WHO Winter Stages - January 2025

WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - Printable Version

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WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - woodcote - 18th-Jan-25

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Slot rally returns to the Barn on the eve of the real-life Monte Carlo Rally. The WHO Winter Stages will feature four winter-themed layouts to enjoy:

1. Titnore Lane: Ninco ice & tarmac

2. Friston Forest: Scalextric & SCX Classic, including SCX ice curves.

3. Ford Ice Rink: routed foamboard

4. Chalkpit Lane / 'Road to Nowhere': Ninco ice & tarmac

The fourth stage is a brand new one, designed by Phil. It will incorporate Mike's 3-pin power + Johnny's Workshop timing module.

We continue with the three Slot Rally GB classes - Classic, 80s & 90s and Modern - plus competitions for both top SCX and top Scalextric runners (cars need to be standard, apart for tyres & added weight). All cars must have any magnets removed and run with an in-line motor. Full regs are here: https://slotracer.online/community/showthread.php?tid=4630

Each driver can enter one car per class - so a maximum of three cars. Club cars and controllers are available on each stage.

Doors open at 6.30pm for registration and scrutineering. Entry is £3 adults / £2 under-16s. A WHO Slot Rally season ticket is available for £10 / £5 to cover all four WHO Slot Rally Wednesdays. All entrants will receive a 'WHO Slot Rally 2025' sticker.

We race at: The Barn, English Martyrs Church Hall, Goring Way, Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex BN12 4UE. Enter 'Worthing HO Racing' in any maps app and you'll find us.

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - BAracer - 19th-Jan-25

Ready to roll...

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RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - woodcote - 21st-Jan-25

With more slot rally events added to the WHO calendar, we really ought to start thinking about a championship or two...

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So, in 2025, we'll have points awarded to those running standard SCX and Scalextric cars - tyres can be changed and ballast can be added to compensate for the required removal of traction magnets.

There will be a championship for each manufacturer. The top nine SCX and top nine Scalextric cars at each of our WHO club nights will be awarded points as per the FIA system: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2. Any others will be awarded one point.

Fingers-crossed we'll have a prize from each manufacturer, plus exclusive championship medals to award at the final round in October.

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - woodcote - 23rd-Jan-25

Rally Report: WHO Winter Stages

As in keeping with the winter theme, there was plenty of chaos on the stages for our 2025 WHO Winter Stages. Firstly, Chalkpit Lane was stranded in Chichester - a very late call, but just in time for Jupp's Farm to be thrown in the back of the car for a short trip from Ferring. That gave us four stages, three winter-themed and the other maybe hiding some black ice?

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Set-up was smooth, with all four stages running very nicely by the time the hordes descended around 6pm, eager for their first hit of rally action since October...

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Twenty-six people came along and that meant a whopping 67 cars on the entry list - beating the previous record of 58 at the inaugural event last May...

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Rally HQ was busy, but fairly calmly & efficiently, getting everyone allocated to four groups, which were all on the stages by 7 o'clock...

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Stage One: Friston Forest

Winner: Stage Cancelled

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The latest incarnation of Jeremy's Classic / SCX layout was looking fabulous and running faultlessly. Those old track pieces are not the easiest to put together for a temporary stage and to deliver good power delivery. However, with a lot of time and hard work Jeremy had nailed it with Friston Forest...

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Which made it completely gutting when what seems to be a glitchy controller blew up the power supply after just a handful of drivers from the first group had completed the stage. Jeremy and Mike spent a good half hour trying to fix things, but ended up taking out all Jeremy's wiring and trying to run it from a single power straight - in hindsight, it was never going to work sufficiently. Without Jeremy's power distribution, the experience deteriorated to the point that the stage was not passable...

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The difficult decision was made to cancel the stage and remove any completed times from the spreadsheet. Cancelling stages is not unusual in a real rally, but it was sad to do it at the Barn. However, the two groups who did spend time on Friston Forest enjoyed themselves, especially over the humpback bridge...

