[woodcote]

   

Although the club has been dormant for nearly 18 months - and we're not quite back in action yet - we are making plans to spruce up our digital racing for the next few years.

I am in the process of confirming with the Barn our five Digital Wednesdays and five all-day Saturdays for 2022 - which will expand to seven Wednesdays in 2023 and 2024. That will be one digital event a month and will put our HO and 1:32 scale digital racing on an equal footing in terms of events each year.

The "Guide to WHO/digital 2022" will be published at the end of September. It'll include all the dates, formats and class regulations, plus a brief guide to the RCS64 software and our Truspeed SSD IV wireless controllers. However, we'll be introducing a few of the highlights in the run up to the publication of the guide...

   

1. New Pioneer Legends Class

From next year, we'll be replacing Trans-Am with Pioneer Legends for our Wednesday evening WHO/digital pairs race. The Legends car have three body styles, all sharing the same DPR chassis and mechanical parts. It was a class we looked at as soon as the Legends range was announced by Pioneer. Our plan is to run them without magnets - with optional ballast - fitted with a Scalextric C8515 digital chip, but otherwise with all standard parts. The rear track will be limited to a maximum of 65mm and there'll be a minimum overall weight of 82g.

The format will be similar to the current Trans-Am class. Cars will be driven by two drivers, swapping during a 'driver-change window' at the halfway point. Laps completed in the qualifying heats determines the top five pairs for the feature race. The next six cars battle it out in a half-distance B final for the final spot in the feature.

We expect a colourful grid and some great racing, just like the real thing...

[woodcote]

   

2. Muscle Car Mondiale

This is another class that was on the starting blocks for 2021, but is now scheduled to make its debut at Digital Saturdays in 2022. It's a massively varied class, inspired by the real-life Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge for cars of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Our class will focus exclusively on DPR-era (2010s onwards) Scalextric models of production touring and GT cars that were built - and raced - before 1 January 1990. The 'Mondiale' bit means the cars can originate from anywhere in the world and can have raced in any series - including Trans-Am, Nascar and IMSA in America, plus the British, German, European or Australian touring car championships.

That will combine the existing WHO/digital Trans-Am and Group A (Sierra & BMW M3) classes and open up the growing Scalextric 'Classic Touring' range as well as the Corvette L88 and new Porsche Carrera.

Here's an eligible car list...

AMC Javelin
Austin Mini Cooper S
BMW E30 M3
Chevrolet Camaro - 1969, 71 & ‘79
Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
Chevrolet Corvette L88
Chevrolet Monte Carlo Nascar ‘86
Chrysler Hemicuda
Dodge Challenger
Dodge Charger
Ford Capri MK3
Ford Lotus Cortina
Ford Escort Mk1 & Mk2
Ford Falcon XW, XY, XB, XC
Ford Mustang BOSS
Ford Sierra RS500
Ford Thunderbird Nascar ‘86
Holden Torana A9X
Jaguar E-Type
Jaguar XJ-S
Mercury Cougar
MGB
Morris Mini Cooper S
Plymouth Barracuda
Porsche Carrera 911 3.0 RSR
VW Beetle

We're looking at splitting that field into some different categories, with honours for each - think 60s, 70s and 80s, plus a slim-can category.

The regs will be similar to the current Trans-Am regulations. Magnets must be removed, ballast may be added, rear tyres, braid and screws can be replaced, but otherwise mostly standard parts. One difference is that cars with the slim-can F-050 motor can have a lower-revving version fitted.

This will be a single-driver class. Qualifying will sort three parallel heats - with the top two in each going to the final. In future years, there's also the potential for an occasional longer-format team race in the style of the Bathurst 500 / Spa 24 hour races of that era.

Here's a bit of Youngtimer action...



More 2022 news next week...

[BAracer]

That's exciting news.

I can see some crossover between the muscle cars and some Goodwood race cars (e. g. Lotus Cortina), is that right? 

So getting double use out of purchases?

[woodcote]

Yes - if they're Scalextric. I have just added anther couple to the list which sneak in as being production GT cars - the E-Type Jag and MGB. There may be more I've missed - and I am as sure the list will grow after the 2022 catalogue is published.