DIGITAL: RACE SIX FORMULA 1 CARS ON TWO LANES

79 November/December 2014 $6.95 Race Control With an App On Your Tablet

High Speed Banked Turns on a Tabletop Track Tech Tips: Trackside Race-Prep

Formula 1 On A Tabletop: - 2013 F138

www.modelcarracingmag.com - 1970 Lotus 72C

Carroll Shelby taking the checkered flag at LeMans in 1959 in the Aston Martin DBR1. – LAT Photo.•

79 79 CONTENTS

18 Historic Racing ON THE COVER: The Scalextric 1/32 scale replica of Jochen Rindt’s LeMans 1959 In 1/32 Scale Lotus 72C Ford is at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix. ---LAT Photographic 21 Tech Tips 1/32 SCALE RACING: Assemble a PCS1 or Slot Classics Chassis 7 & 30 Formula 1 by Robert Schleicher Carrera 2013 Ferrari F138 by Bill Wright

9 Formula 1 Scalextric 1970 Lotus 72C by Albin Burroughs 12 Real Race Track Plans 2-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway Plan for Scalextric Sport, Classic, SCX, Ninco or Carrera (with optional lane- changing) on a 9 x 15-foot tabletop. 25 Your Track by Robert Schleicher Jim Stokes’ 12 x 24-foot Four-Lane Scalextric 15 Race Tracks on a Tabletop Stokes Speedway 2-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway Plan for Scalextric Sport, Classic, SCX, Ninco or Carrera (with optional lane- 29 Your Cars changing) on a 5 x 9-foot ping-pong tabletop Chris Walker’s Lindberg 1962 BRM P257 by Robert Schleicher On A Brass Chassis 16 Race Car Shop LeMans TDR Innovations 3D Printed 1959 Aston Martin 32 LeMans DBR1/300 with Slot Classics or PCS-1 Chassis ScaleAuto Home Set 1980 Porsche 935J by Robert Schleicher by Albin Burroughs

4 Model Car Racing 35 LeMans HO MODEL CAR RACING: Ninco 1958 Porsche 356 by Albin Burroughs 47 Track Plans 4-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway for 4 x 8-Feet by Robert Schleicher 56 NASCAR Auto World 1969-1972 Dodge & Plymouth Grand National (the pre-NASCAR ) Stockers by Robert Schleicher 38 Tech Tips Slot.it 3D-Printed Chassis for Carrera DTM Cars DEPARTMENTS: by Bill Wright 6 Editorial: Racing With An App 46 Pit Board 48 Club Directory 52 New Stuff On Your Tablet: Model Car Racing is now available for iPad or Kindle. Just click on the Apple iTunes icon and search for Model Car Racing to order individual issues, subscriptions or a limited number of back issues. There’s more information on page 58 of this issue.

Where To Buy Model Car Racing Products: Dealers: A listing of the addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, 42 Digital Racing and websites of all the dealers that carry Model Car Racing magazine Scalextric Digital Chip Installation in Carrera F1 cars appears on our website at www.modelcarracingmag.com by Robert Schleicher Manufacturers: A listing of the addresses and websites of firms that 45 Tech Tips manufacture model car racing products appears on our website at www.modelcarracingmag.com: Test ‘N Tune Tips by Robert Schleicher More Information: There is an Index of all of the past issues, a Digest of the results of the 49 Formula 1 first 269 cars in our Race Track Test series, Pros and Cons of plastic Ninco “Formula” Cars track by brand, the Pros and Cons of the four digital systems, Pros and by Bill Wright Cons of 1/43 scale and an index of the 157 previously published track plans, by size, on our website at www.modelcarracingmag.com.

Model Car Racing 5 Racing With An App �����������������

Model car racing is far more than just a sport. $189.99---there’s a photo on page 52) or as an next issue. The Real FX Racing system does not Yes, you can race around a track with the sheer add-on to any Scalextric analog track (for $74.99) need a computer, the cars are radio controlled. joy of completing a lap without spinning-off. Or, with tethered analog controllers, 2. ACS Air with The 2.4 GHz wireless pistol grip controllers pro- better, you can use a lap timer and perfect your wireless analog controllers ($114.99), 3. the ACS vide the "artificially intelligent” resource, with a driving technique so your “personal best” is bet- Pro ($179.99) with wireless Digital controllers. lever for speed and a knob to steer the cars left or ter every week. Or, you can join with a group of The Scalextric ACS Pro, however, will not have right within the width of the track. friends (or a local club) and actually race, head- the option of analog. Since these ACS to-head just like they do at Indy or LeMans or programs are apps, the can be very clever. Most racing (model car racing to me) has al- Daytona. of the three ACS systems offer eight different race ways offered the option of a “game” (again even modes; from qualifying to pursuit, lap counting, in analog form) that can include lap timing, lap Now, you can enjoy more of the options of full- lap timing, top speed for each car, fuel load, counting, pit stops and fuel loads that replicate size car racing even with analog. Computer pro- wear, in–race damage, weather conditions, KERs virtually all the action of full-size car racing. grams that will count laps, display lap times and (kinetic Energy Recovery Systems—for more These two new systems do that as well and they even provide fuel stops and tire change times power like the current Formula 1 cars), handicap do have a smooth and slot-free road surface that have been available for any analog system for systems, car response mapping, throttle response, is quite realistic---but the cars are fantasy toys so about ten years. These are some of the firms that inventory of your racing cars, track planning the realism ends at the road. offer such systems and they are all compatible and more. There’s more on the Scalextric website with any brand of plastic track and with tracks www.hornbyamerica.com/. you cut into MDF board with a router: Volume 14, Number 1 (issue number 79) Carrera has the 30369 Download box to connect January/February 2015 TrakMate: their App to the current Carrera Digital 132 sys- Publisher: Technical Editor: infoserve.net/oss/slotcar/SlotMaster tem that has most (but not all) of the options Robert Schleicher Chris Walker or slotmaster.com that Scalextric ACS offers. SCX and Ninco will have similar systems in 2015. Editor: Track Test Editor: Lap Timer 2000: Robert Schleicher Marc Purdham www.gregorybraun.com/LapTimer.html Slotless Racing With An App & Artificial Intelligence Layout & Design: Aaron Tipton PC Lapcounter: pclapcounter.be This Christmas two firms are advertising slotless Contributing Editors: model car racing. They appear to be similar and Mark Gussin Jeremy Dunning Jason Boye RCS: rcs64.com both do use a magnet-sensing race track surface Dan Wilson Alan Schwartz Dan Esposito to guide the cars around the track (similar to the Brad Bowman Bernard Sampson Pat Dennis These programs are designed to plug-into a PC slots in a slot car track, but with a wider range Editors Emeritus: or laptop so no app is necessary. Most provide of control). You “steer” the cars only across the Rocky Russo Bill Sipple Albin Adams some form of programmed (but optional) pit width of the track (much like moving a slot car Jose Rodriguez Jim Russell stops for refueling. Most of them require that track’s digital lane-changer, but you can “change Bob Braverman Ron Klein your car spend a predetermined number of sec- lanes” any place on the track). The cars in both onds in the pit to “refuel”. There is usually a pen- systems have onboard rechargeable batteries Circulation & Dealer Contact: alty for leaving the pit early that can range from and receive some of their commands through email: [email protected] just not having enough fuel to require another 2.4 GHz radio control. Model Car Racing Publications, Inc. pit stop. TrackMate and others even have the op- 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142 tion of tire pressures, requiring some program- The Ankidrive (www.anki.com) system was sold Boulder, CO 80301-3346 mable extra time to increase the air pressure in by Apple in 2013 but now it is available in most website: www.modelcarracingmag.com one or more . of the big box stores and it is featured in a na- tional TV ad campaign. There’s an article on the Model Car Racing (USPS 020-443, ISSN 1538-9170) is published bi- If you are racing digital, both the Scalextric Ankidrive system in the January/February 2014 monthly by Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, C7042 Advanced Six-Car Digital Powerbase Suite 370-142, Boulder, CO 80301-3346. © Copyright 2014, Model Car number 73 issue. Briefly, the Ankidrive system is Racing Publications, Inc. and the Carrera 30349 ”PC Unit” (and the Slot.it a war game, not a racing game, with the winner oXigen system) provide a plug-in access to your Individual issue price $6.95. No current issues or back issues are avail- the last car standing. The system is controlled by able from the publisher but a list of dealers who carry the magazine is on PC or laptop to display lap counting, timing and your smartphone using an app so the “Artificial the website at www.modelcarracingmag.com. All sales and subscriptions other functions---the Scalextric C7042 allows Intelligence” is in your device. Tilt the smart- are not returnable. you to race either Scalextric Digital or any brand phone left or right to steer the cars and press an SUBSCRIPTION RATE: United States: 1 year (6 issues) $35.00. We can of analog but the Carrera system will only oper- icon to increase speed or other icons to increase only accept Canadian or foreign subscriptions for the digital version of the ate with Carrera Digital track and cars. shields and laser firepower. There does not seem magazine, which is $19.95 for six issues. We cannot accept subscription to be any method of counting or timing laps that orders for the paper version of the magazine from countries other than the United States. Model Car Racing would make the Ankidrive system a race in the With An App sense that we expect. EXPEDITED SHIPPING SERVICE: Not available. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Model Car Racing Publications, Scalextric and Carrera are both offering new an- The second system is called Real FX Racing Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, Boulder, CO 80301-3346. alog and digital programs that will also provide Periodicals Postage is paid at Boulder, Colorado and at additional mail- (http://wowstuff.com). It is also called an “Artifi- most of these same options for viewing on your ing offices. cially Intelligent Raceway” in the Christmas cata- tablet---both brands provide a wireless connec- logs from Hammacher Schlemmer (hwww.ham- Model Car Racing assumes that all letters, new product information, tion. photographs of any kind, and other unsolicited materials are contributed macher.com/) with a delivery date of December gratis whether mailed or sent electronically. Model Car Racing assumes 15. It will likely be available through hobby deal- no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. Solicited articles There are three versions of the new Scalextric ers. That is about two weeks after this magazine and photographs are paid for within 45 days after publication, at which ACS system: 1. the ACS One (in the Scalextric is published so we have not been able to try the time Model Car Racing obtains full publication rights. Unsolicited materi- als can be returned if adequate postage is included. C1329T ARC One App Control System Set (for system but we expect to have a full report in the

