All Activity

Gday everyone, I have posted out a email about the rest of this shit year and a proposed Christmas party Thursday night the 23dec if public health orders stay the same as now 🤷‍♂️ Hopefully we can all catch up for a few beers BBQ and plenty of laughs. Cheers Pagey

Team Oz . Cody,Wayne,Troy All three in for Retro

Team Phoenix is in for everything

Team OZ are in for Porsche Cup and GT3 Cody and Wayne for Retro

OK Guys, Go Here for the updated agenda go to the following post: - Cheers FoxBox

Great news Mark, Put Outer Towners down for the lot, Ian Jack , Ding

Hi All, Well our slot racing schedule and life generally has been FUBAR for the past couple of years. However with vaccination rates on the up and various state governments now having tentative roadmaps to open up we can maybe dream of catching up and racing again. With a little optimism I therefore announce that the previously scheduled 'Lexan Shootout @ Seagulls' will now be rebranded and scheduled for the weekend prior to Australia Day with the same format as initially announced. 2022 AUSTRALIA DAY CLASSIC @ SEAGULLS What is Racing individual Sprint - Aussie Retro CanAm Two Enduros of minimum 3.5 hours (or longer dependant on entry numbers) - Slotworx Porsche Cup - Lexan GT3 cars – motor and gearing to be confirmed closer to the date. Who is Racing No limit on entries for Aussie Retro CanAm. A maximum of 10 Teams of 3 drivers in each Enduro class. Nominate your teams ASAP to avoid disappointment. Schedule (to be finessed as necessary) Friday 21st January 10:00 to 18:00 Track open for all day practice @ $20 per driver 18:00 to 19:30 Dinner break 19:30 to 22:00 Aussie Retro CanAm Sprint Race @ $10 per entry Teched to NSW Aussie Retro Rules This rule set will be updated to allow for the issues raised in the previous race announcement regarding ball races, body dimensions' use of lead and tape for tuning and lead-wire management: - viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1254 The idea of this race is to introduce this class to those who may not have had the pleasure; racers that have excess cars available are encouraged to loan out a car or two if possible to increase participation. Kim will in all likelihood have a limited supply of these cars built and prepared to RTR standards by Wayne Bramble for sale prior to the race or you could also build your own. This race is all about fun and so tech will be 'relaxed' and it is BYO Cheetah IV motor. Saturday 22nd January Slotworx Porsche Cup Enduro – Max 10 teams - $150 per team. Teched to prevailing national rule set (please note that any mix of Gen I and Gen II components will be allowed as will Plafit front axle bearing holders on Gen II Tee plate) Handout SRP 25L geared 13/44 10:00 to 12:00 Track open for motor hand-out and practice. 12:00 to 12:30 Tech 12:30 to 12:40 Concours 12:40 to 13:00 Qualifying and Lane draw 13:00 to Finish of Racing (Finish time depends on Team numbers but by 19:00 at latest for dinner) Sunday 23rd January GT3 Enduro – Max 10 teams - $150 per team. Teched to prevailing national rule set 10:00 to 12:00 Track open for motor hand-out and practice. 12:00 to 12:30 Tech 12:30 to 12:40 Concours 12:40 to 13:00 Qualifying and Lane draw 13:00 to Finish of Racing (Finish time depends on Team numbers but by 19:00 at latest for dinner combined with presentations) OK that is the guts of it – slight changes may be made depending on interest etc but hopefully it will be all systems go for this. Cheers FoxBox

Hi All Some great news to share. The HSC tracks have now been put into storage in Sydney by Ron Griffin (who runs the Slotcar section at SSME). Ron intends to find premises to house the two Johnson built HSC tracks together with the Gerding King track from Raceworld. This will then be one of the best raceway set-ups ever in Australia. Given Covid and other factors Ron is not sure when this will all eventuate but anticipates at least a year away for this exciting venture. I for one can hardly wait. Cheers FoxBox

