After two extremely enjoyable series and ten monthly events, we shift to a bi-monthly schedule featuring six events over twelve months - four midweek and two 'UK nationals' weekend events. All the dates, regulations and format are in the 'UK HO Drag Proxy Series 2021-22 Preview' thread here.

The Track: The Rock County Eighth Mile is a seven-foot timed strip (1/8 mile in true HO scale) made from the new 2019 Micro Scalextric sectional track. Cars must be fitted with braids to run on this track. Power is set at 12 volts and 8 amps across the two lanes. Power to both lanes is triggered by a single switch firing a relay board. Timing is currently Trackmate Drag Basic, with Drag RC being prepared for introduction in 2022. After the finish line, there is a two-foot shutdown with dynamic braking and a well-padded catch box.

Sending cars: Aim for your cars to arrive in Brighton at least 72 hours before the first day of the event,  so they can be quarantined (if necessary) and then registered for qualifying. Please also pack in a small box (max height 7.5cm if possible) and pay for your postage online so no-one needs to go near a post office. These races are designed to be Covid-safe events that are accessible to everyone and can continue whatever restrictions might be in place. You may - of course - send cars for several races or the full duration of the series  - just let me know.

How to enter: Send me a private message or add a reply below. One car per class may be entered per person. Family members and friends are very welcome to enter too. I will message you with the address to send cars to. You will need to pay for return postage. Otherwise there is no race fee.

Overseas entrants must talk to me about customs forms on their parcels! The recipient (me) will normally be charged 20% of the stated value of the parcel, plus an £8 handling fee. As cars sent to these races are not commercial goods, I need to explain how to alert UK customs to this fact and avoid the fees.

Entries Race #11 - 18-19 May 2021

Micro Scalextric Street Stock: Ken, Rebecca, Andy, Clive, Alan, Laura, Bill, Iain, Jeremy, Jane, Sue, Jerome, Pete, Rose (14)

Micro Scalextric Super Stock 6.0: Ken, Rebecca, Andy Pl, Clive, Alan, Bill, Iain, Pete, Jeremy, Jane, Andy Ph (11)

NHRA 4-Gear Funny Car & Pro Stock: Ken, Rebecca, Andy, Clive, Bill, Iain, Jerome (7)

NHRA Top Fuel: Rebecca, Andy, Clive, Alan (4)

Nostalgia Micro Scalextric 2019 match-racing: Bill vs Rebecca, Iain vs Alan

Nostalgia 4-Gear match-racing: Alan vs Sue

   

Slot.it CA11m Alfa Romeo 33/3 #5 Pocono 2011. RRP £62.95. Scheduled Q2 2021 - expected soon.

The Slot.it model of the 1971 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 is a pretty little thing...

       

If the Slot.it coding is anything to go by, this is the thirteenth livery produced*. It's an unusual one, as it's from a modern collection - that of Joe Nastasi, who owns more Alfa T33s than anyone else in the world - and appeared at the 2011 'Le Belle Machine d'Italia' event that took place in Pocono, Pensylvannia...

   

That year's event featured a unique collection of Alfa Romeo T33s brought from across North America and Europe. The cars were on show at the Concorso d'Eleganza at the Mount Airey Resort and also running on the nearby Pocono circuit as part of two days of track events. Part of the collection was the the car modelled by Slot.it - a 1969 Tipo 33, chassis #75080.004, that was updated to 1971 specs by Autodelta.

       

Born in Messina in 1949, Joe Nastasi emigrated to the United States in 1971. He found work at Modena Sport Cars in Manhattan, Lamborghini importers to North America. In October 1972, he went into business himself - buying, modifying and selling Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercedes and Porsches. Through contacts, he met Guiseppe Lucchini - the president of Brescia Corsa - and purchased his first Alfa T33. He took car back to US and raced it, sourcing parts direct from Autodelta. Nastasi has ended up with an amazing collection of Alfa Romeo cars at his workshops in Queens, including six T33s - a 1967 Periscopo; a unique 1971 Stradale coupe; two 1977 World Sporstcar Championship T33/SC/12s; a 1972 T33/TT/3; and the 1969 T33/3 featured here...

