The
closure of the Comrades Club in
Cheshunt early in the season, followed by a short lived move
to the Goff's Oak Comrades Club, meant that for much of the first
half of the season all Arena Slotstox Club meetings were based at St
Mary's Church House, Cheshunt on the track at this venue. In between
the moves the tracks from the Comrades venues were stored in our garage!
A main venue move to the Waltham Abbey Community Centre meant
that Arena Slotstox Club meetings switched from Tuesday evenings to
Wednesday evenings with the first meeting of each month being based at St
Mary's initially on a Wednesday before a switch back to Tuesday for that venue.
Slotstox
A change of format for the 2015
season with fewer planned Slotstox
rounds (11) and all counting to the points chart. Grade averages would work
over a three
meeting rotation. Final bonus points
were also changed to 10 for 1st, 8 for 2nd, 5 for 3rd and then 3, 2, 1 for 4th,
5th and 6th.
10th February - Arena points chart
round 1 at the Arena Slotstox
'Comrades' Club racing on the four-lane track.
I started the season as silver grade having had the highest average
during points chart cycle 5 in 2014 and then not racing at a points chart round
during cycles 6 and 7. With the
four-lane track in use races were scored 5 for 1st down to 2 for 4th with heat
points then being multiplied by 1.5 to give a maximum heat score of 30 (as per
the six-lane track). Drivers also raced
in 3 heats with the best 2 counting towards the points chart. Heats 30
points (best 2 of 3 heats -
heat 1 13, heat 2 20 and dropped heat 3 12) and second highest points scorer of
nine drivers. Final, giving my new
Slotstox a run, 1st (19) to add 10 points chart points to my heat score
multiplied by 1.5 (45) - a total of 55 points chart points and I was the early
points chart leader after round 1. Having won the final I qualified for
the Grand National starting one lap down against the three drivers that didn’t
qualify for the final who all started from the white grade line. Even so and
still using my new Slotstox, I
managed to win all four races to score a maximum 20 heat points and 6 Arena
Grand National Points Chart points. The original round 2 due to take
place on 10th March was replaced by a visit for members to check the
Goff's Oak Comrades Club. 7th April - Arena points chart
round 2 at the new 'Comrades' racing on the six-lane track. Heats 43
points (heat 1 18 and heat 2 25) and highest points scorer of eleven
drivers. Final - 3rd (19 just 2 points
behind 1st and same points as 2nd but they had 3 race wins compared with my
none) to add 6 points chart points - a total of 49 points chart
points. 5th May - Arena points chart round 3 at 'St Mary's' racing my
third and preferred St Mary's Slotstox. Heats 39 points (heat 1 13 and heat 2
26) and highest points scorer of ten drivers. Final - 2nd (13 just 2 points
behind 1st) to add 8 points chart points - a total of 47 points chart
points.
After the first 3 rounds I was
top of the Arena Slotstox Points
Championship with 151 points and therefore would remain as silver grade.
I had the second highest average of 50.3 points and was top of the Arena
Slotstox Grand National Championship points chart with 6 points.
2nd June - Arena points chart round
4 at 'St Mary's' racing my third and
preferred St Mary's Slotstox. Heats 34 points (heat 1 10 and heat 2 24) and
second highest points scorer of eleven drivers. Final with all drivers
starting from the yellow grade line over 8 laps - 6th (2 - having a bit of
fun with another driver having knocked their Slotstox over the fence in race 1
as 'revenge' for not getting a mention during a radio interview they
recently gave!) to add 1 points chart point - a total of 35 points chart
points. 1st July - Arena points chart round 5 at 'St
Mary's' racing my third and preferred St Mary's Slotstox. Due to numbers racing,
each driver raced in 3
heats with the best 2 counting towards the points chart. Heats 25 points (best
2 of 3 heats - heat 1 14, heat 2 11 and dropped heat 3 6) and fifth highest
points scorer of eight drivers. Final 6th trying a different inside rear
tyre that didn't have the desired effect (2 - with one 4th place
finish in the final race whilst 5th scored 3 and 4th 4!) to add 1 points
chart point - a total of 26 points chart points. A main venue move
to the Waltham Abbey Community Centre ('WACC') meant that Arena Slotstox Club
meetings switched from Tuesday evenings to Wednesday evenings with the first
meeting of each month being at 'St Mary's' and whatever fixture fell on those
dates. 29th July - Arena points chart round 6 'WACC' on the six lane
track - heats 43 points (heat 1 20, heat 2 23) and highest points scorer
of twelve drivers. Final over 10 laps with all drivers starting from yellow
grade - 1st (24) to add 10 points chart points - a total of 53 points
chart points.
