[Kevan]

Hi guys, it's the last week before Christmas, what special events have you got lined up?

The week before and after, it's expected we wear Christmas jumpers and this years special event is called the Christmas Turkey Targa (Florio) where we race/Rally one car each that must have been raced in the Targa Florio between 1951 and 1972.

We'll use both Rally stages (3 minutes on each stage) plus three heats of 3 minutes racing on the main club track.

I have a Ferrari 312PB and Porsche 908-3 ready for testing. 

Should be fun and it's already pencilled in for two more similar nights in 2024.

[Gpa113]

Hi Kev,

Here at the Send Scalextric Racing Club our special event will be the Annual Club Championship, always held between Christmas and New Year, and I am hoping for a decent turnout of Christmas jumpers!

Our Club Champs follows the same format each year.
Four different events are held during the evening,  to find the best all-around racer.   We should have a full turnout of 12  which will make for a very competitive event. 

The four events are....

1. Fastest lap competition.       Black Cat Raceway.  4 lane Scalextric Sport layout. 
Four 1 minute heats each, one heat on each lane. 4 races on track at a time.   This years vehicles  - Scalextric trucks!
Whoever has the fastest single lap time wins. 

2. Ninco off road event. 
Two racers at a time on the bumpy Ninco off road track. Everyone gets two heats,  each of 2 minutes, using a pair of Ninco VW Touaregs. 
Furthest distance over the 2 combined heats wins.

3. No marshaling challenge.      Shed End Circuit.   4 lane Scalextric Sport layout. 
We run Scalextric Go Karts and Policar Subarus no marshaling at the club.  Rather than exact no marshaling,  at Club Champs a 10 second penalty is applied for each crash or de slot. 
Two 10 lap heats each, two racers on track at a time. One Go Kart, one Subaru, using lanes 1 and 3, to minimise interference.   Fastest combined time over both heats wins.   

4. Racing stage.      Club car rotation.   Shed End Circuit.   4 lane Scalextric Sport layout. 
4 differing Club cars, from BMW Mini to Le Mans prototype.   Four 90 second heats each, one on each lane. 
Most number of laps over all four heats wins.

The scoring system is very simple. 
For each of the 4 events it is....   1st place 1 point,  2nd place 2 pts, 3rd 3 pts etc.
Lowest score after all 4 events becomes Club Champion. 
If two, or more,  racers are tied on points for any overall position,  whether it is for 1st,  6th,  10th,  whatever,  a tie break is used.  The tie break is the number of laps scored in the final event, the Racing stage.

Last year the tie break was needed to separate 1st and 2nd,  with 3rd place just a single point behind.  

It is a very busy evening,  especially when you factor in practice for the first 3 events.   I have a very precise running order, which I do my best to stick to, but it ain't easy! 

Everyone who takes part goes home with plenty of chocolate,  and the winner gets the Club Champs trophy for a year, plus the privilege of being #1 on the sign on sheet for the following year.   
The results are given in reverse order,  with last place receiving the special Wooden Spoon Award (double chocolate), with everyplace being recognised as a Best something.  Be it Best Female racer,  Best young racer, Best racer from their Family!, whatever,  to keep it all good fun and enjoyable. 

This will be the 6th running of our Club Champs,  which I finally managed to win for the first time last year. 
Should be a really good evening. 

Merry Christmas, 
Pip

[Kevan]

That sounds like a great nights fun Pip, something sadly lacking when a clubs normal focus is serious racing.

[Gpa113]

Thanks Kev,

Most of the guys, and occasionally gals, who come racing come as much for the fun and social side as actually belting slot cars around.  That said 3 of us can hold our own, particularly with more standard type cars.  We allow only a few basic mods, and it's what works for us.  

Will be introducing a new main class next June, Scalextric BTCC models. This will replace our current main class of Scalextric GT3, which will have run for 5 years.  We will also be running some Handicap racing, based on your system that you kindly explained to me a while back.   Just trying to keep things interesting for those that race regularly. 

Love the idea of the Turkey Targa Florio.   By using my SCX rally chrono and super sliding curves we could have a go at that.
The best ideas are always the ones you "borrow " (steal! ) from someone else 

Enjoy your Christmas racing,
Pip