       

In the early 1980s, Nastasi knew the right people at Autodelta. Carlo Chiti had become a good friend, but the Alfa race cars did not become available for sale until Chiti left Autodelta in 1984. Nastasi started buying whatever was available. Every car he bought from Autodelta was in pieces and had to be restored once back in the US. Talking to Veloce magazine in 2006, Nastasi said "I have no idea why the guys at Autodelta took everything apart all the time. They would finish with a car, tear it apart and put the pieces in this warehouse. That's just the way it was".

The T33/3 was one of the cars purchased. Originally a 1969 team car, it had been re-bodied and updated to 1971 specs. It is not clear to Nastasi or Alfa experts what events the chassis participated in. "In 35 years of experience with Autodelta and it's employees including Chiti, I never saw a piece of paper which convinced me that a particular chassis number took part in a particular event." Nastasi told Veloce. Chassis 75080.004 is typical of the team cars of the era and Nastasi has ensured it has not been modified beyond anything Autodelta might have done by mid 1971. It is as close as any car could be to the Tipo 33/3 1971 works cars that raced to class victories at Buenos Aires, Sebring, Spa, Monza and Zeltweg - and famous outright wins at Brands Hatch, Watkins Glen and a 1-2 at the Targa Florio...



Joe Nastasi has campaigned this Tipo 33/3 in historic races all over the world - at Le Mans in 2005 (where he was partnered by legend Arturo Merzario) and at Monza, Watkins Glen, Laguna Seca and the Targa Florio.

       

The Slot.it model is spectacular - the paintwork given a deep modern 'concours' shine. Underneath is the latest EVO6 chassis, sidewinder motor pod and 23k S-Can motor. The motor wires are fitted with the new SP45 connectors that allow the SP43 Carrera Digital Chip and the latest version of the SP15B SSD chip to be installed without soldering.

This historic Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 is due very soon and is available to pre-order from Pendle Slot Racing here. Thank you to Galileo Engineering for the fabulous photographs!

   

* I counted them up and this is the tenth livery produced, plus a white kit and a 'Mega-Monza' special. The search facility on the Pendle site is great.

Just listened to a conversation/review of the first Extreme-E event. This was provided by an organisation that is rally oriented and perhaps was intended as a conversation on the motor-sport aspects but also provides an insight to the much-hyped Eco-Friendly and Equality aspects. The names David Evans (he was there), Lisa O'Sullivan and George Donaldson will be familiar to rally fans.  
A particular comment from George concerned the time-penalties handed-out for breaching pit-lane speed limits. Instead of crippling time-penalties that destroyed a strong competitive performance, the offenders should have been made to do extra time on clean-up activities.

Decent back-ground listening whilst you fettle your scale electric vehicles.

Leo

  Linky to Dirtfish Podcast

'Tis a thing of beauty!

   

Without a can on the end, it's easy to see the brushes and all the bits that make up a motor.

Just need a car and race series to put it in.

Real motors start at 37k!

1) 1 x Scalextric C8319 Control Tower, with inst. & part-used sticker sheet. Exc. cond. £15

   

2) 1 x Scalextric C8321 Pit Garage. No inst. but with unused sticker sheet. Exc. cond. £15.

   

3) 1 x Scalextric C8151 Card Control Tower. New, old stock. £7.50

   

4) 1 x Carrera 21104 Double Pit Garage. No inst. but with part-used sticker sheet Exc. cond. £15.

   

5) 3 x Scalextric C8320 Grandstand

5.1) New boxed. In orig. worn outer box. Inner box sealed, with inst. & unused sticker sheet. £15

5.2) As new. In orig. worn outer box, with inst. & unused sticker sheet. £15

   

5.3) V. good cond. with copied instructions & stickers, although some original stickers have been  applied. Custom upper roof support & column caps. Missing connecting stairs. Displays very well. (See photos.) £12

   

   

   

All will come flat-packed & require simple assembly.

