Model Car Racing Free Sample Issue #79

DIGITAL: RACE SIX FORMULA 1 CARS ON TWO LANES
79
Race Control
November/December 2014
$6.95
With an App On Your Tablet
High Speed
Banked Turns on
a Tabletop Track www.modelcarracingmag.com
Tech Tips:
Trackside Race-Prep
Formula 1 Racing On A Tabletop:
- 2013 Ferrari F138
- 1970 Lotus 72C
Carroll Shelby taking the checkered flag at LeMans in
1959 in the Aston Martin DBR1. – LAT Photo.•
79
79
CONTENTS
ON THE COVER: The Scalextric 1/32 scale replica of Jochen Rindt’s
Lotus 72C Ford is at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix. ---LAT Photographic
1/32 SCALE MODEL CAR RACING:
7 & 30 Formula 1
18 Historic Racing
LeMans 1959 In 1/32 Scale
21 Tech Tips
Assemble a PCS1 or Slot Classics Chassis
by Robert Schleicher
Carrera 2013 Ferrari F138
by Bill Wright
9 Formula 1
Scalextric 1970 Lotus 72C
by Albin Burroughs
12 Real Race Track Plans
2-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway Plan for Scalextric
Sport, Classic, SCX, Ninco or Carrera (with optional lanechanging) on a 9 x 15-foot tabletop.
by Robert Schleicher
15 Race Tracks on a Tabletop
2-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway Plan for Scalextric
Sport, Classic, SCX, Ninco or Carrera (with optional lanechanging) on a 5 x 9-foot ping-pong tabletop
by Robert Schleicher
16 Race Car Shop
LeMans TDR Innovations 3D Printed 1959 Aston Martin
DBR1/300 with Slot Classics or PCS-1 Chassis
by Robert Schleicher
4 Model Car Racing
25 Your Track
Jim Stokes’ 12 x 24-foot
Four-Lane Scalextric
Stokes Speedway
29 Your Cars
Chris Walker’s Lindberg 1962 BRM P257
On A Brass Chassis
32 LeMans
ScaleAuto Home Set 1980 Porsche 935J
by Albin Burroughs
35 LeMans
Ninco 1958 Porsche 356
by Albin Burroughs
HO MODEL CAR RACING:
47 Track Plans
4-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway for 4 x 8-Feet
by Robert Schleicher
56 NASCAR
Auto World
1969-1972 Dodge & Plymouth Grand National
(the pre-NASCAR ) Stockers
by Robert Schleicher
38 Tech Tips
Slot.it 3D-Printed Chassis for Carrera DTM Cars
by Bill Wright
DEPARTMENTS:
6 Editorial: Racing With An App
46 Pit Board
48 Club Directory
52 New Stuff
On Your Tablet:
Model Car Racing is now available for iPad or Kindle. Just click on the
Apple iTunes icon and search for Model Car Racing to order individual
issues, subscriptions or a limited number of back issues. There’s more
information on page 58 of this issue.
Where To Buy Model Car Racing Products:
42 Digital Racing
Scalextric Digital Chip Installation in Carrera F1 cars
by Robert Schleicher
45 Tech Tips
Test ‘N Tune Tips
by Robert Schleicher
49 Formula 1
Ninco “Formula” Cars
by Bill Wright
Dealers: A listing of the addresses, phone numbers, email addresses,
and websites of all the dealers that carry Model Car Racing magazine
appears on our website at www.modelcarracingmag.com
Manufacturers: A listing of the addresses and websites of firms that
manufacture model car racing products appears on our website at
www.modelcarracingmag.com:
More Information:
There is an Index of all of the past issues, a Digest of the results of the
first 269 cars in our Race Track Test series, Pros and Cons of plastic
track by brand, the Pros and Cons of the four digital systems, Pros and
Cons of 1/43 scale and an index of the 157 previously published track
plans, by size, on our website at www.modelcarracingmag.com.
Model Car Racing 5
Racing With An App �����������������
Model car racing is far more than just a sport.
Yes, you can race around a track with the sheer
joy of completing a lap without spinning-off. Or,
better, you can use a lap timer and perfect your
driving technique so your “personal best” is better every week. Or, you can join with a group of
friends (or a local club) and actually race, headto-head just like they do at Indy or LeMans or
Daytona.
Now, you can enjoy more of the options of fullsize car racing even with analog. Computer programs that will count laps, display lap times and
even provide fuel stops and tire change times
have been available for any analog system for
about ten years. These are some of the firms that
offer such systems and they are all compatible
with any brand of plastic track and with tracks
you cut into MDF board with a router:
TrakMate:
infoserve.net/oss/slotcar/SlotMaster
or slotmaster.com
Lap Timer 2000:
www.gregorybraun.com/LapTimer.html
PC Lapcounter: pclapcounter.be
RCS: rcs64.com
These programs are designed to plug-into a PC
or laptop so no app is necessary. Most provide
some form of programmed (but optional) pit
stops for refueling. Most of them require that
your car spend a predetermined number of seconds in the pit to “refuel”. There is usually a penalty for leaving the pit early that can range from
just not having enough fuel to require another
pit stop. TrackMate and others even have the option of tire pressures, requiring some programmable extra time to increase the air pressure in
one or more tires.
If you are racing digital, both the Scalextric
C7042 Advanced Six-Car Digital Powerbase
and the Carrera 30349 ”PC Unit” (and the Slot.it
oXigen system) provide a plug-in access to your
PC or laptop to display lap counting, timing and
other functions---the Scalextric C7042 allows
you to race either Scalextric Digital or any brand
of analog but the Carrera system will only operate with Carrera Digital track and cars.
Model Car Racing
With An App
Scalextric and Carrera are both offering new analog and digital programs that will also provide
most of these same options for viewing on your
tablet---both brands provide a wireless connection.
There are three versions of the new Scalextric
ACS system: 1. the ACS One (in the Scalextric
C1329T ARC One App Control System Set (for
6 Model Car Racing
$189.99---there’s a photo on page 52) or as an
add-on to any Scalextric analog track (for $74.99)
with tethered analog controllers, 2. ACS Air with
wireless analog controllers ($114.99), 3. the ACS
Pro ($179.99) with wireless Digital controllers.
The Scalextric ACS Pro, however, will not have
the option of running analog. Since these ACS
programs are apps, the can be very clever. Most
of the three ACS systems offer eight different race
modes; from qualifying to pursuit, lap counting,
lap timing, top speed for each car, fuel load, tire
wear, in–race damage, weather conditions, KERs
(kinetic Energy Recovery Systems—for more
power like the current Formula 1 cars), handicap
systems, car response mapping, throttle response,
inventory of your racing cars, track planning
and more. There’s more on the Scalextric website
www.hornbyamerica.com/.
Carrera has the 30369 Download box to connect
their App to the current Carrera Digital 132 system that has most (but not all) of the options
that Scalextric ACS offers. SCX and Ninco will
have similar systems in 2015.
Slotless Racing With An
App & Artificial Intelligence
This Christmas two firms are advertising slotless
model car racing. They appear to be similar and
both do use a magnet-sensing race track surface
to guide the cars around the track (similar to the
slots in a slot car track, but with a wider range
of control). You “steer” the cars only across the
width of the track (much like moving a slot car
track’s digital lane-changer, but you can “change
lanes” any place on the track). The cars in both
systems have onboard rechargeable batteries
and receive some of their commands through
2.4 GHz radio control.
The Ankidrive (www.anki.com) system was sold
by Apple in 2013 but now it is available in most
of the big box stores and it is featured in a national TV ad campaign. There’s an article on the
Ankidrive system in the January/February 2014
number 73 issue. Briefly, the Ankidrive system is
a war game, not a racing game, with the winner
the last car standing. The system is controlled by
your smartphone using an app so the “Artificial
Intelligence” is in your device. Tilt the smartphone left or right to steer the cars and press an
icon to increase speed or other icons to increase
shields and laser firepower. There does not seem
to be any method of counting or timing laps that
would make the Ankidrive system a race in the
sense that we expect.
