Yet another silly question, but I am still a learner ! Sorry….   How long / wide in cm’s are long and short can motors ?  I am trying to identify some to help me make sure I buy the correct gears and pinions , ta

With the proliferation of tables and spreadsheets involved in Graham's excellent Rally Proxy series it set me off thinking about the possibilities of using Google Sheets, and how we might use it practically in the sort of real world situations that we might encounter. With the number of entries in the rally proxy and the complexity of the different events and classes, it struck me that this might be a good time to evaluate Google's spreadsheet capabilities with a set of real data, from a real event.

Before we get to that though, let's just look at the basics, and the pros and cons of using Google Sheets...

Disadvantages...

• Familiarity - If you are used to using Excel, or any other spreadsheet application like Open Office, Libre Office, or such like, it does take a little while to get used to Google Sheets. It's similar, it does most of the same things, but I found myself stumbling around for a while, trying to find out how to achieve certain things. I guess that's inevitable when you use new software.
  
• Capability - Google Sheets isn't as sophisticated as Excel or other desktop apps, or at least it doesn't seem it after a couple of days of use. But unless you're a spreadsheet wizard dealing with massive data sets, I suspect you'd find most of what you want.
  
• Quirks - Things don't always work as you'd expect, and the fact that it's a web based app means that if you have a dodgy internet connection as I do, there can be slight, unexpected delays, which can interrupt your workflow, which is annoying. There are also a few things which can can completely spoil your work if you're not aware of them.
  

Advantages...

• Free - It is completely free, though there are also desktop apps that are also free.
  
• Collaborative - I haven't tested this out, but I believe you can allow other people to access and edit the spreadsheet, so you could perhaps allow each host in a proxy event to enter their own results, or maybe just share the work around between a few trusted people.
  
• Sharing - This is the big one for me, especially since sharing our hobby is  what this forum is all about. Rather than posting images of the tables and spreadsheets, it's possible, not easy but possible to post live spreadsheets.
  

Please allow me to explain and demonstrate that last point. Here is an example of a spreadsheet using the first four stages of the Rally Cars Slotting Proxy 2023...



This is not an official thing, Graham's posts over on the thread are the only official results, and I'm sure I've made loads of mistakes entering the info, and I have no idea how the points system works.

But it's a live spreadsheet, which will update here on the forum whenever the data on Google sheets is updated, and I've organised it to have various tabs at the bottom to show different info.

As I said before it's not easy, the organiser would have to set up the spreadsheet, share the embed code with me, and then I could set up the forum code to allow them to post it wherever they wanted. We wouldn't be able to do it for every table  and spreadsheet, it would have to be something like the sheet above that could cater for the whole series, but it's possible, and maybe worth thinking about.

As in title.     Are they very good or best avoided,  not sure what motor it will have ?  Are they an offshoot of Scalextric,   Ta

   

For GT racing addicts, the GT Cup Championship is worth a look. It's a UK-based series for amateur drivers, running a wide range of GT machinery over seven weekends on five iconic British circuits. There are four races across each weekend, with a 25 minute sprint race and a 50 minute pitstop race on both days.

The GT Cup website is geared more towards competitors and hard-core fans, their Facebook page being more casual spectator-friendly with news, pictures and links to the action - which is streamed on the GT Cup YouTube Channel.

The first round starts this weekend on the Donington Park National circuit (the GP layout is used later in the season). Today's sprint race coverage starts at 2.15pm, with the pitstop race at 5.35pm.

   

Apologies to those who follow SF as well as SR. I posted this a couple of weeks ago before remembering the creation of SR that I joined just before the world closed down.

I am on a mission to create a new track for public events where I raise money for charities. I currently operate www.havenwoodraceway.co.uk which as you will see is great for a bit of fun and was designed to maximise track length in a practical space that could be taken on the road. It also had to be modular for different venues.

JasonB was an earlier collaborator on this and helped me enormously to produce something that presents a drivable solution. 

So here we go again :-)  
Its time to get serious with my slightly smaller automotive addiction and look at creating something new.
My Havewood Raceway, will be out in force during 2023 at a number of events around the country, which I hope to see some of you at.

Not being content with one layout, I am on a mission to build a Goodwood track. I have had a scan on the forum and read many of your comments about the less than exihilarting experience of slot racing on a track that is built to emulate the real world track. Whilst I acknowledge those as reasons not to attempt a large scale Goodwood, I am also focused on public events, which mitigates the idea that this is for hardened slot racers, but more of a desire to entertain casual racers.

So in time honoured tradition, I offer you my first attempt of a plan, which I will at some stage lay down and see how it races, but for now I am keen to hear all your opinions on the design and concept.

I have used the basis of one of the Goodwood layouts I found on the web and have tweeked it for digital use.
The main difference is that I would like to make the start finish straight as similar to the Revival look as I can from a spectacle point of view and hence the 3 lane straight that I have carried around Madgwick corner.
Whilst other parts of the track could also be widened to 3 lanes, due to the tracks size and the experience of 6 cars on large circuits, those lanes would rarely get used. As it is I suspect the outside lane of Madgwick would only get used for the start sequence.

I would also like to experiment with reducing the chicane to a single car pass and therefore the sequence of two R1's followed by an R2 (Half Std) may become a bespoke squeeze section.

Lane changers often become an area of debate, which I have placed based again on some real world experience of the track and areas where there is often juggling for inside lines or in some cases outside lines. Again I appreciate these are not practical concepts that translate into slot racing for fastest laps, but the objective is as much to replicate Revival style racing where the look of something and the variety are as important as outright performance.

Enough of my pleas of mitigation on the design. Grateful for any and all feedback.
Some Stats:
Size: 5.8M x 5M
Lane length: 17.45M and 17.94M (two inside lanes).

Thank you
Paul

What is most suitable class for my Racer Sideways Riley to run in ?  We have Le Mans and GT3 with occasional Sports/GT class,   Rules are not too strict yet as we are a new club, usually it joins in with LM as it has similar style( even though one only raced there once). It isn’t that important just curious what other folk think, it’s a nice car !

Talking Utter Slot ; Ep 14
   
A new episode of Talking Utter Slot in which Pedro murders the German language, references Guns 'n' Roses (but doesn't sing) and questions whether Subbuteo was the precursor to Warhammer. Scott rolls his eyes, declares a fear of electricity and ponders maturity.

I have been involved with slot cars since the 60's. Was not terribly involved in club racing until the nineties. Then when arriving in Europe, got involved with my passion of vintage slot cars.
Through all the period I have been a Ferraristi - even married an Italian , and as a result my collection has always been focused on the red tide.
 A short while ago I suddenly woke up to the fact that I have collected an eclectic collection of Lotii. Thus this is not a complrehensive view of all Lotii , but it could become that with YOUR input, so please feel free to add all those I do not have as well as your version of Lotus.

SLot cars started for me in 63 with my first set - Scalextric GP 33 with a Ferrari 156 sharknose and the lotus 18/20, so this is where I will start.

Stirling with his famous Monaco win:

       

Scalextric versions - The more rare Lotus with swivel guide, and a modified and upgraded version done in Germany.

                       


Then a Penelope Pitlane version I built:

       

Possibly the start of it all slot car wise - the Scalextric C54 Lotus 16


       


Contd......

Hwre is a short video on Carrera 160 chassis. There is more to come in the next days!

Carrera 160 chassis

Nico

I have tried a search on here but no joy, I have just bought an All Slot 22,000 rpm moto ( it`s yellow) to put in an old car that has no motor, mainly as it was only £5 !  I can`t find any info on them, were they ever fitted in any slot cars,     ta