I'm going to run another race. This one will be almost identical to the Summer Salami, a 50-lap inside lane affair. Why? Because I like the layout and have done quite a bit of work on the cars. There is, however, one change to the layout. I have moved the incline to the hill right up against the turn going into the straight. This seems to be taking car of flying cars, as they can't get up enough speed to catch air when there's so little runway. The apex now has four track pieces, so there's no issue at all with the hill being a distraction.
Since I've been doing work on the cars, I'm going to run each through the track and write a breakdown of what I did. Last night I picked apart a few cars and did some stuff, so I want to check them against time.
Chaparral #65
In a post a day or so ago, I mentioned that I wasn't going to give the #65 the same treatment as the #66 to see what times would be like. Thing is, yesterday I was running the #66 and #65 back to back, and the #66 felt better with the weight in and all tuned up. So last night I was tuning the #65, when I noticed that it was a little light in the nose and wouldn't stay down. That's the same problem the Matra had, and I fixed it with weight added just behind the front axle.
So I did the same thing here. I had to. If I didn't, it would have underperformed. I didn't run lap times between the two cars before adding the weight, so I won't know if either car was faster, but the #66 just simply felt faster and more planted than the #65.
I also did a full lube, oil and cleaning to the car.
Summer Leftovers Race Results
Car Time Lap Offs
#65 5:42.55 6.84 0
In the Summer Salami Race, the #65 ran a 5:34 at 6.68. So it turns out I haven't fixed the problem with this car. Perhaps the weight was having a negative effect. We'll have to see how the #66 runs to really know. If both turn in slower lap times than the Salami times, then it might be the case.
Boy it sure felt smooth when I was driving it. I was pushing pretty hard and didn't wreck once. It's got that smooth GT40 feeling to it, but it also has that extra level, like the Alfa does, were you can push it and hang right on the knife's edge with it. Why it's actually going .2 a lap slower than before? I don't know. I might take the weight out for the next race, though.
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The Matra
I couldn't wait to get this car back on track. I took it apart yesterday and messed around a bit with the front suspension, tried getting rid of some vertical looseness in the front axle, only to try it, not like it and reset it back to the way I had it. So the car got a thorough lube, oil and cleaning.
Summer Leftovers Race Results
Car Time Lap Offs
#65 5:42.55 6.84 0
Matra 5:29.73 6.58 4
As I was running it, it felt better and a bit faster than the #65. It just felt like it had the bite needed to make it through the tighter turns on the right side of the layout. Thing is, the car crashed four times, all my fault, and all various places throughout the track. I think that's due to a combination of things: the car's ability to run on the edge and my exuberance regarding it.
There's a thing I've noticed about these cars. If you have a particular body style you like and it's a well-built slot car, the effect it'll have on you as an owner/operator of the thing feel more tangible than if you were just racing anything that would move. In other words, it'll become your favorite. When I got the first three cars, the two GT40's and the Alfa, I had a blast with them all, but I had a particularly good time with the Alfa. It was the most fun car to race, and felt like I could run it harder than the other two cars.
Fast forward to the additions of the Porsche and the Matra, even though they came separate. The Porsche was fast and fun, but it didn't have that edge. The Matra, however, did have it. Suddenly I had two incredible cars along with more very very good cars. Those three cars took up the first drawer in my slot car pit box. The Matra and the Alfa were so similar in ability that it took me to another level of confidence while racing. And what that did was made my lap times better. If you're always riding on the edge, you're putting in the best time.
The #66 Chaparral is looking like it could be in that group as well. It's going along roughly the same path the Alfa and the Matra did: started off good but with potential to be much better, and over a little time got there. I think the Chaparral is getting to that point where it's going to be an unstoppable force. But the Matra, I think, is already there.
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The Porsche 962C
I put the #5 GT40 on the track, intending to run it next. During warmup it was coming off the track all over the place. Something's not set up right, so I put it back in the pit box and grabbed the Porsche. It's responding well to tuning and seems to be ready to race. I loosened the float up
Summer Leftovers Race Results
Car Time Lap Offs
#65 5:42.55 6.84 0
Matra 5:29.73 6.58 4
962C 5:32.42 6.64 1
Man, the Porsche was just flying through the left half of the course. Just absolutely killing it. But the right half...the side with purely 1/60 curves slowed it down considerably. But once the track opens up, the Porsche hauls ass. That's kind of the way I expected it to run. Maybe not so hot through the tight sections, but like a bullet through the straights and larger radius turns. It had one pretty spectacular crash, but otherwise ran very well.
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