Re: What's up?
I broke the front axle on my chassis last night Mitch, so you're not alone!
77 March 10, 2019 10:45 am (edited by howie March 10, 2019 10:45 am)
Re: What's up?
It was an unusually rough night last night. I had four cars in the races, two loaned out and two that I raced, one needs a new motor, three need chassis repairs!
Re: What's up?
wb0s wrote:
I broke the front axle on my chassis last night Mitch, so you're not alone!
You broke a 1/8" size front axle? Never saw one of those break. Sometimes bend if not a full hardened drill blank. I escaped car carnage this race ... but built the chassis rails with 3/32" wire to turn it into a tank if things get ugly.
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: What's up?
Boy, things definitely got ugly last night! Oops, my mistake. Actually I broke the axle mount, not the axle itself. Thankfully I have a lot less work ahead than Howie in the way of repairs!
80 March 17, 2019 10:10 am (edited by howie March 17, 2019 10:26 am)
Re: What's up?
Fellow racers; I got word from John Gill that Eagle Distributing did not let Bob Nakumura take over the parts. In fact Eagle stopped John also! So we can get together at this Saturday's race and decide what to do. We will no longer get to buy at dealers cost but we can order parts like tires, gears etc. as a group and perhaps save on shipping and have them here in stock. Something to think about.
- reek455
- Slot Racer Emeritus
- Offline
Re: What's up?
Bummer
Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win.
Re: What's up?
Ok, I got word from Bob Nakumura that he is going to continue the parts job. He says he has a lot of inventory and will continue to order more as we need it. I guess I should have called him before and see what his position was on the subject! First mistake I ever made in my life!!!
Re: What's up?
This is the way the votes went for what we will run for the first half of the 2020 racing season:
1.....Late model Sportsman, years '59 to '72 full size American iron will run for points.
2.....TA2 ( late model Mustang, Camaro, Challenger ) as backup.
Here is the way the voting went:
1....Late model Sportsman and TA2 were tied with 5 votes each, a coin was tossed, Sportsman won.
2....Early Sportsman 3 votes.
3....962 and NASCAR 2 votes each.
4....Can-Am, Indy car, Early Modified 1 vote each.
5....NASTRUCK, 0 votes.
84 June 2, 2019 9:26 am (edited by howie June 2, 2019 9:43 am)
Re: What's up?
We ( Bob, Bill, and myself ) are considering a Columbia Gorge Championship series using the Porsche 962. Here is the talk so far: Each track ( Inslot's Checkered Flag Raceway, Springwater Raceway and Rapid Raceway ) would have one race designed after the Rapid 500, 4 times through, 4 min. heats. Plaques and points at each race. Points total for all three tracks would bring the high points racer a Columbia Gorge Championship. We would have a second and third place also. These races would be scheduled during the 2020 season. These talks are just in the beginning stages, things could be added or subtracted as planning develops.
Feel free to comment on this subject.
Re: What's up?
The Porsche 962 body only weighs in at 23 grams ... minus driver/interior. A typical Nascar body and interior weighs in at 36 grams. Anyway, due to the lighter weight and lower profile, this 962 class ought to be a good handling and faster class of car. Should be a lot of fun .... on any track.
86 September 3, 2019 4:10 pm (edited by howie September 3, 2019 4:13 pm)
Re: What's up?
Two dates for the 2020 racing season are the Rapid 500 ( details coming soon ) on Oct. 5th. to kick off the season. Then on Oct. 26th. is the NASTE Halloween race.
The rest of the 2020 schedule will be out soon.
87 September 20, 2019 3:10 pm (edited by howie September 20, 2019 3:55 pm)
Re: What's up?
Rapid Raceway 2020 schedule:
Doors open at 3:00pm. unless noted otherwise.
Sept. 21st. open practice.
Oct. 5. Rapid 500. Doors open at 12:00pm. $10.00 entry fee. Lunch, pop, coffee and cookies and 1st. through 3rd. plaques provided. 4 times through at 4 min. heats.
Oct. 26. NASTE Halloween race. Doors open at 5:00pm.
Nov. 2. Late Model Sportsman and TA2.
Nov. 16. Same.
Dec. 7. Same.
Jan. 4. Same.
Jan. 18. Same and vote on what two classes to run for the points in the second half of the season.
Feb. 8. TBA.
Feb. 22. TBA
Mar. 7. TBA.
Mar. 21. 962 race. Doors open at 12:00pm. 4 times through at 4 min. heats. $10.00 entry fee. Lunch, pop, cookies, coffee and plaques for 1st. through 3rd. and points toward the Columbia George Championship of 2020.
April. 4. TBA.
May 2. TBA.
