2,676

(15 replies, posted in Rapid Raceway)

The race tonight at Howie's Rapid Raceway was run without any problems! Lap counting, timing, and power delivery were all perfect!

2,677

(15 replies, posted in Rapid Raceway)

Way to go Monte!!! So glad we have you in our slot car group!

2,678

(7 replies, posted in NASTE)

Here's the rules as I posted them. There are elligible cars listed, but I believe Doc maybe open to additions to the list. Doc will be the final say as far as what cars are added to the list.

Class 9 - GT3
GT3 Rules
Scalerxtric GT3 cars only.
Must have lights. We are going to be racing with the lights off at times.
Car must have raced in the GT class during or after the 2013 season.
No after market axles - must run the stock or replacement Scalextric axle.
Car must be box stock.  Specifically this means-
  Stock motor.
  Stock body and chassis (wheel wells may not be altered).
  Stock wheels and axles.
The following modifications are allowed -
  Traction magnet must be removed.
  Any rubber/urethane tires may be used.
  Tires may be glued and trued on the wheels.
  Guide and braid are free to replace/modify.
  Guide may be shimmed to appropriate depth for track.
  Grinding to fit (lead, brass, etc...) weight is acceptable.  Grinding to remove weight is not.
  It is permitted to glue bearings into the chassis.
  It is permitted to glue the motor into the chassis.
  It is permitted to apply glue inside bearings to eliminate slop of oversize bearings.
  Chassis may be filed along its perimeter for float, but do not remove more than 1/16" of material.
  Valances and other bodywork may not be separated from the chassis.
  If it's not mentioned, you can't do it.
List of Scalextric cars that ran in the GT class that are currently eligible. Other cars may be added to the list as approved by class sponsor.
    Aston Martin DBRS9
    Lamborghini  Gallardo  GT3
    Corvette  GT3
    Ferrari  F430 GT3
    Porsche  911 GT3 - Get the new inline set, the older side winders cars dont work well at all.
    Audi R8 LMS
    BMW  Z4 GT3
    Mercedes-AMG SLS - AMG GT3 Scalextric has the new chassis with in line motor coming out mid summer. The older one is front       motor set up
    McLaren MP4-12C GT3
    Aston Martin  V12 Vantage GT3
    Chevrolet  Camaro GT3 - Don't wast your money gettting one, they suck big time.
    Bentley  Continental GT3
    Lamborghini Huracán GT3 - Don't believe Scalextric makes one of these yet.
    Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3
    Dodge  Viper Competition Coupe Series - Another front motor car.
    Ford  GT GT3
    Maserati Trofeo - Technically not GT3 but allowed.
Class Sponsor: Dan Fritz

These rules are posted in the Forum here: http://naste.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=630

2,679

(15 replies, posted in Rapid Raceway)

OK, here's what we think we know at this point. It seems the higher powered 1/24 cars wreak havoc with the Race Coordinator as we have it set up. We used Monte's interface board and a separate power supply for it, between the computer's parallel port connection and the track power relay which seemed to help. We think with 1/32 and HO cars this cofiguration would work fine, but with the Super 16D motors and greater there were still issu3es with the track power shutting off before the timed race was over. Our fix was to use the Race Coordinator program in conjunction with Trackmate hardware. Once the Trackmate hardware was installed, including the Trackmate interface board, Race Coordinator worked fine. Rapid Raceway is up, running, and race ready!

Monte dropped off the other components we tried at Al's today for him to test. We'll see how they work on Al's track.

2,680

(7 replies, posted in NASTE)

I just received my $25 Scalextric Bentley today....I'll be somewhat generic......

2,681

(15 replies, posted in Rapid Raceway)

Yes Al it is! We lovingly refer to it as "The Al Disease" now! Good news is we may come up with a fix for your system also!!!

2,682

(15 replies, posted in Rapid Raceway)

We have been working hard to upgrade the lap counting/timing system at Rapid Raceway. The old computer used to run the SRT system has finally just given up the ghost. Today we completed the installation of the Race Coordinator system on a new computer but ran into difficulties with the system maintaining "track on" status during race mode. We had instances of the track power randomly shutting off before the timed heat race was over. This problem has also occurred at Al Christensen's Rippin' Ridin' Raceway. But, good news, we are working towards a solution and have some promising ideas! We will keep y'all posted on our progress!

Sorry about that Doc! I totally spaced it!

Let's see what everybody thinks at the next race. We can race the GT Class with the GT3 cars in it until everyone has one and is up to speed.

OK, I stepped up and got the GT3 Bentley on Amazon for $25 shipped!

2,686

(306 replies, posted in NASTE)

Here's a photo of the winning bidder Jeff Chochon at the Creative Science School fundraiser. A generous donation of $130 puts him in the driver's seat at Mt. Tabor in August for a run down the hill! He will also be participating in a test session at one of our undisclosed sites before the big race. He says he's ready and excited to go!