During rounds 4 to 6 of the Arena
Slotstox Points Championship I was the
second highest points scorer with 114 and the 4th highest average
of 38 points. I remained top of Arena Slotstox Points
Championship with 265 points and therefore would remain as silver grade. I
had the third highest season average of 44.2 points. Having not raced in
a Grand National during rounds 4 to 6, I was down to joint 3rd with one other
driver in the Arena Slotstox Grand National Championship points chart with 6
points.
26th August - Arena points chart
round 7 at 'WACC'. Each driver
raced in 3 heats with the best 2 counting towards the points chart. Heats 41
points (best 2 of 3 heats - heat 2 18, heat 3 23 and dropped heat 1 13) and
fourth highest points scorer of eleven drivers. Final 2nd (17) to add 8 points
chart points - a total of 49 points chart points. 23rd September - Arena
points chart round 8 at 'WACC'. Each driver raced in 3 heats with the best 2
counting towards the points chart. Heats 55 points (best 2 of 3 heats - heat 2
28, heat 3 27 and dropped heat 1 15) and joint first highest points scorer with
one other driver of twelve drivers although the other driver was given
first based on highest heat score - a heat maximum 30 in their second
heat. This driver well known for their win or bust style won 3 races in
their first heat and crashed in 3, won all 6 in their second heat and won the
first 3 of their third heat before in race 4 of the third heat I beat them into
second place...to much amusement! Following this, they crossed the
line 1st in race 5 but went over the stop line eventually finishing 4th and
enabling me to finish 1st and again finished 2nd in race 5 which I also won.
Final 2nd (19) to add 8 points chart points - a total of 63 points chart
points. The original Arena points chart round 9 planned for 21
October was replaced by a track maintenance evening on the main six lane track ahead of the forthcoming hosting of the
Parmastox British Championship round 5 and the Slotstox World
Championship. 18 November - 9th and final Arena points chart
round at 'WACC'. Each driver raced in 3 heats with the best 2 counting
towards the points chart and mostly racing my new Slotstox (save for a couple
of races when I used my current Slotstox due to a wire issue on my
new Slotstox). Heats 35 points (best 2 of 3 heats - heat 1 20, heat 3 16 and
dropped heat 1 12) and joint fourth highest points scorer with one other driver
of ten drivers although the other driver was given first based on highest heat
score - 20 in their second heat. Final 2nd (22) to add 8 points
chart points - a total of 43 points chart points. The top three in the
final also raced a lap down in the Grand National - 1st (21) to add 6 Arena
Grand National points chart points.
During rounds 7 to 9 of the
Arena Slotstox Points Championship I
was the second highest points scorer with 155 and the 3rd highest average of
51.7 points.
I won the Slotstox Arena Points
Championship with 420 points with the
second highest season average of 46.7 points and would hold the Silver Roof for
the 2016 season. Having attended all rounds, in the informal track championship
points charts for each of ‘Comrades/WACC’, ‘St Mary’s’ and 'Brentwood Show', I
finished 2nd in the ‘Comrades/WACC’ track championship (257 from 5 meetings) by
1 point with the second highest average of 51.4 points, 2nd in the ‘St Mary’s’
track championship (108 from 3 meetings) with the joint third highest
average with two other drivers of 36.0 points and was the 'Brentwood Show'
track champion (55 from 1 meeting). I won two finals during the season -
the first round on the 'Brentwood Show' track and one on the six-lane
track at 'WACC'. I only raced in two Grand Nationals during the
season at the first round and the 9th and last round... and won
both! I finished joint 4th with one other driver in the Arena
Slotstox Grand National Championship points chart with 12 points.
