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Our second HO race of the year is also a chance to celebrate the 14 birthday of the club. It all started on 3 February 2010.

Keith and Deborah have chosen their four Nascar tracks for 2024...

   

And we start with a nice big 'intermediate' oval, loosely based on the Milwaukee Mile...

   

It should be another classic WHO Nascar night - all the regulations can be found on our website here: http://www.whoracing.org.uk/nascar_rules.html

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It was a cracking evening, with a huge attendance of 31 - a post-Covid WHO record*. That included five racers making their HO debuts.

The post-race coverage - covering two hours of heats and ten exciting finals - will follow Thursday evening and through Friday.

*Our top club night attendances at the Barn are 36 (F1, March 2011), 33 (WHO Mod, April 2013), 32 (WHO Mod, June 2011; AFX Team Race, August 2017; Nascar, February 2020) and 31 (WHO Mod, April 2012; Nascar, February 2024).

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This month, we'll start with the video highlights of all ten finals...



As always, a big thanks to Ollie and Rob for the camerawork during the A Final.

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Race Report - Qualifying Heats

With 31 racers booked in by 7 o'clock, it was going to be a busy evening - and it was a second-string race control team, Ash was unwell and wisely stayed at home...

   

We welcomed Steve, Dawn and Russell for their first visits to the club, plus Ray and Dexter who were making their HO debuts, having raced at the Scalextric digital event three weeks ago. On top of that, it was an almost full house of HO regulars - making it the equal seventh highest attendance since the club's opening night fourteen years ago. And to top it all, Ozzy had brought along almost enough doughnuts to feed everyone!

There'd be no hanging about in order to get through 32 heats and ten finals - even if things went perfectly, a finish a fair bit later than the advertised 9.30pm was on the cards. Most of the HO debutants were in action early on - all of them hit the ground running with solid scores above 20 laps. Russell was the star rookie during the first run, the white lane club car hitting the heady heights of 29.50 laps and beating Gen6 contender Kev. That was a very good Gen6 score - Kev would eventually get into the mid-thirties, as would both Keith and Deborah...

   

The fastest five Super-G+ cars topped the list at the halfway point. Although no-one had cracked the 40 lap mark, we did have 39+ scores for Terry, Oliver and Andy. As for the under-16s, Ollie led Dylan, Dexter, Isaac and Ethan - Ethan suffering car failure in his second heat... so that would be his dropped score. This is how the top of the pile looked after sixteen heats - everyone having completed two...

   

Race Coordinator mixed up the driver groups for the second pair of heats, some racers finishing their quota early, others having to be patient. With such a big turnout, there were plenty of close battles throughout the field - juniors, debutants, inter-family rivalry and potential championship battles. Ozzy had to leave us with one of his heats still to go, but still enough to score some points and qualify just above fellow class of 2023 member Kevin...

   

Keith got the better of Deborah in the Gen6 battle - although it promised to be very close in the finals. Kev wasn't far behind, but would need to win his final and step up to challenge the top two. Ollie managed to shake off his under-16 challengers - the closest turned out to be Dexter, with a superb debut drive. At the top, Oliver was first to finish, but didn't have quite enough to top the charts. Terry put himself top with another 39 lap score, but Andy grabbed pole four heats later. Ryan had the chance to beat Oliver to the third automatic A Final spot in the very last heat, but it all went rather pear-shaped for the youngster. He had to make do with fifth, just behind Gareth...

   

And here are all the stats from the qualifying heats, just click the image to make it bigger...

   

*One error is that Tracy was driving a Gen6 Mega-G+ car to put her an excellent fourth in class. If you spot any other mistakes, let us know.

Next is the mammoth task of reporting on ten exciting finals! Expect them in two parts, sometime on Friday. Or watch the video to find out who won.

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Finals - Part One

We discovered that 31 racers fill ten step-up finals - A to J. After everyone made their lane choices, we were ready to race...

   

Ethan lined up for the J Final in white lane, Kevin in blue, Russell red and Steve yellow - a perfect turn-out for the WHO club cars. Ethan had been unlucky in the heats and was determined to make amends. He led the first lap and managed to keep his nose in front of chasing pack. Kevin had a couple of brief offs, costing him about a lap each time and dropping him to the back. At the front, Ethan had built a small gap to Russell and Steve...

