Fourteen of us gathered at the Barn for a night of super-fast WHO Mod action. We welcomed Keith and Deborah for the first time in 2023 - and we had a complete set of McCanns as part of Tracy's birthday week celebrations. Absent were our joint championship leaders - Jerome is now at University and Pete was sunning himself on some Greek island (as you do when the kids leave home...). However, they could still win the championship, depending on tonight's results... third-placed Terry needed at least second place and both Oliver and Ryan needed a win.

   

We raced on Simon's track that had marked our post-Covid return to racing back in April 2022. It's a quick track, but with enough tricky stuff to make each race a hair-raising two minutes. For the first time in a while, the whole field was made up of lexan-clad WHO Mod cars - all of them Vipers... and many of them chassis Tony Morris kindly donated to the club.

   

The heats were fast and furious, the track catching most racers out at some point. One incident that I'd prefer to forget, but everyone else insisted made the race report, was my first heat... Three cars fired off the start line towards the first corner - but the car in yellow lane ambled backwards down the straight. The lesson is to make sure you do at least one lap of practice. And I would regret that 30-second interlude swapping round the rear axle.

At the halfway point of the heats, Ryan topped the table with 75.55 laps from two races. Oliver was very close behind on 75.45 and Terry slightly adrift on 74.30. However, Terry's total included the un-fancied inside white lane - and both the Walkers still had that to come. Keith was fourth and I was somehow fifth, having redeemed myself in red lane.

   

The second round of heats were good for some, disappointing for others. At the front, the pressure was on - lane choice in the A Final would be crucial for the championship outcome. Terry raced perfectly on the outer two lanes, finishing in red with the only 40+ lap score of the heats. Ryan and Oliver both did more-than-okay on blue, but bailed from white after scrappy starts - that would be their dropped score. Terry had the all-important pole position - ending up two and half laps ahead of Oliver, who was 0.15 of a lap ahead of Ryan.

The only hope for Jerome and Pete was whoever stepped-up from the B Final causing an upset. The line-up was decided in the last of the heats. At the start of that 2-minutes I was sitting fourth in the standings, with Deborah fifth and Matthew sixth. However, Mike was having a great race in red lane - and we all watched his name rise up the overall standings as the end of the heat approached... First he leapfrogged Matthew, then two laps later he was ahead of Deborah. And then - on the final lap - Mike's name passed mine to finish fourth give him first pick of lane in the B Final.

Further down, Ollie was top junior qualifier - putting him in a very strong position for the junior WHO Mod title...

   
Click the image to make it bigger!

Hi Guy's,
I've just started a new scratch build which is going to take some time as I want to try and make the detail like a model, but it will be used because after all that's the point.
I've followed Magnus on instagram for some time watching him build this awesome car, I contacted him and asked if he's ok with me doing so and he has thankfully sent me loads of photos.
   
The chassis work has been a little challenge trying to figure how to bend the brass more than one way.
I've managed to get it where I'm happy.
I drew up a plan for scale, I've changed the shape of the back part of the chassis as I got some new pics.
     
   
   
   
The motor, I found a stl file on thingyverse and had my friend Paul print it for me plus a gear box.
The motor has be customised with something done to the top section above the head.
I made a template from paper and then used styrene(I think that's what you call it).
A bit of filler and sanded to shape.
   
   
   
   
This motor might be a bit poky for it so I might change to a thin 18K one if I can find one.
Like I said it's going to be a long build, thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy it as much as I will.

Cheers
Tony

Hi guys,
can you buy Predator motors in the UK?
I've had a hunt but no luck, thought I'd ask here on the off chance someone knows for sure.
   
They're American and I'd rather not deal with overseas postage, sick of getting random custom charges.

Cheers
Tony

Just thought I'd update you with the list of tableholders at this weekends swapmeet in Leeds

Pendle Slot Racing, Sean Fothersgill

Scale models, Mark and Julie Scale
Roger Barker
Phil Smith
Weevils Slot Cars
SLN Holland (Michel Brok)
Amato Slot Car Design, Angelo Amato
Steve Langford
Steve Axford
Donna Axford
Dave Harkin
Phil Underwood
Cliff Millward
Dave Norton
Chris McGinn
Shaun Newham
Richard August
NSCC

I have seven Pioneer Legends. Looking from behind as they disappear down the straight:

Two are totally neutral under braking, stopping in a straight line.
One steps slightly to the right.
Three step slightly to the left.
One steps forty-five degrees to the left. 

As they disappear down the straight the sidewinder gear is on the left.

The only difference I can determine is the gearing on the last car is a bit tighter than the other six - but there is no way to adjust the motor and axle shaft positions to ease the gearing.

Any ideas anyone? 

All have totally stock running gear, with all tyres trued as near as possible to the same diameter. I know they're mass produced and there will be variations but I'd really like to dial out that massive step-out on the seventh car if at all possible.

This is how NASCARS are raced in Germany:


Nico

   

2024 dates for all our club events have been confirmed with the Barn - 23 Wednesdays and 5 Saturdays, a record total of 28 visits to the Barn next year.

HO races are the first Wednesday evening of each month, plus we welcome back the November Drag Racing and fun night.

Scalextric Digital events include four Nascar & Legends evenings (a perfect introduction to digital racing), four GT Championship races (3 Wednesdays and one Saturday), plus the quartet of autumn Saturdays - the WHO Goodwood Revival, Birkett Relay and pair of Tin Top Saturdays.

New for 2024 are Slot Rally Wednesdays in May and October. These sandwich a Saturday Slot Rally event on 27 July - a round of the re-booted Slot Rally GB Championship.

Race fees remain at £3 (£2 under-16s) for Wednesday evenings and £6 (£4 under-16s) for our Saturday club events. Discounted season tickets - HO, Digital and combined - will be available to purchase from December.

WHO 2024 fliers have been printed and will be available at all WHO events at the Barn and on our travels. If you want to take a few to distribute, let us know.

More details about the HO, Digital and Slot Rally formats and rules for 2024 will follow over the next couple of weeks.

Link to watch or listen : Episode 36

We're oddly excited about trips to Wales in Winter thanks to the return of the Slot Rally GB Championship next year: further proof we don't get out much.

Not entirely unrelated, there's keen anticipation for upcoming rally slot cars and musings on what to run in the new rally classes at the club.

Elsewhere, Nick freely admits to having a big but, although this turns out to be his concern over the ultimate performance of newly announced Carrera NASCARs rather than a tailoring issue.

Hi all,
I have 6 Formula E DPR cars and the dealer sent me the wrong chips. I got C7005 instead of C8516s.

I have an event tomorrow I wanted to run 6 cars so no time to get them replaced.

I have wired up C7005s before but only in non-Formula cars.

I have opened them up and while I think I could get it to work I am wondering if it is worth the effort.

Please correct me if I am wrong but the steps would roughly be:
1. Splice in the green/yellow to the wires com from the guide
2. Connect the read black to the red green going to the motor ... but which way round?!
3. Drill a hole in the blanking plate as close to the guide as possible
4. Try to shove the chip into the body somewhere
5. Fix the LED in the hole with hot glue
6. Try to cram it all back in...
As I have less than 24 hours to do this I am thinking of going analog and maybe making 2 small tracks instead of one big one.

I also have a full-time job on the side.


What do you all think?