The second system is called Real FX Racing
(http://wowstuff.com). It is also called an “Artificially Intelligent Raceway” in the Christmas catalogs from Hammacher Schlemmer (hwww.hammacher.com/) with a delivery date of December
15. It will likely be available through hobby dealers. That is about two weeks after this magazine
is published so we have not been able to try the
system but we expect to have a full report in the
next issue. The Real FX Racing system does not
need a computer, the cars are radio controlled.
The 2.4 GHz wireless pistol grip controllers provide the "artificially intelligent” resource, with a
lever for speed and a knob to steer the cars left or
right within the width of the track.
Slot car racing (model car racing to me) has always offered the option of a “game” (again even
in analog form) that can include lap timing, lap
counting, pit stops and fuel loads that replicate
virtually all the action of full-size car racing.
These two new systems do that as well and they
do have a smooth and slot-free road surface that
is quite realistic---but the cars are fantasy toys so
the realism ends at the road.
Volume 14, Number 1 (issue number 79)
January/February 2015
Publisher:
Robert Schleicher
Technical Editor:
Chris Walker
Editor:
Robert Schleicher
Track Test Editor:
Marc Purdham
Layout & Design: Aaron Tipton
Contributing Editors:
Mark Gussin
Jeremy Dunning Jason Boye
Dan Esposito
Dan Wilson
Alan Schwartz
Bernard Sampson Pat Dennis
Brad Bowman
Editors Emeritus:
Rocky Russo
Bill Sipple
Jose Rodriguez Jim Russell
Bob Braverman Ron Klein
Albin Adams
Circulation & Dealer Contact:
email: [email protected]
Model Car Racing Publications, Inc.
6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142
Boulder, CO 80301-3346
website: www.modelcarracingmag.com
Model Car Racing (USPS 020-443, ISSN 1538-9170) is published bimonthly by Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive,
Suite 370-142, Boulder, CO 80301-3346. © Copyright 2014, Model Car
Racing Publications, Inc.
Individual issue price $6.95. No current issues or back issues are available from the publisher but a list of dealers who carry the magazine is on
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Race Tracks on a Tabletop:
2-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway for a 5 x 9-Foot Ping-Pong
Tabletop: for Scalextric Classic, Sport, SCX or Ninco, and for
Carrera with (Optional) Digital Lane-Changing
You can recreate some of the signature features
the Unicorn Banked Raceway on pages 12-14
on a 5 x 9-foot ping-pong tabletop. There’s an
index, by size, of the previously published track
plans from Model Car Racing magazine and the
four books by Robert Schleicher on our website
www.modelcarracingmag.com.
This 5 x 9-foot version of the Unicorn Raceway on pages 12-14 does
not have enough room for a banked turn, however, both of these plans
are designed so you can expand them to recreate all of the turns on the
larger versions with little modification. You can, in fact, add just the 4
x 4 and 2 x 5 1/2-foot extension on the left or add the 2 1/2 x 4-foot
extension on the right of those larger plans. On the Scalextric Sport,
SCX and Ninco version there’s a broad three-turn ess bend through
turns T2, T3, T4 and at T5. The straight will be effectively longer than it
appears because cars can begin to accelerate out of last quarter of turn
T5 and carry most of their speed into turn T6 at the end of the straight.
On the Carrera version the diagonal curve of turn T6 is broad enough
so most magnet-stuck cars will take it at full speed, especially so with
the broad-radius entrance through turn T5. In effect, it’s a bent straight.
There is no practical place to fit the abrupt up and downhill with Carrera’s “bridge” track number 20587 Crossing so about a fourth of turn
T6 must be elevated. You could simply elevate the track with pieces
of wood placed on edge or use Carrera’s number 85201 “Support Set:
Tubes” to plug-into the bottom of the track, beginning in the esses, to
elevate the track about 3-inches above the straight then gently easing
the track down through turn T4.
TRACK PLAN
2-Lane Unicorn
Raceway on a
5 x 9-Foot PingPong Tabletop
TRACK PLAN
2-Lane Unicorn
Raceway on a
5 x 9-Foot PingPong Tabletop
List of Scalextric Classic, Sport,
SCX or Ninco Track Required
List of Carrera Track Required
Key
Quantity
Description
Key
Quantity
Description
H
4
20577 1/2 Inner Curve R1
H
0
1/2 Standard Curve
S
11
20571 Inner Curve R1
S
9
Standard Curve
O
6
20572 Middle Curve R2
O
6
Outer Curve
OO
4
20573 Outer Curve R3
½½ Why A Ping-Pong Table?
OO
8
Outer-Outer Curve
F
1
“Short” Straight
OOO
1 pr. (2)
20578 Outer-Outer
Curve R4
You can squeeze a 1/32 scale raceway on a single 4 x 8-foot board (there
are plans in issues 52, 53, 59, 63 (for two 4 x 8s) and 68---most of the
other issues have plans for 5 x 9-foot areas and all of the race track
plans from issues number 44 to the present are on www.modelcarracingmag.com under the top bar “Sample Issues”. There is, though, more
than double the fun if you opt for another foot of width and length.
The standard size for a ping-pong table is 5 x 9-feet. There’s room for
a table that small in just about any spare room---you only need to be
able to walk around the two long sides and one short end—the other
short end can butt against the wall. You could simply lay the two halves
of the ping-pong tabletop temporarily over a bed (a queen-size bed
also happens to be 5-feet wide, but 6 ½-feet long), although most beds
are a bit lower than the 30-inch height of most model racing tracks--you can always drive sitting down if you want a more realistic view of
the cars. Most lumberyards carry 4 ½ x 5-foot sheets of MDF board
that are, obviously, two halves of a ping-pong tabletop. Or you can opt
for a ready-built ping-pong table; the kind that fold-up onto their own
caster-fitted cart only occupy 2 x 5-feet of floor space.
E
1
1/4-Straight
E
6
20612 1/4-Straight
D
1
1/2-Straight
D
1
20611 1/3-Straight
B
2
Full-Straight
2
20509 Full-Straight
A
2
Connector Track
L
Track can be expanded in length
by adding matched pairs of
straight track sections here.
T Turns on the model version of
the track.
B
L
Track can be expanded in length by
adding matched pairs of straight
track sections here.
T Turns on the model version of the
track
To build the plan with NINCO
track you will need about
10-percent more space and you
may need some additional short
straights to get everything to line
up properly.
Model Car Racing 15
Your Track
Jim Stokes’ 4-Lane Scalextric
Stokes Speedway
Jim Stokes’ 12 x 24-foot four-lane Scalextric Sport track is
housed inside a 100-year-old barn. The track has equal-length
110 foot long lanes, a hill climb with a 24-inch elevation change
and a corkscrew downhill like that on the Laguna Seca track.
■■Jim Stokes | Photos by Hal Williams
Every square inch of the area surrounding the track on Jim Stokes’ 12 x 24-foot four-lane Scalextric Sport track is scenicked and detailed.
It took roughly 2-1/2 years and a lot of help from my family and friends
to build this 12 x 24-foot 4-lane track inside a 100-year-old barn on my
property. It is the third permanent layout that I have built in the past 15
years, but it is by far the largest and most detailed. It comprises equallength 110-foot lanes, interspersed with a variety of long straights (the
longest is 20 feet), and a mix of short and long radius turns, including
some gradual banks. There is also a hill climb with a 24-inch elevation
change.