   

The chasers would have to start trimming Ethan's lead if they wanted the win, but in the last third of the race, Steve and then Russell had big offs - the car bodies coming off and both losing loads of laps. Steve came off worse, dropping behind Kevin and bringing the car home at a gentle pace. Russell still had a couple of laps advantage over Kevin, but a late crash nearly cost him second place - he recovered well to finish a lap up. However, at the front, Ethan had put together an error-free two minutes, winning the race with a score of 30.35 and big five lap advantage. Bravo!

   

Ethan would stay in white lane for the I Final, up against Gary in blue and Dawn in yellow. Ozzy's lane remained vacant...

   

It wasn't the best of starts for the youngster - his white club car left stranded on the line. Quick work from start line marshal Duncan got Ethan going and he was quickly past Dawn and trying to match the pace of Gary's Super-G+ Nascar...

   

This was an exciting battle between two different cars - Ethan taking the lead on lap 3, when Gary crashed, but the Super-G driver banged in two super-fast laps to regain first place just three laps later. Ethan kept plugging away, lapping his Mega-G+ consistently in the mid to high 3-seconds - and he would retake the lead on lap 18, when Gary crashed again. The pressure was now on - Ethan kept his cool, but Gary's race got very scrappy. Four more offs in the final few laps made the outcome secure - a four lap winning margin and a double step-up for Ethan, plus he bettered his previous score with a 30.50. Meanwhile, Dawn finished three laps behind Gary for a quietly impressive debut...

   

Ethan swapped gutter lanes to pilot the yellow club car in the H Final. He'd face two Super-G+ cars driven by Isaac (blue) and Dylan (red), plus Nathan who'd taken over the white club car...

   

The club cars were getting a bit tired after a night of heavy use - both needed Duncan's helping hand to get off the line. Nathan quickly got back in the fray, but Ethan binned the yellow car at the far end, which then needed regular attention through the two minutes. That was the end of Ethan's progress for the evening. At the front, the other three racers swapped the lead in an enthralling race...

   

Dylan led the first three laps, before Isaac sneaked ahead. However, Nathan was keeping excellent pace in white lane, carrying speed through the corners to almost match the lap times of the Super-Gs. Nathan's consistency saw him locked in a battle with Isaac after Dylan crashed out on lap seven. Isaac's lead increased by a tenth of a second here and there, but Nathan was not easing off the pressure. An off for Isaac let Nathan through into the lead on lap 20 - and the Mega-G+ man was determined to get to the line first. The two traded some quick lap times, but Isaac had too much to do - the chequered flag fell with the white KFC Ford Fusion 0.95 of a lap ahead and clinching a third successive final win for the car, this time with a 31 lap score.

Sadly for Nathan, he had to swap to yellow lane for the G Final...

   

It was a Gen6-only line-up with Tracy in white, Dexter blue, Ray in red and Nathan in the inside lane. All four cars got away cleanly, but Nathan got on the gas a little bit too early out of Turn 2 - Jerome rescuing the yellow car from the floor. Ray binned it at the other end, leaving Tracy with a comfortable lead over Dexter at the end of an eventful first lap. Tracy was immediately on the pace, followed by Ray. It was Ray who took the lead on lap 4, when Tracy had a big crash. Ray was out front, with Dexter taking his time to settle before dipping into the sub-4 second pace of his rivals. That turned out to be a wise strategy as Dexter eased into the race lead on lap 11 whilst the others had numerous off-track dramas...

   

Dexter looked to be on his way to an excellent victory until a huge slice of bad luck wrecked his race on the penultimate lap. His first off - between Turns 3 and 4 - saw the blue club car disintegrate and he lost 7 seconds. Tracy - who'd been nearly two laps behind - was now right behind Dexter and swept through for a dramatic victory on the final lap. The margin was just a fifth of a lap. Devastating for Dexter, but Tracy was delighted! Behind, Ray came in two laps behind the winner, with Nathan fourth.

   

Tracy's victory ensured three McCanns in the F Final - the interloper being Rob in blue lane. It was three Super-Gs and Tracy's Mega-G+...

