Dark clouds

[Czar]

This was a response to the thread about Sclextric using FF motors in the new Ford GT, but I don't want to hijack the thread, and it is a topic that I believe needs more attention if slot racing is going to have as bright a future as its past.

Frankly I see the use of FF motors as one more step in the continuing de-evolution of slot cars. Our new "Golden Age" is beginning to tarnish. By that I mean, there was a glorious time in slot car racing when you could race one brand of car against another and expect a good, close race, without having to rebuild your car. Not so anymore. Now it is being more and more accepted that you will race only one brand at a time because the other brands won't be competitive. This is a tragedy for anyone who remembers what slot racing used to be like. So, Scaley can use all the FF motors they want and nobody will race them against Carrera, and Carrera won't be competitive against Revogram, and Slot.it and NSR will continue to perform in a different universe entirely. Digital is the ultimate extension of this since each company has their own, proprietary digital system that features zero compatibility with any other system. I see it as little more than corporate blackmail. Maybe somebody could explain how the fragmentation and marginalization of different brands is good for slot racing.

[btaylor]

I recently addressed this issue, by putting separate power supplies at each driver station. There is no longer a motor i cant tame, or a turtle i cant add some spunk to. I know that everybody cant or wont do this, but if it keeps the manufacturers giving us new slot cars, we may have to even the score ourselves.


Bob

[ccobra]

We I used to go over to my Buddies house with track and car in hand, we used to combine the tracks and race for hours. The only advantage one had was who had the outside lane. Of course back then it was an Eldon problem, but none the less it didn't bother us for each car was evenly powered. Only problem then was being in a small town, we had to mail order our parts and ordering parts off a flyer was a crapshoot at best. But we managed and I think those that are really dedicated will manage with the new cars. As far as the GT goes, I have no problem with it for all I do now is race against the grandkids and for them I turn the voltage down in their lanes and I am the one trying to keep up with them.

[williamg]

Ten years ago there was indeed more parity.
Now I stay away from carrera unless I stick a scalex chassis under it to make it competitive.
I run scalex sport track and made sure it is smooth, joints perfect. Still carrera giant guides and funky braid setup is garbage. Even with tweaking.
Old MRRC are fine, even reprotec. Fly as always need tweaking to run just right but then are usually stupid fast.
I used to run all my cars with brass chassis and nc1 motors no magnet. It became expensive and chased me away for a few years. Now I gave in and run the cars magnet and stock as possible scalex configuration.

[GRUNZ]

Personally I do not mind that cars from different brands have different performance.
Moreover, these days there is little intersection in the class they support - maybe before there was more overlapping.
Nowadays, if you want to race modern DMT or BTCC there is only one specific brand that support it.
Not so for GT3 where there is more overlapping. Still, very few models are produced by different brands.
For instance, if you want to race a BMW M6 or a Ferrari 488 Carrera is the only one at the moment making them.
The good new is that there plenty of 3D chassis out there that allow you to equalize the performance of these cars.
DiSCA GT3 EuroSerie is a very good example on how you can have body from different brands to compete very closely with each other.
The rules allow for a min body weight so that you can bring the Carrera BMW M6 body to a similar weight of a Sideways Huracan.
Using spec motor and tyres help in equalizing performance.
Although the DiSCA specs are for digital racing, they can be used also for analog.

Independently of the FF motor that scalex keeps putting at random in its models, it is very unlikely that you can have cross-brand close racing by using just using cars out of the box.

As for the digital issues that each brand has its own protocol that is not compatible with others, one possible solution here is the use of the Slot.it C chip that supports SSD, Carrera and oXigen...basically 99.9% of the digital market.

[Dangermouse]

Agree with the sentiments - I also find it frustrating that they don't think about racing match ups - they released some legendary Australian touring cars - we were all really excited about this - they brought out a Ford and a Holden (GM) however the Holden Torana has the 25k FF050 motor in it rendering it pretty much unraceable against the Ford Falcon without modification - so not only are cars not compatible across brands they are not compatible within brands as well

While the idea of 3D printed chassis and all that is exciting and offers possibilities things like that are at the pointy end of the hobby. As a hobby it is good that there are a range of levels that you can get into Slot cars. Plastic track setup on the floor or set up the track on a table or you can get into a more permanent table or routed track and then there is 3D chassis - scratch building etc

As it stands now with some of the new cars - we start a class for racing and it becomes obvious that one brand or one type of car in the class is the winner - so then people who want to win races end up buying that car and so it becomes a class where everyone runs a xxxxx car - isn't long before no one wants to run that class anymore. the biggest problem with this - is those of us that are at the higher end of the hobby can adjust to this and can tune or modify to get parity. The person who has started out with a set and few cars and has joined a club - the ones the hobby needs to become interested enough to keep buying into it to keep the hobby growing they are more likely to drop out of the hobby if they find such differences between cars.

