by LloydL » Wed Oct 01, 2014 1:15 pm
This is not following the thread of 'what can the manufacturers do for us?' Rather, it is my thoughts on my personal interest in the scale, and how I would like to see us developing what we already have in the direction of proxy racing.
I can not speak for what happens in the rest of the world, but here in the UK, club level 1/32 racing is thriving. There are 4 clubs based within 20 miles of where I live. 3 of them race hard bodied, plastic chassied, analogue cars on wood, and one is digital on plastic track.
There are also many clubs that race to the BSCRA standards of metal chassis with vacformed bodies, but not local to me.
HO is also well catered for around the country, though not as much as 1/32.
There is 1 club, NERCS, run by Kev Owens, up in the North East of England, that is now running a series of Kyosho Dslot racing. Apart from that, there is no other 1/43 racing in the UK, and very few people at all dabbling in the scale.
This kind of suits me, as I see myself as a modeler rather than a racer. I mainly build scale models that move, to use on my own tracks, to suit nobody but me!
So I dont need club racing, or do I?
So how do I get to see my cars 'competing' with other , similar, cars?
I do enjoy building and sending cars to proxy races, wherever they may be in the world. But, up to now, in comparison to proxies in 1/32, we have not yet reached a serious level of racing as in the other scales. BUT THAT IS CHANGING! With some of the fine chassis builds entered in some proxies this coming winter, and with some of the fairly soon to be available vacform bodies, the standards are reaching those seen in the other scales.
So, what am I getting at?
I do not really see 1/43 club racing taking off here in the near future, so that leaves home racing and proxies.
Home racing: We do, and should, race whatever we want to, and in whatever way that suits us on our own tracks. That may be anything from straight out of the box Artins, complete with magnets, to handbuilt scale models made from whatever we want to use. We do this for fun, so there is no 'right or wrong,' or 'good or bad', it is personal choice!
Proxies: This is the area that could help advance the development of 1/43 scale slotcars, and, perhaps, to encourage those who have not yet tried to build or modify their own cars to give it a go. Over a period of time, I would like to see various events that suit all interests in the scale, maybe comprising of one or more of the following suggested class outlines:
1) Out of the box stock chassis with magnets, with stock or aftermarket body.
2) As above, but without magnets, and allowing any wheels, tires, axles, gears and guide.
3) As 2, but allowing bought chassis, eg. printed or plastic.
4) Anything goes, but maybe limited to a specified motor.
Also, I think it is time to have events for specified body types, be it LMP/GT, Nascar, Touring cars or whatever.
These are just some of my personal ideas and are meant to provoke further discussion on the direction of 1/43 proxy racing, and are not meant to be seen as actual rules.
Regards, Lloyd