9th
December - at 'WACC' - Arena Gold
Top Championship Final. The qualifiers were based on the 2015 seasons points
chart with the top five drivers automatically qualifying and the next six
(although this ended up being four drivers) taking part in a last chance
qualifier. Having won the points, I qualified 1st for the final and drew white
lane (lane 4) - the same starting lane as for both 2013 and 2014 with drivers
having two races per lane over 8 laps. As part of the ongoing track maintenance
the jack plugs for my preferred Slotstox hand controller had not been fitted as
yet and I had to borrow a Parmastox handcontroller as mine was still not
working correctly following the Hertfordshire Open - later diagnosed as one of
the wires around the resistor had snapped - the same problem that occurred at
the end of 2014! Racing my new Slotstox to see how it would go before World
Championship, I recorded a non-finish and 5th in white lane, 2nd and 1st in
black lane (lane 5), a non-finish and 3rd in green lane (lane 6), two 3rd's in
each of blue lane (lane 1) and yellow lane (lane 2) and 2nd and 3rd in red lane
(lane 3). At the end of the final I scored 31 points and finished 3rd.
There then followed a fun team heat made of two teams of four
based on Gold Top (and last chance qualifier) finishing positions. Finishing
positions in the heat determined the winners and I finished 5th as my team of
Christopher Isham, Ritchie Russell and Barbara Skee lost 20-16.
At the 33rd Slotstox World Championship on 13th December at ‘WACC’
- the second to be hosted by the Arena Slotstox Club after 2012 although this
time at a new member with 2012 being at the Cheshunt ‘Comrades’. Starting from
Silver grade and racing my new not fully tested Slotstox, which was a bit of
gamble, it looked a good choice as I qualified 3rd of 30 drivers from the heats
with 66 points (the same as I scored in the heats when I won the World
Championship in 2001 although on that occasion it was good enough for top
points scorer!): 11 points in my first heat (1st in lane 5, 2nd in lane 1, 4th
in lane 3 and non-finishes in each of lanes 2, 3 and 6), 28 points in my second
heat (1st in lanes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 only missing out on a win in lane 5 with
3rd) and 27 points in my third heat when I already knew I’d more than likely
done enough to qualify (1st in lanes 1, 3, 4 and 5, 2nd in lane 6 and 3rd in
lane 2). The 24th highest point’s scorer in the heats scored 22 so my points in
each of heats 2 and 3 would have been sufficient to qualify on their own! I was
consistent through-out my quarter-final starting with 3rd in lane 2 before 1st
in lane 3, 2nd in lane 4, 1st in lane 5, a non-finish in lane 6 and 3rd in each
of lane 1. I finished 1st in my quarter-final with 20 points to qualify for the
semi-finals. I was less consistent through-out my semi-final starting with a
2nd and 5th in each of my two races in lane 5, 4th and a non-finish in each of
my two races in lane 6, 2nd and 3rd in each of my two races in lane 1, 5th and
a non-finish in each of my two races in lane 2, 4th a non-finish in each of my
two races in lane 3 and 2nd and a non-finish in each of my two races in lane 4.
The non-finishes proved crucial as I finished 4th in my quarter-final with 21
points and 5 points behind 3rd and the final qualifying place for the final. In
the B-final I started with 2nd and 3rd in each of my two races in lane 2, a
non-finish and 2nd in each of my races in lane 3, 2nd and 1st (my only win in
the final) in each of my two races in lane 4, 3rd in each of my races in lane
5, non-finishes in each of my races in each of my two races in lane 6 and 2nd
and 3rd in each of my two races in lane 1. Overall I finished as runner-up (8th
overall) with 33 points.