Time again for a driver profile for the month. This time it’s a club mate who is very quiet. But always one of the first to be involved with his support for our club and national events . Clinton 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Half of the dynamic father and son duo of Team Nissan . With his Dad Charles they have been involved in supporting race meetings for the best part of the last decade. One of the Dapto originals before becoming solid members of Bull Ring family. Make no mistake with his quiet nature, Clinton is a very fast driver on track . At one stage catching the eye of club legend Cam to team up as part of the Slotworx factory team . A pressured position that Clinton handled with ease and posted some great results in a National race meet with Cam. If he wasn’t so courteous on the track he probably would have a lot more trophies but he is still a very fast driver . Always so well presented with the attention to detail of cars , tool box’s etc . Clinton and Charles also paint and detail their own cars. Plus they do all own chassis and tuning etc . Always have such a professional pit area with itemised and categorised parts and tools. Sometimes I’ve seen how competitive Clinton is with a part, or a set up failure and that is rare thing but with CHARLES getting the evil eye ! 🧐😂😂😂 Team Nissan is certainly one of our favourites here at the Bull Ring . Thanks for all you do for our club and being such fantastic ambassadors for the Bull Ring when you race away . Cheers Pagey

Yes Richard, the laser cutter came good eventually, thanks to intervention from Cam. I suspect he was having his own lockdown problems.

Hi Gary, Thanks for the explanation, I hope your laser cutter has stopped running away with your money being the expensive toys that they are. Is there a time when the rules are going to be changed or is that still in discussion with the rules committee? I have tried out a Gen2 car and it is a much better handling car compared to the Gen1 so needless to say there are upgrade kits waiting for me at Mr. Slotcar when we can eventually get back to racing let alone travel more than 10kms from home. I must say that the Gen1 was a good starter chassis for new racers because it was easy to set up, maintain and repair. The Gen2 however may be a different story but any newbies can always ask the more experienced racers for help, I thank the slot car gods that I have a GJ Chassis jig because it will be getting a work out eventually. So stay treacherous, drink up and race on Gary. Richard M, from my padded cell in lockdown.

Hi Richard, Some history. Last year and early this year I sold virtually nothing Slotworx, simply because there was nothing open. This was actually a good thing because I couldn't buy most of the bits I needed, and my laser cutter decided to take my money and run. Eventually parts started getting through and I sorted out some laser cutting, but, I then find I can't buy the correct grade of aluminium sheet to make T and H plates, body mounts and motor mounts. With even the best grade being too weak, and the subject of many complaints, I wasn't prepared to downgrade so I did the only thing I could and made the GenII. The oilite problem is an entirely different matter. The last time I ordered oilites I was supplied with solid brass bearings, similar to those made by Slick7. I can't supply these to use on stainless steel axles, which is the only thing we can get in 3mm, they have to be oiled extremely frequently or they'll chew out the axle in my experience. I found ball races are incredibly cheap so I changed. Even if I can get oilites now I'm not going to go back, but they'll be legal for racing. So now you know how we got to this point, not by choice. I have been discussing the problem of the 2 different chassis with racers and I've decided to make a new set of rules for the new chassis. They'll be the same as the old rules as far as you can't change or modify any chassis components, same wheels and tyres and dimensions, etc, but the minimum weight will be reduced and the following are added to the free choice list - Axle bearings Front axle - independent or solid, any material. Slotworx or Plafit bearing mounts only. It has to be said that these are only National Rules and they don't suit every track. I always encourage clubs to stay close to the national rules but do what works best on your track. Slotworx is not my primary employment, I work in IT. Slotworx gets whatever time I can spare after work, family, lawns, pool, pets, cars, etc. I'm sure you know how it is.

Firstly I hope you are all safe, healthy and sane in these times of COVID 19 and these never to sufficiently damned, but necessary, lockdowns. With the new updated Slotworx chassis being so very different from the 1st generation will, or should, there be new rules coming out in the future for the Aussie V8’s and Porsche Cup? I am not trying to cause an argument here, just asking if there will be changes made. The Gen2 is 15 grams lighter than the Gen1 which means it doesn’t fit within the rules as they are now. Also there is the option of having independent front wheels which isn’t allowed in the old rules. The front axle uprights which can be replaced with Plafit or Scaleauto parts, will that be allowed. With bearings being suppplied with the Gen2 kits that would suggest that oil-lites are now obsolete. I have my own opinion about the changes that have been made which I will keep to myself at this point in time, all I would like to know is if and or when there are going to be changes made to the rules. I have been known to cause arguments about various other subjects but I am certain that there are other racers out there who would like to have the areas of doubt and uncertainty/ rules and regulations updated to allow the Gen2 to be used. If it’s just a simple case of adding weight, using oil-lites instead of the supplied bearings and using a solid axle in the front, so be it. As it used to say on the old fireworks rockets, light the blue touch paper and step back.

