New Car - Thunderslot Elva - George Wintersteen #12

 This is my third Thunderslot Elva. The podium is now getting very crowded.

Best slot car ever?

The first Elva was the tomato red #2. It never lost. Then I got the 2nd one, the black #47. Those cars would frequently come in first and second. Now I have this. I have a 100% expectation that this car will be competing with the other two, with all other cars trying to compete with them. 

I love the lack of adverts on cars of this era. This car has one.

It's hard to explain how great the Elva is. I mean, Thundslot is already excellent, and the Elva is probably the best pure racer there is. 

Nothing But Love For Thunderslot

The following was started a few months ago, right before my computer broke down. As I was writing it I thought I should give it a few more tries to confirm my suspicions. I‘ve had the cars out on the track a few times now and am ready for some proclamations. Oh, and seems like while I‘ve been gone, AI has taken over most of the content creation these days. We‘ll be having none of that here. Now let‘s go back to the past...

___________

 I have a new car coming in the mail. Guess what brand it is. Yep. Thunderslot. In my last few sessions, I've had particular fun with the Thunderslot cars. They just work right and go fast, no matter what. Smooth, sexy, all of that.

Lola T70 III

As you know, I've been mired deep in the question of what is the fastest car, the fastest brand, the fastest everything. Since I started with Slot.it, then started branching out after a year or so, once I discovered Thunderslot, things went into overdrive. They run effortlessly. I'd love to say that the other brands are right up with them, but so far I haven't had to do a single thing to make a Thunderslot run great, where I have had to do things to make the other cars run well. 

Elva. Best car ever?

When I got the Elva pictured above, saying that it was faster, while technically true, was selling this car short. It was extremely fast, and that's at cruising speed. It had and has much more to give, as do all the Thunderslot cars I've bought since then. But this Elva is something special. It's got the short nose / short tail design that means it's a handler. Extremely fast and capable in the corners. 

When you're pushing a car to the max, trying to get as close as you can without losing the grip of the car, you can almost feel it through the controller. The amount of car controllability is a factor when you get up to breakneck speeds. The better the car, the more room you have at the top to keep the car at the max. Thunderslot cars do that perfectly. They have all the room you need, and what feels like an overdrive to coax that much more out of the car. That's the difference between Thunderslot and NSR, Slot.it and Revoslot. 

McLaren M6A.

The bodies and chassis are very light, to the point the cars come in at half the weight of Carrera cars. The tire compounds are fantastic, and provide incredible grip. Despite the differences in bodyshapes, they don‘t really have such a huge influence on the cars. So you can pretty much take your pick and you‘ll be satisfied. 

The 2nd Elva

Of course I'd want to pick up a 2nd Elva, considering the first one was so good. Thunderslot is batting 1.000 right now. 

Lola T70

I had a few weekends free, so I decided to set up a track and keep it up for about 10 or so days. That way I would have a chance to run the cars until I was happy with the results. I wanted consistency in order to prove who was best. 

I ran various cars in 100 lap time trial races. I didn't have a computer, so I used some primitive scoring techniques. I used a notepad on my phone and tried to keep clear notes. After awhile I just used the overall time and chucked the cars that didn't race well. When you have to go through almost 60 race cars, you have to be brutal in your judgment. Cars that did well ran again. Once I had it down to around 10 cars or so, I had a pretty clear idea of what brand was best. Seven of the 10 cars were Thunderslot. 

To continue the test, I took out three of the Thunderslot cars and put back three that almost made the cut. I put all the rest of the cars back on the shelf to race another day. While it was down to 10 cars, I was ultimately just drawing out the inevitable. Thunderslot make the best cars. 

I want to emphasize that saying that doesn't mean the other brands are shit. Far from it. Cars still have to race, when all is said and done. Can't just make proclamations based on paper. And it would be lame if one brand outran everyone else. And sure, while a particular team might dominate on the track, there are still challengers that put up a tremendous fight. NSR and Slot.it do have cars that'll give Thunderslot a run for their money, but the work will be on them to do it. 

So, now that I know that Thunderslot are the favorite, what does that mean for racing? Not much, really. Even though they are great cars, that doesn't mean the rest aren't, nor does that mean that they're a shoe-in for the win. And I don't always pick one of them to run right away. I have had plenty of times where I'll run other cars and not even run a Thunderslot. 

During this bit of downtime over the last off-season I had time to not race, which meant the cars sat in the boxes languishing. I always expected the worse when I got them out and ran them after a long time of sitting, but the Thunderslot cars act like they just raced yesterday. They don't need the re-tune or the tighten up that other cars do when they are static for awhile. They just go and go. And while prices for cars continue to climb due to the orange menace, they're still worth the money. 

