - and many hobby enthusiasts want a faster motor. I told him, well if that is the case, then get 500 votes from ¨those¨ enthusiasts to put the RX-42B motor in our modern slot cars and the company will change the standard.

Dave then created this thread - which has produced a great amount of discussion and demonstrated to our management team that you all really do want a faster motor as the standard in modern SCX racing cars.

I have enjoyed monitoring this discussion over the past few months and your voices have been heard. Starting immediately, Tecnitoys will put the RX-42B motor in modern GT, NASCAR, LMP, and DTM cars. On a case by case basis we will place the appropriate motor in F-1, Rally, and Classic cars to ensure they are competitive, but reflect the era during which they raced.

Thank you very much for your active participation in this discussion and on SCXWorldWide in general. Your input helps us make decisions and we hope to continue gaining your confidence and trust.

Regards, Sergio"

A Tale Of Two Porsches

SCX surprised everyone back in 2007 when they first introduced the Audi R8 Pro Car. Here was a mass producer of slot cars bringing a car to market that was loaded with goodies: setscrew wheels and gearing, adjustable chassis, interchangeable motor pods, and lightweight racing body. What surprised me even more? Getting beat at my club by a race tuned SCX Audi R8. Then, last year SCX introduced the Pro Porsche 997. Is it really any better than the standard SCX Porsche 997? How does the Pro Porsche compare to Porsche 996/997 models from other slot manufacturers? Let’s find out!

Let’s start by looking at what comes in the box. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Pro (50590) comes attractively packaged in a box that could double as a pit case in a pinch. Inside the box are the Porsche’s chassis, body, motor, extra motor pod for boxer type motors, an extra guide, some extra braid and screws, and an extra mechanical brake shoe. The body is decorated in a racing livery from the Carrera Supercup. Also included is a glossy covered booklet: Driving And Maintenance Guide. Interestingly, the guide is illustrated with photos of the Pro R8. Fortunately the Porsche’s chassis has adjustments identical to that of the Audi so the instructions do apply. The guide book lays out in simple terms how to assemble and adjust the Pro car. While more experienced slot racers might take car setup for granted, someone new to the hobby will find this to be a valuable resource. The booklet goes one step further and presents a few basic racing strategies. Again, this will be useful information to someone new to the hobby. If you’ve bought a Pro Car and haven’t read the manual (tucked under the foam rubber packaging) it really is worth a look.

Putting the car together is a snap. Only two screws hold the body onto the chassis. A closer look at the body screws shows that SCX has sweated the smallest details of this car. The smooth shank of the body screws allows the body to float without interference from the screw’s threads. SCX has also provided more a highly adjustable chassis for the Porsche Pro Car. The adjustments include front axle ride height, motor pod float front and rear, as well as the usual adjustments afforded by setscrew wheels and gears. SCX even includes a hex driver to help get the job done.

At the heart of this car is SCX’s potent RX4H motor. This powerplant has been tested to 26,000 RPMs! A far cry from the mild-mannered RX42B that came installed in the standard Porsche. Let’s pay the standard car some attention.

While at first glance the standard and Pro Porsches look quite similar, they are in fact two totally different cars. Where the Pro car sports a half pan interior, full front axle, and RX4H motor, the standard car has a full interior, front stub axles, and RX42B motor. I know that a lot of slot racers aren’t a big fan of stub axles since the performance advantage of independently rotating front wheels is normally lost by the play inherent with this type of design. SCX has made the effort to get it right.

There is minimal play on the front wheels of my test car, and both wheels spin freely. I suspect that the stub axle design is a result of SCX designers making room for the digital chip and lane changing mechanism. Another benefit of this design is that there’s lots of room for weight placement which is a boon to non-magnet racers. Other differences to note between the two cars are the Pro car being 2.4mm wider than the standard car, and the standard car uses 5 screws to hold the body on vs. the Pro car’s 2 screws. The Pro car is also 5g lighter than the standard car, tipping the scales at 75g vs 80g. While the standard car does not have an adjustable motor pod, it does have SCX’s excellent 4 post motor pod design which effectively decouples the drivetrain from the body/chassis. The standard car also features functioning headlights and tail lights.

As good as both of these SCX cars look, they are destined for a life on the track, not as shelf queens. The Pro car ships without a traction magnet whereas the standard car has a typical SCX adjustable bar mag. Out of the box the standard car pulled 85g yielding a 9.044s fastest lap around my 22m test track. A quick adjustment with a screwdriver boosted magnetic downforce to 293g and saw the lap time plummet to 7.278s. For the sake of comparison I tested a few other Porsche 996/997 models in my collection with magnets.

Here’s how they stacked up with traction magnets in place:
• 6.610s – Scalextric Flying Lizard Porsche 996 (comes stock with a hotter Sport Plus motor)
• 7.278s – SCX Porsche 997
• 7.503s – NINCO Porsche 997
• 8.343s – Scalextric Red Bull Porsche 996

When it came time to remove the traction magnets, I first tested each SCX car with stock tires, and then once again after fitting Slot.it S2s. The lap times for the Pro car dropped from 9.375s to 8.204s, and went from 11.657s to 8.871s for the standard car. With a bit of weight added I was able to get the Pro car down to 7.784s, and the standard car down to 8.274. I then fitted S2 tires to my comparison cars and recorded some hot laps with each of them.