In designing this layout, I was not trying to mimic any particular existing race track that I am aware of. However, as a child my father used
to regularly take me to Road America for the June Sprints. I now bring
my father and my son there each summer (although I usually choose
the vintage racing weekends). I am sure that I included a significant hill
climb in my layout in reverence to all those days at Road America. I
have also attended the vintage races at Laguna Seca (during the Pebble
Beach Concourse d’Elegance weekend) and fell in love with the iconic
“Corkscrew” section of the track. Although my layout doesn’t quite
have the same curvy banked downhill, it does have its own version. In
general, I simply designed the track in a way that I thought would be
fun to race on.
To support the layout, I started with nine 4 x 8 foot tables that I built
out of 2x4s and ½-inch AC plywood. It’s probably over-built, but I
wanted to make sure that I could climb all over it without concern. I
also added shelving below to store building supplies and empty slot car
boxes. After I finished the whole layout, scenery and all, I decided that
the base needed dressing up. As a result, I enclosed it with sliding birch
plywood doors. It now looks like a finished cabinet.
Before building this layout, I thought for a long time about what kind
of track to use. I was really tempted to rout a wood track to allow flexibility to the design and to greatly reduce the number of track joints.
Besides, woodworking is another of my hobbies. However, I ended up
choosing the Scalextric Sport track, because I really wanted the option
to race cars with magnets. The Scalextric track also comes in a wide
Model Car Racing 25
variety of sections and is flexible enough to be molded into elevation
changes and gentle bank turns.
Prior to laying the track on the plywood top, I glued down ½inch extruded Styrofoam sheets. This made it easier to add scenery later. I cut
and glued in plywood risers for the elevation changes, which I then
covered with ¼-inch Masonite. This supported the track and smoothed
out any transitions. Once the track was installed, I added the wiring
and made sure that cars could run well on it. I then used hot glue to
affix the track to the base. My next challenge was the scenery.
I built much of the scenery with the help of my 16-year-old son, Ian. He
was particularly helpful in casting and painting the plaster rock formations. In the beginning, I had no set plan for the scenery and it became
an evolving process. I knew that I wanted it to look like it belongs in the
mountains of Colorado where I live. I also wanted a row of pit garages,
grandstands, and a variety of concession stands in the infield, but, otherwise, I thought that I could make it up as we went along. This actually
ended up being a wonderful process, as my son and I brainstormed
ideas and then argued about and collaborated on ways to actually create what we had come up with. The scenery includes over 1200 trees,
and more than 500 individually painted figures, 30 scratch-built structures (and 12 kit-bashed), 100s of working lights, and an operating
scaled giant screen monitor which enables the race fans sitting in the
grandstands to follow the action occurring on another part of the track.
I have a group of friends that come over regularly to race at Stokes
Speedway. We race everything from no-magnet drifters to highly modified and super-magnetized track burners. It’s fun to race a wide variety
of classes, as each brings about its own challenges. However, we always
seem to have a couple of races with big muscle car, as we all get a big
laugh out of the fast straights and then slapping into each other as we
drift around the turns. I am in the process of cataloging all of my 825+
cars. Part of this includes adding data on lap times in order to place cars
in speed classes. To do this, I run a car as fast as I can for 20 laps. I then
keep a record of the car’s fastest lap time. We can then have someone
choose a car and quickly find equally matched cars to race with it.
The track is powered by a MGPS10AD, 10 amp, 0-20 volt power supply (from www.electricdreams.com), with jumpers every 8 feet. I wired it with polarity switches, so that it is
easy to race in either direction. The lap counter system is DS and includes a light bridge, Stop and Go boxes, and a remote control.
26 Model Car Racing
The mountains and canyon walls were built out of foam blocks, cardboard, and newspaper. Once I got the shapes that I wanted, I covered the forms with plaster cloth. The rock
formations were made using rubber molds and light weight Hydrocal plaster. They were then glued to the plaster cloth walls and painted with earth-colored pigments. To attach
a blend of different colored and textured grasses to the landscaping, I mixed white glue with water and sprayed it on the painted plaster cloth surfaces using a spray bottle.
Woodland Scenics offers a wide variety of scaled landscaping products that I have found easy and very helpful in creating realistic scenery. I used a lot of their plaster products,
paints, lichen bushes, foam covered trees, finely ground foam grasses, and “realistic water” (to form the lake and waterfall) on my layout.
The DS lap counter displays race laps and times on a PC that is integrated into
the scenery, I built a control tower around the lap counter. There are four custom
made driver’s stations around the track, where a driver can plug into any of the
lanes. To allow the drivers room to adjust their positions (or chase down de-slotted
cars), I attached 25-foot cables to each of the controllers and added ¼” plugs for
a solid connection. I stuck patches of industrial strength Velcro to the backs of the
controllers and then added a 2-inch wide strip of the reciprocal Velcro around the
entire layout. This has proved to be a simple method for quickly hanging and then
easily removing the controllers no matter where a driver is standing.
I really had fun creating the various structures found around the track. Many of the
concession stands are named after my young nieces and nephews (e.g., “Wild Wyatt’s
Western Wear”) as well as some of the animals from our ranch (e.g., “Ike’s Iconic Ice
Cream Sandwiches”). I also played around with the shapes of these structures that
I made out of plastic sheets and square tubes. For example, I built “Baby Brooke’s
Bubbly Beverages” in the shape of a large soda cup with a straw coming out of the top.
All of the buildings have dimmable lights in them. One structure that I am particularly
pleased with is a scratch-built 1/32 scale Airstream trailer. A friend of mine, Mario
Larouche, who has a CNC machine, made the rough shape in three pieces out of wood.
I then glued it together; cut out windows; sanded it; added details like an AC unit, tinted
windows, and propane tanks; painted it shiny aluminum; and attached wheels and a
cloth awning. I made the vending machines by building a frame out of 1/8-inch plastic
square tube and covered them with images from the internet printed on clear plastic. A
small light bulb in each one gives them a more realistic look.
Model Car Racing 27
The pit buildings are modified and painted Carrera garages. The crews are assortments of Carrera and Scalextric figures
I placed the structures so that they would not be in the trajectory of de-slotted cars. Additionally, I built fences using 1/16-inch aluminum tube frames and fine wire mesh
screens cut at a 45 degree angle to protect the detailed scenes . With the plan to keep cars from flying off the track and onto the floor, I put a MDF border around the whole
layout rising about eight inches above all elevations of the track. Background scenery was painted on the interior of this border to add more depth to the landscaping. Another
friend of mine, professional artist Mike Martis, assisted with much of the painting. He also painted some great murals of a couple of my favorite race cars (i.e., a Porsche 917K
and a Lotus T70) on the walls around the room.
There are over 500 hand-painted people on the track,
many of them filling the Carrera grandstands.
28 Model Car Racing
I detailed the pit garages with various tools and
machinery made out of scrap plastic pieces. Another
friend of mine, Neil Pollack, who makes fine jewelry,
created a highly detailed acetylene welding rig, air
compressor, and tool drawers with miniature tools in
them for the pits.
A portion of track hangs over the main straight so
that area has been detailed to recreate a rock-faced
half-tunnel that is also one of the snack areas with
scratchbuilt illuminated vending machines.
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) leads Nico
Rosberg, (Mercedes W04), Sebastian Vettel
(Red Bull RB9 Renault) and Felipe Massa
(Ferrari F138) at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix
on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. —
LAT Photographic
30 Model Car Racing
Model Car Racing 31
Sports Cars:
Ninco 1956 Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 is one of the models in the Ninco “Classic”
series of fifties and early-sixties era sports cars that
includes the Austin Healey 3000 and Jaguar XK120 replicas
of “production” cars and the Porsche 550, Ferrari 166 and
Ferrari Testa Rosa replicas of “sports racing cars”.
■■Albin Burroughs
The 356-series Porsches dominated production class racing around the
world in the fifties and early sixties. The cars were often the “training”
vehicles for some of the best drivers (like Ronnie Bucknum and Bruce
Jennings) to learn their craft before moving on to LeMans and beyond.