Back After Delay

 Back around March of this year my computer died. Something to do with the motherboard and video card. I probably could have replaced the parts, but the machine was old and past its usefulness as a daily driver. Once it died completely, so did this place. It's sad, but there was nothing I could do. Now I'm back with a new computer, and ready to get back into it. 

So there will be a more regular flow starting in the next few days. There has been some slot car action around here, although I haven't filmed anything or taken any pics. I was focused more on racing and running laps, but I have come to some conclusions that I want to talk about. That'll be coming shortly. 

Dirty City Dust-Up 50 - PreRace Notes

 The inaugural Dirty City Dust-Up 50 has begun! How it started: I wanted to do some racing, but we've had some pretty extreme weather lately, part of which caused me to open my windows for a few days. In doing so, I introduced loads of dust and debris into the house. So, today was spent sweeping, vacuuming, removing furniture and setting up for the big race. 

A bit of a variation from my previous track. I went with the larger-radius end curves.

The race will be a timed 50 lap trial run. Each car gets 50 laps and their time is final. 50 laps, crashes included. Inside lane. Cars are in the process of receiving pre-race tuneups and tire prep. Racing will start tomorrow morning. All cars are eligible except the F1 cars. Also eligible is the car coming in the post tomorrow. It will be tuned and tweaked, then entered to race. This will be the first race in a series, so it might be possible that the best brand argument isn't decided tomorrow.

Today I've been running laps and making sure all the cars survived the long winter, where they sat safely in sealed, plastic containers at room temperature. Aside from taking a few cars out last time I ran, I haven't done the full scale race yet. In fact, the last documented race I ran was in 2022 and was the Overdrive Invitational Sprint Race. That one only had 22 cars. I've almost tripled that figure, and many cars that I own haven't been in an official race yet. I have run a few informal races since then, but nothing concrete. 

It was a pretty busy paddock today as many of the cars wanted to make a good first impression. With a quick tire cleaning, each car was sent out to do some laps. First I ran them on a set throttle so they could each have a little pace car time before committing to speed. Afterward, I took them out for a shakedown. Most of them survived intact. 

Half the field is prepped and ready for tomorrow's race. The four cars on the back row need a little tire work. 

The emphasis on this race will be trying to answer which brand is best for my track and situation; basically rug-racing tuner on a budget [that spends his money on cars]. With NSR, Slot.it, Revoslot, Carrera, Thunderslot, and Policar all competing, things should be very interesting. I can tell you that as of this writing [and the cars represented in the pic above], that Thunderslot is looking really good right now. The only reason I say that is because these cars are running just like the day I bought them, and not like a car that's been sitting in a box all winter not moving. The Lola T70s, the Elvas, M6A....all of them. Not a dud in the bunch. In fact, if I was to settle it all right now based on feelings, I'd probably give 9 out of the Top 10 to Thunderslot cars. I'm sure that's only temporary, though. They weren't the only cars putting in impressive first laps. One car that is definitely struggling is the Porsche 918 Spyder from Carrera. The tires are awful and may keep that car securely in last place. I need to buy replacement tires for it. 

I like big curves.

I wanted to include the large curves on the ends because I like them. I also tossed in copious quantities of 4/15 curves. Between those and the fisheye lens, it makes it look like a hilly, windy mess. It is. The underpass is particularly treacherous. I'm planning on working on that a little in the morning to help the cars make it through the area. Right now many cars are getting hung up on that first turn at the loop. I added slight banking in the other corners, mostly single Lego brick height, some using two stacked bricks. That's usually enough for the cars to be able to rip through the corners.

So there it is. Did all the hard work so I can get started racing first thing in the morning. I'll probably start at 9 or 10, and my new car will likely come somewhere between 11-12. I don't expect I'll be finished by that time, so it'll be definitely included in the race. 

Kinda fun, a big race and a new car on the same day. 

[note: the Dust-Up was originally planned for 100 laps, shortened to 50 due to time constraints]

Racing Happened, but not THE Race. Here's why

Yesterday was interesting. I started by running some of the newer cars, as I hadn't had much opportunity to get them on the track yet. As I was running, there were things that would bug me enough to need to work on them. As those things mounted, I realized that I wasn't at the place I wanted to be just yet. If I were to race the cars as-is now, there would probably be close to 20 that weren't in a place that I would prefer they'd be. It wouldn't really be fair to the newer cars to have them start when they weren't ready.

There wasn't much of a chance to race after seeing the stack of cars I needed to tend to. I suppose I could have started from the other cars, but then I'd need to run these ones sooner or later. 

I have noticed a little bit of a trend, and that is that every Thunderslot car I own seems to be improving rather than aging. They need little to no encouragement or extra setup. They just kick ass.

I have a little bit of everything to finish up before I'm ready for racing: A few NSRs, a Revoslot, a Slot.it, a Policar, a couple or three Thunderslots. I'll get those up and running shortly. 