6 Model Car Racing Race Tracks on a Tabletop: 2-Lane Unicorn Banked Raceway for a 5 x 9-Foot Ping-Pong Tabletop: for Scalextric Classic, Sport, SCX or Ninco, and for Carrera with (Optional) Digital Lane-Changing You can recreate some of the signature features the Unicorn Banked Raceway on pages 12-14 on a 5 x 9-foot ping-pong tabletop. There’s an index, by size, of the previously published track plans from Model Car Racing magazine and the four books by Robert Schleicher on our website www.modelcarracingmag.com.

This 5 x 9-foot version of the Unicorn Raceway on pages 12-14 does not have enough room for a banked turn, however, both of these plans are designed so you can expand them to recreate all of the turns on the larger versions with little modification. You can, in fact, add just the 4 x 4 and 2 x 5 1/2-foot extension on the left or add the 2 1/2 x 4-foot extension on the right of those larger plans. On the Scalextric Sport, SCX and Ninco version there’s a broad three-turn ess bend through turns T2, T3, T4 and at T5. The straight will be effectively longer than it appears because cars can begin to accelerate out of last quarter of turn T5 and carry most of their speed into turn T6 at the end of the straight.

On the Carrera version the diagonal curve of turn T6 is broad enough 2-Lane Unicorn 2-Lane Unicorn so most magnet-stuck cars will take it at full speed, especially so with Raceway on a Raceway on a the broad-radius entrance through turn T5. In effect, it’s a bent straight. TRACK PLAN 5 x 9-Foot Ping- TRACK PLAN 5 x 9-Foot Ping- Pong Tabletop Pong Tabletop There is no practical place to fit the abrupt up and downhill with Car- List of Scalextric Classic, Sport, List of Carrera Track Required rera’s “bridge” track number 20587 Crossing so about a fourth of turn SCX or Ninco Track Required Key Quantity Description T6 must be elevated. You could simply elevate the track with pieces Key Quantity Description of wood placed on edge or use Carrera’s number 85201 “Support Set: H 4 20577 1/2 Inner Curve R1 Tubes” to plug-into the bottom of the track, beginning in the esses, to H 0 1/2 Standard Curve S 11 20571 Inner Curve R1 elevate the track about 3-inches above the straight then gently easing S 9 Standard Curve O 6 20572 Middle Curve R2 the track down through turn T4. O 6 Outer Curve OO 4 20573 Outer Curve R3 OO 8 Outer-Outer Curve 20578 Outer-Outer OOO 1 pr. (2) ½½ Why A Ping-Pong Table? F 1 “Short” Straight Curve R4 You can squeeze a 1/32 scale raceway on a single 4 x 8-foot board (there E 1 1/4-Straight E 6 20612 1/4-Straight are plans in issues 52, 53, 59, 63 (for two 4 x 8s) and 68---most of the D 1 1/2-Straight D 1 20611 1/3-Straight other issues have plans for 5 x 9-foot areas and all of the race track B 2 Full-Straight B 2 20509 Full-Straight plans from issues number 44 to the present are on www.modelcarrac- A 2 Connector Track L Track can be expanded in length by ingmag.com under the top bar “Sample Issues”. There is, though, more adding matched pairs of straight L Track can be expanded in length than double the fun if you opt for another foot of width and length. track sections here. The standard size for a ping-pong table is 5 x 9-feet. There’s room for by adding matched pairs of T Turns on the model version of the a table that small in just about any spare room---you only need to be straight track sections here. track able to walk around the two long sides and one short end—the other T Turns on the model version of short end can butt against the wall. You could simply lay the two halves the track. of the ping-pong tabletop temporarily over a bed (a queen-size bed To build the plan with NINCO also happens to be 5-feet wide, but 6 ½-feet long), although most beds track you will need about are a bit lower than the 30-inch height of most model racing tracks--- 10-percent more space and you you can always drive sitting down if you want a more realistic view of may need some additional short straights to get everything to line the cars. Most lumberyards carry 4 ½ x 5-foot sheets of MDF board up properly. that are, obviously, two halves of a ping-pong tabletop. Or you can opt for a ready-built ping-pong table; the kind that fold-up onto their own caster-fitted cart only occupy 2 x 5-feet of floor space. Model Car Racing 15 Your Track Jim Stokes’ 4-Lane Scalextric Stokes Speedway Jim Stokes’ 12 x 24-foot four-lane Scalextric Sport track is housed inside a 100-year-old barn. The track has equal-length 110 foot long lanes, a hill climb with a 24-inch elevation change and a corkscrew downhill like that on the Laguna Seca track. ■■Jim Stokes | Photos by Hal Williams

Every square inch of the area surrounding the track on Jim Stokes’ 12 x 24-foot four-lane Scalextric Sport track is scenicked and detailed.

