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Our final WHO Slot Rally club night of 2025 will feature these four stages...

• Friston Forest - SCX & Scalextric Classic
  
• Jupp's Farm (short version) - Ninco Tarmac & Off-Road
  
• Johnny's Workshop - 3D printed + braid
  
• Titnore Lane - Ninco Tarmac + Ice
  

As always, the aim is to get through all four stages in the quickest possible time.

Our WHO Slot Rally events are for 1:32 scale analogue rally cars running to our local interpretation of Slot Rally GB regulations - see here. The important highlights are that cars must be fitted with an inline motor and must feature a driver and co-driver sitting side-by-side.

Each driver can enter one car per class - Classic, 80s-90s and Modern Rally. Club cars and controllers are available on each stage. We will be noting the best times for standard SCX and Scalextric cars (magnets must be removed, weight can be added and tyres and braid may be replaced).

Doors open at 6.30pm and Johnny's Workshop will be available as a shakedown stage. We will reverse the direction when the competition begins. The three other stages are closed to traffic prior to the start of the rally.

[BAracer]

Oh yes...ready to roll!
   

[Kevan]

It's always good to see your TR7 in action.

Are we likely to see it in another of Graham's proxies in the future?

[BAracer]

All I know for certain is that the TR will be up against a gaggle of 914s this evening!

[Kevan]

Gonna be tough then.

[woodcote]

   

Twenty-four drivers and 64 cars took part in our WHO Autumn Stages last night. It was another very enjoyable evening and after the four stages were complete, the gap between winner and runner-up was a tantalising 0.02 seconds!

   

But that is getting ahead of ourselves. As always, we had some nice photo opportunities...

   

And some great looking cars...

   

As we've done before, the rally report will go through the stage results one at a time and then look at the overall, class and manufacturer results.

   

We'll be starting with Friston Forest.

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Stage One: Friston Forest

Winner: Mike Dadson, SRC Porsche 914/6GT

   

Group A would start their night on this SCX & Scalextric Classic end-to-end layout. The footprint was the same as the summer, but there was more C164 Rough Terrain pieces to catch out drivers taking too much air over the humpback bridge and out of the final corner. Anyone with a super-wide car would also need to be cautious around these fiendish nobbly obstacles...

   

Terry's Scaleauto RS200 was the fastest through of that first group with a 50.51 stage time, ahead of Lee's SRC Porsche 914 and Olivers NSR Punto.

   

Next through the forest trails was Group D, Andy's Ninco Subaru and Porsche 911SC both going faster than Terry. Steve's Scalextric Subaru was third quickest from this group, but not quite on the pace of the front-runners. The best time was now 47.78 seconds.

   

Jeremy's Scalextric / Amato Triumph TR7 V8 was the pick of Group C, his time of 48.71 splitting Andy's two Ninco runners to take second spot. His Ford Puma WRC went quickest by two seconds in the standard Scalextric class and Peugeot 206 was the pick of the SCX models so far.

The final action in the forest saw Mike shave almost four seconds off the best time as Group B worked their way through the forest trail. Matthew and James - sharing another SRC Porsche 914 - would put themselves in fifth and sixth, with Scott's Ninco Peugeot 306 eighth. Six of the top ten were from that final group - confirming the hunch that drivers get better as the night goes on...

   
Click the table to make it bigger.

Congrats to Mike on his stage win. Jeremy picked up best times for Scalextric and SCX. Isaac's Lancer took five seconds off Ollie's Impreza in the junior battle - and Stephen had four seconds over Kevin for Club Car honours.

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Stage Two: Jupp's Farm

Winner: Oliver Walker, SRC Porsche 914/6 GT

   

Jupp's Farm had the same shortened route as the summer, winding its way around the modern iteration of the Barn. We're looking at running the track through the building, but that will need to wait until next year. As always, the Ninco off-road surface proved a challenge for some cars, whilst others skipped over the uneven surface with no issues. Finding the right pace for each car - and sticking to it - is the art to a fast time on this one.

   

First through were Group B, Mike setting the three best times in this order: SRC Peugeot 205 T16 (30.93), NSR Abarth Punto S2000 (31.83) and SRC Porsche 914/6 GT (31.97). Very consistent. Scott's Ninco Peugeot 306 was next (32.12), followed by Ash's Ninco Fiat Punto (35.95). For the two club car runners, Kevin struggled and lost almost 20 seconds to Stephen, for whom the SCX Seat Ibiza skipped over the rough stuff with an impressive 38.45 second run.