I had a modified version of the layout I started with, but don't have any specs on it yet. I might modify it a little more, but I have to most a few things in the living room first. 

Okay, that's it for now.

A Few More Potential Podium Threats

 As I was giving the cars the once-over in preparation for the upcoming race starting Monday, I started thinking about all of the cars that have yet to race under the timer at my track. Many of the cars have been casually driven ONLY. That all changes in a couple of days. I'm excited by the idea, as it's something I've been wanting to do for awhile, but things. So now we're here, knocking on the door to race day, and here are some of the cars that could make a difference:

Whenever I see this car, I think about how beautiful it is. What I always seem to forget is just how fast this car runs. It's not a slouch, by any means. It's lightning-fast and quiet as can be, which is a lethal combination. And to think I've got two others. That makes the Ferrari a Top-10 finisher for sure.

This page consists of a handful of cars that came out and kicked ass right away. This Thunderslot Lola T-70 was one of them, often topping everyone else without much trouble. It excels at middle to long tracks, and still has the handling to compete on the short tracks. I expect this car in the Top-10 as well.

The Porsche 908 makes a great package for a slot car: short, tight, maniacal, head-snapping handling and speed. Short burst king. Doesn't slow down in the corners. I have FIVE of them, ready to go. This #1 might just end up #1.

Of course this is going to be on this list. There's no way I could keep this GT40 off this list in good conscience. This car is my benchmark racer. It's the car all the others look up to. It was the first car I got, and it's still one of the best cars I have. It's clocked way more miles than any other cars I have by far. I would be surprised if this car didn't land in the Top-10.

If you've been following things around here, you'd know that the Slot.it Matra 670-B is the car that I think makes for one of the best slot car racing packages available. Although a middle and long race special, it's short front end gives it much tighter handling than you'd expect. Couple that with a nice long wheelbase and you've got a mighty fine all-rounder. Top-10.

And then I pick up this car. Holy crap. NSR's GT40. That right there should scare the pants off most competitors. I couldn't even begin to tell you where this guy is going to end up, other than it'll be very near the top, I'm sure. From early laps, the sky's the limit with this guy. Contender.

Another selection that very much wants to remind me that there's no way of telling whose going to win this, one of the FIVE NSR 917/10's that I have will certainly have a say in who does. Basically the big brother to the 908, except with a harder head and a more aggressive attitude. Another great racing package. Contender for sure.

The Alfa. There's always the Alfa. Sleep on this one and you'll regret it. It has won so many races, set so many lap records, beat cars I never expected it to beat. And it still does it. Not afraid. Very not afraid.

Well, there you have it. A handful of cars, for your consideration. I think the winner is somewhere in these last few posts. 

I've decided that each race is going to be a single, timed 100 lap race. At first I was thinking 50 heats with eliminations, but there will be a lot of cars, and I want to have some time with each of them. I've been through this before, and I always swear to myself that 100 laps is the way to go, so I'm going to do that. It'll make the overall race a little shorter, but that's okay. The field will spread out a little, which is needed as they're running so close to each other. The length also gives each car a chance to run as many good laps as it can. It's easy to fall in and out of a groove 3 or 4 times in a 100 lap race. The car that stays most planted and can get a good flow is going to win it all. 

Also, scoring. I'm going to go ahead and give points the entire way through the field. from 0-54, with single point gaps up the field until you get to the Top-5, where extra points will be available. This will make the race to the top much more worthwhile. So Top-5 cars will get their standard points, with 5th getting 50+1, 4th getting 51+2, 3rd getting 52+3+1 podium point, 2nd getting 53+4+2 podium points and First getting 54+5+3 podium points added. So it goes up steadily and then curves pretty dramatically. That's an 11 point difference between 1st and 5th. That should make for some interesting challenges in later races. 

Track Design for 1st Race

The layout for Monday's race will be one of the following tracks. I haven't decided which one yet.

 

This track works mostly due to fit. I don't usually like having one end a boring 180° turn. We'll see.

This layout is good, and would probably be better if I replaced the 1/60 Switchback with a 3/30 or something a little quicker.

This one purely for that backstretch. I mean, it's practically straight. You should be able to haul ass through that without cracking up.

The Mind-bender. Seriously though. It bends your mind. I've never had a layout do that before, but the effect is really something. Fun track, slightly longer lap times.

This one I probably won't run due to how much space it would take up. Bummer too as it's a really fun layout. Very fast with those massive curves.

This might be the one. It's got the massive curve element like the one above, yet a slimmer overall design, which helps where it's going to sit for at least the next few days while I try not to trip over it. 

And yes, my daughter did come to stay the weekend, so plans have changed until Monday. Cars are ready. I'll spend Sunday evening building the track and getting everything setup for an early Monday start.