[Graham]

The cars have left for their last Challenge in Worthing   

[woodcote]

   

BARacer came over this evening and we finally ran the concluding round of the proxy. The Dakar Sprint and Ninco cars competed over a bare Ninco off-road layout before obstacles were added after a meal break, ready for the proper Extreme classes.

Full results, photos of all the cars, plus a brief video will follow tomorrow.

[BAracer]

Gosh, haven't seen that album cover for years! 

I still think it is one of the best 80s electronic record to capture the slot racing scene at the time..."Downstairs at Derek's".

[woodcote]

Here’s a short video of our four favourite cars of the evening to give a flavour of the action over the dune and the bumps…

[Gpa113]

You two do a good impression of Yazoo! 

Is "Downstairs at Derek's " the very long awaited follow up to the excellent "Upstairs at Eric's " by any chance!!??

Looking forward to the results,  as long as my VW Touareg behaved itself......

[woodcote]

We used the same layout for all the classes, but started late afternoon with a track free of obstacles for the Ninco and Dakar Sprint cars...

   

Category R1 - Ninco

This class was driven by me (woodcote), with BARacer marshalling and taking care of the paperwork.

The first car was Paul C's Mitsubishi, which had a steady run to set a time for 5 laps of 80:18 seconds and a fastest 'lap' of 15:70...

       

Next up was ClassicchrisK's similar Mitsubishi. This was another stable and predictable car - very slightly quicker at 79:84 seconds for the 5 laps and a best of 15:66...

       

The first of three Nemesis Bowlers belonged to Makem (Gerry F). This heavy car was a little loose at the back and was just shy of the two Mitsubishis - an 84:88 second run and a best of 16:62...

       

My BMW X5 has been off the pace this year, but went top after a 76:89 second run and a best lap of 14:99...

       

Hotlap's Mitsubishi had a similar feel to the BMW - very pushable with just a little 'give' at the back. A strong run gave a time of 74:76 seconds over five laps with a best of 14:79 - the best so far...

       

Mike's orange Bowler was another great car to drive, giving a time over the stage of 77:51 seconds and a best lap of 15:33...

       

The only VW Touareg in this class, Pip's car was pretty nippy round the layout - setting an identical time to Mike over the 5 laps of 77:51 seconds, but a quicker fastest lap of 15:20...

       

The last of the Nincos was MYST's Nemesis Bowler. Like Makem's car, this was a bit too loose in the corners and set a similar time of 85:34 seconds with a best lap of 16:83...

   

That gave us an R1 stage result that looked like this...

1. Hotlap - Mitsubishi -  74:76 seconds (14:79 fastest lap)
2. woodcote - BMW - 76:89 seconds (14:99)
3. Gpa113 - Touareg - 77:51 seconds (15:20)
4. Mike Scott - Nemesis - 77:51 seconds (15:33)
5. ClassicchrisK - Mitsubishi - 79:84 seconds (15:66)
6. Paul C - Mitsubishi - 80.18 seconds (15:70)
7. Makem - Nemesis - 84:88 seconds (16:62)
8. MYST - Nemesis - 85:34 seconds (16:83)

Pip's Touareg grabbed the final podium place thanks to a faster best lap time...

   

[Gpa113]

Excellent! 

Sneaked onto the podium by the skin of its teeth,  nice one Andy 

[woodcote]

Category R5 - Dakar Sprint

BARacer drove this eclectic bunch of cars, again without any obstacles fitted to the track.

First to go was Graham's Ninco Porsche 911SC. Quick, but rather tail-happy, it clocked a time over 5 laps of 83:59 seconds and a best 'lap' of 15:37...

       

Next was Chris K's magnificent Landrover. It tended to tip very suddenly, so this was a bit of a handful round the corners. Its stage time was 97:84 seconds and its best lap a very competitive 15:70...

       

The BARacer Seat Panda is lovely-looking car and was predictable round the course, although not super-fast. A typical SCX classic rally car, in other words. It finished the stage in 88:85 seconds, with a best lap of 16:85...

       

Groundhogs' Austin A30 Police car was a wonderfully eccentric addition to this class. Complete with flashing lights (no siren), the A30 was well planted and completed the course in 87:34 seconds and set a fast time of 17:24...

       

The final car to run in this class was Mike Scott's Scalextric Porsche 911SC. It rode the bumpy track surface very well, although was tippy on the tight corners - like all the other cars in this group. A time of 87:29 seconds was good enough for second place by a mere 5 hundredths of a second! The Austin set a best lap of 16:72...

