[woodcote]

That's a brilliant diary Alan! And eight good lessons too  

When I look back to my first club racing experiences - simultaneously at a BSCRA club and an HO weekend series - I was lucky to have really helpful new clubmates who reminded me "Don't forget to have fun".

Although having fun was my priority, I also wanted to do well. At the BSCRA club, the guy who invited me loaned my his previous year's car - nicely set up and easy to drive - and his spare entry-level SCD transistor controller, also nicely maintained. I didn't come last and got lots of encouragement that my scores and lack of offs were impressive for a newbie. However, I also was reminded that the front runners had been running on the same club track for over a decade and were sinking up to £2-3,000 a year into their cars. That was a reality check about where I could expect to be running until I'd completely mastered the track and found that sort of racing budget. I did stay and persevere for a while, but ended up focusing on HO, which suited me much better at the time.

   

The HO series was equally friendly and helpful. I turned up to me first race at Pinewood Raceway with two cars that I enjoyed running at home. I was gently told (and brutally discovered on track) that they weren't competitive. Instead I was told what to get, the tyres to use and some simple preparation tips. It turned out I already had the cars (one had cost me £8, the other £12.50!), so spent £5 on spares in the club shop and another £20 on a Parma Eco 45 ohm controller. I did much better at the second event in Kings Lynn, qualifying in the middle of the F1 race (everyone took part in that one) and briefly led the Nascar A final. It was a different track at each event, so that was a bit of a leveler. And I could be competitive on a realistic budget.

Having the right cars gave me confidence to concentrate on my driving. Although we all blame our tools sometimes, starting out in club racing should really be all about learning to drive the track and then some race craft. As Alan said, "Diligent preparation and good driving skills ARE the main factors".

   

I stuck with HO and gradually developed those two cars, initially with help and encouragement from more experienced racers and then - as I gained in confidence - on my own. Podiums, race wins and championships followed. Those two cars have both remained competitive and the Nascar helped me to the WHO club championship in 2013 and 2019. I've also had a lot of fun building and developing other cars - some of them quite eccentric choices requiring a huge amount of work to get anywhere near competitive. That might suggest "don't always choose cars the front-runners are using".

I think for any beginner at any club and any scale, Alan's diary is well worth reading and his lessons are spot-on. From a club perspective - good friendly advice, plenty of genuine encouragement and the carrot of a 'rookie of the year' award all certainly help. Rookie of the year winners get a taste for winning...

   

It's also true that occasional 'handicap' or 'seeded' team races give newbies the experience of racing alongside more experienced club racers, getting some great coaching and have the chance of winning. It's something we enjoy at WHO and one of my top slot car  moments was winning the Easter team race at the Roedale BSCRA club - although our handicap was perhaps a little generous!

Here's looking forward to the return of club racing and - hopefully - plenty of new people visiting their local clubs for the first time.