Next to tackle the farm was Group A, fresh from Friston Forest. Oliver took his SRC Porsche to the top of the timing charts with a very rapid 28.9-second run. Three seconds off his pace were Phil (SRC Capri + Avant Slot Subaru WRX), Lee (SRC Porsche) and Terry (Ford RS200) - all just behind Scott from the first group. That 32-second mark was proving to be a good time to aim for.

   

Jupp's Farm was the third stage for Group D and four Ninco cars set the fastest times. Andy's Impreza moved to second on the stage with a 30.66 run, Ollie's similar machine just a second a half behind. Andy's Porsche 911SC slotted in just ahead of Scott's time and Isaac's Lancer was well placed with a 32.25. Isaac also had a great run with his SCX Ken Block Escort Cosworth - its lack of grip not hindering it on this stage and it set an excellent time of 33.92.

   

Group C didn't bother the top end of the timings. Jeremy's TR7 was quickest with a 32.88, placing him fourteenth overall on the stage. His Peugeot was the quickest SCX car, just ahead of John's Lancia Delta Integrale. Scalextric cars don't much like the Ninco off-road surface and the first car was Jeremy's Puma in 41st place with a time of 41.64 seconds...

   

Congrats to Oliver on his stage win. After two stages, Mike's SRC Porsche still held the lead with a time of 75.92 seconds. Second was Andy's Impreza (78.44), third his Ninco Porsche 911 (81.25), then Oliver's SRC Porsche (81.4), Jeremy's TR7 (81.59) and Terry's RS200 (83.11)

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Stage Three: Johnny's Workshop

Winner: Oliver Walker, SRC Porsche 914/6 GT

   

Johnny's Workshop returned for a second club night - this time as the designated shake-down stage and then as a competitive stage, with the direction reversed. Braids do need some tweaking on this and some cars can feel a little overpowered on this short super-special, so it is possible to make a right pig's ear of the 15 laps!

Group C were first on this one, slightly delayed by the direction change. Jeremy's TR7 was quickest with a 49.81, followed by his Scalextric Puma and SCX 206, just 0.23 of a second ahead of John's SCX Lancia. Stephen's Carrera Subaru Impreza also went well on this one, ending up third quickest driver after Jeremy and John.

   

Next were group Group B. Mike wasn't happy with any of his runs, although he did go top with his SRC Porsche, beating the TR7 by a second and a half. Scott kept up his challenge with a 50.13 for his Ninco Peugeot and sat third on the stage. The battle of the club car runners again went to Stephen, the Scalextric Mégane ten seconds quicker in his hands.

   

Group A lit up the timing charts - Oliver, Terry and Lee all beating Jeremy and Scott, with Mike pushed down to fourth. Ahead of him were Oliver's SRC Porsche (44.96), Oliver's SRC Peugeot 205 T16 (46.86) and Terry's RS200 (46.95). 

Last through the super-special were Group D. Andy managed to put his Impreza into fourth, nearly three seconds off Oliver's stage winning time. Ollie beat Isaac by two seconds in the junior medal battle - their two Ninco cars looking very rapid.

   

A second stage win for Oliver and a third for an SRC914/6 GT saw us with just one stage to go. In the overall standings, Mike's SRC Porsche still led the way on 124.16 seconds. Andy's Subaru was second (126.05) with Oliver's 914/6 just behind (126.36). Andy's Ninco Porsche 911SC sat fourth (128.86) ahead of Terry's RS200 (130.06) and Jeremy's TR7 (131.40).

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Stage Four: Titnore Lane

Winner: Oliver Walker, SRC Porsche 914/6 GT

   

The gloriously long Titnore Lane is tweaked every time. The layout changes slightly and so do the elevations. Some new esses in the Ninco ice track gave some cool tail-twitching and the chicane-curve entry to Titnore Way (the Tesco rat run) was also new for the autumn.

   

First on the stage were Group D. Ollie and Andy set identical times of 54.49 in their Ninco Subarus. Not far behind (55.61) was Isaac's Ninco Lancer, but with Andy's relatively pedestrian SCX Fiat 124 Spyder clocking 55.86, it did suggest these times might not match what was to come...

   

That proved to be the case. From Group C, Jeremy's SCX Peugeot 206 went top with a 51.10, beating his TR7 by 0.44 of a second. Then Group B took to the stage, seeing Mike and Scott take the four top places - Mike's NSR Abarth Punto S2000 fastest with a 47.09.

   

Last to go were Group A and it was Oliver's SRC Porsche that took a third stage win - and a fourth of the night for a 914/6 GT. Would his 46.83 be enough for overall victory?

   

We shall see in a moment...