Parmastox
The 2015 Arena season started with a
track preparation / practice /
non-points chart meeting on 21st January at the Arena Slotstox 'Comrades'
Club. In the non-points racing - using the shale wing
and borrowing a handcontroller more suitable for Parmastox whilst
mine's away being fixed - heat 1 1st of six drivers (40) and
heat 2 2nd of six drivers (24). The final was all in for the eight
drivers who stayed and one race per lane - 7th (4) using my handcontroller
more suitable for Slotstox (the handcontroller I'd borrowed belonged to a
driver that had left early).
My competitive racing season
started on 24 January with
an Open individual event and an Open team event at the Arena Comrades
Club - combined with a meeting of representatives from each participating club
to discuss the 2015 Parmastox British Championship Series. The Open
individual event of 14 drivers coincided with the meeting of
representatives and using my tarmac wing I won my heat of seven drivers
with 51 points (heats scored 6 for 1st, 5 for 2nd etc.). I
qualified straight to the final of six drivers (scored 5 for 1st, 4 for 2nd and
then 3,2,1,1) in which I finished 4th with 18 points (3rd scored 19). My
wife Clare made her Parmastox debut - racing as number 54 as she had at
the 2014 Slotstox World Championship - using my spare Parmastox and in her
heat finished 7th of seven drivers (6 points - same as 6th but they
had one win to Clare's none). In her consolation Clare finished 5th of 5
drivers (7 - scored 5,4,3,2,1,1).
The team event featured 23 drivers in
7 teams of 3 plus a team
of 2 (although a racer that attended the meeting of representatives and
needed to leave early did race with the 2 for their first two
heats...thankfully not the third though...) Clare (continuing
to use my spare) and I (tarmac) teamed up with Arena white grade
driver Colin Woollaston and on paper with a debut driver and a white grade
driver were probably the 8th favourites out of the 8 teams! The
8 teams were split into two groups of four and each team would race
against each other in their group - 1 point for a win and 1/2 for
a draw - with the top 2 teams in each group qualifying for the
semi-finals. Each heat consisted of 6 races with one driver from each
team racing 3 consecutive races in each of either the two inside lanes, two
middle lanes or two outside lanes. In the first heat against a team
consisting of three racers from the Three Counties Club (previously Rockingham)
Clare raced in the two inside lanes (2 points); I raced in the two middle
lanes (20) and Colin in the two outside lanes (7) as we lost
37-29. For our next heat (and for the rest of the
meeting) Colin raced in the two inside lanes and Clare the
outside lanes - I scored 21, Clare 13 and although Colin scored 0 he managed to
stop our opposing teams star driver (reigning British Champion) in
two races - most significantly the final race as we overturned a
26-28 deficit to edge a close contest 34-32. Our third and
final heat was against the team of 2 who had won both their
heats (with the additional driver stepping in) and with our second
opponents (who we'd beaten) beating our first opponents (who'd beaten
us) I noticed that our final opponents had already qualified for
the semi-finals. I suggested that they might want us win our match
and qualify for the semi-finals (and their potential finalists)
rather than the other two teams in our group! This suggestion worked
and with a little help from our opponents I scored 20 (winning the first
four races before complacency set in), Clare 7 and Colin 4 as we won
31-0 to qualify for the semi-finals with 2 wins and not
only that we won the group on raw points! In our
semi-final we raced against the runners-up from the other group - a team of
three drivers from the Pinewood Club which was nip and tuck stuff. I used
all my know how to race and de-slot opponents as I scored 19 points which
along with Clare 15 and Colin 0 saw us win by 1 point 34-33 and against the
odds qualify for the final! In the final I was targeted and couldn't affect
the races as I would have liked as I only scored 8 points which along with
Clare 14 and Colin 1 was not enough as we lost 50-23 to a team of 3 fellow
Arena drivers. A disappointing end but overall a fantastic achievement to
finish 2nd as 8th favourites!