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/gravityauctionpilot.jpg

Still FIVE races to go!

The new GT3 Class rules have been added to the Rules page here:http://naste.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=630

They are located in the Forum under Race Rules - then NASTE Odd Thursday Night Racing

The rules are copied to the page as written in the post above. The class sponsor is Dan (Doc) Fritz. He makes the calls when it comes to rules interpretation and identifying what cars are legal to race in the class (same goes for all class sponsors in regards to the classes they sponsor).

==========Bill

Yes, there is always the BRM race to get even!

Official Results NASTE Point Series Championship Race No.13 - March 9, 2017

Classic Sports Car Div.I Class

1 Chris Kouba 54.4 laps - 15 points
2 Dan Fritz 54.0  -  14 points
3 Mitch Brooks  53.0 - 13 pts.
4 Rico Locati 52.5 - 12 pts.
5 Bryan Dickerson  51.9  - 11 pts.
6 John Morse 51.3  - 10 pts.
7 Greg Petrolati  50.9  - 9 pts.
8 Terry Abbott 50.8 - 8 pts.
9 Bill Bostic  50.2  - 7 pts.
10 Al Christensen  50.1 - 6 pts.
11 Jeff Fields  49.9 - 5 pts.
12 Jimmy Jones  49.6 - 4 pts.
13 Amy Fields  48.9 - 3 pts.
14 Dick Gehrke  43.6 - 2 pts.
15 Fernando Calvalho  39.1 - 1 pt.

Lists updated as of March 9, '17 races.

Excellent racing on Odd Thursday March 9, 2017 at TooBad Motorplex! First up were the GT Class cars. My old Strombecker Ford J (on a Slot.it HRS chassis of course) made a re-appearance and squeaked through for the win over Rico Locati by 3/10ths of a lap. Greg Petrolati finished third edging out Amy fields by 1/10th of a lap, who just slipped by Bryan Dickerson by 4/10ths of a lap. That folks is some close racing!

After we finished with the GT Class we raced the Classic Sports Car Division I cars, which was the point series race for the night. Again the racing was very close! Chris Kouba came home first scoring 15 points towards his series total. Guess who was second? Yup, Dan Fritz tied up yet another second place finish in the point series. Mitch Brooks did an outstanding job of preparing his car and then driving it to a third place finish half a lap ahead of Rico Locati. John Morse after a short slot racing sabbatical pulled out an impressive sixth place finish!

Then it was time! Time to get into some serious slot car whoopin's! The BRM Group C Class was set on the starting grid! In this race there were no punches pulled! It was time to man up and go get 'em! Dan Fritz slugged his way to first place followed closely by Greg Petrolati, with Chris Kouba in third. As usual, the action never stopped with the BRM 1/24 cars!

Thanks to everyone that was able to make it out and race! It was a most fun get together and reminded me of why we do this!!!

Here are the results:

GT Class
1 Bill Bostic  59.1 lAPS 
2 Rico Locati  58.8
3 Greg Petrolati  57.7
4 Amy Fields 57.6
5 Bryan Dickerson  57.2
6 Terry Abbott  55.4
7 Jeff Fields  54.7 - fastest lap
8 Dan Fritz  54.7
9 Al Christensen 53.5
10 Chris Kouba  52.8
11 Mitch Brooks  52.7
12 John Morse  52.6
13 Jimmy Jones  48.9
14 Fernando Carvalho  48.6
15 Dick Gehrke  41.4

Classic Sports Car Div.I - Official NASTE Point Series Championship Race - 2017 Season - Race No. 13
1 Chris Kouba 54.4 laps - 15 points
2 Dan Fritz 54.0  -  14 points
3 Mitch Brooks  53.0 - 13 pts.
4 Rico Locati 52.5 - 12 pts.
5 Bryan Dickerson  51.9  - 11 pts.
6 John Morse 51.3  - 10 pts.
7 Greg Petrolati  50.9  - 9 pts.
8 Terry Abbott 50.8 - 8 pts.
9 Bill Bostic  50.2  - 7 pts.
10 Al Christensen  50.1 - 6 pts.
11 Jeff Fields  49.9 - 5 pts.
12 Jimmy Jones  49.6 - 4 pts.
13 Amy Fields  48.9 - 3 pts.
14 Dick Gehrke  43.6 - 2 pts.
15 Fernando Calvalho  39.1 - 1 pt.

BRM Group C
1 Dan Fritz  61.2 Laps
2 Greg Petrolati 60.7
3 Chris Kouba 59.9
4 Al Christensen  59.3
5 John Morse  56.7
6 Bryan Dickerson  56.4
7 Mitch Brooks 55.8
8 Fernando Carvalho 52.0
9 Bill Bostic  50.0

2,693

(2 replies, posted in Cars)

Monte, this would be your area of expertise!

