It looks like one of those squirrels got into a transformer................ again!
876 July 5, 2021 8:59 pm
Re: NASTE Odd Thursday Night Racing Rules & Current Thread (2,118 replies, posted in NASTE)
877 July 4, 2021 2:59 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
I decided it was time to strip off the rubber that's been laid down since April and clean the track. I started a thorough cleaning today, including the cleaning of the braid. This also gives me the opportunity to inspect the wear and tear on the new braid. Some of you may recall my comments when I was installing the new braid about what a sloppy job I had done. My hope was that the running of cars would clean up some of the mess. Well I am happy to report that is exactly what transpired! Not only does the braid look really good now, I found no spots of damage to the braid yet. No rolling or loose spots, it all looks really good, and I am very happy with the final product!
Today it reached 79 degrees in the shop with the overhead door up/open, so I suspended my cleaning for the day. There is not much left to do so I will finish the cleaning in the morning when it is cooler. After a vacuuming, around noon I will glue the track back up with the sprayer and Bob McFarland's patented "Track Zamboni" (trust me, you'd have to see, but it works awesome!).
The overhead door will closed by 9:00AM to keep the shop cool. Track will be open at 1:00PM as usual for anyone interested.
878 July 4, 2021 8:46 am
Re: NASTE Odd Thursday Night Racing Rules & Current Thread (2,118 replies, posted in NASTE)
To you too Rico!
Can't have any fireworks, so I'm going out to the shop to burn and smoke up a couple motors!
879 July 2, 2021 6:43 am
Re: NASTE 2021 Point Series Championship - Results & Standings (35 replies, posted in NASTE)
NASTE 2021 Point Series Championship Race No.6 @ Rippin' Ridin' Raceway July 1, 2021
Race Results - LMP Class:
1 Daniel 80.6 Laps - 6 points.
2 Al 80.1 - 5 pts.
3 Rico 77.6 - 4 pts.
4 Mitch 74.4 - 3 pts.
5 Jeff 73.0 - 2 pts.
6 Greg 71.3 - 1 pt.
Current Standings for the 2021 NASTE Point Series Championship After 6 Races:
1st Al - 27 points.
2nd Daniel - 26 pts.
3rd Rico - 20 pts.
4th Zack - 13 pts.
5th Mitch - 9 pts.
6th - tie Greg - 5 pts.
6th - tie Jeff - 5 pts.
8th Tom - 4 pts.
9th Chris - 1 pt.
880 July 2, 2021 6:30 am
Re: NASTE Odd Thursday Night Racing Rules & Current Thread (2,118 replies, posted in NASTE)
Results from the July 1, 2021
881 June 30, 2021 5:41 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
We had a ton of extra insulation blown into our attic in the spring of '19. It definitely paid off!
882 June 29, 2021 3:44 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
Matt, that sounds like a good plan for the shop. Next time you're over let's talk!
883 June 29, 2021 11:23 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
Matt, I was having trouble finding a hose kit to fit this unit. The exhaust host for the unit is 5.5" which is an oddball. Most are 5" or 6". The factory replacement hose kits are out of stock with no know restock date. I ordered a 6" universal kit and I'll just make it work.
There is a place for a drain hose for condensate, but of course I do not have the associated fittings to make that work either (buying used is not always such a good deal!). Once I get the exhaust hose connected I'll try it out and see how long it will run before it has to be drained. If that is an issue I'm sure I can jury-rig something there too!
884 June 29, 2021 6:39 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
Basements are AWESOME! I've had two houses with basements and loved them both for those basements! The perfect place for a slot car track! The temperature rarely varies at all, all year long!
885 June 28, 2021 9:19 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
I hear ya Mitch and I'm with you buddy! I didn't even like the walk across the deck to the shop let alone actually going anywhere! I know I wouldn't have gone anywhere to run slot cars!
Good news is I'm really pleased with how cool it stayed in the shop even without air conditioning! Downstairs and track side it never got above 83 degrees, even after two days above 105! Upstairs it got up to 95 degrees just before it started cooling down this evening. But even upstairs at 95 is still 20 degrees below today's high temperature!
So I have a portable AC unit I bought used for the upstairs. Problem is it did not come with the exhaust ducting, which I thought was no big deal. Well, color me wrong on that! I thought I could use dryer duct parts and components to complete the install. WRONG! Dryer duct is 4 inch and the AC unit uses a 5.5 inch flexible duct. Try finding that.......what I found out today was, you can find 4 inch and 5 inch but that's it. So today I ordered the parts I need to get the AC unit up and running for the upstairs. After all it is only June.............we may have some more hot weather before racing season!
886 June 28, 2021 7:52 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
I surely don't blame you or any one else Doc! I wandered out there a couple times today but didn't stay in the shop long. The shop wasn't too bad but the house with the AC was MUCH cooler!!!
887 June 24, 2021 8:19 am
Re: Summer 4.5 Flexi NASCAR Race (19 replies, posted in Springwater Raceway)
I'm planning on it Bob!
888 June 23, 2021 11:49 am
Topic: Local Tacoma Racer Dan Parris Passed Away (0 replies, posted in NASTE)
We are sad to announce one of our friends in the Tacoma area has passed away. Dan Parris passed away from cancer. Our thoughts go out to his family, and to our friends and racers in the Tacoma area.