If we all have to be Fly Fisherman to have a good experience and parity with racing then the hobby is heading in the wrong direction

[downtowndeco]

I thought I was the only one that thought that the Carrera braid set up was wonky. It looks like it would work good, but always seems to need adjustments.

[docdoom]

Has any body tryed putting a standard motor in the car using some kind of adapter yet. or with all the talk about 3d printers I'm sure a fix will come up.
https://www.slotcarcorner.com/1-32-Slot ... p2253.html

[chappyman66]

I have used one to put an FC130 in an SCX car and worked fine.
There are several versions available for printing.

[NHBandit]

It's really nothing new. I remember my very first store bought slot car. A Cox Chaparral I built from a "kit". I thought I had the baddest car on the planet at the local pay to play place. Until a few weeks later when my buddy showed up with a Classic Manta Ray. What the hell dude, that thing dosn't even look like a real car....

[Jerzeyguy]

Maybe somebody could explain how the fragmentation and marginalization of different brands is good for slot racing.

Are you suggesting that all slot car manufacturers make a uniform product ? I think that would take all the fun out of it .

[4380r]

[Czar]

[quote="Dangermouse: "...the biggest problem with this - is those of us that are at the higher end of the hobby can adjust to this and can tune or modify to get parity. The person who has started out with a set and few cars and has joined a club - the ones the hobby needs become interested enough to keep buying into it to keep the hobby growing they are more likely to drop out of the hobby if they find such differences between cars."

Here is a true story and I can provide lots of corroboration. About a decade ago, a good friend of mine (who never raced slot cars as a kid) decided he wanted to get a car for himself. He went to the hobby store and bought one of the coolest looking cars on display - a Carrera Audi LMP. You know, one of the cars that Dave Kennedy would derisively refer to as "spinners". I was driving Fly, Scalextric and Ninco slot cars. After about two hours, Will knew his car was garbage and that he had wasted his money. I offered to help make it better, but he didn't want to spend anymore money on something so inferior. Since that evening, Will has not shown an interest in slot cars.

[HomeRacingWorld]

If your friend walked away in a huff over one car, he wasn't going to be in slot cars regardless. What would happen when he didn't win every time he felt he should? Reminds me of many commercial racers. Which is why I am happy not to be apart of that anymore.

Parity? We have never had parity. Or does a WOMP race in the same class as a Flexi NASCAR? Vibrator against Super G+? TYCO vs AFX?

Ask any RC racer about parity. Are the New Bright Wal-Mart monster trucks competitive with the Traxxas or Team Associated stadium trucks? So why should a box stock Carrera run with a tuned Fly or Scalextric? Apples and oranges.

Maybe it is more about the unique GROUP or CLUB with the rules they have that do more "damage" than a manufacture ever could? Blaming Carrera because your friend quit? Sorry Mr. Czar...no offense but that is simply not fair in my eyes.

When I introduce a newcomer, we pick a good car and that is what we race together. It's all about FUN. I want them to have FUN and create some new memories. I guess I COULD put my tuned Slot.it out there against his new Carrera DTM...but why in the Wide Wide World of Sports would I want to do that?

Most enthusiasts I know have been mixing and matching race classes for years. Sometimes brands will not co-exist. And yes, sometimes even keeping it to one brand doesn't work. NINCO anyone?
Changing motors every week? Or maybe no digital cross platform compatibility? How many different digital systems have we had?

Cannot see one motor making such a big deal. I see newcomers all the time starting this hobby and having fun times. One motor change isn't going to stop a thing.

Because one thing I learned many moons ago: A person either has a passion for slot cars...or they don't. NO magic gizmo or certain car is going to really impact a thing. Sure, it might spark an interest...but for the long haul? It is either there or it isn't.

I don't care what you do to TOFU. You can paint it. Shape it. Promise I will live to 150 and be better looking, Put me in a room with 100 people screaming it's the best ever.
Don't care. Don't like it. And nothing any TOFU maker will do to change that. :D

It isn't always up to the manufacturer to wave a magic wand so more people get involved. Sometimes it's more down to Earth.

EDIT: By the way...just me offering a different view. No offense intended. Seems when I do that, people take it the wrong way. For the record, it's a good topic. It's passion for our hobby. I respect and encourage it. But as with most topics, there are different opinions. So thank you for the post.

[Czar]

Thanks for your response, Harry. One of the reasons I post my thoughts is to see what others think. It would be a scary world if everyone agreed with me; some of my past posts prove that.