It took roughly 2-1/2 years and a lot of help from my family and friends have the same curvy banked downhill, it does have its own version. In to build this 12 x 24-foot 4-lane track inside a 100-year-old barn on my general, I simply designed the track in a way that I thought would be property. It is the third permanent layout that I have built in the past 15 fun to race on. years, but it is by far the largest and most detailed. It comprises equal- length 110-foot lanes, interspersed with a variety of long straights (the To support the layout, I started with nine 4 x 8 foot tables that I built longest is 20 feet), and a mix of short and long radius turns, including out of 2x4s and ½-inch AC plywood. It’s probably over-built, but I some gradual banks. There is also a hill climb with a 24-inch elevation wanted to make sure that I could climb all over it without concern. I change. also added shelving below to store building supplies and empty slot car boxes. After I finished the whole layout, scenery and all, I decided that In designing this layout, I was not trying to mimic any particular exist- the base needed dressing up. As a result, I enclosed it with sliding birch ing race track that I am aware of. However, as a child my father used plywood doors. It now looks like a finished cabinet. to regularly take me to Road America for the June Sprints. I now bring my father and my son there each summer (although I usually choose Before building this layout, I thought for a long time about what kind the vintage racing weekends). I am sure that I included a significant hill of track to use. I was really tempted to rout a wood track to allow flex- climb in my layout in reverence to all those days at Road America. I ibility to the design and to greatly reduce the number of track joints. have also attended the vintage races at Laguna Seca (during the Pebble Besides, woodworking is another of my hobbies. However, I ended up Beach Concourse d’Elegance weekend) and fell in love with the iconic choosing the Scalextric Sport track, because I really wanted the option “Corkscrew” section of the track. Although my layout doesn’t quite to race cars with magnets. The Scalextric track also comes in a wide Model Car Racing 25 variety of sections and is flexible enough to be molded into elevation ideas and then argued about and collaborated on ways to actually cre- changes and gentle bank turns. ate what we had come up with. The scenery includes over 1200 trees, and more than 500 individually painted figures, 30 scratch-built struc- Prior to laying the track on the plywood top, I glued down ½inch ex- tures (and 12 kit-bashed), 100s of working lights, and an operating truded Styrofoam sheets. This made it easier to add scenery later. I cut scaled giant screen monitor which enables the race fans sitting in the and glued in plywood risers for the elevation changes, which I then grandstands to follow the action occurring on another part of the track. covered with ¼-inch Masonite. This supported the track and smoothed out any transitions. Once the track was installed, I added the wiring I have a group of friends that come over regularly to race at Stokes and made sure that cars could run well on it. I then used hot glue to Speedway. We race everything from no-magnet drifters to highly mod- affix the track to the base. My next challenge was the scenery. ified and super-magnetized track burners. It’s fun to race a wide variety of classes, as each brings about its own challenges. However, we always I built much of the scenery with the help of my 16-year-old son, Ian. He seem to have a couple of races with big muscle car, as we all get a big was particularly helpful in casting and painting the plaster rock forma- laugh out of the fast straights and then slapping into each other as we tions. In the beginning, I had no set plan for the scenery and it became drift around the turns. I am in the process of cataloging all of my 825+ an evolving process. I knew that I wanted it to look like it belongs in the cars. Part of this includes adding data on lap times in order to place cars mountains of Colorado where I live. I also wanted a row of pit garages, in speed classes. To do this, I run a car as fast as I can for 20 laps. I then grandstands, and a variety of concession stands in the infield, but, oth- keep a record of the car’s fastest lap time. We can then have someone erwise, I thought that I could make it up as we went along. This actually choose a car and quickly find equally matched cars to race with it. ended up being a wonderful process, as my son and I brainstormed

The track is powered by a MGPS10AD, 10 amp, 0-20 volt power supply (from www.electricdreams.com), with jumpers every 8 feet. I wired it with polarity switches, so that it is easy to race in either direction. The lap counter system is DS and includes a light bridge, Stop and Go boxes, and a remote control.

26 Model Car Racing The mountains and canyon walls were built out of foam blocks, cardboard, and newspaper. Once I got the shapes that I wanted, I covered the forms with plaster cloth. The rock formations were made using rubber molds and light weight Hydrocal plaster. They were then glued to the plaster cloth walls and painted with earth-colored pigments. To attach a blend of different colored and textured grasses to the landscaping, I mixed white glue with water and sprayed it on the painted plaster cloth surfaces using a spray bottle. Woodland Scenics offers a wide variety of scaled landscaping products that I have found easy and very helpful in creating realistic scenery. I used a lot of their plaster products, paints, lichen bushes, foam covered trees, finely ground foam grasses, and “realistic water” (to form the lake and waterfall) on my layout.

I really had fun creating the various structures found around the track. Many of the concession stands are named after my young nieces and nephews (e.g., “Wild Wyatt’s Western Wear”) as well as some of the animals from our ranch (e.g., “Ike’s Iconic Ice Cream Sandwiches”). I also played around with the shapes of these structures that I made out of plastic sheets and square tubes. For example, I built “Baby Brooke’s The DS lap counter displays race laps and times on a PC that is integrated into Bubbly Beverages” in the shape of a large soda cup with a straw coming out of the top. the scenery, I built a control tower around the lap counter. There are four custom All of the buildings have dimmable lights in them. One structure that I am particularly made driver’s stations around the track, where a driver can plug into any of the pleased with is a scratch-built 1/32 scale Airstream trailer. A friend of mine, Mario lanes. To allow the drivers room to adjust their positions (or chase down de-slotted Larouche, who has a CNC machine, made the rough shape in three pieces out of wood. cars), I attached 25-foot cables to each of the controllers and added ¼” plugs for I then glued it together; cut out windows; sanded it; added details like an AC unit, tinted a solid connection. I stuck patches of industrial strength Velcro to the backs of the windows, and propane tanks; painted it shiny aluminum; and attached wheels and a controllers and then added a 2-inch wide strip of the reciprocal Velcro around the cloth awning. I made the vending machines by building a frame out of 1/8-inch plastic entire layout. This has proved to be a simple method for quickly hanging and then square tube and covered them with images from the internet printed on clear plastic. A easily removing the controllers no matter where a driver is standing. small light bulb in each one gives them a more realistic look.

Model Car Racing 27 The pit buildings are modified and painted Carrera garages. The crews are assortments of Carrera and Scalextric figures

I placed the structures so that they would not be in the trajectory of de-slotted cars. Additionally, I built fences using 1/16-inch aluminum tube frames and fine wire mesh screens cut at a 45 degree angle to protect the detailed scenes . With the plan to keep cars from flying off the track and onto the floor, I put a MDF border around the whole layout rising about eight inches above all elevations of the track. Background scenery was painted on the interior of this border to add more depth to the landscaping. Another friend of mine, professional artist Mike Martis, assisted with much of the painting. He also painted some great murals of a couple of my favorite race cars (i.e., a Porsche 917K and a Lotus T70) on the walls around the room.

I detailed the pit garages with various tools and machinery made out of scrap plastic pieces. Another A portion of track hangs over the main straight so friend of mine, Neil Pollack, who makes fine jewelry, that area has been detailed to recreate a rock-faced created a highly detailed acetylene welding rig, air half-tunnel that is also one of the snack areas with There are over 500 hand-painted people on the track, compressor, and tool drawers with miniature tools in scratchbuilt illuminated vending machines. many of them filling the Carrera grandstands. them for the pits.

