Slot Rally

Scenes from the 2005 NSCC anniversary slot car show

NSCC Slot Rally GB event

23rd/24th September 2006

Although the 2005 show was intended to be a one off Gareth was a glutton for punishment and decided to do it again the following year. This time it had a Slot Rally theme and Toyota generously allowed the NSCC to use their headquarters again. Most of the elements were similar to the previous year but, instead of a race competition, a Slot Rally championship was organised with 100 competitors taking part. All told there were 20 rally tracks, 3 public race circuits, 62 trade/charity tables and 3 large manufacturers exhibits.

Overall attendance was slightly down on the previous year but it was another successful show and spawned the National Slot Rally GB Championship which ran at various clubs throughout the UK in subsequent years.

Rally Cars
Rally cars lined up outside the Toyota HQ
Rally cars lined up outside the Toyota HQ.
Scale Models
A huge trading stand full of slot cars from Scale Models
Scale Models giant stand at the swapmeet
Displays
A glass fronted display with slot rally carsDerek Cooper standing in front of his stand full of slot cars
Display of rally slot cars, and the late, much missed, Derek Cooper shows off his wares
Hillclimb
A large hillclimb slot trackOld age pensioners in wheelchairs, made into slot cars
The Giant hillclimb which was originally built for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
New additions
A slot drag stripNinco digital slot track
The drag strip was a new addition, as was the first public appearance in the UK of the Ninco Digital system
Rally Tracks
Ninco Rally track with tarmac, mud, and snow sectionsA routed wooden rally track
A selection of the twenty rally tracks available
Mitsubishi slot car going through the water splashToyota going through the water splash
One track even contained a real water splash
Other tracks
Race of champions layoutSCX digital track
Race of Champions track and an SCX digital layout
Winners
Gareth hands a prize to Matt TuckerJim Moyes gets a prize
Gareth gives a prize to Paul DarbyJacob Wright gets a prizeClive Mills is awarded a prize
Some familiar faces among the many prize winners

Further information on these first two events can be found in the June 2005 and October 2006 back issues of the NSCC Journal.They were both run on a 'non profit' basis with surplus funds being donated to Toyota's chosen charity, The Children's Trust.

The NSCC never organised a similar event after these two although they have had a significant presence at all later ones. A further show was briefly discussed in 2007/8 with Gaydon mentioned as a possible venue but Gareth, quite rightly, felt that he had "done his bit for the club" and a suitable replacement could not be found within the ranks so there was nobody with the relevant skills to take the idea forward.There was therefore a complete absence of a major show between 2006 and 2009 but the seed had been sown and I will look at subsequent events held at Brooklands and Donington Park on the following pages.

All photos above kindly provided by Gareth Jex who retains the copyright.