First up was Modern F1’s and a chance for me to try out my super quick Renault in preparation for another race meeting later in the week. Some quick cars on the track but the car park was a source of attrition as one model after another came to grief on blue level 3C. The cars are barely visible for many seconds here and seat of the pants driving is essential!. As Charles dickens once said “ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And the best time was mine, while the worst time was ......................... Noel!!
Race 1 Modern F1 20 laps Position Driver fastest lap 1. Peter H 22.43 2. Chris 23.59 3. Greg 26.67 4. Andrew 29.15 Race 2 1. Phil 20.87 2. Peter --/-- 3. Elvis 30.45 4. Noel 33.60Event two was Maserati MC12 (any make). These are such a huge slotcar but well behaved. The main competition here was going to be between Scaley and Carrera. The Scaleys being quick off the mark were favourites and that is how it panned out. A couple of quick Carrera models but sluggish of the mark with their double magnets! New boy Greg managed a race win with his new Scaley model and I struggled to a race win with my Carrera even with the magnet set up for Magnabraid. At time it felt like I was towing a trailer!
Race 3. Maserati MC12 15 laps 1. Chris 27.61 2. Greg 28.54 3. Peter J 30.68 4. Elvis DNF Race 4. 1. Phil 24.96 2. Andrew 27.40 3. Peter H. 28.48 4. Mick 31.32 Race 5. 1. Greg 28.11 2. Noel --/-- 3. Elvis --/-- 4. Adrian 35.20Next was a bit of a variety race and the allowed models were Aston Martin DBR9’s against Ferrari P4’s. a strange combination to be sure but the racers took to it like ducks to water and surprise surprise when the Ferraris actually proved to be the better drive? Mmmmmm? Once again a session where racers ended up watching the wrong cars and marshalls trying to keep up with the errant unobserved models!!.
Event 3. Aston Martin v. Ferrari P4 10 laps Race 6. 1. Chris 24.79 2. Phil 27.00 3. Mick 28.21 4. Noel 34.79 Race 7. 1. Andrew 25.98 2. Pater 25.53 3. Adrian 23.82 4. Peter H 29.04 Race 8. 1. Chris 25.20 2. Phil 27.17 3. Greg 27.36 4. Elvis 29.43All time favourite next with a class of models which love to be driven fast but unfortunately don’t have the capacity to be driven so!! Nonetheless, everybody took to the track with optimism and the marshalls work was always going to be cut out for them. Some spectacular pile ups on the back straight and the car park generating more than its fair share of drama. ‘Mr marshall in the middle’ was not allowed to relax for this class, no way José!!
Event 4. Aussie V8’s 30 laps Race 9. 1. Mick 23.84 2. Elvis 30.29 3. Adrian 25.81 4. Noel 31.25 Race 10. 1. Phil 24.25 2. Greg 26.12 3. Peter H 26.17 4. Chris 28.15 Race 11. 1. Peter 27.95 2. Adrian 26.68 3. Andrew 26.43 4. Elvis 25.36Last class was for the SCM’s and GT11 Porsches of all make and creed took to the track. I opted for the Fly GT1 marked out like a motorway roadworks barrier and among the field were Scaleys, SCX’s and Carrera so it was a bit of an unknown quantity. Andrew drove a steady couple of heats and managed to keep out of the reach of marshalls, and at the other end of the scale, my GT1 developed severe traction problems as the old Fly rubber got worse and worse as the race progressed. Fortunately it was a three lap race but that still didn’t prevent the embarrassment of being some way down the field. At least they left the lights on for me when they left!
Event 5. Porsche 911’s 3 laps Race 12 1. Andrew 25.14 2. ` Phil 27.17 3. Greg 32.00 4. Mick --/-- Race 13. 1. Peter 29.25 2. Phil 30.51 3. Noel 36.67 4. Elvis 38.04 Race 14. 1. Andrew 26.78 2. Peter 26.96 3. Greg 27.48 4. Phil 32.15So that was it for another great evening of self induced slotcar torture, and finally it was time to say..................
Ladies and Gentlemen.... Elvis has left the building!
I couldn’t resist that!