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Fingers-crossed Friston Forest will be back in action for April's WHO Spring Stages.

Stage Two: Jupp's Farm

Winner: Mike Dadson, SRC Porsche 914/6 GT

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In as a last-gasp replacement for Chalkpit Lane, the original layout of Jupp's Farm made an unexpected appearance. Loved by some, hated by others - this bone-shaker of a ride over Ninco off-road sections also featured the retail version of the Johnny's Workshop rally timer. Once we'd figured out the best position for the proximity sensor to work, it proved to be a very handing timer.

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A lot of seconds can be won or lost on this stage. Two cars completed the three double laps in less than 40 seconds - Mike's stage-winning SRC Porsche 914/6 in 39.39 and Andy's Ninco Subaru Impreza in 39.61. Terry was third with his Ferrari 308 GTB with a time of 43.92, followed by Nick's SRC Capri which stopped the clock at 44.03.

We have a lot of standard SCX and Scalextric cars in the field at WHO and these will compete for two manufacturers' championships in 2025. Making the early running in their respective competitions were Andy's SCX Fiat 124 and Scott's vintage Scalextric Porsche 959. Ollie took first blood in the junior championship with an impressive sixth place overall for his Ninco Impreza. James B put in a stellar effort, grabbing 29th spot with the SCX Seat Ibiza club car - it loves the bumpy stuff.

Which is more than can be said for the McCann SCX Panda, but the Dakar livery did look in its element on the off-road track...

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All the results for Stage Two are in this table...

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Click on the image to get a full-size version you can zoom in to read or download to your device.

Jupp's Farm will return in April with a different, end-to-end configuration.

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - woodcote - 23rd-Jan-25

Stage Three: Titnore Lane

Winner: Mike Dadson, SRC Porsche 914/6 GT

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Titnore Lane returned with a few more tweaks to the design. Longer straights, more elevations and tricky camber made it like the real thing - a road to be respected in icy weather. Four 'laps' on the end-to-end layout can be a challenge - any offs being costly to a good stage time...

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No drivers broke the 45-second mark. Stage winner Mike was the nearest with a 45.18 for his Porsche 914/6. Those SRC classics are especially nimble over Titnore Lane and runner-up this time was Ryan, driving a borrowed 914/6 in 46.92. Andy's Subaru was third with 47.44, just in front of Oliver's 914/6, which stopped the clock with a 48.63.

Jeremy was the fastest SCX runner through the stage with his Peugeot 206 WRC, less than a second ahead of Mike Mc's lovely MGA - representing two completely different eras of rallying. Scott's Porsche 959 was again the fastest Scalextric model. Ollie's Subaru just shaded Isaac and looked to have one hand on the junior medal. Stephen A was fastest over the stage with the Renault Mégane club car.

Best looking model? Possibly Nick's Dani Sordo Hyundai i20 - a properly modern look...

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Full result for the Titnore Lane stage are here...

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click on the image to view or download.

Titnore Lane will be back later in the year, but is scheduled to take a break in April.

Stage Four: Ford Ice Rink

Winner: Andy Player, Ninco Subaru Impreza

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The little 5 x 2 foot routed ice rink fits the winter theme perfectly. A successful twenty laps takes patience and a steady rhythm - any offs are very costly...

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The SCX / Gaugemaster sponsored Ford Ice Rink would ultimately decide the outcome of many of the battles in this shortened rally...

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Andy set the top two fastest times - a 49.75 with his Impreza and a 51.99 with the Lancia 037. Mike put his Ninco Lancer in third, stopping the clock at 52.09, but his SRC Porsche was well off the pace. It was Oliver's 914/6 that took fourth.

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Scott's Porsche 959 set 18th fastest time to demolish the other Scalextric runners. Andy's SCX Fiat 124 made it two out of three stage wins in the SCX competition, Nick not far behind with the Hyundai. Isaac's Ninco Lancer and Teamslot Alpine were both significantly quicker that all of Ollie's cars. James had another club car win, driving the SCX Jean Ragnotti Renault 5, but Steve P put in another decent time to be in the mix for overall club car honours.

