There’s loads of great stuff in this week’s Digest…
We have an exciting variety of slot cars, layouts and scenery – from household names to small-scale artisans. There’s a poignant piece of history, cars old and new – plus an unseasonally busy weekend of motorsport to catch up on. All in bite-sized morsels.
Slot Cars
- Slot.it Chaparral 2F Daytona 1967 With an announcement impeccably timed for the week of the 2022 Daytona 24 hours, Slot.it have unveiled the prototype and release schedule of their new Chaparral 2F. Although not expected until the end of the year, this is a fabulous addition to the Slot.it ‘Classic’ range. You can discover more in the News section of the forum.
- Teamslot Escort RS2000 X-Pack – Jamie Gough 2021 The Escort has landed – and it looks superb. Modelled on Jamie Gough’s Modified Ford racer – updated with a new wing a BBS wheels for 2021 – this is a worldwide release from Teamslot and is with retailers now. You can read more about Jamie, his car and the model on the forum.
- Avant Slot Ferrari 308 GTB – Tour de France Auto 1982 There are three Ferrari 308 models being shipped to Avant Slot retailers this week – red and yellow road cars, plus an awesome Group 4 rally car, winner of the 1982 Tour de France Automobile. Hopefully it’s the first of many liveries on this formidable tarmac rally car. You can read more on the forum.
- Pioneer Legends Racer ’37 Chevy Sedan Gulf #63 Modelled on the popular Legends Racing Series cars, Pioneer have added a ’37 Chevy Sedan decorated with another Gulf livery. This new model is finished in a ‘ShadeChanger’ light metallic blue – the hue changes according to direction of light source. High detail, high quality and superb fun on the track.
- Racing Replicas Pete Shepherd has spent a lot of hours on his Maxi Models Ford J car for a customer build, and says it is easily the most detailed slot car kit he has ever built.
- Maxi Models Speaking of Maxi Models, we have of course got the official history and catalogue of the brand here on site, as part of Brian’s excellent Chronicle.
- Scalextric Corvette C8R Also expected soon – but not in time for Daytona – are the two Corvette C8R models from Scalextric. Featuring both works liveries from the 2020 Rolex 24, we’ve previewed and track-tested this new Scalextric GT car on the forum.
Tracks & Scenery
- Slot Mods Lingotto Fiat Factory David Beattie and Slot Mods have created something extraordinary. Based on the legendary Lingotto Factory in Turin, there’s the famous test track on the roof – but that’s only a start. In 48 pictures and videos posted on Facebook, take a walk through some incredible automotive scale modelling. From the design offices to a production line and showrooms, this masterpiece pay homage to the golden years of the automobile.
- Track Updates Farrout Raceway is already a wonderfully atmospheric track, with a host of great details, but that doesn’t mean that the work is finished. Recent updates have included new driver stations, and two re-landscaped corners.
- Silverstone timekeeper’s hut Scuderia Frapego Motori has posted his first scenery project of 2022, a fantastically detailed scratch build of the Silverstone timekeeper’s hut, with some great track work as well.
- Ron Trackside 3D Printed Figures Three of our members are posting progress photos as they paint up their Ron Trackside figures. Check out the thread for the figures, and hints and tips on how to paint them.
- Track Maintenance The Slot Racer’s Manual has an easy-to-follow guide to everything you need to get your track how you want it – cleaning, maintenance, power taps and design. You can read it via the menu on the left.
Moving Pictures
- Willy Grover-Williams and the Grand Prix Saboteurs Dug out from the Sky Sports F1 archives, this interview with F1 journalist and author Joe Saward looks back at the remarkable life of William Grover-Williams. A multiple Grand Prix winner in the 1920s and 30s, Grover-Williams recruited fellow racing drivers to the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation. He was eventually captured, transported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and executed in March 1945.
Automobiles
- Gordon Murray Automotive T33 Supercar Gordon Murray – former Brabham and McLaren designer and creator of the McLaren F1 GTR – has just unveiled his latest masterpiece. The T33 is a two-seater supercar, powered by the acclaimed 3.9-litre Cosworth-developed GMA V12. Priced at £1.37m (plus taxes), only 100 T33s are being produced – delivery in early 2024.
- A Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione In Sicily Photojournalist Armando Musotto grew up watching Lancia Deltas dominate rallies and hill climbs in his native Sicily. In an essay on the Petrolicious website, he takes a beautifully original Integrale Evoluzione on a road trip that includes the course of the Cefalù-Gibilmanna hill climb.
Motor Sport
- Formula-E Season 8 – Diriyah E-Prix There were new colour schemes and some new faces on the 22-car grid as the all-electric series started a new season with two races in Saudi Arabia. You can catch up on the action via the official Formula-E website.
- 24 Hours of Daytona The sixtieth edition of North America’s 24-hour sports car race took place in very chilly conditions this weekend. IMSA’s format delivered close racing and compelling viewing from start to finish. You can find out what happened over on the official IMSA website.
- Ford Mustang GT3 for 2024 One massive pre-Daytona announcement was that Ford and Multimatic are returning to the top GT class in 2024 with a new Mustang GT3. There will be works and customer programmes to give Ford a platform at Le Mans, Daytona and GT championships around the world.
- Trophée Andros at Super Besse A dramatic finale of this winter’s French ice-racing championship saw the top three separated by just two points after their nine best finishes were counted. Jean-Baptiste Dubourg was crowned champion for the sixth time – although all eyes were on Sébastien Loeb… The Monte Carlo Rally winner is a regular in the Andros series and finished fifth in the Super Final. It has been quite a month for the nine-time WRC champion!
- Isabelle Galmiche: From School Teacher to WRC Rally Winner Galmiche certainly isn’t the first school teacher to find glory in top flight motorsport. However, last weekend’s Monte Carlo Rally win was a modern-day fairy-story which the international media couldn’t ignore. You can read the Isabelle Galmiche story on the WRC website.
- Zhou Guanyu: China’s First F1 Racer For the only F1 rookie on the 2022 grid, the Year of the Tiger starts on Tuesday. The tiger is renowned in China for its bravery, confidence and strength – qualities Zhou will need in bucket-loads for a successful first season on the Grand Prix circuit. Planet F1 takes a look at how Zhou is shaping up – just six weeks before the F1 teams arrive in Bahrain for the opening round of the 2022 season.