28 Model Car Racing (Ferrari F138) leads Nico Rosberg, (Mercedes W04), (Red Bull RB9 Renault) and (Ferrari F138) at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. — LAT Photographic

30 Model Car Racing Model Car Racing 31 Sports Cars: Ninco 1956 Porsche 356 The Porsche 356 is one of the models in the Ninco “Classic” series of fifties and early-sixties era sports cars that includes the Austin Healey 3000 and Jaguar XK120 replicas of “production” cars and the Porsche 550, Ferrari 166 and Ferrari Testa Rosa replicas of “sports racing cars”. ■■Albin Burroughs

The 356-series Porsches dominated production class racing around the The newest Ninco Porsche 356 is a replica of a car that Bruce Jennings world in the fifties and early sixties. The cars were often the “training” raced at Bridgehampton New York in 1963 (including the stock Speed- vehicles for some of the best drivers (like Ronnie Bucknum and Bruce ster windshield and the rectangular roll bar). He drove the same car Jennings) to learn their craft before moving on to LeMans and beyond. with the same markings to an SCCA C Production Championship in There were two popular 356 Porsche bodies, a fastback coupe and a 1969. Jennings liked that stylized number 77 and applied it to a variety convertible. The convertible was offered in several styles including the of production-class Porsche 911s in the seventies. “Speedster” variation for America with a low-windshield, minimum interior trim and bucket seats, that is the prototype for the Ninco 1/32 Ninco’s Classic cars are nearly all wider than accurate scale---the Porsche, scale model. There is more information on the Ninco 356 Porsche in for example, is about 1/8-inch wider than 1/32 scale. Conversely most Nin- the May/June 2011 number 57 issue. co Classics are accurate in most of their other dimensions---the track width Model Car Racing 35 (center-to-center) on the front and rear wheels is correct as is the length and height. Because the 356 Porsche Speedsters were “tubby” enough to be called “bath tubs”, the Ninco model car looks like the full-size Porsche.

The Ninco Porsche is powered by the 23,500 rpm Ninco NC-12 motor that, frankly, is too much motor for such a light car, particularly with the relatively hard rear tires and no downforce magnet. The car would be more enjoyable to drive if fitted with the 20,800 rpm Ninco NC-14 motor (that is in the Ninco Formula car on pages 49-51). Unless you are racing on the rough and grippy surface of Ninco track, the car will be far more predictable to control in the corners if you replace the rear tires with either urethanes like the 1301Y Yellow Dogs or silicones like the 1301C Super Tires. The motor is mounted in separate pod but only to allow the use of the shorter NC-1 motor (which is no longer available). The screws on this pod must be kept perfectly tight or the gears will not mesh properly. ½½ How Fast Magnet-Free? We Race Track Tested the Ninco 1956 Corvette without the downforce magnet and with Super Tires 1301C silicone rear tires in the Septem- ber/October 2011 number 59 issue. The earlier Ninco Classic models, like the Corvette, were fitted with the NC-5 20,000 rpm motor but the Corvette is much larger so the higher cornering speeds should balance against the quicker motor ---the Porsche is smaller than the ‘Vette but has a faster motor so the lap times of the two cars should be similar.

36-foot Scalextric 36-foot Carrera Out-of-the-Box Lap Times Indy F1 Course: Indy F1 Course: Ninco 1956 Porsche 356 5.93 sec. 5.42 sec.

Ninco 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster The Prototype The size the model should The dimensions of the model: SPEC SHEET (the real car): be in 1/32 scale: Length:* 158 in. 4.94 in. (125.4 mm) 4.67 in. (118.6 mm) Width: 65.8 in. 2.05 in. (56.0 mm) 2.14 in. (54.3 mm) Height: NA NA 1.61 in. (40.8 mm) Wheelbase 83.7 in. 2.58 in. (65.6 mm) 2.69 in. (68.2 mm) Track, Front: 51.4 in. 1.69 in. (42,8 mm) 1.62 in. (41.1 mm) Track, Rear: 50.1 in. 1.57 in. (39.7 mm) 1.57 in. (39.7 mm) Tires, Front: 5.90-15 4.6 x 21.1 6.8 x 20.8 mm Tires, Rear: 5.90-15 4.6 x 21.1 56.8 x 20.8 mm Weight: 1,790 lbs. NA 76 grams (2 5/8 oz.) Weight on Front Tires: 34 grams (1 1/8 oz.) Weight on Rear Tires: 42 grams (1 1/2 oz.) Magnetic Downforce on Carrera: NA Magnetic Downforce on Scalextric: NA Ground Clearance on Carrera: 1.5 mm (.060 in.) Ground Clearance on Scalextric: 1.4 mm (.055 in.) Pickup Lead (pivot to rear axle): 80.6 mm (3.17 in.) Gear Ratio: 3.00:1 (9/27) *NOTE: Length includes bumpers. Source: The Motor magazine, July 8, 1964 Source: Road Test of Super 90 Porsche, Road & Track 1961

There is no provision for a downforce magnet on the NINCO 356 Porsche.

36 Model Car Racing Steve Schmidt’s 1958 Porsche 356 was typical of most production class sports cars in the fifties with the stock windshield and bumpers removed and a tiny windshield but with a stronger modern-era tall roll bar at the 2009 Monterey Historics. In 2009. ---Michael Cerone photo

Model Car Racing 37 DIGITAL RACING: Scalextric Digital For Carrera 2013 Formula 1 Cars Carrera is the only company that has produced replicas of 2013 Formula 1 cars, the Ferrari F138 and Red Bull RB9 (the Red Bull RB9 was in the November/December 2014 number 78 issue). Carrera offers the two cars in either analog or Digital 132 (which will also run on any analog track). However, if you want to recreate the 2013 Formula 1 races on a Scalextric Digital track the Carrera cars can be converted with the Scalextric C7005 Digital Chip, Retro-Fit. The Scalextric Digital chip will also allow a car to run on any brand of analog track. The installation is similar to that for the earlier Carrera Formula 1 cars shown in the November/December 2011 number 60 issue but the 2013 Formula 1 models, like their prototypes, are even slimmer than the earlier Formula 1 cars so a bit more of the interior of the body must be removed to clear the Scalextric Digital Chip. There’s a “Pros and Cons” comparison of the Digital systems on www.modelcarracingmag.com under the sidebar “Digital Car Racing Tips”.

■■Robert Schleicher

A Carrera 2013 Ferrari F138 leading a Carrera 2013 Red Bull RB9---both cars are fitted with Scalextric Digital chips. Formula 1 Cars On Scalextric Digital Track: ½½ Retrofitting Any Modern-Era Formula 1 Car for • Scalextric cars: The C8516 Easyfit Digital Plug can be 6-Car Digital Racing used convert any of the most-recent Scalextric F1 cars to Scalextric Digital. Note: All of these articles are also available on www.modelcarracingmag.com under the top bar “Sample Issues”. • SCX cars: Scalextric Plug-Ready Digital in SCX Formula 1 cars, Issue #51