Postage £3 each, (£1.50 for Card Control Tower) or combined at cost.

Payment via PayPal F&F please.

There’s live coverage of the Donington Historic meeting this weekend on the website: http://www.doningtonhistoric.com/

Looks like some good stuff - all the races will be streamed live from 1pm Saturday and 11am Sunday.

Hi all

Made a start on the T6 die cast to slot car build today and have a small problem

The chassis mount at the back (using a PSC chassis) has two holes but the only way I can see to fix to the body is a single screw point holding the interior in place.

If I use the brass insert and hollow rod method it’ll be too flexible as it goes from chassis to roof of a the VW transporter   

I could do with a Y piece of sturdy metal but it’d need to step down or be angled as the chassis mount is higher than the back of the van

Will post some pics when I’m home to show what I mean

Any ideas?

       

Artisan resin model maker Maralic are known for their static models. Over the past few years, they have partnered with Avant Slot to produce a stunning 1980s Team Opel Chevy assistance van and a Martini Racing Fiat van is due this summer. Drawings of the Mazda RX7 appeared on the Maralic Facebook page at the beginning of 2020. It is now available - and it is a slot car...

       

The chassis is borrowed from low production Spanish manufacturer Otero Scale Model, who produce 1/43 and 1/87 scale static models and recently a couple of 1/32 slot rally cars - the Citroën AX and Opel Kadett C GT/E. The chassis has adjustable wheelbase and uses OSC / SRC running gear.

       

Maralic have modelled the two Group B Mazda RX7s that made their debut at the 1984 Acropolis Rally in the hands of Achim Warmbold / Michele 'Biche' Petit and Ingvar Carlson / Benny Melander. Warmbold and Biche finished ninth, Carlson and Melander retired. You can see one of them early in this German film of the 1984 event...



The Mazda entry into the WRC was built and run by Warmbold's Mazda Rally Team Europe, with minimal support from the manufacturer. Unlike most of its Group B rivals, the RX7 was based on a standard road car - nearly half a million eligible homologation models were produced, rather more than the 200 units required by the Group B regulations! By 1984, the RX7 was rather long in the tooth and lacked the four-wheel drive that was becoming essential for any new entry into the Group B arena. The Group B Evo RX7 was powered by a high-revving rotary engine, producing upwards of 300bhp and the car also featured aerodynamic tweaks and lightweight body panels. Here's a Group B RX7 in action at the Monza Rally Show in 2016...



The highlight of the RX7's two-year and eight-rally Group B career was a stunning third place for Carlson and Melander at the 1985 Acropolis - Warmbold and Gerhard Kischekel finishing sixth.

Maralic have two releases from the 1984 Acropolis Rally...

   
C-2103 Mazda RX7 Group B #20 Ingvar Carlson / Benny Melander, 1984 Acropolis Rally. Limited to 100 units. 175 Euros via Maralic Models

   
C-2104 Mazda RX7 Group B set of both cars from the 1984 Acropolis Rally. Limited to 50 units. 350 Euros via Maralic Models

From the look of the box artwork, there might be the 1985 Acropolis cars in the pipeline too. Even at those prices, the Maralic RX7 will certainly pique the interest of hard-core Group B slot rally fans.

Morning all

Finally, the last of my old childhood cars are trackworthy??

After an early start on a rare day off work without my little boy being here the new chassis, axles, wheels, motor and wiring have finally been installed in the TR7

I bought several sets of wheels I thought would suit but eventually ended up with a set from a BMW Italian job Mini (dodgy eBay purchase).
Rear axle has been extended to increase the rear track and although the wheels stick out a bit, I think it looks ok.

Goes like stink on the small oval I ran it on.

Thanks to John May for the chassis, it fits perfectly and really improves the aesthetics (ie it doesn’t look like a pick up truck?)

   

Evening all

Does anyone have any idea what these are?

   

They came with the £2 ebay purchase last week, in a sealed bag with some braids

Thanks

Rob