Here’s how the SCX cars stack up in non-magnet trim against the competition using an S2 control tire:
• 7.278s – SCX Pro Porsche 997
• 8.274s – Standard SCX Porsche 997
• 8.548s – Scalextric Red Bull Porsche 996
• 8.959s – Scalextric Flying Lizard Porsche 996
• 9.328s – NINCO Porsche 997

Clearly SCX has raised the performance stakes with these Porsches. While hobbyists will pay a premium for the performance of the Pro car, the standard SCX Porsche is an excellent value for the money. It can be made into a competitive race with only a bit of ballast and a better set of tires. For someone looking to make the step to a better performing car, the Pro car is an excellent choice. The range of setup options will be beneficial to someone just starting to learn about slot car tuning, and will give the seasoned racer an excellent platform to build on.

Van LaPointe

See the motor!

Ok, let's say you're a fan of SCX. Let's say you just purchased a new SCX car and you're not completely certain what motor is inside. Now, with a change in where the motor's name is printed you can easily see what's in that slot car of yours. SCX has begun to print the model of the motor on top of the motor in red ink. Seen here in the new SCX Escort Mk.II Daily Express car. So now you don't have to pop the motor out of the cradle to see exactly what's powering your car.

Global Slot Festival, Giron Spain

GLOBAL SLOT FESTIVAL

GIRONA – SPAIN September 25, 26, 27, 2009

In the Fira de Girona, in Girona, Spain, GLOBAL SLOT FESTIVAL is expected to be the world's great slot fair.
GLOBAL SLOT FESTIVAL will be the first exclusive slot sector meeting ever held. An event bringing together, for first time in history, the majority of brand and manufacturers of slot products. From the major producers of cars and tracks, to the smallest artisan or manufacturer of accessories.

Moreover to see the latest in the slot world, visitors can also enjoy collectors stands, enjoy the largest international Swap meet, rag fair, and especially of a lot of competition, with races for both professional and amateur level.
GLOBAL FESTIVAL SLOT is a fair to enjoy participating, a three days fair in which to enjoy the entire slot world. And a fair dates to note in today's agenda. Most companies closely bound to the slot world have done so.


For more information, contents and news of GLOBAL SLOT FESTIVAL: www.globalslotfestival.com from 03-04-09.

Super Wheel DF wheels

The manufacturer of Super Tires ®, Yellow Dog Super Tires ® and Super Wheels SS is proud to announce our newest offering – the Super Wheels DF (Double Flange) System. Most 1/32 slot car wheels available today employ a center “rib” to help keep the tire centered on the wheel. While slot car manufacturers may use the same wheel and tire combination for a small number of cars, as the number of cars introduced increases, so too does the number of different wheel designs and associated tires. With so many different center rib wheels, manufacturers and after market tire vendors often limit the number of tires available for a given wheel. The Super Wheels DF System takes a different approach by eliminating the center wheel rib altogether. A thin flange on the outer edges of the wheel holds the specially designed tires securely in place. Tires which are available in a wide variety of sizes are also part of the Super Wheels DF System.

Read more at this link.

The Grid!

Well, finally.... FINALLY! There's now a show on SpeedTV for those of us that don't want something Whipped, Pinked, Wrecked, AUCTIONED, Drifted... HOW ABOUT A BIT OF RACING?!?

Indy car, BTCC, ALMS actual news coverage, WHAT A THOUGHT! And I have nothing against Nascar BUT there does need to be an effort by a channel that calls itself SPEED to bring the other 90% of the racing world to the North American audience that is locked out of the world of motorsports by corporate media monopoly not showing Motors TV or similar channels here in the largest TV watching market in the world.

It's only half an hour but that's ok, I'm prepared to accept a small start... baby steps. Today half an hour of news, maybe tomorrow... who knows... maybe even a DTM reply NOT at 3am? A LeMans Series race a week late? GASP... even... perish the thought... LIVE? Yeah, I know I'm young and naive.

Until then, enjoy and support The Grid!


http://www.grid1.tv/#

Wanna go underground?

A new website....Slot Car Underground website.

Gubi speaks

Miguel Gubianas designed the Pro SCX cars. Here he talks about some of his philosophy of slot car racing. Read more at this thread.

St. Pete ALMS recap from Patron Racing

New Ninco's shown in Spain

Criccrac is showing photos of the newest Ninco releases:

Link to the Lotus.


Link to the Corvette.

SCX 2009 Nat's rules

This year's SCX National Championship will feature the GT cars and the racers will be allowed more freedom to do modifications to car to suit their taste. See the complete rules at this link on SCXWorldWide.com.

Photos from practice for 1000k of Catalunya

See photos from the practice at Circuit de Catalunya at this link.

Slotsport TV

See the new website from Josef in the Czech Republic, see http://www.slotsport.cz/ at this link.

LeMans Series video-Circuit de Catalunya

A video I shot today during practice for the 1000km of Catalunya at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, Spain.

Practice for Plafit 24 Hours in Igualada

A video I shot during a brief visit to Igualada, Spain of racers getting ready for the Plafit 24 Hours.

Video-Testing the Nascar Pro from SCX at Slotmania

Josep Cardona Mestres of Mas Slot tests the Pro Nascar on the huge track at Slot Mania.

New SCX Nascar Pro Prototype chassis and Toyota Nascar body

See the first photos of the SCX Pro Nascar chassis prototype and the SCX Toyota Nascar body at this link to SCXWorldWide.com.

New SCX Renault 8 TS-the blue one