Hi everyone... This event is on hold until we have a clear idea whats going on with Covid lockdown and Queensland border control. I'll get Fox to upfrade the 1st post. Regards, Kim

Hi Gary, i just need 2 x sets . Thanks yet again cheers Jules

Hi Jules, I have to make some for Ian. How many do you need. Cheers Garry

Does anyone have a set of these Slotfabrik body mounts? cheers Jules

Best investment I have made to save cleaning and gluing this large tarp

Hang in Kim , I’m sure that it’s going to be a success. Looking forward to catching up with everyone when we can . Cheers Pagey

Hi All Well I guess we could all see this coming and thus it is with a heavy heart and great regret that I announce: - Lexan Shootout @ Seagulls is postponed until further notice Hopefully we can start having some racing again in 2022 as realistically I can't se anything happening in what remains of this year. Stay safe and get yourselves vaxxed (if not already done). Cheers FoxBox

Just a clarification on Slotworx classes we run at the Bull Ring . Garry Johnson who owns Slotworx and writes the national rules for these classes. We will continue to only follow the national rules set for Slotworx at the Bull Ring. Cheers Pagey

Don’t forget to get your Touring car masters cars ready for the revamp of racing, it’s not a breakout class when we resume on track again. I have bodies here that some of you have ordered . We just need to go a covid safe pick up if your ready for a project.

The other class to be introduced is another body swap. This time from Gt3 open chassis with 30k SRP with a Group C. Another great selection of bodies from Andrew and available from Werner at Ace Hobbies again . I have painted up 4 so far and the wheel base and width seems to be a straight forward body swap with no adjustment to chassis required. Should be a great class with great looking bodies. So next year we will have GT3, Can Am along with Group C and F1 80’s . Have fun with the builds and paint jobs . Once again please stay period correct with Patto offering plenty of choices. Cheers Pagey

So unfortunately the Covid lockdown has become a much longer drawn out break then we all had hoped . Hopefully everyone is staying safe and not going bat crazy. Here is a few projects to help that you can get into during the break . We are going to introduce two new classes for next years race program.Both Simple body changes onto existing chassis just for a new look and experience. First up is the Formula 1 from 1980’s . Great looking cars that Andrew has produced. Our Qld friends have placed a modified 1/32 chassis under these bodies . However a simple swap onto a Can Am chassis is a better option for our club . The reasons being limited finances for some with more chassis upgrades or outright purchase being a stretch at the moment. We also did some testing with the 1/32 option and found it was easily damaged. With the front T plate being so far forward to get the wheel base required to suit the F1. I did talk to Andrew to see if he had experience damage to the t plates bending after a collision. He said that it hadn’t seen a problem with as yet. However with our group sometimes let’s say a bit crash happy . 🤔😬 I think the proven Can An chassis is a better fit for us . So the only changes from the Can Am rule set to adapt to our formula 1 will be wheel base and spur widths. Front spur 81mm Rear spur 82 mm Overall wheel base 127.5 mm I have some photos of a few cars we have build in testing using the Can Am chassis. Cam has tested both 1/32 and Can Am chassis under the F1 body and found the overall lap times very similar. Also a photo of the bent T plate that Cam unfortunately experienced . Cam has also made a masking kit for painting around the rear wing area, also wheel inserts and a material easily bent to make the roll bar hoop. Also he has plafit parts available if required. The bodies can be purchased from Werner at his Ace Hobbies web site or from Andrew. They come with a detailed driver that requires a seperate head . Plus a rear engine gearbox detail that is fitted to rear with mounting rubber . Patto has a good selection of relevant livery. Please try and stick to period correct. No fantasy please. Enjoy some painting and detailing in lockdown. Also in Qld rules it says to leave the lexan in front end area . Looking at photos of there cars I don’t think that has been happening. Cams car the Yellow Camel he has left in place and painted it black with front wishbone detail . I’m ok with either options also how much you detail front wing area . But the front wing must be retained.

And spreading to the country towns ,great work Gladbags, for not going hard on lock down.