There were two popular 356 Porsche bodies, a fastback coupe and a
convertible. The convertible was offered in several styles including the
“Speedster” variation for America with a low-windshield, minimum
interior trim and bucket seats, that is the prototype for the Ninco 1/32
scale model. There is more information on the Ninco 356 Porsche in
the May/June 2011 number 57 issue.
The newest Ninco Porsche 356 is a replica of a car that Bruce Jennings
raced at Bridgehampton New York in 1963 (including the stock Speedster windshield and the rectangular roll bar). He drove the same car
with the same markings to an SCCA C Production Championship in
1969. Jennings liked that stylized number 77 and applied it to a variety
of production-class Porsche 911s in the seventies.
Ninco’s Classic cars are nearly all wider than accurate scale---the Porsche,
for example, is about 1/8-inch wider than 1/32 scale. Conversely most Ninco Classics are accurate in most of their other dimensions---the track width
Model Car Racing 35
(center-to-center) on the front and rear wheels is correct as is the length
and height. Because the 356 Porsche Speedsters were “tubby” enough to
be called “bath tubs”, the Ninco model car looks like the full-size Porsche.
The motor is mounted in separate pod but only to allow the use of the shorter NC-1
motor (which is no longer available). The screws on this pod must be kept perfectly
tight or the gears will not mesh properly.
The Ninco Porsche is powered by the 23,500 rpm Ninco NC-12 motor
that, frankly, is too much motor for such a light car, particularly with
the relatively hard rear tires and no downforce magnet. The car would
be more enjoyable to drive if fitted with the 20,800 rpm Ninco NC-14
motor (that is in the Ninco Formula car on pages 49-51). Unless you
are racing on the rough and grippy surface of Ninco track, the car will
be far more predictable to control in the corners if you replace the rear
tires with either urethanes like the 1301Y Yellow Dogs or silicones like
the 1301C Super Tires.
½½ How Fast Magnet-Free?
We Race Track Tested the Ninco 1956 Corvette without the downforce
magnet and with Super Tires 1301C silicone rear tires in the September/October 2011 number 59 issue. The earlier Ninco Classic models,
like the Corvette, were fitted with the NC-5 20,000 rpm motor but the
Corvette is much larger so the higher cornering speeds should balance
against the quicker motor ---the Porsche is smaller than the ‘Vette but
has a faster motor so the lap times of the two cars should be similar.
Out-of-the-Box Lap Times
36-foot Scalextric
Indy F1 Course:
36-foot Carrera
Indy F1 Course:
Ninco 1956 Porsche 356
5.93 sec.
5.42 sec.
Ninco 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster
The Prototype The size the model should The dimensions of the model:
(the real car): be in 1/32 scale:
SPEC SHEET
Length:*
158 in.
4.94 in. (125.4 mm)
4.67 in. (118.6 mm)
Width:
65.8 in.
2.05 in. (56.0 mm)
2.14 in. (54.3 mm)
Height:
NA
NA
1.61 in. (40.8 mm)
Wheelbase
83.7 in.
2.58 in. (65.6 mm)
2.69 in. (68.2 mm)
Track, Front:
51.4 in.
1.69 in. (42,8 mm)
1.62 in. (41.1 mm)
Track, Rear:
50.1 in.
1.57 in. (39.7 mm)
1.57 in. (39.7 mm)
Tires, Front:
5.90-15
4.6 x 21.1
6.8 x 20.8 mm
Tires, Rear:
5.90-15
4.6 x 21.1
56.8 x 20.8 mm
Weight:
1,790 lbs.
NA
76 grams (2 5/8 oz.)
Weight on Front Tires:
34 grams (1 1/8 oz.)
Weight on Rear Tires:
42 grams (1 1/2 oz.)
Magnetic Downforce on Carrera:
NA
Magnetic Downforce on Scalextric:
NA
Ground Clearance on Carrera:
1.5 mm (.060 in.)
Ground Clearance on Scalextric:
1.4 mm (.055 in.)
Pickup Lead (pivot to rear axle):
80.6 mm (3.17 in.)
Gear Ratio:
3.00:1 (9/27)
*NOTE: Length includes bumpers.
Source: The Motor magazine, July 8, 1964
Source: Road Test of Super 90 Porsche, Road & Track 1961
There is no provision for a downforce magnet on the NINCO 356 Porsche.
36 Model Car Racing
Steve Schmidt’s 1958 Porsche 356 was typical of most production class sports cars in the fifties with the stock windshield and bumpers removed and a tiny windshield but with
a stronger modern-era tall roll bar at the 2009 Monterey Historics. In 2009. ---Michael Cerone photo
Model Car Racing 37
DIGITAL RACING:
Scalextric Digital For
Carrera 2013 Formula 1 Cars
Carrera is the only company that has produced replicas of 2013 Formula 1 cars, the Ferrari F138 and Red Bull RB9
(the Red Bull RB9 was in the November/December 2014 number 78 issue). Carrera offers the two cars in either
analog or Digital 132 (which will also run on any analog track). However, if you want to recreate the 2013 Formula
1 races on a Scalextric Digital track the Carrera cars can be converted with the Scalextric C7005 Digital Chip,
Retro-Fit. The Scalextric Digital chip will also allow a car to run on any brand of analog track. The installation is
similar to that for the earlier Carrera Formula 1 cars shown in the November/December 2011 number 60 issue
but the 2013 Formula 1 models, like their prototypes, are even slimmer than the earlier Formula 1 cars so a bit
more of the interior of the body must be removed to clear the Scalextric Digital Chip. There’s a “Pros and Cons”
comparison of the Digital systems on www.modelcarracingmag.com under the sidebar “Digital Car Racing Tips”.
■■Robert Schleicher
A Carrera 2013 Ferrari F138 leading a Carrera 2013 Red Bull RB9---both cars are fitted with Scalextric Digital chips.
½½ Retrofitting Any Modern-Era
Formula 1 Car for
6-Car Digital Racing
Note: All of these articles are also available on www.modelcarracingmag.com under
the top bar “Sample Issues”.
42 Model Car Racing
Formula 1 Cars On Scalextric Digital Track:
• Scalextric cars: The C8516 Easyfit Digital Plug can be
used convert any of the most-recent Scalextric F1 cars to
Scalextric Digital.
• SCX cars: Scalextric Plug-Ready Digital in SCX Formula 1
cars, Issue #51
• NINCO cars: Scalextric Plug-Ready Digital in NINCO
Formula 1 cars, Issue #51
• Carrera cars: (see above)
• Carrera cars: Scalextric Plug-Ready Digital in Carrera
Formula 1 cars, Issue #60
Formula 1 Cars On Ninco N-Digital Track:
• Slot.it oXigen Digital Chips for Formula 1 cars, Issue #75
• NINCO cars: The NINCO N-Digital In Scalextric 2006
Formula 1 Cars, issue #34
Formula 1 Cars On Carrera Digital 132 Track:
• NINCO cars: (see above)
• Scalextric cars: (see above)
• Carrera cars: Carrera offers all of their modern-era Formula 1 cars
in both analog and Digital 132 versions, However, Carrera also
offers “Digital Receiver boards to allow plug-in installation of Digital
132 in the most-recent releases of Formula 1 cars from Carrera.
• Scalextric cars: The Carrera Digital 132 number 26740
Digital Decoder chip in Scalextric F1 cars, Issue #59
• SCX cars: The Carrera Digital 132 number 26740 Digital
Decoder chip in Scalextric F1 cars, Issue #59
• Carrera cars: (see above)
• NINCO cars: (see above)
• Slot.it oXigen Digital Chips for Formula 1 cars, Issue #75
NOTE: The digital articles in issues #44 through #60 are available on our website
www.modelcarracingmag.com under the top bar “Sample Issues” and under “Digital
Editions”.