889 June 22, 2021 12:44 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
I'd take another 3 weeks if it were me!
890 June 22, 2021 7:40 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
MAN IT WAS HOT YESTERDAY!
I wasn't expecting much of a turnout for open track Monday because of the heat forecast. I decided to keep the shop closed up until racers showed up. There were never more than two racers plus me at a time, so the overhead door was never opened to remove my Triumph and create additional pit space. Bob N. and Jeff showed up early in the afternoon, and then later in the early evening Bart and Matt made it by. By not opening the shop up it stayed pretty cool inside! In fact everyone commented on how cool it was inside. It was cool up until around 7:00PM when we shut down.
891 June 18, 2021 7:17 am
Re: NASTE 2021 Point Series Championship - Results & Standings (35 replies, posted in NASTE)
NASTE 2021 Point Series Championship Race No.5 @ Rippin' Ridin' Raceway June 17, 2021
Race Results - Carrera DTM Class:
1 Al 67.6 Laps - 5 points.
2 Rico 67.0 - 4 pts.
3 Jeff 63.7 - 3 pts.
4 Mitch 62.1 - 2 pts.
5 Greg 58.9 - 1 pt.
Current Standings for the 2021 NASTE Point Series Championship After 5 Races:
1st Al - 22 points.
2nd Daniel - 20 pts.
3rd Rico - 16 pts.
4th Zack - 13 pts.
5th Mitch - 6 pts.
6th - tie Tom - 4 pts.
6th - tie Greg - 4 pts.
8th Jeff - 3 pts.
9th Chris - 1 pt.
892 June 18, 2021 6:58 am
Re: NASTE Odd Thursday Night Racing Rules & Current Thread (2,118 replies, posted in NASTE)
Race results from June 17th 2021
893 June 15, 2021 9:22 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
We will always save a spot for you Rico! I think you have some of the worst luck of anyone I know!
894 June 15, 2021 7:23 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
Monday open track update:
Opening the doors at 1:00PM seems to be working pretty well. By 2:00 three or four people had already made it by. By 3 or 3:30 all the lanes of the track were full. Around that time a couple racers took off but they were quickly replaced by people arriving in the 4 to 5:00 hour.
There were lots of different types of cars on the track at any given time. Everything from modified late model 1/32 RTR cars and Parma I32s to vintage 1/24 and Parma Flexis. Doc had some of his 1/32 NASTE spec cars running some really good lap times! John Gill brought out a few Parma I32 cars that were really sweet! Around 6:00 or so there were enough racers on hand that the decision was made to set up a short lap race. John Gill set up the SRT race program for a 50 lap race. It took a couple tries but after sorting it out it looked like some of these impromptu races might be a fun addition to the day's activities.
All said it seemed like everyone had a good time. We had a couple new drivers on the track as well as some veterans. We closed the doors at 9:30PM after a really good B.S. session. For you folks planning to come up next Monday, be sure to throw a Flexi type car in your box. If you have an old Flexi and the tires are shot, I have pairs of older tires that are still good enough for practice! We will play around with having another lap count type race or two whenever there are enough racers on site, and the desire is there. If you don't have a Flexi there will be some loaners available.
Thanks to all that made it by. I had a good time!
895 June 14, 2021 9:28 am
Re: NWTS 2022 schedule. (4 replies, posted in Northwest True Scale Racers)
I believe the dates and times are correct on the calendar Bob.
896 June 13, 2021 10:53 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
This morning I added a bunch of new and some used 1/32 parts to the piles of stuff set aside at the track for sale.
897 June 12, 2021 5:41 am
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
Thanks Doc, I didn't know that!
898 June 11, 2021 6:05 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
Yes, I've been there. There's Hobby Lobby Lobby in the Vancouver Mall and Hobby Town by Home Depot off Padden Parkway. Those were two hobby retail stores I've thought about as well as the one on N.E. St. Johns.
899 June 11, 2021 5:55 pm
Re: Projects: Done/Not So Done (258 replies, posted in Rapid Raceway)
I can live with that! Been called much worse!
900 June 11, 2021 2:51 pm
Re: MONDAY OT (Open Track) (140 replies, posted in InSlot's Checkered Flag Raceway)
I spent some time in the "wrecking yard" today. As I mentioned in my previous post I plan to have some "stuff" available for purchase at Monday's track day. So far I have some Flexi type chassis and some Womp chassis. There is everything from bare chassis to rollers, and even a couple RTRs. Prices will vary, depending upon condition and how complete they are. Figure $2 to $15 for Flexi's and Womps. I will also have clear bodies, new, used, and some factory painted. The clear bodies will go for $1 to $10, and I also have a bunch of used bodies for free. I will be digging out more stuff before Monday.
I am thinking about doing some advertising for the track here in Vancouver. Maybe some flyers in a couple of the hobby shops up here, or maybe even a Craigslist ad. Inslot's Checkered Flag is well suited to Flexi type cars, as well as Womps. I think if I promote some Flexi and Womp racing along with the current club classes (NWTS, OSCAR, NASTE) there might be some Vancouver area folks that used to race that may join us. If not the Flexis and Womps would at least make for some cheap fun once in awhile!