OUT & ABOUT

We will be attending the following swapmeets & slot car events

SEPTEMBER 28th 2008 - NSCC Swapmeet - Milton Keynes

OCTOBER 19th 2008 - OCAR Euro Saloons Race - Wolverhampton

NOVEMBER 16th 2008 - Phil Smiths Swapmeet - Orpington

EVENT REPORTS

WORLD CLASSICS SALOON CAR RACE 2007
October 14th saw yet another excellent meeting held at Wolverhampton Slot Car Club. Again organised by Phil Insull and sponsored by Ocar/World Classics.

Cars had to be pre-1980 European saloons, road or race versions with two classes to enter. Class 1 was for cars with a PCS plastic chassis - totally stock. Class 2 was for scratchbuilt chassis or modified PCS 32.

The entry list was, as usual, oversubscribed and the club was buzzing with entrants when I arrived 30 minutes after opening. The confident ones were chatting with friends while the people like me, who had only finished their car the night before, were vigorously testing and fettling their machines.

I was more confident this time. Although I was still finishing my car the night before, I had taken more time over the building and had weighted it, I felt correctly. Not having a test track at home doesn't help but it ran beautifully on the test bench. However, once on the track a major flaw appeared - it didn't go around corners!!   

The problem wasn't in my building but in my choice of car - Jaguar 420. The rear track is very narrow as the wheels need to fit inside the half covered wheel arches. I thought my choice of wider Ortmann tyres would help but still the car rolled onto it's doors if any bend was taken at speed. Consequently, my black Jag looked more like the Mayors car sedately cruising around the circuit, managing only 14 laps per heat - everyone else putting in between 18 and 22 laps!

By the third heat I thought I would try Bobs Ford Zodiac, running a Rikko chassis and 16d motor. Bob had built this car from a Traffic Cars resin bodyshell but was unable to attend the meeting, so I had it as a spare. It was definitely quicker than the Jag and with a wider rear end it could be given a bit more juice in the bends. Unfortunately after two laps the screw on the contrate gear came loose and the car came to a screaming halt!! By the time someone had kindly rushed off and fixed it for me I only had enough heat time left to do two more laps, bringing my total for that heat to 4 laps.

Final heat and back to the Jag. Better the devil you know, as they say. Still only 14 laps. I had done myself a small favour by running the Zodiac. Without realising it, by running the two types of chassis it meant that I would be put into the scratchbuild final - according to the rules which I read later. So the Mayor found himself in the Heat F final and by now his driver - me - had started to get the measure of the car. Not only did I manage 16.7 laps, I led the second place car by two laps and actually won the heat. So, not a major win but at least RS Slot Racing finally came away with some silverware.

All I need to do now is get started on my entry for Earlybirds 2008!!

Pictured above is Dave Wisdoms 3rd Place Concours winning Ford Escort running on Ortmanns.

CLASSIC LE MANS 2007
May 13th was our return visit to Wolverhampton Slot Car Club for their Classic Le Mans event, organised by Phil Insull and sponsored by M.R.E.

The event was for Le Mans cars between 1960 - 1968, hard bodies only. Front engined cars had to have a front mounted slot motor and drive shaft to the rear axle. We built three cars, all Ocar resin bodies, with two mounted on our Scholer chassis and one on a PCS32 plastic chassis.

As always, the standard of model making and driving was excellent, but at least this time we nearly came home with some trophies. We missed out on 3rd place Concours, coming 3rd equal but losing on countback, for our Lola T70 1967 Surtees Test Car. This car, beautifully built by Bob, had a brass Scholer chassis and looked fantastic in the correct Britsih Racing Green colour. The decals supplied were superb and the green didn't leak through, which bearing in mind the stripe is white, says a lot about the quality of the Ocar decals.

On the racing side, we went into our final heats together and Bob, driving his superb white Ferrari P4 with steel Scholer chassis, took the early lead. Myself and the two remaining drivers were struggling to keep up with his super smooth and rather quick machine. However, with the final minute or so remaining, the pressure was too much and several "offs" allowed two of us past. I was finally pipped at the post by a mere 0.1 of a lap length and had to settle for second place. Bob came in third, feeling the obvious frustration at losing his cool and the race!!