42 Model Car Racing • NINCO cars: Scalextric Plug-Ready Digital in NINCO • Carrera cars: (see above) Formula 1 cars, Issue #51 • NINCO cars: (see above) • Carrera cars: Scalextric Plug-Ready Digital in Carrera Formula 1 Cars On Ninco N-Digital Track: Formula 1 cars, Issue #60 • NINCO cars: The NINCO N-Digital In Scalextric 2006 • Slot.it oXigen Digital Chips for Formula 1 cars, Issue #75 Formula 1 Cars, issue #34 Formula 1 Cars On Carrera Digital 132 Track: • Scalextric cars: (see above) • Carrera cars: Carrera offers all of their modern-era Formula 1 cars • Carrera cars: (see above) in both analog and Digital 132 versions, However, Carrera also offers “Digital Receiver boards to allow plug-in installation of Digital • NINCO cars: (see above) 132 in the most-recent releases of Formula 1 cars from Carrera. • Slot.it oXigen Digital Chips for Formula 1 cars, Issue #75 • Scalextric cars: The Carrera Digital 132 number 26740 NOTE: The digital articles in issues #44 through #60 are available on our website Digital Decoder chip in Scalextric F1 cars, Issue #59 www.modelcarracingmag.com under the top bar “Sample Issues” and under “Digital • SCX cars: The Carrera Digital 132 number 26740 Digital Editions”. Decoder chip in Scalextric F1 cars, Issue #59 Pit Stops For Digital: • NINCO cars: The Carrera Digital 132 number 26740 Digital • Live Action Pit Stops with Pit Walls for Scalextric Digital, Decoder chip in Scalextric F1 cars, Issue #59 Issue #72 • Slot.it oXigen Digital Chips for Formula 1 cars, Issue #75 • Live-Action Pit Stops with Pit Walls for Carrera Digital 132, Issue #73 Formula 1 Cars On SCX Digital Track: • Live-Action Pit Stops with Pit Walls for SCX & Ninco • SCX cars: offers all of their modern-era Formula 1 cars in N-Digital, Issue #74 either analog or SCX Digital form. • Action Pit Lanes for Scalextric Sport, Classic, SCX, Ninco or • Scalextric Digital: The SCX Digital system includes the Carrera Digital, Issue #77 guide shoe so there is no reasonable way convert an SCX Formula 1 car to Scalextric Digital, Carrera Digital 132 or NINCO N-Digital

Test-fit the Scalextric C7005 Digital Chip, Retro-Fit so you can see what parts of the Carrera chassis and body must be removed to clear the chip.

The steps to convert the Carrera Red Bull RB9 to Scalextric Digital are identical those shown to convert Carrera F138 Ferrari.

All of the Carrera cars have a u-shaped printed circuit Fitting Scalextric Digital to any other brand requires boards. The wires that connect the board to the motor soldering. First, unsolder the wires from the motor Remove the body and wing from the Carrera 2013 and pickup must be disconnected so the Scalextric tabs. Ferrari F138 car so you can access the wires from the C7005 Digital Chip, Retro-Fit (bottom) can be installed pickup to the motor. between the motor and the pickup.

Model Car Racing 43 Cut the red and black wires leading to the pickup and strip-off 1/16-inch of the insulation. The wires are very Use a hobby knife to enlarge the hole for the front fine so it is wise to invest in a quality wire stripper. body-mounting screw so it just clears the bulb on the Scalextric chip.

The Carrera front body-mounting post is positioned right above the Scalextric chip so cut-off the post flush with the inside of the body. The body fits tightly enough so that front screw is not necessary.

Cement the Scalextric bulb in to the hole on the Carrera chassis with a dab of clear silicone caulking or Shoe Goo and let it dry overnight.

Twist the bare wire ends together to connect the red The tabs under the body near the body-mounting post Carrera pickup wire to the green wire on the Scalextric also interfere with the Scalextric chip so trim the tabs chip and connect the black Carrera wire to the yellow away with diagonal cutters. Scalextric wire. Solder each of the joints then protect them a half-inch of black electrical tape.

The Scalextric chip must lie as flat on the Carrera Test-fit body and, if necessary trim away any tabs chassis as possible. Use diagonal cutters to remove that prevent the body from resting tightly against the the vertical tabs so the chip can be mounted as low chassis. Use clear silicone caulking or Shoe Goo to as possible. attach the Scalextric chip to the chassis. Use masking The Carrera pickup blade (they call it a “keel”) is too tape to position the chip while the silicone or Shoe long to allow Carrera cars to negotiate the curves on Goo dries. other brands of track---use diagonal cutters to snip- off the rear ¼-inch of keel. (There is a spare keel with each Carrera car---perhaps for this very reason).

Try the car to see if it runs in the proper direction on any brand of analog. If the car runs backwards, swap the red and black wires at the motor. Then try the car on your Scalextric Digital track to see if it runs. If Place the Scalextric chip on the chassis so you can it does not run, reverse the wire connections to the test-fit the body to see what portions of the body must Carrera pickup. be removed to clear the chip.

44 Model Car Racing Tech Tips: TEST N' TUNE  ���������������������

One of the buzz words among model car rac- ers is the three letters “TNT” meaning test and tune. The simple expressions “hop up” or “tune up” are worthless unless you actually race the car see if the tune up or hop up really did produce lower lap times. With model car racers, maximum power is a joke, a false goal, something to brag about because you are losing. Most of the motors in today’s model racing cars are already as fast as the tires and track surface can handle. More power often means just more wheelspin and more crashes.

If you are racing cars with downforce mag- nets, more magnet can often produce slower lap times because the motor in the car is not strong enough to pull the force of the mag- net down the straight. Typically, cars that are raced on Carrera track need more downforce because the track rails have less iron content than other brands. Conversely, a “stuckdown” set up for the quickest lap times on Scalextric, SCX or Ninco track will not corner as quickly on a Carrera track because the Carrera rails fessor Motor and Slot.it offer) and a piece of Test N' Tune Sequence: do not provide as much magnetic attraction .020-inch thick shim steel (actually, a chunk ½½ as the rails in Scalextric, Ninco or SCX track. of tin can will do) to place between the mag- 1. Test two different cars (to keep one as-is as net and the chassis to lower the magnet’s a “control” car) The way to lower lap times is a specific path: downforce field. You will want two pairs of 2. Test with the stock magnet: try all the variables, one at a time, and see silicone tires of smaller and larger diameter what works best. and two pairs of smaller and larger diam- A. Urethane/silicone tires eter urethane tires. It is best to mount all the B. Smaller/larger tires The basic, fundamental, absolutely neces- tires on the wheels and sand the edges to be sary tool for tuning a model race car is an sure they are perfectly round. Be aware that C. Gear ratios accurate lap timer. You will have no hope of the smaller diameter tires will lower the car 3. Given optimum lap times try: improving your car if you try to rely on your and, thus, allow the magnet to provide more own visual and visceral observations---the downforce. A. Different magnet locations timer does not lie. If you do not have a track B. Different magnets of your own, collect these tune up parts and Buy an extra set of crown gears (for an inline the tools to install them and spend some car), anglewinder gears (for an anglewinder C. Recheck silicon/urethane and large/ time doing a Test N’ Tune session on one of car) or, as shown, spur gears for a sidewinder small tire choices the tracks where you race your cars. car (like this Slot.it Ford GT40) with two more If you want to address all the variables that and two less teeth than the stock gear. You will can produce lower lap times you will need The TN'T process begins with a stock car. also need an Allen wrench and Phillips screw- four sets of rear tires; one set as small as prac- Run it for long enough so you know you driver to work on the car. have recorded the fastest time that car can tical for that car and one set at least 1/16-inch larger diameter, and you will need both sizes produce with you as the driver on that track Armed with an array of “hop up” parts you in a silicone compound (like Super Tires, on that day. Write it down because you will can begin swapping-out tire/wheels and Max Traxx or Indy Grips) and a urethane forget it. Do the them same test with a sec- again recording the lap times. Yes, the pro- compound (like Yellow Dogs or Ortmanns). ond car that is nearly as fast as the first car so cess takes a long time because you will need Yes, you can just buy tires without the wheels, you have a “control” car you can retest at the to run at least 50 laps with each option to be but ripping the tires on and off the wheels end of the session to see if all your tune-up sure you have wrung the best possible perfor- eventually tears the tires and it is a test of pa- work has really made the original car faster. mance from the car with that setup. And, you tience getting them mounted completely true must start with a pristine clean track ( you are for each tire change. If you are running magnets, you will want to not trying find out how fast car will go with buy one or two stronger magnets (like Pro- dirty tires---save that for the end of the race). Model Car Racing 45 Pit Board  ������������������������

The Ultimate Scalextric as good as ours. The only controllers that are rently available (at a price) early 50’s formula Digital System sold through dealers here are the Slot.it items. cars look ridiculous with 60-inch track widths TruSpeed will have to be ordered from the and 12-inch wide tires..... I always look forward to the new version of Internet and the Scorpious is not designed your magazine from my local dealer here in to work with Scalextric Digital. From what Old School lives, Dan Wilson Denmark. But I have a question for the ex- I have seen, however, you will have to spend perts: I have been using standard Scalextric some time setting up the any of the control- We agree, of course, but it is completely a de- Digital (and analog) controllers for years, and lers but it should be a one-time effort. cision that each modeler must make. We can- now I want to try something new but I really not condemn a model because it is too large don’t know what to choose. • The Slot.it oXigen controllers are but we will always try to identify the serious available with chips for use with flaws in size or scale so the modeler can make I have a Scalextric Digital track upgraded with analog, with Scalextric Digital or with an informed decision about whether to buy the C7042 6-Car Digital Powerbase (which runs oXigen digital. The tethered SCP01d- the model and whether or not to include it in analog or Scalextric Digital). I have upgraded 3v3 version is designed to operate any particular race. that with the RMS (http://rcs64.com/) CS64 with the C7042 Scalextric Digital system to provide a better display of laps and power base. If you want wireless, it New To The Hobby? race management on a PC laptop monitor. I should operate with your SCS system have also upgraded the Scalextric Digital sys- (below). Note that Slot.it 2.4GKz There’s more information on page 45 of this tem with the SCS (www.slotcarsolutions.com/) wireless controller only operates cars issue. There are some basic tune-up tips that are needed for every model race car on our website slot car wireless system, and I am very happy for fitted with oXigen chips. Slot.it is www.modelcarracingmag.com under the “New it because it reduces the number of cables that available to dealers through Hornby I need but I do have carry a small battery box to the hobby?” link. There are 13 tips including: America (www.slotit-usa.com). How To Get Started in Model Car Racing, Two as well as the controller. I have installed Slot.it’s Driving Techniques, Perfect Pickup Braid, Tire • The TruSpeed (www.truspeed.co.uk/) SSD chips in some of my cars and the Scalextric Mounting, Cleaning Track Rails, Cleaning Track, Digital chips in the others. I don’t want to have SSD -MK1 Digital Slotcar Controller is Avoiding Disaster: Oil & Grease, Controllers, another cable, because the controllers need pow- a plug-in pistol grip controller for the Race Program Set Up: Color Coding & Racing er that cannot be provided by battery. I have to Scalextric Digital system if you simply classes, Reliable Wires, Chassis Set Up, Carrera spend hours to setup my cars, and I don’t want want to use a Parma-style controller Guide Shoe Mods. There’s lots more you can to spend hours to setup the controller. in place of Scalextric. If you want do, including changing to silicone rear tires wireless, it should operate with your with better grip, loosening the body-to-chassis screws and more. I am trying to choose between these three con- SCS system. trollers: • The Scropius (http://www. Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation scorpiuswireless.com/) 2.4GHz 1. Publication Title: Model Car Racing • TruSpeed SSD -MK1 Digital Slotcar 2. Publication Number: 020-443 wireless controller is available with 3. Filing Date: September 22, 2014 Controller 4. Issue Frequency: bimonthly an analog adaptor and they have an 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 6 6. Annual Subscription Price: $35.00 • Slot.it - SCP01d-3v3 option of using it with the Scalextric 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301-3346 analog system. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer): • Scorpius wireless controller Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Super Size Me Publisher: Robert Schleicher, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301 What can you recommend? Editor: Robert Schleicher, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301 Managing Editor: Chris Walker, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301 Articles and editorials on scale and dimensions 10. Owner: Model Car Racing Publications, Inc., 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301 Robert Schleicher, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-142, CO 80301 Thanks in advance! seem to be a common thread in Model Car 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. none Anders Trier Rasmussen Racing magazine. To me, size is one of the core 12. Tax Status : Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 13. Publication Title: Model Car Racing elements that distinguish a model from a toy. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: January/February 2015 15. Average No. Copies of Each Issue Published During Preceding 12 Months/No. Copies of Single Wow! The upgrades you have installed make The models are either 1/32 scale, plus or minus Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run): 5,000/5,000 the Scalextric Digital system about as com- a small amount, or they are toys. A line should b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. (Include advertiser’s plete as possible. You can also get most of be drawn and adhered to. Cars that scale out in proof and exchange copies): 707/718 (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies): 4/4 what you have added-on by using a complete every dimension to 1/30 or more should be left (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution: 2850/2995 Slot.it oXigen system (see issues #68, #69 out of the magazine (which inclusion lends an (4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: 0/0 c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b. (1), (2),(3),and (4)]: 3561/3717 and #75---all available on www.modelcar- air of respectability), and left out of organized d. Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, complimentary, and other free): (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541: 108/108 racingmag.com under “Sample Issues) with events by clubs, etc.. Notice that there are few, (2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541: 4/4 (3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: 0/0 Scalextric track. What is interesting is that if any, cars which scale in at less than 1/32, i.e., (4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 0/0 e. Total free distribution (sum of 15d and 15e): 114/114 you can also obtain most of those upgrades I don’t recall any 1/35th racing car models.... f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c. and 15f): 3673/3829 g. Copies not Distributed: 1327/1171 (plus more like KERs, track planning and car ever. So the size is a deliberate choice by the h. Total (Sum of 15g. and h.): 5,000/5,000 i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c. divided by 15g. times 100): 97%/97% inventory---but, with no analog option) with manufacturer. With the tools at hand in today’s 16. Electronic copy circulation: a. Paid electronic copies 450/475 the new Scalextric ACS Pro digital system, manufacturing, there is no excuse for cars that b. Total paid Print Copies (line 15c) + Paid electronic copies 4011/4192 c. Total Print Distribution (line 15c) Paid electronic copies 4123/4304 which will be available about Christmastime are out of scale. If parity in performance is a d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies)(18b divided by 16c x 100) 97/97 I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price (the controllers, will, of course, still be Scalex- requirement (albeit an impossible task), then 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership Publication required. Will be printed in the January/February 2015 issue of this publication. tric). The ACS system is designed to display the ubiquitous magnet can be used to equal- 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner Robert Schleicher, Publisher the lap counting, timing, car control and ize as needed. The same thoughts apply to tire September 22, 2014 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone other features on a tablet. We have a policy widths, tire diameters and track width dimen- who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) to not recommend---your opinion is at least sions.....the otherwise interesting range of cur- and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

46 Model Car Racing Race Tracks For Your Home: HO 4-LANE UNICORN BANKED RACEWAY for a 4 x 8-Foot Tabletop ■■Robert Schleicher

This track is an HO version of the Unicorn Banked Track on pages 12-14. AFX TRACK SECTIONS REQUIRED There’s a full 180-degree banked turn at T1 (with a short straight between Quantity: Description: the two 90-degree ends that can be driven as part of a single turn). The ess 10 6-inch Straight bends through turns T2 and T3 are quick jogs with a medium-radius turn 2 9-inch Straight at T4 and T7. Turns T5 and T6, however, can probably be taken faster than the banked turn T1 because turns T5 and T6 utilize the largest available 16 15-inch Straight HO curved track sections. All of the straights are 15-inch unless marked. 0 6-inch 45-degree Curve 3 9-inch 45-degree Curve The majority of the HO plans in the magazine squeeze as much track as 6 9-inch 90-degree Curve possible into that 4 x 8-foot area. Unicorn Speedway is typical in having the longest possible straight on an 8-foot long table but it would be more 4 9-inch Banked Curve enjoyable to race on if the straight was longer than the typical six-feet 4 12-inch Banked Turn or so. It can be difficult to design a plan for, say, 4 x 16-feet that can be 15 12-inch 45-degree Curve shrunk to fit a 4 x 8-foot area. So we present them all uptight and hope 5 15-inch 45-degree Curve that you’ll expand them to 4 x 10 or 4 x 24-feet to get those wondrous 20-foot straight-aways. Most of the plans are marked with “L” letters indi- 5 18-inch 45-degree Curve cating just where to insert the additional sets of straight track sections to expand the track to any length.