       

Here are the results for the R5 category...

1. Graham E - Porsche 911 - 83:59 seconds (15:37 fastest lap)
2. Mike Scott - Porsche 911 - 87:29 seconds (16:72)
3. Groundhogs - Austin A30 - 87:34 seconds (17:24)
4. BARacer - Seat Panda - 88:85 seconds (16:85)
5. Chris K - Landrover - 97:84 seconds (15:70)

Jeremy was philosophical about the Panda just missing out on the podium...

   

We then broke for a leisurely meal break, before adding a few obstacles to the layout - ready for the real Extreme Slotting to start...

[woodcote]

I only meant to add a 'few' obstacles, but when that box gets opened...

   

All the green ones were used, with a separate section of just a few of the brown obstacles on the opposite straight - all placed for easy marshalling.

Category R4 - Trucks

I had the honour of driving these big brutes, with BARacer taking on the marshalling / admin role.

First on the start line was Graham's delightful Mercedes truck - which features in the video highlights in post #184 above. It was awesome to drive - a light body on a heavy metal chassis - and flew over the obstacles. The time for the Merc was 96:88 seconds for 5 laps, with a best of 18:95...

       

Next was BARacer's MAN truck - a heavier Avant Slot body, but a similar metal chassis. This was also a lot of fun, but much more of a handful to drive. A run of 109:20 seconds and a best of 19:33 was the outcome...

       

I remember Groundhogs' Ford Transit AA van fondly from last year's event. A smaller vehicle than the others, the metal chassis and ultra-light lexan body were always going to help, but this is also a well-prepared entry. It proved very nimble and a great runner, clocking 93:50 seconds and a best of 18:41...

       

MYST's MAN truck features a plastic chassis and twin motors, making it a very different driving experience. The power-train definitely has huge potential, but the truck didn't ride the big bumps as well as the metal chassis. A 106:10 second run was good enough for the podium - with the best fastest lap in this group of 17:87...

       

These were the Category R4 results...

1. Groundhogs - AA van - 93:50 seconds (18:41 best lap)
2. Graham E - Merc truck - 96:88 seconds (18:95)
3. MYST - MAN truck - 106:10 seconds (17:87)
4. BARacer - MAN truck - 109:20 seconds (19:33)

Another fourth place for BARacer and no podium appearance, yet...

   

[woodcote]

Category R3 - Lightweight Vehicles

BARacer drove this class, with me taking the marshalling / admin role. I enjoyed driving some of these cars last year.

First to go was the Lifeboats Racing Mitsubishi Lancer. This needed very careful speed control through the obstacles - not too fast, not too slow - and a 5 lap time of 117:50 seconds was a good effort. The best lap was 19:91...

       

Graham's Odyssey 21 is the real deal - very drivable and floats over the obstacles. You can see it doing its stuff in the highlights video in post #184 above - and also an example of a rare roll... On its timed run, the Odyssey stopped the clock at 87:84, with a fastest lap of 17:33...

       

Last year, the Porsche 959s went really well on my Ninco stage. However, Hotlap's new entry struggled badly on the obstacles. It was a busy couple of minutes marshalling, with a stage time of 133:70 seconds and a best lap of 23:99...

       

Makem's Lancer was back and ran well, despite being sensitive to the big bumps. It managed a time of 118:90 seconds over 5 laps and a best lap of 20:41...

       

James' Porsche was a stage winner in Brighton last year and was very stable through the obstacles in Jeremy's hands this time out. It clocked a 98:84 over the stage and a fastest lap of 19:12...

       

BARacer's Touareg is a standard SCX car fitted with fancy Mitoos wheels and tyres. Those additions (and the working lights) made it an impressive sight through the stage, floating through the bumps. You can see it on the video. Its time also impressed - 95:42 seconds on the stage and a best of 18:66...

       

Last to go and a likely podium contender was MYST's Porsche 959. Very drivable throughout the stage, it stopped the clock at 96:59 seconds and a best of 18:28 - good enough for third in class...

       

The scores for Category R3 were as follows...

1. Graham E - Odyssey - 87:84 seconds (17:33 best lap)
2. BARacer - Touareg - 95:42 seconds (18:66)
3. MYST - Porsche 959 - 96:59 seconds (18:28)
4. James - Porsche 959 - 98:84 seconds (19:12)
5. Jim S - RNLI Lancer - 117:50 seconds (19:91)
6. Makem - Lancer - 118:90 seconds (20:41)
7. Hotlap - Porsche 959 - 133:70 seconds (23:99)

And that means a podium for BARacer...