May 9. Rapid Grand Prix ( Indy cars ). Doors open at 12:00pm. Last race of the season. $10.00 entry fee. Lunch, pop, cookies, coffee, and 1st. through 3rd. plaques provided. Points plaques 1st. through 3rd. handed out and the Columbia George Championship trophies 1st. through 3rd. will be handed out. Vote on what two classes we will race for the first half of the 2021 season.
Re: What's up?
Beings the Scholer chassis is basically unavailable, I had a discussion with Beau, Bill and Bob today to maybe have the brass center pan machined to duplicate the Scholer chassis, and adding on side pans and enough to have a complete roller chassis. The Scholer chassis is a very good chassis for most of our classes. If anybody wants to weigh in on this please do so.
Re: What's up?
Do you mean have a center chassis cut for the sloting plus or a whole new chassis.
I was already considering copying the chassis I have, as the sloting plus does seem to be at a slight disadvantage since the main plate is thinner and lighter.
Zack
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: What's up?
Yes Zack, the center section we would have made would be drilled to accept the Sloting Plus chassis components which are much easier to find.
Re: What's up?
I think this is a solid idea myself. It should make the chassis more competitive easily. The only real concern of course is cost, although for most this is probably not too much of an issue.
Let me know if help is needed executing this, I have some friends in the industry that could probably help.
Zack
- wb0s
- Administrator
- Offline
Re: What's up?
Zack, Beau has worked with a company that uses water jet to cut out his Can Am chassis. I believe he said he had about 10 of them cut out for $100 (don't quote me on that). If you could maybe research costs that would be helpful. We were thinking of possibly making them in .062" as well as .090" brass.
Re: What's up?
That sounds pretty competitive as long as someone is doing the design work!
Zack
Re: What's up?
Beau just gave the shop the prints he made and they turned them out.
For the Scholer chassis I would just take the center pan down and have them copy it. I would also recommend having them cut the rattle pan. The next step would be to make the guide tongue, side pans at home. The axle housings can be bought along with motor mounts. The chassis can be much simplified with a home built guide tongue and front axle assembly and make them movable for different wheel bases and to move up and down. To me that is not a big deal as I have done it already to a number of chassis. If you go to the Projects page, you will find what I did for a Can-Am chassis in the rear portion of the chassis.
All of this of course is VERY cheap or free labor on our part in order to make it cost effective as possible. I am willing to do that to gain racers.
Re: What's up?
Howie, the guide tonque and even the axle brackets shouldn't cost much to do properly. If we can supply a CAD file there are mail order places that are very cheap. i can easily covert parts into CAD if needed. It is all a matter of what we are going to deem legal for competition and whether or not it actually fills the needs.
I will say that if it weren't for recycled cars, getting going myself would have been very difficult.
I have been digging into the Scaleauto with Alan a little as well. He is going to provide me with a list of updated part number based on what I showed him we are running.
They are not the cheapest options for the chassis, however the axle carriers and such are MUCH higher quality than the Sloting plus. They also have Brass chassis plates available.
I am just noodling with him to see what a ready to go kit would cost with one of these plates. He said he is willing to put that together with a special part number, if we think it make it easier for those getting into it.
I will probably put one together to try....
This is the basic 8000 series chassis that is available, apparently the chassis numbers we have listed are old now.
He sent me a couple pics of the chassis plates as well. But you get the idea. Just a matter of whether we can get a kit together to suite our needs and hit the proper price point.
Zack
Re: What's up?
Fellow racers; After the May 2nd. race there is a season final race on the 9th of May with the Indy cars. I am going to reschedule that Indy race ( Rapid Grand Prix ) to May 23rd. That will be the last scheduled race for the Rapid Raceway regular season. I am still going to schedule a 962 race in the off season so that we can complete the 3 race format for the Columbia Gorge Championship.
Also I am in the early stages of getting support for a headlight race for next season. We used to do this once a yr. and it kind of lost its way I guess. I would use the 962 as the basis for the race and all you would need is another Bluegroove 962 body and add headlights/taillights. It is a fairly easy addition. I got my lights from Radio Shack and they use the small round disk nickel size battery. Others used track power lights.
Re: What's up?
Sounds like a plan!
Zack
Re: What's up?
Fellow racers; here is the way the votes went for what to race for the first half of the 2021 racing season.
1st. Early Sportsman, will be the points class......9 votes.
2nd. NASTRUCKS, will be the back up....................8
3rd. 962.................................................................7
4th. NASCAR..........................................................3
5th. TA2 and Indy..................................................1 each.
I will more than likely schedule a special race for the TA2. I hate to see a class collect dust!
I will also send out an email before the season starts for a vote on what two classes to run for the second half of the season, that way we will know well in advance and it will be on the schedule instead of TBA!