My race car was an Ocar bodied Chapparal 2D 1967 Le Mans #9, with the plastic PCS32 chassis. It performed brilliantly and had I put more weight in it I think it would have reached a higher final heat.

Unfortunately, the Surtees Lola was retired as the gearing and motor were wrong for the twisty circuit. This is something we need to deal with. We always seem to be building our cars at the last minute and consequently turning up with untested set-ups. Fortunately, my last minute built Chapparal was useable as I had kept the build pretty basic. Even so, it still needs fettling and I was very disappointed at not being able to race the Lola.

Consequently, I am starting my building for the October Saloon car event very shortly.

Finally, we were very impressed with the quality of the Ocar resin bodies and their decals. The PCS32 chassis was easy to use and fit onto the pre-moulded mounting posts, specifically for this chassis. So much so that we are pleased to announce that we will be stocking a range of Ocar/World Classic bodies and PCS chassis.

EARLY BIRDS 2007

February 3rd & 4th saw R/S Slot Racing heading off to the Early Birds Meeting held at Wolverhampton Slot Car Club.
The meeting, organised by Mac Pinches, was an outstanding success with 40+ entries. What was even more amazing was that 99% of the entries were scratchbuilt cars. Bearing in mind that these cars are all pre'59 GP cars, therefore very slim with narrow wheel track, they are not the easiest to make into a working slot car.

The standard of modelmaking had to be seen to be believed, hopefully my pictures can do some justice to them.
What surprised me the most was the sheer enthusiasm these people had for this kind of racing and the distances they had travelled to be part of it.

This was our second visit to this event and we built new cars to add to the ones we had raced last year.

I had a lovely Mercedes W154 body made in fibreglass by Dave Jones. Bob built two Mercedes W163's - one for each of us. He produced the Moss and Fangio cars and even painted the correct colour overalls!

I had spent many late nights building the W154 as I was determined that it would have steering. In the end it all worked out well and the steering definitely proved to be a bonus for such a long car. I finished ten places up on last year.

Well done to Mac Pinches and Malcolm Scotto and all the helpers on the day. You made us feel extremely welcome yet again and I'm looking forward to attending the Classic Le Mans meeting in May. Building is under way!!

David Lawson and Dave Jones didn't fail to impress me, again, with a pair of beautiful hand carved Brooklands racers. Beautiful cars!! See pictures below.

Obviously these couldn't be entered in the meeting but imagine a Brooklands meeting with a grid full of these monsters.

My Mercedes W154.. Early Birds 2007
Dave Jones fibreglass body with scratchbuild motor/rear axle mounts. Airfix steering mechanism on scratchbuild mounts.
Wheels are BWA and all tyres are Ortmanns - of course!

Peter Solari's excellent first effort. Auto Union. Early Birds 2007
Kit conversion scratchbuilt chassis. Rear tyres are Ortmanns - of course!

My two entries. Early Birds 2006
Both are Mac Pinches bodies mounted on MRRC adjustable brass chassis. Wheels are BWA and PRS and all tyres are Ortmanns.

Mac Pinches bodied Talbot Lago

The competition track

LIBRARY PICTURES

This new section has been added to show cars that have been given the "Ortmann" treatment.

If you would like to have your model pictured here, then send a good quality j.peg and some details to enquiries@rsslotracing.com.

Scalextric C62 Ferrari "Sharknose" - original 60's model

Rear tyres are Ortmann #28.

Thanks to Chris Walker in Canada for the picture.

Another superb pic from Dave Wisdom

Carrera Ferrari 575GTC

Rear tyres are Ortmann #49b.

David Lawson's Lotus 18

Scratchbuilt lightweight piano wire chassis. Slot-It black can 23,000rpm motor. Slot-It axles and gears.

The slot car is modelled on Clark's 1960 Spa car as it was the first world championship points ever scored by the great Scotsman.

Sha-Kayne by Walter Kiwala

It's Oh so Sixties!!