17th February - Arena points chart
round 1 at the Arena Slotstox
'Comrades' Club - using the tarmac wing - heat 1 1st of
five drivers (36) and heat 2 5th of seven drivers (10 - only
finishing two of the twelve races but winning both). My heat win ensured
I qualified for the final - 3rd of seven drivers (24) - 11 (best
heat 5 + final 6) points chart points. 3rd March - Arena points chart
round 2 and Gold Top Qualifying round 1 at 'St Mary's' (the first meeting to be
moved following the closure of the Cheshunt 'Comrades' venue) - heat 1
(tarmac to start with until the wing fell off during one of the early races and
so I continued without) - 4th of four drivers (17) and heat 2 (spare which
seemed more suited to the 'St Mary's' track) - 3rd of four drivers (19).
My places were not sufficient to qualify for the final and so I raced in the
Grand National (spare) - 2nd of of six drivers (officially
16 and unofficially 21 as a race was called as no finishers even
though I was still moving and did eventually move a de-slotted Parmastox
to be the only finisher and race winner - either way, no change to Grand
National finishing position) - 5 (heats 2+3) points chart and
Gold Top Qualifying points plus 4 Arena Grand National points.
On 14th March, I raced at
Metal Mania #4 at the Wellgate Slotstox
Club which doubled up as the first round of five (the others being at Wisbech,
Pinewood, Three Counties and Arena) in the 2015 Parmastox British Championship
with 41 drivers in attendance from all the above clubs plus the MSRA. When not
racing, I spent most of the meeting sitting down as I was running my first Half
Marathon – the North London through Wembley Stadium - the following day! All
heats that I competed in were two races
per lane (four-lane track) over 8 laps and in a change to previous years (and
to be consistent with the other British Championship Series rounds) the meeting
was run to non-marshalling rules. Each driver would have three heats at each
round and score points based on their finishing positions in each – 1st 12, 2nd
10, 3rd 7, 4th 5, 5th 3 and 6th 1 – the highest points scoring twelve drivers
would then qualify to the semi-finals.
Racing with my shale wing - heat 1 3rd (7 points) of six drivers
(19 – 3 wins, 4th also scored 19 with 2 wins whilst 2nd scored 20 and 5th 19
and no wins – all very close!), heat 2 1st (12) of six drivers (33 – with a
Wellgate driver set for the win until crashing in their final two races) and
heat 3 2nd (10) of six drivers (24).
My heat points score of 29 was enough to qualify for the semi-finals. Semi-final
– top three qualifying for the final - 3rd of six drivers (19 – beating 4th by
2 points) to qualify for my first Metal Mania final. The significance of beating
4th by 2 points
is that this driver was the Wellgate Silver roof who up to this point was
looking the favourite. It doesn’t end
there in that they’d already de-slotted in one race having clipped my defensive
back bumper before in the penultimate race, when I was in the inside lane, they
de-slotted my Parmastox with a front bumper hit. Thinking that my chances were
gone, in the
final race again when I was in the inside lane, I set about revenge letting
this driver go past at the start before launching a big front bumper attack
from way back on the narrow lanes part of the track. I connected perfectly sending
their Parmastox
fence bound, staying in lane and going on to win the race! It was only after
the race that I found out
this driver hadn’t scored as well as I thought and that this move had proved
decisive. Final 4th of six drivers (19 –
1 win and 2 2nd’s, 3rd and 5th also scored 19 – 2nd with 2 wins and 5th with 1
win and 1 2nd whilst 6th scored 18 – like my first heat all very close!) It
could have been better as I led several
races before de-slotting a few times in an all-out effort but with this meeting
not proving my best in previous years, 4th was a good result on the basis that
I’d really only gone for British Championship Series attendance points
(5)! Unfortunately there were only
trophies for the top 3. 4th equated to
16 British Championship Series points plus (new for 2015) the top 3 in each
heat would also score points to the Series – 1st 3, 2nd 2 and 3rd 1. My heat
results of 2nd (2), 1st (3) and 2nd (2) added a further 6 points and after this
round I was 5th in 2015 Parmastox British Championship with 22 points.