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Again, the McCann Fiat Panda looked glorious in the unlikely icy surroundings!

All the Stage Four results are here...

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Click on the image to be able to zoom or download.

Full overall results, class results and manufacturers results to follow.

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - woodcote - 23rd-Jan-25

Final Results: WHO Winter Stages 2025

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In the end, there was a mere three and a half seconds in it for the rally victory. Andy's Ninco Subaru finishing on 136.80, followed by the two SRC Porsche 914/6 GT cars of Mike (140.33) and Ryan (145.92)...

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Isaac joined them on the podium, his Ninco Mitsubishi Lancer having overhauled Ollie's Ninco Subaru Impreza to win the WHO Winter Staged junior medal by eleven and a half seconds...

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The full results will take some careful study...

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Click on the image to be able to zoom, scroll and download.

Next are the three Slot Rally GB classes, starting with a clean sweep for the SRC Porsche 914/6 GT in Classic Rally...

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Congrats to Mike on his class win, Ryan for finishing runner-up and Oliver third. Jeremy's TR7 came in fourth.

80s-90s Rally saw a turn up for the books as Andy's standard Ninco Lancia 037 edged out Mike's long-can modified version for the win. In a similar vein, Terry's Spirit Peugeot 205 T16 beat Nick's more fancied SRC Peugeot 205 T16 to take the final spot on the podium...

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Modern Rally was won by the overall rally winner - Andy's Ninco Subaru beating a pair of Ninco Mitsubishi Lancers in the hands of Mike and Terry. Pete and Scott followed with two more Subarus, before Nick broke the Ninco domination with his SCX Hyundai i20...

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Here's the full field, sorted into classes...

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Click on the image to zoom, scroll and download.

The three club class runners finished within ten laps of each other - Steve's consistency taking club car honours ahead of James B and Stephen A.

The final two categories are our manufacturers' competitions...

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Scott dominated in the seven-strong Scalextric field with his vintage Porsche 959. John's Ford Puma WRC was a comfortable second, ahead of Rob B who won the four-car Scalextric Mini Cooper race!

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Fifteen standard SCX cars competed in the WHO Winter Stages, Andy's Fiat 124 finishing 14th overall. Nick's Hyundai i20 was only six seconds behind in SCX runner-up spot, Jeremy's Peugeot 206 WRC another four seconds back in third...

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Congratulations to all our winners and podium finishers! And a very big thank you to everyone who came along and made it such a fun evening at the Barn. These slot rally nights are completely different to everything else we do, but the atmosphere is 100% WHO at its best.

Special thanks goes to the stage designers, set-up crew, timekeepers, Rally HQ volunteers and to all those who stayed at the end to help pack away. We couldn't do it without you. Thanks to Scott for all but one of the podium pictures and to Nick for helping with the event photography, including some fabulous action shots...

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We're back with the WHO Spring Stages on Wednesday 30 April. We hope to finally introduce Phil's Chalkpit Lane, plus a new Scalextric Sport stage designed by Mike. Friston Forest and a revised Jupp's Farm are also scheduled to appear.

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - Kevan - 23rd-Jan-25

Any video?

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - woodcote - 23rd-Jan-25

Some quick & nasty video from the three competitive stages...

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - Kevan - 23rd-Jan-25

Enjoyed watching that, thanks

RE: WHO Winter Stages - January 2025 - BAracer - 23rd-Jan-25

Pleased with my TR7, a good test ahead of the GB championship.

My SCX ran OK. Still needs some tuning and me learning how to get the most out of it.

The C4 is a rocket, but hates Jupps Farm... whatever speed I chose, it just jumped out of the slot at random moments. And you can't give away 30s to the leading cars on one stage! Some deep thought required...