   

Daniel led the first couple of laps, before an off left the door open for his dad to take first place. Daniel was immediately gifted the lead again when Mike crashed - the field bunching right up for a few laps...

   

Tracy and Daniel both lost time on lap 8 - and Rob just couldn't match Mike's pace. The leading pair would go to the end without further drama, but Daniel and Tracy missed out on the chance to challenge thanks to a few more excursions into the scenery. As the race ended, Mike won with a very comfortable margin of four laps, Rob was second, Daniel just half a lap behind in third and Tracy fourth...

   

There was a definite ramp up in pace for the E Final - Alex (blue), Pete (red) and Ollie (white) all regular front-runners. Despite a great win, Mike would have his work cut out to keep up...

   

Not only was this a faster race, it was also incredibly error-free for the top three - not one crash in the two minutes. The exception was Mike, who was all but out of contention on lap 3. At the front, Pete had grabbed the lead on the first lap, but had his mirrors full with the cars in blue and white lanes...

   

Two cracking laps in the 3.3s gave Pete some breathing space, but then Alex and Ollie matched his pace. It was relentless. Ollie passed Alex and the leading pair gradually dropped the third-placed man. Ollie banged in some rapid laps at half distance to trim Pete's lead, before the two of them settled back to almost identical lap times. Could Ollie get past on pace? Would an error cost Pete the race? The drama mounted and the times got quicker - Pete dropping into the 3.2s and a blistering 3.142 in the final stages to break Ollie's challenge. They finished a fifth of a lap apart - an incredible battle which neither of them deserved to lose. Alex rolled in just a lap behind on 34.30 laps and Mike a long way back. Ollie's disappointment was tempered by clinching the junior medal...

   

How did Pete get on in the D Final? We'll find out later...

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Finals - Part Two

Pete stepped up to blue lane in the D Final, where Matthew had chosen red, Duncan yellow and Kev white...

   

The early stages saw some magnificent close racing - all four cars ripping up the oval at a similar pace. Matthew led the way, the others never far behind. Up against two Super-Gs and Duncan's Life Like, Gen6 runner Kev sat at the back of the bunch and waited. First to fall off was Duncan, crashing out of yellow lane on lap 7. Pete followed on lap 10 - some rapid marshalling limiting his losses. That left Matthew leading Kev - and when Matthew had a massive crash on lap 14, Kev found himself in first place and more than half the race to run...

   

Out in the white lane, Kev was fully on the rev-limiter - his Mega-G+ was flat out all the way round. Matthew was out of contention and Duncan was getting scrappy, but if Pete could keep his car on the track, Kev was a sitting duck. Pete reeled in the Gen6 car, Kev's lead lasting only four laps - but the Mega-G+ man wasn't done. Pete knew that another off would probably hand the race to Kev, so he eased of a little, the two cars separated by only a few feet. The tension rose as the clock ran down - Kev kept up the pressure, but Pete brought his car home safely a quarter of a lap ahead. Kev missed out on a crack at the Gen6 win, but he'd enjoyed the battle. Duncan rolled in three laps back and Matthew characteristically banged in the fastest lap of the finals so far, despite a lengthy time of track that cost him at least 8 laps.

   

Pete moved lanes again for the C Final, racing in white lane this time. He faced John in red and the top two Gen6 cars of Keith and Deborah in blue and yellow. Although focused on the Gen6 win, Keith fancied his chances for a step-up and led the first lap. John passed him next time round and he became the head of a super-fast line of cars that gradually spread out as John dipped into the 2.9s and Deborah stuck to an ultra-consistent 3.4 second pace in yellow. In the middle, it was nip and tuck between Keith and Pete. It was mesmeric to watch - four superb drivers at the top of their game...

   

Halfway came and went and still no errors. Keith, perhaps losing sight of his Gen6 priorities overcooked it on lap 23, crashing out and dropping to the back of the pack. Sensing her chance, Deborah upped her pace a little to try and keep Keith at bay for the final third of the race - that was the first duel to follow. The second battle was a surprise - John binning it with about half a minute to go and finding Pete right on his bumper. The two-time Nascar champ remarkably kept his cool, settling straight down with a 3.3 second lap and then - eyes out on stalks - banging in a series of 3.1s and 3.2s that kept him just out of Pete's grasp. Of course, another off would have ended it. Both chases were exciting to watch, but John and Deborah did what they needed - John winning the C Final by a tenth of a lap and Deborah winning the Gen6 race by just over half a lap.