Pit Stops For Digital:
• NINCO cars: The Carrera Digital 132 number 26740 Digital
Decoder chip in Scalextric F1 cars, Issue #59
• Live Action Pit Stops with Pit Walls for Scalextric Digital,
Issue #72
• Slot.it oXigen Digital Chips for Formula 1 cars, Issue #75
• Live-Action Pit Stops with Pit Walls for Carrera Digital 132,
Issue #73
Formula 1 Cars On SCX Digital Track:
• SCX cars: offers all of their modern-era Formula 1 cars in
either analog or SCX Digital form.
• Scalextric Digital: The SCX Digital system includes the
guide shoe so there is no reasonable way convert an SCX
Formula 1 car to Scalextric Digital, Carrera Digital 132 or
NINCO N-Digital
• Live-Action Pit Stops with Pit Walls for SCX & Ninco
N-Digital, Issue #74
• Action Pit Lanes for Scalextric Sport, Classic, SCX, Ninco or
Carrera Digital, Issue #77
Test-fit the Scalextric C7005 Digital Chip, Retro-Fit
so you can see what parts of the Carrera chassis and
body must be removed to clear the chip.
The steps to convert the Carrera Red Bull RB9 to Scalextric Digital are identical those shown to convert Carrera F138 Ferrari.
Remove the body and wing from the Carrera 2013
Ferrari F138 car so you can access the wires from the
pickup to the motor.
All of the Carrera cars have a u-shaped printed circuit
boards. The wires that connect the board to the motor
and pickup must be disconnected so the Scalextric
C7005 Digital Chip, Retro-Fit (bottom) can be installed
between the motor and the pickup.
Fitting Scalextric Digital to any other brand requires
soldering. First, unsolder the wires from the motor
tabs.
Model Car Racing 43
Cut the red and black wires leading to the pickup and
strip-off 1/16-inch of the insulation. The wires are very
fine so it is wise to invest in a quality wire stripper.
Use a hobby knife to enlarge the hole for the front
body-mounting screw so it just clears the bulb on the
Scalextric chip.
The Carrera front body-mounting post is positioned
right above the Scalextric chip so cut-off the post
flush with the inside of the body. The body fits tightly
enough so that front screw is not necessary.
Cement the Scalextric bulb in to the hole on the
Carrera chassis with a dab of clear silicone caulking or
Shoe Goo and let it dry overnight.
Twist the bare wire ends together to connect the red
Carrera pickup wire to the green wire on the Scalextric
chip and connect the black Carrera wire to the yellow
Scalextric wire. Solder each of the joints then protect
them a half-inch of black electrical tape.
The Carrera pickup blade (they call it a “keel”) is too
long to allow Carrera cars to negotiate the curves on
other brands of track---use diagonal cutters to snipoff the rear ¼-inch of keel. (There is a spare keel with
each Carrera car---perhaps for this very reason).
The tabs under the body near the body-mounting post
also interfere with the Scalextric chip so trim the tabs
away with diagonal cutters.
The Scalextric chip must lie as flat on the Carrera
chassis as possible. Use diagonal cutters to remove
the vertical tabs so the chip can be mounted as low
as possible.
Place the Scalextric chip on the chassis so you can
test-fit the body to see what portions of the body must
be removed to clear the chip.
44 Model Car Racing
Test-fit body and, if necessary trim away any tabs
that prevent the body from resting tightly against the
chassis. Use clear silicone caulking or Shoe Goo to
attach the Scalextric chip to the chassis. Use masking
tape to position the chip while the silicone or Shoe
Goo dries.
Try the car to see if it runs in the proper direction on
any brand of analog. If the car runs backwards, swap
the red and black wires at the motor. Then try the
car on your Scalextric Digital track to see if it runs. If
it does not run, reverse the wire connections to the
Carrera pickup.
Tech Tips:
TEST N' TUNE ���������������������
One of the buzz words among model car racers is the three letters “TNT” meaning test
and tune. The simple expressions “hop up”
or “tune up” are worthless unless you actually
race the car see if the tune up or hop up really
did produce lower lap times. With model car
racers, maximum power is a joke, a false goal,
something to brag about because you are
losing. Most of the motors in today’s model
racing cars are already as fast as the tires and
track surface can handle. More power often
means just more wheelspin and more crashes.
If you are racing cars with downforce magnets, more magnet can often produce slower
lap times because the motor in the car is not
strong enough to pull the force of the magnet down the straight. Typically, cars that are
raced on Carrera track need more downforce
because the track rails have less iron content
than other brands. Conversely, a “stuckdown”
set up for the quickest lap times on Scalextric,
SCX or Ninco track will not corner as quickly
on a Carrera track because the Carrera rails
do not provide as much magnetic attraction
as the rails in Scalextric, Ninco or SCX track.
The way to lower lap times is a specific path:
try all the variables, one at a time, and see
what works best.
The basic, fundamental, absolutely necessary tool for tuning a model race car is an
accurate lap timer. You will have no hope of
improving your car if you try to rely on your
own visual and visceral observations---the
timer does not lie. If you do not have a track
of your own, collect these tune up parts and
the tools to install them and spend some
time doing a Test N’ Tune session on one of
the tracks where you race your cars.
The TN'T process begins with a stock car.
Run it for long enough so you know you
have recorded the fastest time that car can
produce with you as the driver on that track
on that day. Write it down because you will
forget it. Do the them same test with a second car that is nearly as fast as the first car so
you have a “control” car you can retest at the
end of the session to see if all your tune-up
work has really made the original car faster.
If you are running magnets, you will want to
buy one or two stronger magnets (like Pro-
fessor Motor and Slot.it offer) and a piece of
.020-inch thick shim steel (actually, a chunk
of tin can will do) to place between the magnet and the chassis to lower the magnet’s
downforce field. You will want two pairs of
silicone tires of smaller and larger diameter
and two pairs of smaller and larger diameter urethane tires. It is best to mount all the
tires on the wheels and sand the edges to be
sure they are perfectly round. Be aware that
the smaller diameter tires will lower the car
and, thus, allow the magnet to provide more
downforce.
Buy an extra set of crown gears (for an inline
car), anglewinder gears (for an anglewinder
car) or, as shown, spur gears for a sidewinder
car (like this Slot.it Ford GT40) with two more
and two less teeth than the stock gear. You will
also need an Allen wrench and Phillips screwdriver to work on the car.
Armed with an array of “hop up” parts you
can begin swapping-out tire/wheels and
again recording the lap times. Yes, the process takes a long time because you will need
to run at least 50 laps with each option to be
sure you have wrung the best possible performance from the car with that setup. And, you
must start with a pristine clean track ( you are
not trying find out how fast car will go with
dirty tires---save that for the end of the race).
½½ Test N' Tune Sequence:
1.Test two different cars (to keep one as-is as
a “control” car)
2.Test with the stock magnet:
A. Urethane/silicone tires
B. Smaller/larger tires
C. Gear ratios
3.Given optimum lap times try:
A. Different magnet locations
B. Different magnets
C. Recheck silicon/urethane and large/
small tire choices
If you want to address all the variables that
can produce lower lap times you will need
four sets of rear tires; one set as small as practical for that car and one set at least 1/16-inch
larger diameter, and you will need both sizes
in a silicone compound (like Super Tires,
Max Traxx or Indy Grips) and a urethane
compound (like Yellow Dogs or Ortmanns).
Yes, you can just buy tires without the wheels,
but ripping the tires on and off the wheels
eventually tears the tires and it is a test of patience getting them mounted completely true
for each tire change.
Model Car Racing 45
Pit Board ������������������������
The Ultimate Scalextric
Digital System
I always look forward to the new version of
your magazine from my local dealer here in
Denmark. But I have a question for the experts: I have been using standard Scalextric
Digital (and analog) controllers for years, and
now I want to try something new but I really
don’t know what to choose.