2,694

(38 replies, posted in Events)

Read more about The Fray here: http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/266-slot- … ndale.html

And here: http://www.slotcarillustrated.com/porta … ost1006286

2,695

(38 replies, posted in Events)

It is quite an event and quite an experience!

There were teams from Washington, Nevada, Alabama, Colorado, and Missouri in the IROC event. I know there was a guy from Maryland. I believe there was also a team from Pennsylvania in the team race.

2,696

(38 replies, posted in Events)

On this trip to the Fray I spent much more time poking around the pits and observing. The attention to detail and time these guys spend on their cars is incredible! They take these toy cars that were mass produced in the 1960s and turn them into precission racing machines. No detail is overlooked, and every part is reworked into a precission piece. I have to give these guys credit, they know what they are doing!

So here's a few things I picked up on. Things I think are a must if you want to have a competitive car.

MOTOR MAGNETS - Dash magnets seemed to be THE motor magnets of choice. In addition you NEED the strongest DASH magnets you can find! The fast guys use a gauss meter to check and match all their motor magnets!

WEIGHTED FRONT END ASSEMBLY - A good weighted front end assembly is also a must. A tungsten axle also helps out. Wizzard makes one that seemed popular http://www.dynamicarmatures.com/. I was using an RTHO front end setup on my cars, one with the "rocker" setup and one with the standard weighted front axle. They worked well but I think the Wizzard setup is superior.

REAR AXLE - A good straight rear axle, either stainless or tungsten.

ARMATURE - I felt I would be OK giving up a little speed for good handling in the tight curves. Well, I was wrong! The fast guys are fast in the curves and even faster down the straights! You NEED speed, which means a good armature. Armatures cannot be less than 16 ohms across each pole. With a factory stock Aurora armature you need to be sure each pole of the arm measures as close to 16 ohms as possible. Aftermarket and Dash 2 laminant armatures are allowed in the team race on Saturday. Balanced armatures  are the way to go.

PICKUP SHOES - Wizzard pickup shoes seemed to be a good choice.

CROWN GEAR - With the extremely small diameter rear tires used on the Fray type tracks, the stock Aurora rear crown gear will touch the track. You need a smaller diameter 15 tooth crown gear. RTHO makes a good one http://rt-ho.com/gears.html

I also picked up a few tuning tips. For some of the tracks good brakes were a benefit. A little extra motor brush tension helps out there. When assembling your chassis work to eliminate every bit of friction you can. Even small improvements pay off! Be sure your front wheels rotate freely, very freely. Use spacers on the rear axle to ensure your crown gear and wheels maintain their position on the axle. The fast guys were running rear tire diameters of .322" to .326", front tire diameters were close to .300". Bodies should be mounted somewhat loosely, and the front guide pin should be glued in place.

I know there are many more tuning tricks, but these are just a few I picked up on. I'd like to thank Dave Smith for getting my chassis built for the race. Dave gave me four of the best running and handling Tjets I have ever owned! Even at that I was not competitive in the Fray. The level of performance these guys reach is just astonishing! I was definitely schooled!

2,697

(38 replies, posted in Events)

I think Monte just passed out after reading this!

2,698

(38 replies, posted in Events)

After the team introductions the Team Race competition began around 8 A.M. The format was the same as the IROC race with each race consisting of 10 lap heats. All the teams raced each other head to head with 3 drivers from each team on the track in each heat race.

I apologize for not getting any photos duting the big race competition, but I was pretty busy all the time. There was no time for anything but driving and turn marshalling for the first 4 hours. If you weren't on the track racing, you were needed to turn marshal. You had to run to have time to take a leak!

There was a lunch break around noon. After lunch which was about an hour break, the second half of the race began. Same routine as the first half of the race. No time for anything but racing and turn marshalling! The race ended at approximately 6:00 PM. It had been a really hectic FULL day of racing and I was beat! I was wanting to get on my home so after the last heat race I loaded up and headed out the door. As I write this I still don't know how we finished. As soon as I can get the results I will get them posted.

2,699

(38 replies, posted in Events)

This was it, Saturday morning. Race day started with the driver's meeting.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/fray155.jpg

Numbers were drawn to set the running order and team match ups.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/fray157.jpg

Teams were then introduced.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/fray158.jpg

2,700

(38 replies, posted in Events)

We had dinner here at the Hotel Ivanhoe. The food was excellent and there was also live music.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/fray138.jpg

I saw this cool display in one of the downtown store windows.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/fray141.jpg

The Gingerbread Mansion.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/fray151.jpg