The plan for the HO 4-Lane Paramount Ranch Track to fit a 5 x 9-foot ping-pong tabletop.

Model Car Racing 47 Club Directory ���������������������

Most model car racers prefer to race at home on their own tracks with a few friends. There are hundreds of model car racing clubs in the world but some of them are groups who race very highly modified cars on tracks routed from wood or PVC. The model racing cars you see on the pages of this magazine are all designed to be raced on plastic tracks (although they can be raced on most wood or PVC tracks) from Scalextric, Sport, Carrera, NINCO, SCX, Riggen or Artin or the older Strombecker, Revell or Monogram tracks 1/32 scale tracks or Tomy AFX or Mattel/Tyco HO tracks. The clubs that are listed here are groups whose main interest is to race out-of-the box cars and mostly on plastic tracks (although the club may also race on one or two hand-routed wood or PVC tracks). The group may have a modified class where extra magnets are allowed or different bodies. We try to NOT list the clubs that primarily race cars with hand-made metal chassis and clear plastic bodies---those clubs are listed on various internet sites or you can find most of them through the Old Weird Harold site at http://www.oldweirdherald.com. There are hundreds of dealers in the country that have operating tracks in the store. We cannot list them all, but you can contact the ones in your area from the list of dealers that carry Model Car Racing magazine www.modelcarracingmag.com. If your group races out-of-the-box 1/32 scale or HO scale cars, with only occasionally events for modified cars) send us the information at www.modelcarracingmag. com and we’ll try to include your club in the next issue.

California, Los Angeles (Glendale): OTHG – Farrout Slot Illinois, Central area: Hotslots 1/32 Slot Car Shop, Michigan, Kalamazoo area: West Michigan Slot Car Association, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, wvsca. Car Club. Contact Stephen Farr-Jones (818) 260 9192, 1809 A. Philo Road, Urbana, IL 61802 (217) 355-2277, Slot Car Group, John Lacko (269) 344-5588, blogspot.com www.farroutslotcars.com/ [email protected] [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/ Texas, Eastern area: East Texas Slot Car Association, California, Fresno area: Insane SCRC, Illinois, Chicago area: Bolingbrook Speedway, Karl groups/205657316120426/ Tyler , TX 75771, (903)882 0965 ETXSCA@hotmail. Joe Cabral [email protected] Staehlin, [email protected] Missouri, St. Louis area: (Carl Shorle) gsra@swbell. com California, North San Diego County: Nomad Slot Illinois, Chicago area: Great Lakes Slot Car Club, net Texas, Houston (Northwest Harris County): Houston Racing Club, Jim Cunningham (760)492-4619 jim@ contact: Missouri, St. Louis area: Monaco Grand Prix Miniature Scale Club (HSARC), www.hsarc.net, NomadRaceways.com www.NomadSlotRacing.com www.greatlakesscc.com Racing Club, www.mgpmrc.org, email: mgpmrc@ (281)807-4026. California, North San Diego County, Escondido - “The Illinois, Chicago Area: JYD Racing, contact www. mgpmrc.org Northern Virginia-Metro DC area: Northern Virginia Slot Outlaws” 760-747-4511 or email: rick_houston@ toys4slots.com New York, Watkins Glen area: The Slot Car Club Of Digital Slot Racers, contact: Hayes Lewis, hayes- hotmail.com Illinois, Peoria/ Metamora area: Peoria Model Car The Twin Tiers, Contact: Frank Spena, Jr., sccottt1@ [email protected] California, San Jose area: Devin Mauldin web@ Raceway, yahoo.com Vermont, Burlington area: Burlington Slot Dorks, flyinghump.com (309) 573-1027, [email protected], North Carolina, Winston-Salem area: Road America Daniel, [email protected] California, South Bay (Los Angeles): Stan Smith (309)712-3299 [email protected] Racers, King City, North Carolina, Tom Brooks, (336) Williamsburg Virginia area: The Barn Burners” (310)812-1866 Indiana, Indianapolis area: (Jeremy Dunning) 985-3867 or [email protected] Contact: Joseph Brimer [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ohio, Columbus area: 1/32 Slot Car Racers of Central Washington, Auburn area: Rainier Raceways, California, South Bay (Los Angeles): ITG - In The Indiana, Terre Haute area: Otter Creek Slot Racing Ohio, Randy Horton, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1- Greg Gaub [email protected] 32SlotCarRacersOfCentralOhio Groove , 324 W. Florence Ave., Association, Washington, Seattle/Tacoma area: PSSRA (Puget Inglewood, CA 90301. Contact: Marc Natividad (310) Bob Redman [email protected] Oregon, Portland area: Beaverton Area Slot Car Club Sound Slot Car Racing Association) http://pssra. 200-6300. [email protected] Iowa, Cedar Rapids area: Iowa Model Area Racers, (B.A.S.C.C.),15430 SW Gull Ct., Beaverton, Oregon webhop.net/ or Tony Kuljis, Colorado, Denver area: Rocky Mountain Slot Car Club http://imar.us/ 97007, 503-330-6907 [email protected] (RMSSC) Indiana, Fort Wayne area: Wallace Dale Monroe, Pennsylvania, Allentown-Reading area: Allen & Allen Washington, Seattle/Tacoma area: NMRL (Northwest http://rmscclub.proboards.com/index.cgi [email protected] Motor Speedway Racing, (610) 520-7247, Jallenen- Model Racing League). John MacKenzie (206)295- [email protected] Colorado, Denver Area, Colorado Slot car Club, contact: Iowa, Cedar Rapids area: ERASR (Ecurie Road America 9980, [email protected] http://coslotcarclub.proboards.com/ Scale Racers) Art (319)626-6374 Pennsylvania, Chambersburg area. Toronto, Canada area: Scale Sloters 1/32, chris.w@ Colorado, Denver area: Front Range Vintage Slotcar Sherman Collings [email protected] (717) rogers.com Iowa, Swisher area: IMAR (Iowa Model Auto Racing), 377-1435 and Historical Racing Club, http://monovell.proboards. Jerry Hightshoe [email protected] Vancouver, Canada area: (Luf Linkert) [email protected] com/index.cgi Pennsylvania, Harrisburg area: Homestead Speedway, Kentucky, Louisville area: Derby City Slot Car Club, D.C., Washington area: The Capital Racing League, Landisville, Pennsylvania. Ken Falco at KFalco@ 1/24 scale racing clubs: www.derbycityslotcarclub.proboards.com/ Mark@ Studio5architects.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tcrl, contact: derbycityspeedway.com Oregon, Eugene area: Pelican Park Speedway [email protected] Pennsylvania, Manheim area: (541)349-0917 htm210@comcast. Louisiana, Lake Charles area: Lake Area Slot Car Auto D & B Raceways, Don Noll [email protected] D.C., Washington area (Alexandria): Classic Slot Car Racing, Julian Guillory, http://groups.yahoo.com/ Digital Racing Clubs: Association (CSSA), John Roberts, (703) 582-5504, group/LASCAR Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area: Mt. Airy Racing [email protected] Association, Herbert Bigelow (215) 868-4464, Ohio, Mansfield area: Mid-Ohio 1/32 Scale Racing Maryland, Baltimore area: (Allan Schwartz) com- [email protected] Club, [email protected], John Chorpening (419) D.C., Washington Metro area: Old Dominion Slot Car [email protected] 289-6563 Club, 5322 Graystone Rd., Warrenton, VA 20187, Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre Area: NEPA Slot Car Club, Michigan, Grand Rapids area: Rivershore International Northern Virginia-Metro DC area: Northern Virginia contact: Chris Bowles (540)341-1405 or, info@ 570-903-9182, nepaslotcars.com nascarslots.com , Raceway, Alto, Michigan, Stephen Thomas, Digital Slot Racers, contact: Hayes Lewis, hayes- www.nascarslots.com or www.metalracer.com (616) 891-1632. email: [email protected] Pennsylvania, Wyoming Valley Area: Wyoming Valley [email protected]

