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The NASTE Forum → NASTE → NASTE @ Rapid Raceway on May 3rd 2014 - Race no.16
Howie, thank you for hosting another super race!
Chris, thank you for making it possible for us to race the BRM Porsches!
Dorothy, thank you for organizing the pot luck meal!
Thanks to EVERYONE that brought food along to the race!
The people that race with NASTE are what make NASTE great! The racing was close tonight, and I really had a lot of fun!
-------------------Bill
Well said Mr. Bill.
You're welcome as always for the use of the cars- I love to see them run side by side, although I believe half of them were yours Bill.
It was a good learning experience night for getting those cars on other tracks and figuring out what to do to keep them "interesting". I think the handling was reasonably consistent across all participants but I must say I was disappointed with how the stock tires performed on racing surface. Considering how well the silicone-treated H&R foams ran, it might be time to experiment with some silicone and a set of Scaleauto foams to see how things work out. It would be a spendy upgrade though and we'd need to see how durable they'd be.
Regardless, it did seem like everyone was having a good time. No one was there to set fast lap times- well, except maybe for Dave- and there were lots of smiles and laughs. I'm sure that starting with the 55's also kept everybody's expectations pretty low, so that probably helped. For the next time, we need to find a tire which strikes a balance between performance and consistency, and with a bit grippier tire, it might be helpful to potentially drop the voltage slightly as well to minimize crash impacts. No complaints mind you, just thinking aloud for the next time...
Chris
You're right Chris, it was a good learning experience. It seems that traction on a routed track without any traction compound put down, is a moving target. We all now how unpredictable traction can be at TooBad Motorplex on any given Odd Thursday! It would seem maybe the same held true at Rapid Raceway. Last year when we raced the '55 Chevys on a similarly prepped Rapid Raceway, that is totally cleared of of any rubber or traction compound, the '55 Chevys hooked up better than the even had. This year, not so much! I suppose we could have tape cleaned the tires before each heat, but I would think if dust were the issue the traction would have just gone away before the end of the heat, leaving the cars somewhat unpredictable. Then there would also be the issue of the cars performing much better for the later racers as the track cleared up. For the most part at least the car's performance stayed pretty consisitant throughout the entire race for all the racers!
I heard a few comments from some racers about how they felt this car or that car was not as bad as some of the other racers said they were. I think it was all a matter of a racers driving style. Years ago I raced Aurora Thunderjet 500 HO cars with a very competitive club. We raced the cars basically in stock configuration. Those cars were very challenging to race due mainly to limited available traction. When I designed and built the first NASTE chassised cars (same basic design concept as we use now, only not nearly as well executed!) I built those cars for racing on my very short (approx. 30 foot lap length) 3 lane 1/24 track. I was looking for cars that would slow down the action and still present a driving challenge. I was surprise by how well the NASTE chassis cars filled that niche! They really were just like BIG Aurora T-Jets! Those cars were never designed for large tracks like Rapid Raceway. However they have been fun and popular every where we have taken them! So when you're racing the NASTE '55 Chevys remember, they are NOT supposed to hook up well!!! Some people just don't get that!!!.........And OH by the way, Dave Smith (the winner of the race at Rapid Raceway) was the T-Jet champion in that HO club I was speaking about!
Here is another issue as far as the traction goes: The furnace was not on all day, it was comfortable for people as I asked if anyone wanted some heat and they said no. When the furnace does come on, it blows right toward the track. So that could be the difference between the last time the '55's were on the track and this time. I also think the '55's did not hook up as well this time.
No problem here, as a rallyman I'm used to just whatever the conditions are and we'll make the best of it. I thought both classes were fun if a little treacherous.
Thanks for Howie for having us and thanks to all those that brought treats and race cars.
A great time as always.
That's a good point Howie. Since the track prep was the same as the last time the '55s were raced, I was thinking the temperature might have had something to do with it. I was just happy the car's characteristics were pretty constant for all the racers. It would have been bad if the cars went from extremely loose at the beginning of the race, to handling well for the racers who raced them towards the end!
Thanks for letting us run on your track Howie. It is always fun!
Thanks Chris for allowing us to use your cars.
Thanks Bill and Bryan for the 55's! I like those cars!
Thanks to everyone who brought some food to share. Looked like we had plenty to go around!
Here are some pictures from the night. Video will come later.
GREAT photos Dorothy, thank you!!!
I especially like these!
Look at these racer's faces. I think they might be having a good time!!!..........Well, except for maybe Monte!
The NASTE '55 Chevy starting grid.
The BRM Porsche 962 starting grid, complete with Chris Kouba custom liveries!
I had fun with all of the cars. Like Mr. Bill said, they act very much like large t-jets, even the BRM cars. Probably no wonder then that the podium was swept by people who have done a lot of t-jet racing. What I found funny was that someone would complain about a certain car and the next driver would not have a problem with it. Chris had trouble with the white 55 just before I got it and drove it well, and I had problems with the yellow BRM while others drove it well. I think the problem was once you got a car loose a couple of times, it just needed some laps to get a little grip back. I wouldn't change tires on any of them. They all worked great and we didn't need any repair time on cars or the track. That makes things go smoooooth.
Thanks Bill! Yes, that is one terrific picture! Took me a while of patiently waiting to get that snap, but boy was it worth it. The do look like they are having a great time and that is what NASTE is supposed to be about! 
The NASTE Forum → NASTE → NASTE @ Rapid Raceway on May 3rd 2014 - Race no.16
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