Long time no write...

So...

Currently I'm undertaking no motorsport at all (except for marshalling). There are numerous reasons for this - one is 12 years old and one is 8 years old for a start, naturally there are plenty more too.

One of the plus points of having a 12 year old is that we have been closely looking at Targa rallies and both agree that sometime soon we should venture out and do one together. We marshalled on a couple and have been lucky enough to get the road books to a few as well. Junior is now looking at what is expected from him to see if he really wants to give it a go!

To my mind Targa rallies offer excellent value for money and are a perfect starting point for those more interested in being in the silly seat. It's almost a natural progression from targa to road rally then stage event (particularly as you can start at the tender age of 12 on a Targa event!).

Not only are Targa events a good starting point they (amazingly) work out better value than slot car racing. I know, who would believe plastic toy car racing could prove to be more expensive than full scale rallying. I crunched the numbers, then did them again and concluded that to race slot cars was a huge waste of money - for me at least!

I can buy a Targa legal car and run it for a season for the same cost as a year of slot car racing... I can sit in and feel the adrenaline flow or press a controller and watch a toy zip round a track; no brainer really!!! Don't get me wrong slot car racing can be exciting and provides intense excitement for many but I never got away from the fact that I was driving a little car round and round in 'circles' (some more complex than others...)  whilst needing to spend a lot of money to even become competitive...

I've not missed it so far and can't see me missing it any time soon... If it was better value I guess I'd still be racing but the cost really did reduce the enjoyment to minus figures. Also slot car rallying is just not like the rallying I've done thus I was left with roundy, roundy racing which doesn't interest me any where near as much.

Onwards, ever onwards...

I raced my new (to me any way) NSR Aston Martin GT3 last night with ever improving results - yes I'm still somewhat off the pace but I'm edging ever closer! Each race sees less errors and better times; proving perfectly that there's no substitute for experience.

For that reason I'm grabbing every chance I can to get controller time so can be seen at Wolverhampton Slot Car Club (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wolverhampton-Slot-Car-Club/1618828841737256?fref=ts) on Thursdays too!

Along with learning the track I'm also learning my cars - the Aston is great fun to drive and reasonably competitive as it is. There are tweeks that need doing though; the tyres need to be replaced with softer versions, smaller front wheels are needed (here we go again...), it really needs some form of subtle sponsorship/colour scheme, etc, etc... Having said that my son managed to win his first race using the Aston which pleased us both!

Christian also managed to set a fastest lap in his first ever race using my Mosler (only a lat off prevented him from claiming first overall) so the preparation side of slot car racing EWR seems to be doing quite well already ;)

I'm expecting to add a few more steeds to my stable as the season progresses - all will be for racing though so there'll be no show ponies I'm afraid. Having said that I'm sure they'll all be pretty spectacular, like my new NSR Ford GT40...

Racing fever starts to take hold...

In two weeks time I will have (finally) undertaken my first race meeting in my new form or motorised sport!

Whilst not as adrenaline filled as rallying slot car racing certainly is enjoyable and getting a good result feels just a pleasing as in a real car. Another plus is that there is (currently) very little likelihood of environmental and spectator issues stopping the sport in its tracks... I can also easily undertake a race meeting a week without my better half moaning I'm always in the garage or away plus it is far, far more competitive than pretty much every form of 1:1 scale motorsport! Genuinely a £15 car bought off Ebay fitted with the correct tyres and driven properly can and will beat new cars that cost 3 times as much, skill isn't held back by bank balance and there's no silly Prima Donnas either!

There is, however, a huge amount to learn - sadly it isn't just a case of turning up, pulling the trigger and being competitive. Rear tyres need to be glued, trued and then softened for a week, fronts need to be the exact opposite. The chassis/motor/body need just the right amount of movement and flex and then you need to get the braking right - too much and you slide ( a la handbrake turns) too little and you have to brake too early. These 1:32 cars are as difficult to set up as a 1:1 - probably more so because you don't ever feel the speed/grip/accident (!!) through your body. Once the car is optimised you then have to drive it - against far, far more experienced drivers who take no prisoners! - which is no simple task on its own.

Well I must away as I have a date with Ebay and a couple of hot looking GT cars as well as a classic or two! More to follow once I know what I'm going to be racing...

WRC fun...

I now have two more rally cars for the 2015 season, both are 4WD so perhaps I should add a RWD car to the line up ;) Perhaps an Escort or Porsche? Now to get some practice in...

A change of focus...

It looks like I WILL be doing driving in some wheeled competition this year and the car I'm going to be driving is 4wd :) As my boys have grown they're keen to race and we're about to embark on a season's racing in 2015! Luckily we're aiming small at the moment so..... I'll be driving an SCX Audi 90 Quattro GTO plus to yet two be unveiled French rally cars!

As a team we now have Porsches, Lamborghinis, Minis, Lancia Delta Integrales and even 2 Metro 6R4s in build... Daddy seems to be doing all the building whilst the boys do all the racing!!

It's not quite as exciting as rallying but just as competitive, allows all 3 of us to compete on the same day and is a fair bit safer - it's cheaper too!