17th March - Arena points chart
round 3 at 'St Mary's' racing my
Spare Parmastox - heat 1 - joint 3rd with one other driver of
five drivers (4 and identical records - one 2nd place finish although my Parmastox
did finish in its lane for several races just stuck behind or hooked up with
de-slotted Parmastox!) and heat 2 - 4th of five drivers (16 - again not
having much good fortune along the way...). My places were not sufficient
to qualify for the final and so I raced in the Grand National - 2nd
of of four drivers (26) - 5 (heats 3+2) points chart points plus 4
Arena Grand National points.
During the first 3 rounds I was
joint 4th highest points scorer
with two other drivers on 21 points, the joint 7th highest
average with the same two other drivers of 7.0 points and was down to blue
grade. I was joint 9th with two other drivers in the Arena Gold Top Qualifying
points chart with 5 points and was joint 1st with one other driver in the Arena
Grand National points chart with 8 points.
31st March - Arena points chart
round 4 at the Arena Slotstox
Club's new 'Comades' venue in Goff's Oak racing my main Parmastox
with Shale wing and undertaking a bit of work on the braid set up. Heat
1 - 1st of six drivers drivers (38) and heat 2 - 1st of six drivers
(32). I qualified first for the final and conscious not to win
a heat and final double to be upgraded ahead of the British Championship Series
round at Wisbech finished 2nd of six drivers (35) - 12 (best heat 5 + Final
7) points chart points.
On 11th April, I raced at the 2015
Kings of the Fens Championship at the
Wisbech Metal Slotstox Club which doubled up as the second round in the
2015 Parmastox British Championship with 34 drivers in attendance. We
made this a family day out and again our twin boys got a fair amount of
attention! My Parmastox required a bit of attention before the meeting
with the rear bumper riding too high but it eventually passed scruitineering at
the third attempt! All heats that I competed in were two races per lane
(six-lane track) over 8 laps. As for round 1 at Wellgate, each driver would
have three heats and score points based on their finishing positions in each –
1st 12, 2nd 10, 3rd 7, 4th 5, 5th 3 and 6th 1 – the highest points scoring
twelve drivers would then qualify to the semi-finals. Racing with my shale wing
- heat 1 3rd (7 points) of seven drivers (23 – 1st scored 25, 2nd 24 and 4th 22
– all very close!), heat 2 3rd (7) of six drivers (28 - 2nd scored 30) and heat
3 4th (5) of seven drivers (22). My heat points score of 19 was not enough
to qualify for the semi-finals as the final qualifier scored 20. I was up
against the final qualifier in my final heat and knowing I needed a good result
was up against it going into the final race. Only the two of us were left
and I de-slotted their Parmastox on the last lap only for it to bounce back off
the fence and stop mine...had it not done so I would have finished above them
as 3rd in the heat instead of 2 points behind and beat them to the final
semi-final qualifying place. All the more key as they went on to finish
as runner-up in the meeting and were one place above me in the overall
standings after round 1. To be fair it shouldn't have come down to that
as I crashed in a few races on my own all day and miss-counted my laps in one
race during the final heat when leading which also cost me...all in all a bit
frustrating to not do better at a round where
I've previously finished 1st and 5th . Not qualifying for the
semi-finals equated to 5 British Championship Series points (attendance
points) plus (new for 2015 with the top 3 in each heat also scoring
points to the Series – 1st 3, 2nd 2 and 3rd 1) my first two heat results of 3rd
added a further 2 points for a total of 7 points from this round. After
this round I was 4th in 2015 Parmastox British Championship with 29 points
overtaking a driver that missed this round due to a pre-arranged holiday.