   

John's reward was yellow lane in the B Final. He was up against Gareth in blue, Ryan in white and Jerome in red - all gunning for the step-up and a crack at the overall race win. Gareth and Ryan had both been contenders for automatic A Final places and it was the two of them that gradually pulled away. That gap became a chasm as John and Jerome had rather scrappy middle phases of the race. Despite the chaos around them, Gareth and Ryan stayed locked in battle and racing at a pace we'd not seen all night, bringing a hush to the room. Gareth had the upper hand, taking a few hundredths or a tenth out of Ryan more often than not - although Ryan fought extremely hard to limit his losses... 

   

Then - with about half a minute to go - disaster struck for Gareth. A big off wrecked all his hard work - his car didn't feel right and he retired it. Such was Gareth's pace, John and Jerome only passed his lap total in the final few seconds - John beating Jerome by a tenth of a lap. Out front, Ryan kept pushing and threw his car at the line to record a remarkable 41 lap score - the first time anyone had passed 40 laps all night. However, that last second lunge might not have been his best move - he hit the barriers and the car looked rather second-hand going into the A Final...

   

Terry (red) and Andy (blue) seemed confident going into the A Final. Their qualifying heats had been near-perfect and their cars were on song. However, Oliver (white) and Ryan (yellow) both had worries about their cars - Oliver having a damaged crown gear and Ryan regretting that moment of madness at the end of the previous race...

   

As the cars were lined up and the lights when out, form meant nothing - a WHO Nascar A Final usually means an adrenaline overload, chaos, carnage, regrets for some and overwhelming joy for the eventual winner...

   

Terry's car was left on the line, but Duncan got him moving quickly. Oliver led the first lap from the outside lane, closely followed by Andy - who then put his Taco Bell Chevy on its roof coming out of Turn 4 on lap 2. A wonky body, tyre rub and a poor-handling car meant it was game over for the pole-sitter and he retired just after half way. Terry was rapid - a couple of tenths quicker than anyone else - but a crash on lap 8 put him a lap behind Oliver, who still held the lead with his ailing Super-G. Ryan was getting scrappy in yellow, so was down to a tortoise vs hare chase for the win...

   

Oliver's car was struggling - lapping nearly half a second slower than Terry - but somehow he held on, helped by Terry crashing out of the lead on lap 28. As the clock ticked down, Oliver did all he could to wring every last ounce of speed from his car. Could he hold on? Would Terry crash again? In the end, it was tantalisingly close - but the record books will only offer one fact... Terry won the race by a tenth of a lap...

   

Here are all the results, stats and championship points...

   
Click on the image to make it bigger

Congratulations to Terry on another A Final victory and to Ollie for a resounding junior medal win...

   

Dexter was top rookie on the night and an excellent second in the junior standings. Gen6 champion Deborah started her title defence with a victory that sends her directly to November's winner-takes-all showdown. Who will join her on the grid?

Massive thanks to everyone who came along and helped make our February Nascar race such an enjoyable evening. Hopefully the 9.45-ish finish wasn't too late - it was great to see so many people staying to watch the A Final. Special thanks goes to the impromptu race control team for packing 32 heats and ten finals into less than three hours - helped enormously by all the drivers arriving promptly for their races. Many thanks to the set-up crew and to all those who stayed behind to clear away.

We're back on Wednesday 6 March for more HO action - our first Formula One race of the year and what is scheduled to be the debut of our AFX version of the St Petersburg Indycar street circuit. Mike is leaning towards American and Australian layouts for 2024.

Before that, our second Scalextric digital event of the season takes place on Wednesday 21 February. The Nascar team race & Legends pairs race format is the perfect training ground to the learn the WHO/digital ropes before progressing to the WHO GT Championship and then a busy autumn of Digital Saturdays.

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One last thing...

   

   

Click the images to make them bigger.