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And Frank is working on a IROC class of cars.  So that may be a possibility if it shakes out for the next season too.
Racin' Randy

Wow, I must come to this forum more, didn't know it was so active.  Great stuff here.

I usually don't have a lot of time for forums, but since my club is talked about so much, I should attend more, sorry guys.  But please feel free to call me or talk to me anytime, if I dont' get back here as much as I would like.

Sorry about the rules being an evolution process and not a rock solid process.  Chalk that up to inexperience in running a club.

If you all as participants in the club, see a need for a rule change, please let's get together and do it.  As far as the wheel thing, I remember Monte coming to me and some others and showing us his wheels.  To me and others it didn't look that different than the slot.it wheels so we all thought it was ok.  I didn't post it as an official rule change because no one showed the need.  So it was like a case by case situation.  I agreed with the others that "O" ring tires weren't appropiate at the time. 

As far as the wings and things breaking off.  I think it is best to get them glued back on before the race each night but not to worry about it during the night.  Mine got broken off last race finally because someone had their hand on the track in my lane and it hit their hand breaking the wing off.  Didn't make a bit of difference in the way the car ran or handled.  So if you can do, do it, if you can't cause it broke in pieces, so be it.  Won't make much difference anyway from my experience.

It is interesting to read the comments because remember when we started this class, we all wanted to use the slot.it company because they had all the spare parts and people all wanted to do what they could to the cars with these parts.  The group desired to be let loose to build whatever they wanted.  It seemed like a good idea at the time to test the limits to the fullest with 1/32 scale commercial cars.  Well, there has been good and maybe not so good about it.  All things come to an end and next season, let's come up with something more in the line of what is being discussed here. 
Racin' Randy

Hey guys,
I like what Bill had to say.  But I still feel we are racing slot cars with an added element, not turning it into a board game, something I know a lot about because I design them.  We all will find our comfort zone in racing.  That's fine.  Marshall Field exists to try to offer something different that the other clubs, like Naste offers something different from Paser and us. 

And so far to keep getting beginners into the world of slot cars, we are generally not a building car type of slot car club.  Mostly commercial up to this point.  That offers the best opportunity to keep newbies getting involved so the sport and continue to grow.  Eventually, we will probably evolve into two aspects, one for beginners, and one for car builders.  Kinda like Tom Street does in Bend.

The fuel can be set to anytime one wants.  Right now it is set to 3 second delay and 7 more seconds to completely fill the tank from empty.  The 3 seconds become added to the fuel after the delay, so a total of 10 seconds to fill the tank.

The 3 second delay works good from our testing.  3 seconds will give you 30% of your fuel which is good for 6 laps as it is set now.  That's a 5 gallon (liter) lost per lap.  Each second is 10% of the fuel. 

Ok, I see your point that it isn't a tremendous amount of strategy but it is additional strategy for these reasons as I see it:  You have to manage your driving to keep an eye on it.  If you don't, you could race without laps.  You have to judge when to get the fuel such as before the timer ends if you want or not.  Your all right about the last heat as the greatest amount of strategy is encountered there.  You don't have to get all the fuel during a stop and experimenting with that is a strategy.  And even though not a strategy, it mixes up the lead more so because of the pit stops.  Oh yeah, crashes and slow racing use less fuel per lap, which is a strategy (you may not want to use it too much, but on crashes it can help you slightly). 

So I would agree it isn't a strategy of high strong merit, but it does offer some new and fun? aspects to racing slot cars.  If we do it and when is really up to the club members.  I wanted to have them try it a few times to get a feel for it.  That has been accomplished.  As one becomes accustomed to the system, it's benefits may become more apparent.

Well, thought I ought to weigh in here since I am the one who implemented the fuel management system at Marshall Field Raceway.

As you all may know, one of the main philosophies of the Beaverton Slot Car Club is to keep up with some of the latest technologies available for 1/32 commercial slot cars and give slot car racers a wide range of experiences with the sport.  Fuel and tire management is one of these technologies.  There are others such as digital, which incorporates fuel management too, but we are not digitial, yet?

Realism is an interesting concept in slot car racing.  We all try to "get" as realistic as possible in this sport, but becoming stuck on some realism's isn't necessary the point.  Simulated realism is more in line with slot cars, not actual realism.  I see it as a blending of actual and simulated realism.  By this I mean, it is realistic to have fuel and tire management of a race car (actual) but not by having the drivers pay attention to fuel and tires (simulated).  Of course, a small debate could be had that back in the old days, drivers did have this situation or in SCCA racing today on an amatuer level they do now too to a certain extent.   But I digress. 

In the world of slot car's, having the capability of fuel and tire management, as I see it, is a plus in expanding the experience of slot car racing.  But it is a change from the norm and like digital slot car racing, the change becomes the toughest part to accept for some.  My son and I at BSCC believe in changing and evolving the experience of slot car racing to whatever the industry has to offer.  Keeping in line with this philosophy, I would have to say I like the fuel and tire management system and think it adds another element of strategy thus enriching the experience of the sport.

When to implement fuel seems to be the real issue.  Most would agree, if they are not opposed to the system to start with, that for an enduro and changing drivers for teams is a great place for fuel and possibly tire management.  That way they have a simulated pit crew in their teammates and can stay on top of the system and thus concentrate on the driving only. 

This in a way works well but does it really give you, as a driver, the added strategy that is built into the system?  Not really, because you don't have to pay attention to the fuel as your pit crew member will do it for you.  So in this sense, why have it?  Except for a handy dandy way to make a driver's change, it seems to defeat the purpose of the fuel management system concept, which is to give the driver a more strategy base racing experience and a multitasking approach to racing slot cars.

To have it at short heats with extremely fast cars is what has generated most of the complaints of the system.  The break in concentration for some racers during racing has proven to be more of a hinderance than an enjoyment.  Would it be better if the cars were slower and the heat times longer?  As an evolving club, this seems to be the next experiment.  I tend to agree that it is difficult for most and is taking away from the enjoyment of slot car racing here at Marshall Field Raceway for such fast cars in short heats. 

The experiment of utilizing fuel management, in my opinion, has proven successfully implemented and time will tell which direction the club members want to go with it in races at Marshall Field Raceway.

Racin' Randy

Race Results are in for August 5 and before at Marshall Feild Raceway.  Go to www.beavertonslotcarclub.com for the results.  Great race 17 racers.
Racin' Randy