HO Clubs: The majority of HO racing on a club level in the US is home sectional tracks, using hard bodies and largely stock equipment. The majority are Thunderjet focused, although many do run the Life-Like, Auto World, Playing Mantis, G-Plus and Mattel/Tyco cars, these mass produced magnet cars tend to be utilized by small round robin groups by invitation or as groups of friends. There are some excellent clubs across the US racing basically stock hardshell T-Jet cars for the most part on sectional home tracks. This is only a partial listing. If you have an active group racing hard-bodied T-Jet-style cars, let us know.

Arizona, Phoenix area: http://ahora.homestead.com/ Inglewood, CA 90301. Contact: Marc Natividad (310) Michigan, Lansing area: NASAR, Richard Leeper (517) Association, Herbert Bigelow (215) 868-4464, ahora.html 200-6300. [email protected] 290-9952 or [email protected] [email protected] California, Bay area: San Francisco HO Racing As- Colorado, Denver area: Front Range HO (FRHO) Missouri, Kansas City area: Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre Area: NEPA Slot Car Club, sociation, www.sfhora.org/home.html club. http://www.scaleracers.com/FrontRangeHO/ http://home.kc.rr.com/jhabernal/mahor/ 570-903-9182, nepaslotcars.com California, Bay area: M.S.C.R.C. - Model Slot Car Rac- default.asp Missouri, St. Louis area: [email protected] Winston-Salem/Greenville, South Carolina area: ing Club www.mscrc.orgemail: [email protected] Illinois, Chicago area: http: nitro-racing.4t.com/ Ohio, Columbus area: Upstate HO Slot Car Club, 403 Hill Lane, Mauldin, California, Bay area: Shaunadega Racing www. Indiana, Fort Wayne area: Wallace Monroe, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colohhoscc/messages SC 29662 shaunadega.com [email protected] (864)967-7865 Richard Tabb at [email protected] or Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area: Steve Lorch at [email protected] California, South Bay (Los Angeles): ITG - In The Kentucky / Virginia area: http://www.thunderjetrac- http://vintagehoracing.mr-bigstuff.com/ United Kingdom, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire Groove Slot Car racing, 324 W. Florence Ave. ing.com/ Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area: Mt. Airy Racing Burning Rubber, www.burningrubber.net

48 Model Car Racing New Stuff The National Hobby Show America does not have a national model car racing show, however, there is a national hobby show with displays and demo tracks by all the major model car racing brands. There are hundreds of regional hobby and craft shows in North America, but the iHobby Expo (www.ihobbyexpo.com/Public.html) in Chicago is the only one where the majority of the manufacturers attend. The iHobby show features exhibits by manufacturers but, in addition, there are dozens of dealer sales booths. Scalextric, Ninco, SCX, AFX and Auto World usually have demo tracks as well as displays of their latest products. The exhibits and sales booths include radio control planes, boats and aircraft, model railroading, die-cast models and books. There’s lots of stuff for kids including Thomas the Tank Engine train rides.

Policar had an early sample of their new series of seventies-era Lotus 72C Formula 1 car on display at iHobby show. The cars are expected late in 2014.

Scalextric has announced the race set using their upcoming ACS (App Control System) system that utilizes an app so your tablet or smartphone will control and display lap counting and timing, race results, a listing of your racing stable, track planning and dozens of other race and car control options. Scalextric announced the system and described it in the 2014 catalogs as the RCS (for Race Control System) Policar will also offer the Lotus 72E. but has changed the name to more accurately reflect the system’s advantages.

The Policar Lotus 72 chassis has a double gear reduction with a pair of idler spur gears parallel to the rear axle. The system allows the final drive crown gear to be Slot.it will have the Chaparral 2G available early in 2016. small enough so there is no ugly gear cover bulge.

52 Model Car Racing The Scalextric replicas of 2014 Bentley GT have arrived but to late for this issue. We’ll have a full report in the next issue.

NSR had a preproduction Ford GT40 Mk.I with the full-size car’s smoother rear fender shapes

Mr. Slotcar had their forthcoming McLaren F1 GTR on display at Chicago iHobby show.

NSR also announced a new 1/32 scale 2013 BMW Z4.

Mr. Slotcar will offer this optional add-on front suspension with working springs and The Ninco high-performance cars are now called “Ultra”(that will replace the adjustable camber for the McLaren. previous Lightning series). The chassis has a new motor and is supplied with working rear suspension for the pod. Model Car Racing 53 AFX had pre-production samples of the new HO scale The new Ninco cars will be fitted with this rugged Smilin’ Ray (http://smilinrays.webs.com/ has released Cup series NASCAR cars on display at the motor pod with side posts to mount the body. The first the American Iron 1/32 scale 1954 Chevrolet BelAir Chicago iHobby show. chassis are under the new SEAT Leon rally cars. cast-resin body kit. The body can be adapted to a variety of 1/32 scale chassis to recreate the early years of Grand National racing.

AFX is the first model car racing company to produce replicas of the new Sprint Cup series NASCAR Ford Fusion and Chevrolet SS. The two are available in the “Ford vs. Chevrolet Stocker Challenge” set. Individual Fords and Chevys will be available later in 2014.

AFX is now shipping this HO scale replica of a modern era pit garage. The kit is thick card with photo-reproduced details. The building assembles with simple tabs with double-stick tape to secure the joints (the joints were simply folded, but not taped tight for photo). The pit building is $15.99. There’s a completely new AFX HO chassis coming this winter. It has a separate motor and new gears. The chassis is called “Mega G+” with the “FN20 Advanced Power Unit” (like in Formula 1 . . . sort of) motor.

Proto Slot Kit is producing cast-resin replicas of the

Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The models are available painted and ready-to-race with the Proto Slot Kit metal chassis Modelant is producing hand-made cast-resin replicas of the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B that won the 1938 Mille Miglia. and decorated to recreate the car driven in the 1960 The model is fully-assembled with detail castings and markings and is ready to race. The full-size car was also Tour de Corse by J. C. Rolland/G. Augias. The bodies driven by in California in the early fifties with a different racing number. There’s an article on the car in the are also available painted (but with etched trim and January/February 2009 number 43 issue. The Car is $259.95 from Electric Dreams (www.electricdreams.com). decals) or unpainted from Electric Dreams (www. electricdreams.com/).

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BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. BATMOBILE Designed by George Barris (s14) GENERAL MOTORS Trademarks used under license to Round 2, LLC. Ford Motor Company Trademarks and Trade Dress used under license to Round 2, LLC. AW AUTO WORLD and design is a registered trademark of Round 2, LLC. ©2014 Round 2, LLC, South Bend, IN 46628 USA. Product and packaging designed in the USA. Made in China. All rights reserved.