Being a Legends meeting the format, as always, was for the host to choose the opening class. In this instant it had been pre determined as LMP, open rules on motors and tyres. All other legends guide lines to apply. I had a nagging suspicion John had an ulterior motive here and sure enough, it wasn’t going to be long before it all became very obvious.
Gladiators, are you ready!!
Legends guidelines are aimed at a good mix of racing. Regulated classes to ensure racers don’t have to break the bank to have most of the class cars and unregulated to help some of the SCM’s vent their creative skills on model preparation, and the Trophy class, with which all participants have a set list of guidelines to prepare their models to, and to inject a bit of ‘unknown’ into the early stages of each season; instead of people bringing out ‘old faithfuls’ to rampage through the ranks with.
Lord help us!
With thirteen in attendance it was to be on for young and old and skill was to be less important than set up on the sweeping but tight four lane circuit. The ability to think a metre in front was to play an important part and those marshalls with four arms certainly had an advantage over the rest! Track owner John had quite plainly been burning the midnight oil as far as his contending models were concerned. The absence of a rally class left Justin making mid race decisions and car changes whilst others drove their trusty mounts ‘out of the box'; never touched since their last outing.
My main concern was with thirteen racers, heat change overs where going to have to be slick. One or two drivers still persisted in being hard to find when their heat was called. The time arrived and the track owner’s choice was LMP ’95 on, surprise, surprise…..not! And John was to ensure this race had his name on it. The opening heats saw some good driving and some good times in the low sixes and the odd foray into the high fives. Norm and his Toyota GT1 were to set the bench mark and I was a bit concerned that my once dominant BMW V12 was past its use by date. No matter, as the heats ensued and the track conditioned up, so too did lap times. That was until John put his Fly Joest Porsche into its first heat on yellow. High fives paled into insignificance as he lopped tenth after tenth off the lap time and settled for a 5.30 as his best lap for that lane. Justin struggled with a reply of 5.7. All of a sudden the focus shifted on to which of us was going to come second!!??
Time to give the face muscles a work out!!
The pressure got to some and Al managed to jump the start in his second heat which left him with a lap to find. With track condition improving and racing getting closer amongst the ‘also rans’, the marshalls got busier and busier until by part way through heat eight the track fell silent except for the plaintive cries of the drivers all wanting their models put back on first. Norms barnstorming came to an abrupt halt when his Proslot Toyota died unexplainably and valuable time was lost investigating its terminal fault. Jordan was bedogged by model problems throughout and one of Bob’s cars, the Spirit Dallara I think, actually split a tyre in a heat??
The last heat saw Jordan wishing HE had four arms as the ‘toll tunnel’ (because it takes its toll of drivers!) which he had chosen to marshall, became a permanent RTA scene. But, the heat ended and as always, the computer disappointed. Courtesy requires me to congratulate John on his success but I think maybe it might be the first and last time he will outsmart us! Eh guys!
Event 1 LMP ’95 > 20 laps Pos. Gp B. Driver Race Time (min/sec) 1. John (Fly Joest Porsche) 9’ 38.298†2. Phil (Ninco BMW V12) 10’ 14.515†3. Kev (Ninco BMW V12) 10’ 32.266†4. Glen 5. 1. Eggy (on corrected time) 6. Justin 7. Norm 8. 2. Ken 9. 3. Peter 10. Alan 11. 4. Bob 12. 5. Jordan 13. 6. Sweety (Non class car)
Gentlemen, start your engines!
Next event was the ‘Set Class’ a chance for some strict ‘out of the box’ class racing with minimal alterations (weight/tyres). The class was Classic Trans Am and this caters for Classic Trans Am models excluding the two litre class. Camaros and Mustangs abound here and it is just a matter of personal preference as to which model you wanted to race. A couple of unusual entrants here with Eggy deciding to race a drophead and I raced a Pontiac GTO built under Legends guidelines for the class. As it proved, it was to be me and Eggy shooting it out on several occasions lap after lap. With only other deslots putting an air gap between us now and then.
First heat of the Trans Ams could only be described as cataclysmic. It was possibly a futile exercise putting lane markers on the model as almost everybody decided to race in someone else’s lane! The problem is a slotcar age old one. That of racing a fast class like LMP then making the change to a quick yet less stable class. It can take several minutes for hand – eye coordination to reset itself for the new challenge. Braking distances and cornering speeds have to be reset subconsciously before reasonable progress resumes.