I have a Scalextric Digital track upgraded with
the C7042 6-Car Digital Powerbase (which runs
analog or Scalextric Digital). I have upgraded
that with the RMS (http://rcs64.com/) CS64
system to provide a better display of laps and
race management on a PC laptop monitor. I
have also upgraded the Scalextric Digital system with the SCS (www.slotcarsolutions.com/)
slot car wireless system, and I am very happy for
it because it reduces the number of cables that
I need but I do have carry a small battery box
as well as the controller. I have installed Slot.it’s
SSD chips in some of my cars and the Scalextric
Digital chips in the others. I don’t want to have
another cable, because the controllers need power that cannot be provided by battery. I have to
spend hours to setup my cars, and I don’t want
to spend hours to setup the controller.
I am trying to choose between these three controllers:
• TruSpeed SSD -MK1 Digital Slotcar
Controller
• Slot.it - SCP01d-3v3
• Scorpius wireless controller
What can you recommend?
Thanks in advance!
Anders Trier Rasmussen
Wow! The upgrades you have installed make
the Scalextric Digital system about as complete as possible. You can also get most of
what you have added-on by using a complete
Slot.it oXigen system (see issues #68, #69
and #75---all available on www.modelcarracingmag.com under “Sample Issues) with
Scalextric track. What is interesting is that
you can also obtain most of those upgrades
(plus more like KERs, track planning and car
inventory---but, with no analog option) with
the new Scalextric ACS Pro digital system,
which will be available about Christmastime
(the controllers, will, of course, still be Scalextric). The ACS system is designed to display
the lap counting, timing, car control and
other features on a tablet. We have a policy
to not recommend---your opinion is at least
46 Model Car Racing
as good as ours. The only controllers that are
sold through dealers here are the Slot.it items.
TruSpeed will have to be ordered from the
Internet and the Scorpious is not designed
to work with Scalextric Digital. From what
I have seen, however, you will have to spend
some time setting up the any of the controllers but it should be a one-time effort.
• The Slot.it oXigen controllers are
available with chips for use with
analog, with Scalextric Digital or with
oXigen digital. The tethered SCP01d3v3 version is designed to operate
with the C7042 Scalextric Digital
power base. If you want wireless, it
should operate with your SCS system
(below). Note that Slot.it 2.4GKz
wireless controller only operates cars
fitted with oXigen chips. Slot.it is
available to dealers through Hornby
America (www.slotit-usa.com).
rently available (at a price) early 50’s formula
cars look ridiculous with 60-inch track widths
and 12-inch wide tires.....
Old School lives, Dan Wilson
We agree, of course, but it is completely a decision that each modeler must make. We cannot condemn a model because it is too large
but we will always try to identify the serious
flaws in size or scale so the modeler can make
an informed decision about whether to buy
the model and whether or not to include it in
any particular race. New To The Hobby?
There’s more information on page 45 of this
issue. There are some basic tune-up tips that are
needed for every model race car on our website
www.modelcarracingmag.com under the “New
to the hobby?” link. There are 13 tips including:
How To Get Started in Model Car Racing, Two
Driving Techniques, Perfect Pickup Braid, Tire
Mounting, Cleaning Track Rails, Cleaning Track,
Avoiding Disaster: Oil & Grease, Controllers,
Race Program Set Up: Color Coding & Racing
classes, Reliable Wires, Chassis Set Up, Carrera
Guide Shoe Mods. There’s lots more you can
do, including changing to silicone rear tires
with better grip, loosening the body-to-chassis
screws and more.
• The TruSpeed (www.truspeed.co.uk/)
SSD -MK1 Digital Slotcar Controller is
a plug-in pistol grip controller for the
Scalextric Digital system if you simply
want to use a Parma-style controller
in place of Scalextric. If you want
wireless, it should operate with your
SCS system.
• The Scropius (http://www.
scorpiuswireless.com/) 2.4GHz
wireless controller is available with
an analog adaptor and they have an
option of using it with the Scalextric
analog system.
Super Size Me
Articles and editorials on scale and dimensions
seem to be a common thread in Model Car
Racing magazine. To me, size is one of the core
elements that distinguish a model from a toy.
The models are either 1/32 scale, plus or minus
a small amount, or they are toys. A line should
be drawn and adhered to. Cars that scale out in
every dimension to 1/30 or more should be left
out of the magazine (which inclusion lends an
air of respectability), and left out of organized
events by clubs, etc.. Notice that there are few,
if any, cars which scale in at less than 1/32, i.e.,
I don’t recall any 1/35th racing car models....
ever. So the size is a deliberate choice by the
manufacturer. With the tools at hand in today’s
manufacturing, there is no excuse for cars that
are out of scale. If parity in performance is a
requirement (albeit an impossible task), then
the ubiquitous magnet can be used to equalize as needed. The same thoughts apply to tire
widths, tire diameters and track width dimensions.....the otherwise interesting range of cur-
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Publication Title: Model Car Racing
Publication Number: 020-443
Filing Date: September 22, 2014
Issue Frequency: bimonthly
Number of Issues Published Annually: 6
Annual Subscription Price: $35.00
Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: Model Car Racing Publications, Inc.,
6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301-3346
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer):
Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:
Publisher: Robert Schleicher, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301
Editor: Robert Schleicher, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301
Managing Editor: Chris Walker, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301
10. Owner: Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301
Robert Schleicher, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More
of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. none
12. Tax Status : Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months
13. Publication Title: Model Car Racing
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: January/February 2015
15. Average No. Copies of Each Issue Published During Preceding 12 Months/No. Copies of Single
Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date:
a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run): 5,000/5,000
b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation:
(1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. (Include advertiser’s
proof and exchange copies): 707/718
(2) Paid In-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies): 4/4
(3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid
Distribution: 2850/2995
(4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: 0/0
c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b. (1), (2),(3),and (4)]: 3561/3717
d. Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, complimentary, and other free):
(1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541: 108/108
(2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541: 4/4
(3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: 0/0
(4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 0/0
e. Total free distribution (sum of 15d and 15e): 114/114
f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c. and 15f): 3673/3829
g. Copies not Distributed: 1327/1171
h. Total (Sum of 15g. and h.): 5,000/5,000
i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c. divided by 15g. times 100): 97%/97%
16. Electronic copy circulation:
a. Paid electronic copies 450/475
b. Total paid Print Copies (line 15c) + Paid electronic copies 4011/4192
c. Total Print Distribution (line 15c) Paid electronic copies 4123/4304
d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies)(18b divided by 16c x 100) 97/97
I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price
17. Publication of Statement of Ownership
Publication required. Will be printed in the January/February 2015 issue of this publication.
18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner
Robert Schleicher, Publisher
September 22, 2014
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone
who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information
requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment)
and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).
Race Tracks For Your Home:
HO 4-LANE UNICORN BANKED RACEWAY
for a 4 x 8-Foot Tabletop
■■Robert Schleicher
This track is an HO version of the Unicorn Banked Track on pages 12-14.
There’s a full 180-degree banked turn at T1 (with a short straight between
the two 90-degree ends that can be driven as part of a single turn). The ess
bends through turns T2 and T3 are quick jogs with a medium-radius turn
at T4 and T7. Turns T5 and T6, however, can probably be taken faster than
the banked turn T1 because turns T5 and T6 utilize the largest available
HO curved track sections. All of the straights are 15-inch unless marked.
