Racing solo

[scatman]

I use my Slot-it controllers in ghost mode to race against. Well, you actually chasing down the ghost cars but it's better then nothing.
When I had my plastic track, I used Scalex Pacer system. Not sure why they switched to the other system. I was able to run against any car.

[Nor Cal Mike]

I race a lot alone too. I have a few friends who come to play but that is very irregular. During the next major remodel of my 3 lane wood track I have decided to divide the power of the two outer lanes into sectors that receive power through rotary switches with a series of diodes wired in. They can be dialed up or down to suitable in like sections of track. I think that I can do it in five or six sectors wired through three switches for slow, medium and fast adjustment. Different sections of the track that allow similar relative speeds will be wired through the same rotary switch in parallel. I will be able to run ghost cars in those lanes that will accelerate on faster sections and slow down on slower ones. It is all analogue so it isn't too complicated. The only thing missing will be brakes in the ghost cars but that is a small price to pay.

[Ember]

Tony, apart from a bit of gimmick, I think the idea with the Challenger was that it would run on any track. From memory the Pacer worked by recording a lap and replaying it, didn't it? It required Scaley's RMS to work with, whereas the Challenger was stand-alone. The Challenger was also delivered with a variety of jumper plugs so that it could be run on Ninco and Artin track out of the box as well as Scalex Sport and Classis/SCX. So it was sold as a cross platform device.

I guess there is something wrong with the circuitry in Jeremy's Challenger. That is the downside on it. You are limited to using one specific car.

[2FER SLOTS]

Seldom run alone here anymore.....Mrs. 2Fer finds it quite entertaining to kick my :whistle:

We would be interested in finding out how the Challenger system works. If you could just run a nice steady lap a car (or lane) could remember that would be a good challenge.

[scatman]

[slothead]

For my dirt modified cars I wrote a program that creates simulated races in the computer using time trial data. The fields are inverted with faster cars behind slower cars so they have to work their way through the field to win. The faster cars often win 30 lap feature races, but not always. The 'virtual' track the program uses has 2 lanes and only one lane change section, so it's tricky. When the program is finished I'll be running full short track programs with multiple heats and features for a given race night, and declaring season champions. The fun comes from driving every car the best I can to get lap time data for the program, then watching the program simulate the races on the screen.

For my Trans Am cars I plan on using the Barry Boor method. I'll tune and time trial every car to set the field, then drive every car for every lap in the race. Barry uses the crash and burn system which I love - if a car leaves the track it's out of the race much like in real racing. For a 100 lap race I'll race each car for every lap and record the times in 10-12 lap segments. If a car spins out on a lap I'll reset it as quickly as possible and keep racing. If it hits a wall or goes off the track it will be retired. With all those cars and laps there will be no way to know what the results are until another program reenacts the race a lap at a time. Driver and manufacturer points will be awarded for each race and season champions computed. Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Peter Revson and others should have many more hard fought battles in the years to come in this 'back to the future' scenario.

Slothead

[Retro Racer 44]

Here's an idea to get more realistic speeds with a ghost car.

Put a little piece of tape on the copper or braid, or steel on plastic track, just before the turn. You only need it on one contact strip, and if you use an easily replaceable tape, you can adjust it to brake at the right point. The brief loss of power causes the ghost car to slow down and also allows you to set the speed higher. This works also for kids who are not yet good drivers. Tape their lane, but not yours. Their car will stay on the track much better, and you can control yours to make a race out of it.

I remember working for Eldon Industries at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in August 1966. We had a large layout set up and visitors could try the cars. After several hit the floor, we added clear scotch-tape to the lanes and our problems were solved. We could also have ghost cars running continuously.

I remember the date, because after work one day I went out to watch the airshow. The Blue Angels were performing, and the two solo pilots did a knife edge pass very close to the surface of Lake Ontario. After they passed, one pilot instead of climbing upright, rolled upside down into the lake, killing the pilot and scattering debris for almost a mile along the lake where the jet's engine was found.

Anyway, try the tape to see if it helps.

[Grey]

[K9Havok]

[Ember]

[slothead]

[dreinecke]

[slothead]

Agreed! I blame and credit HRW for my recent Trans Am fever. Love seeing all the cars and track, and hearing about how others enjoy the hobby. When I joined last year and was posting about my oval someone suggested I build a road course. Nah, not interested, I thought. Now I have a whole field of 30+ Trans Am cars awaiting the road course I have planned for this summer. This stuff IS addictive. :lol:

Slothead