‘Top Guns’ taking time out
Another phenomenon slotracing enjoys which is not reproducible in the real world of motor sport is that of seeing TWO Bob Jane Camaros in the same slot, Indian file!! Yes, you guys know who I mean! At a quieter moment in the pits I caught up with the Eggmeister making alterations to his topless model. He assured me that his good form was all down to his tuning prowess? I wonder if group ‘B’ status and its removal were a motivating force.
Peter demonstrated his ability on and off the track by not only NOT coming last but to be unflinching in the face of marshalling adversity. It seems that buy heat eight, nothing had changed and heat after heat witnessed midfield devastation, no one was excluded. I managed to finish a latter heat putting the Pontiac just in front of Eggy even though Ken and Alan conspired against me lap after lap. I pat myself on the back for the brazen death defying manoeuvres I carried out passing these guys every five laps or so.
But more to the point, while all this was going on, there was one driver who was beavering away in the back ground. Heat after heat, putting in good times and not drawing attention to himself!? You guessed! While we had duelled with the devil heat after heat. John was setting himself up for another victory. Good on you John. But this will be the second and last time he will outsmart us! Eh guys!
Last heat was run and as always the computer saw some of us right.
Event 2 Classic Trans Am 28laps 1. John 12’ 22.390†2. Phil 12’ 36.470†3. 1. Eggy 12’ 37.251†4. Glen 5. Justin 6. 2. Ken 7. Norm 8. 3. Bob 9. Kev 10. 4. Peter 11. Alan 12. 5. Jordan 13. 6. Sweety
Ken was giving out racing tips, $5.00 a tip!
Last up was Trophy Class, Historic GP. This had already been run at Bobs and now it was time to put it into action on board. Commensurate with the original guidelines, the voltage was determined by some pre race action and eventually it was set at 12 volts for this track. A good variety of models calling on the best that Scaley and others had to offer and the variety alone provided most of the entertainment. Once again the ‘slower class’ phenomenon kicked in and it took several heats for some guys to curb the driving excesses and settle in to a good steady drive. A great site to see these models in action on the track and some excellent driving by some in difficult situations.
Times were in the high sixes and low sevens so race distance was shortened to twenty two laps which I thought turned out just right. No noticeable front runners here with the likes of the Cartrix W196’s showing good pace and stability and again, John , handling a difficult Cooper T53 very well. A couple of Scaley Ferrari 375’s were out for a run too and they looked brilliant on the track. The field was completed by a Vanwall and a Maserati 250F and a visit by a Cartrix Kurtis Kraft Special.
I was a bit concerned as to which skills some drivers were using when one in particular finished his heat with a race average of 6.66 ??!! And there was more controversy over the eligibility of another front runner, but we won’t go there either? Lastly, first place went to a well earned effort and it showed that dogged persistence and supernatural help pays dividends! Well done Eggy, I can almost hear the chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (Eggy for A grade, Eggy for A grade!) So once again the computer pleased some and it was ‘stiff Cheddar’ for others.
Event Three Trophy Class Historic GP > ’62 22laps 1. 1. Eggy 9’ 56.891†2. Glen 10’ 14.735†3. Phil 10’ 56.360 4. John 5. Kev 6. Justin 7. 2. Jordan 8. Norm 9. Alan 10. 3. Peter 11. 4. Bob 12. 5. Ken 13. 6. Sweety
Another great night of racing on an excellent track in excellent surroundings. Some surprises and some disappointment. Many thanks to Justin Sweet who travelled all the way up from the Southside. He is new to the local race scene but is already registering success in his group. A few well placed pointers and he should be smiling even more in the future. Jordan and Alan didn’t have their best night ever. No matter, there’s always Q32 at Eggy’s, Buderim, to come. Bob and Ken punched above their weight in various heats once again and I’m sure there must be a little private competition going on there, Mmmmmmm? Again thanks to Al for the mini bus service and a couple of coffees on our return to Clontarf, even if I did get home at 3.30 am!!
Many thanks again to Sue and John for inviting us into their home and thanks to all who turned up. It should be a good Q32 day at Eggy and Kim’s next month, classes to follow.
Lastly, I would like us all to reflect on absent racers and their families. One in particular who is in our hearts and whom we are thinking about.
, along with black painted brass sidepipes.