The majority of the HO plans in the magazine squeeze as much track as
possible into that 4 x 8-foot area. Unicorn Speedway is typical in having
the longest possible straight on an 8-foot long table but it would be more
enjoyable to race on if the straight was longer than the typical six-feet
or so. It can be difficult to design a plan for, say, 4 x 16-feet that can be
shrunk to fit a 4 x 8-foot area. So we present them all uptight and hope
that you’ll expand them to 4 x 10 or 4 x 24-feet to get those wondrous
20-foot straight-aways. Most of the plans are marked with “L” letters indicating just where to insert the additional sets of straight track sections to
expand the track to any length.
AFX TRACK SECTIONS REQUIRED
Quantity:
Description:
10
6-inch Straight
2
9-inch Straight
16
15-inch Straight
0
6-inch 45-degree Curve
3
9-inch 45-degree Curve
6
9-inch 90-degree Curve
4
9-inch Banked Curve
4
12-inch Banked Turn
15
12-inch 45-degree Curve
5
15-inch 45-degree Curve
5
18-inch 45-degree Curve
The plan for the HO 4-Lane Paramount Ranch Track to fit a 5 x 9-foot ping-pong tabletop.
Model Car Racing 47
Club Directory ���������������������
Most model car racers prefer to race at home on their own tracks with a few friends. There are hundreds of model car racing clubs in the world but some of them
are groups who race very highly modified cars on tracks routed from wood or PVC. The model racing cars you see on the pages of this magazine are all designed
to be raced on plastic tracks (although they can be raced on most wood or PVC tracks) from Scalextric, Sport, Carrera, NINCO, SCX, Riggen or Artin or the older
Strombecker, Revell or Monogram tracks 1/32 scale tracks or Tomy AFX or Mattel/Tyco HO tracks.
The clubs that are listed here are groups whose main interest is to race out-of-the box cars and mostly on plastic tracks (although the club may also race on one or
two hand-routed wood or PVC tracks). The group may have a modified class where extra magnets are allowed or different bodies. We try to NOT list the clubs that
primarily race cars with hand-made metal chassis and clear plastic bodies---those clubs are listed on various internet sites or you can find most of them through the
Old Weird Harold site at http://www.oldweirdherald.com.
There are hundreds of dealers in the country that have operating tracks in the store. We cannot list them all, but you can contact the ones in your area from the list of
dealers that carry Model Car Racing magazine www.modelcarracingmag.com.
If your group races out-of-the-box 1/32 scale or HO scale cars, with only occasionally events for modified cars) send us the information at www.modelcarracingmag.
com and we’ll try to include your club in the next issue.
California, Los Angeles (Glendale): OTHG – Farrout Slot Illinois, Central area: Hotslots 1/32 Slot Car Shop,
Michigan, Kalamazoo area: West Michigan
Car Club. Contact Stephen Farr-Jones (818) 260 9192, 1809 A. Philo Road, Urbana, IL 61802 (217) 355-2277, Slot Car Group, John Lacko (269) 344-5588,
www.farroutslotcars.com/
[email protected]
[email protected] https://www.facebook.com/
groups/205657316120426/
California, Fresno area: Insane SCRC,
Illinois, Chicago area: Bolingbrook Speedway, Karl
Joe Cabral [email protected]
Staehlin, [email protected]
California, North San Diego County: Nomad Slot
Racing Club, Jim Cunningham (760)492-4619 jim@
NomadRaceways.com www.NomadSlotRacing.com
Illinois, Chicago area: Great Lakes Slot Car Club,
contact:
www.greatlakesscc.com
Illinois, Chicago Area: JYD Racing, contact www.
California, North San Diego County, Escondido - “The
Slot Outlaws” 760-747-4511 or email: rick_houston@ toys4slots.com
hotmail.com
Illinois, Peoria/ Metamora area: Peoria Model Car
Raceway,
California, San Jose area: Devin Mauldin web@
(309) 573-1027, [email protected],
flyinghump.com
(309)712-3299 [email protected]
California, South Bay (Los Angeles): Stan Smith
(310)812-1866
[email protected]
Indiana, Indianapolis area: (Jeremy Dunning)
[email protected]
California, South Bay (Los Angeles): ITG - In The
Groove Slot Car racing, 324 W. Florence Ave.,
Inglewood, CA 90301. Contact: Marc Natividad (310)
200-6300. [email protected]
Indiana, Terre Haute area: Otter Creek Slot Racing
Association,
Bob Redman [email protected]
Colorado, Denver area: Rocky Mountain Slot Car Club
(RMSSC)
http://rmscclub.proboards.com/index.cgi
Iowa, Cedar Rapids area: Iowa Model Area Racers,
http://imar.us/
Indiana, Fort Wayne area: Wallace Dale Monroe,
[email protected]
Colorado, Denver Area, Colorado Slot car Club, contact: Iowa, Cedar Rapids area: ERASR (Ecurie Road America
http://coslotcarclub.proboards.com/
Scale Racers) Art (319)626-6374
Colorado, Denver area: Front Range Vintage Slotcar
Iowa, Swisher area: IMAR (Iowa Model Auto Racing),
and Historical Racing Club, http://monovell.proboards. Jerry Hightshoe [email protected]
com/index.cgi
Kentucky, Louisville area: Derby City Slot Car Club,
D.C., Washington area: The Capital Racing League,
www.derbycityslotcarclub.proboards.com/ Mark@
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tcrl, contact:
derbycityspeedway.com
[email protected]
Louisiana, Lake Charles area: Lake Area Slot Car Auto
D.C., Washington area (Alexandria): Classic Slot Car
Racing, Julian Guillory, http://groups.yahoo.com/
Association (CSSA), John Roberts, (703) 582-5504,
group/LASCAR
[email protected]
Maryland, Baltimore area: (Allan Schwartz) comD.C., Washington Metro area: Old Dominion Slot Car
[email protected]
Club, 5322 Graystone Rd., Warrenton, VA 20187,
Michigan, Grand Rapids area: Rivershore International
contact: Chris Bowles (540)341-1405 or, info@
Raceway, Alto, Michigan, Stephen Thomas,
nascarslots.com ,
(616) 891-1632. email: [email protected]
www.nascarslots.com or www.metalracer.com
Missouri, St. Louis area: (Carl Shorle) gsra@swbell.
net
Missouri, St. Louis area: Monaco Grand Prix Miniature
Racing Club, www.mgpmrc.org, email: mgpmrc@
mgpmrc.org
New York, Watkins Glen area: The Slot Car Club Of
The Twin Tiers, Contact: Frank Spena, Jr., sccottt1@
yahoo.com
North Carolina, Winston-Salem area: Road America
Racers, King City, North Carolina, Tom Brooks, (336)
985-3867 or [email protected]
Slot Car Association, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, wvsca.
blogspot.com
Texas, Eastern area: East Texas Slot Car Association,
Tyler , TX 75771, (903)882 0965 ETXSCA@hotmail.
com
Texas, Houston (Northwest Harris County): Houston
Scale Auto Racing Club (HSARC), www.hsarc.net,
(281)807-4026.
Northern Virginia-Metro DC area: Northern Virginia
Digital Slot Racers, contact: Hayes Lewis, [email protected]
Vermont, Burlington area: Burlington Slot Dorks,
Daniel, [email protected]
Williamsburg Virginia area: The Barn Burners”
Contact: Joseph Brimer [email protected]
Ohio, Columbus area: 1/32 Slot Car Racers of Central Washington, Auburn area: Rainier Raceways,
Ohio, Randy Horton, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1- Greg Gaub [email protected]
32SlotCarRacersOfCentralOhio
Washington, Seattle/Tacoma area: PSSRA (Puget
Oregon, Portland area: Beaverton Area Slot Car Club
Sound Slot Car Racing Association) http://pssra.
(B.A.S.C.C.),15430 SW Gull Ct., Beaverton, Oregon
webhop.net/ or Tony Kuljis,
97007, 503-330-6907
[email protected]
Pennsylvania, Allentown-Reading area: Allen & Allen
Washington, Seattle/Tacoma area: NMRL (Northwest
Motor Speedway Racing, (610) 520-7247, JallenenModel Racing League). John MacKenzie (206)[email protected]
9980, [email protected]
Pennsylvania, Chambersburg area.
Sherman Collings [email protected] (717)
377-1435
Toronto, Canada area: Scale Sloters 1/32, chris.w@
rogers.com
Pennsylvania, Harrisburg area: Homestead Speedway,
Landisville, Pennsylvania. Ken Falco at KFalco@
Studio5architects.com
1/24 scale racing clubs:
Pennsylvania, Manheim area:
D & B Raceways, Don Noll [email protected]
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area: Mt. Airy Racing
Association, Herbert Bigelow (215) 868-4464,
[email protected]
Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre Area: NEPA Slot Car Club,
570-903-9182, nepaslotcars.com
Pennsylvania, Wyoming Valley Area: Wyoming Valley
Vancouver, Canada area: (Luf Linkert) [email protected]
Oregon, Eugene area: Pelican Park Speedway
(541)349-0917 htm210@comcast.
Digital Racing Clubs:
Ohio, Mansfield area: Mid-Ohio 1/32 Scale Racing
Club, [email protected], John Chorpening (419)
289-6563
Northern Virginia-Metro DC area: Northern Virginia
Digital Slot Racers, contact: Hayes Lewis, [email protected]
HO Clubs: The majority of HO racing on a club level in the US is home sectional tracks, using hard bodies and largely stock equipment. The majority are Thunderjet
focused, although many do run the Life-Like, Auto World, Playing Mantis, G-Plus and Mattel/Tyco cars, these mass produced magnet cars tend to be utilized by small
round robin groups by invitation or as groups of friends.
There are some excellent clubs across the US racing basically stock hardshell T-Jet cars for the most part on sectional home tracks. This is only a partial listing. If you have
an active group racing hard-bodied T-Jet-style cars, let us know.
Arizona, Phoenix area: http://ahora.homestead.com/
ahora.html
Inglewood, CA 90301. Contact: Marc Natividad (310)
200-6300. [email protected]
Michigan, Lansing area: NASAR, Richard Leeper (517) Association, Herbert Bigelow (215) 868-4464,
290-9952 or [email protected]
[email protected]
California, Bay area: San Francisco HO Racing Association, www.sfhora.org/home.html
Colorado, Denver area: Front Range HO (FRHO)
club. http://www.scaleracers.com/FrontRangeHO/
default.asp
Missouri, Kansas City area:
http://home.kc.rr.com/jhabernal/mahor/
Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre Area: NEPA Slot Car Club,
570-903-9182, nepaslotcars.com
Missouri, St. Louis area: [email protected]
Illinois, Chicago area: http: nitro-racing.4t.com/
Ohio, Columbus area:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colohhoscc/messages
Winston-Salem/Greenville, South Carolina area:
Upstate HO Slot Car Club, 403 Hill Lane, Mauldin,
SC 29662
(864)967-7865 Richard Tabb at [email protected] or
Steve Lorch at [email protected]
California, Bay area: M.S.C.R.C. - Model Slot Car Racing Club www.mscrc.orgemail: [email protected]
California, Bay area: Shaunadega Racing www.
shaunadega.com
Indiana, Fort Wayne area: Wallace Monroe,
[email protected]
California, South Bay (Los Angeles): ITG - In The
Groove Slot Car racing, 324 W. Florence Ave.
Kentucky / Virginia area: http://www.thunderjetracing.com/
48 Model Car Racing
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area:
http://vintagehoracing.mr-bigstuff.com/
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area: Mt. Airy Racing
United Kingdom, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
Burning Rubber, www.burningrubber.net
New Stuff
The National Hobby Show
America does not have a national model car racing show, however, there is a national hobby show with displays and
demo tracks by all the major model car racing brands. There are hundreds of regional hobby and craft shows in North
America, but the iHobby Expo (www.ihobbyexpo.com/Public.html) in Chicago is the only one where the majority of the
manufacturers attend. The iHobby show features exhibits by manufacturers but, in addition, there are dozens of dealer
sales booths. Scalextric, Ninco, SCX, AFX and Auto World usually have demo tracks as well as displays of their latest
products. The exhibits and sales booths include radio control planes, boats and aircraft, model railroading, die-cast
models and books. There’s lots of stuff for kids including Thomas the Tank Engine train rides.
Policar had an early sample of their new series of seventies-era Lotus 72C Formula 1
car on display at iHobby show. The cars are expected late in 2014.
Scalextric has announced the race set using their upcoming ACS (App Control
System) system that utilizes an app so your tablet or smartphone will control and
display lap counting and timing, race results, a listing of your racing stable, track
planning and dozens of other race and car control options. Scalextric announced the
system and described it in the 2014 catalogs as the RCS (for Race Control System)
but has changed the name to more accurately reflect the system’s advantages.
Slot.it will have the Chaparral 2G available early in 2016.
52 Model Car Racing
Policar will also offer the Lotus 72E.
The Policar Lotus 72 chassis has a double gear reduction with a pair of idler spur
gears parallel to the rear axle. The system allows the final drive crown gear to be
small enough so there is no ugly gear cover bulge.
The Scalextric replicas of 2014 Bentley GT have arrived but to late for this issue. We’ll have a full report in the next issue.
NSR had a preproduction Ford GT40 Mk.I with the full-size car’s smoother rear
fender shapes
Mr. Slotcar had their forthcoming McLaren F1 GTR on display at Chicago iHobby
show.
NSR also announced a new 1/32 scale 2013 BMW Z4.
Mr. Slotcar will offer this optional add-on front suspension with working springs and
adjustable camber for the McLaren.
The Ninco high-performance cars are now called “Ultra”(that will replace the
previous Lightning series). The chassis has a new motor and is supplied with working
rear suspension for the pod.
Model Car Racing 53
The new Ninco cars will be fitted with this rugged
motor pod with side posts to mount the body. The first
chassis are under the new SEAT Leon rally cars.
AFX had pre-production samples of the new HO scale
Sprint Cup series NASCAR cars on display at the
Chicago iHobby show.
Smilin’ Ray (http://smilinrays.webs.com/ has released
the American Iron 1/32 scale 1954 Chevrolet BelAir
cast-resin body kit. The body can be adapted to a
variety of 1/32 scale chassis to recreate the early
years of Grand National racing.
AFX is the first model car racing company to produce
replicas of the new Sprint Cup series NASCAR Ford
Fusion and Chevrolet SS. The two are available in the
“Ford vs. Chevrolet Stocker Challenge” set. Individual
Fords and Chevys will be available later in 2014.
AFX is now shipping this HO scale replica of a modern era pit garage. The kit is thick card with photo-reproduced
details. The building assembles with simple tabs with double-stick tape to secure the joints (the joints were simply
folded, but not taped tight for photo). The pit building is $15.99.
There’s a completely new AFX HO chassis coming this
winter. It has a separate motor and new gears. The
chassis is called “Mega G+” with the “FN20 Advanced
Power Unit” (like in Formula 1 . . . sort of) motor.
Proto Slot Kit is producing cast-resin replicas of the
Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The models are available painted
and ready-to-race with the Proto Slot Kit metal chassis
and decorated to recreate the car driven in the 1960
Tour de Corse by J. C. Rolland/G. Augias. The bodies
are also available painted (but with etched trim and
decals) or unpainted from Electric Dreams (www.
electricdreams.com/).
54 Model Car Racing
Modelant is producing hand-made cast-resin replicas of the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B that won the 1938 Mille Miglia.
The model is fully-assembled with detail castings and markings and is ready to race. The full-size car was also
driven by Phil Hill in California in the early fifties with a different racing number. There’s an article on the car in the
January/February 2009 number 43 issue. The Car is $259.95 from Electric Dreams (www.electricdreams.com).
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