14th April - Arena points chart
round 5 at 'Comrades' (shale
wing) - heat 1 - 2nd of six drivers (18) and heat 2 - 5th of six drivers
(12). My places were not sufficient to qualify for the final and so with new
braids in place I raced in the Grand National - 2nd of of six drivers (35)
- 5 (heats 4+1) points chart points plus 4 Arena Grand National points.
28th April - a late change saw Arena points chart round 6 and Gold Top
Qualifying round 2 moved from 'Comrades' to 'St Mary's' with only
the four middle of the six lanes working and so all heats and
final consisted of 8 races (2 per lane). Although my spare Parmastox
had received a makeover courtesy of Rob Porter of Rob's Repairs I decided after
a quick practice to race my main Parmastox with shale wing - heat 1 - 2nd of
four drivers (19) and heat 2 - 1st of four drivers (24). My places were sufficient
to qualify for the final - 1st of of six drivers (29) - maximum 13
(best heat 5 + final 8) points chart and Gold Top Qualifying points.
During the 4th to 6th rounds
I was highest points scorer with
30 points, the joint 4th highest average with one other driver of 10.0
points and was up to red grade. Following 6 rounds I was 2nd in the
Parmastox Arena Points Championship with 51 points, 1 point ahead of 3rd and 2
ahead of 4th and the 5th highest season average of 8.5 points. I was
joint 3rd (and up into the top 6 qualifying places) with one other
drivers in the Arena Gold Top Qualifying points chart with 18 points and was
joint 1st with one other driver in the Arena Grand National points chart with
12 points just 1 point ahead of 3rd.
On 2nd May, I raced at the first
meeting held by the Pinewood Rebels
Slotstox Club (previously Pinewood Slotstox Club but renamed after leaving the
Pinewood Raceway) for the third round of the 2015 Parmastox British
Championship with 28 drivers in attendance.
Having missed the Pinewood round in each of 2013 and 2014, this was my
first appearance at a Pinewood hosted round of the British Championship series
and as becoming traditional for the British Championship rounds, we made this a
family day out and again our twin boys got a fair amount of attention! After
an initial delay whilst issues were
resolved with the Pinewood Rebels brand new track, my first decision during
practice was which Parmastox to race – I practiced my main Parmastox with shale
wing and my spare Parmastox which had been given a makeover by Rob Porter of
‘Rob’s Repairs’. It was a difficult
decision as my spare Parmastox seemed better suited to the inside three lanes
and my main Parmastox the outside three lanes.
In the end I decided to start with my main Parmastox with tarmac wing –
my main Parmastox being slightly quicker and my spare Parmastox having body
tape issues. All heats that I competed
in were two races per lane (six-lane track) over 8 laps. Each driver would have
three heats and score
points based on their finishing positions in each – 1st 12, 2nd 10, 3rd 7, 4th
5, 5th 3 and 6th 1 – the highest points scoring twelve drivers would then
qualify to the semi-finals. Racing my main Parmastox with Tarmac wing - heat 1
1st (12 points) of five drivers (38) and heat 2 5th (3) of six drivers
(17). After a difficult second heat,
I decided to race my spare Parmastox for heat 3 (although reverted to my
main Parmastox with tarmac wing for the outside lane as the body tape on my
spare again came loose - also later found that one of the rear bumper
solder joints had broken) 1st (12) of six drivers (34 – 2nd scoring 33,
3rd 31 and 4th 29 – all very close!). My
heat points score of 27 was enough to qualify for the semi-finals. Semi-final
– top three qualifying for the
final – 6th of six drivers (17 – getting but also giving a bit of contact with
an MRSA driver who missed out on the semi-finals in 4th by 2 points!) 6th in
a semi-final equated to 8 British
Championship Series points plus (new for 2015) the top 3 in each heat would
also score points to the Series – 1st 3, 2nd 2 and 3rd 1. My heat results of
1st (3), 5th (0) and 1st (3) added a further 6 points for a total of 14 points
from this round. After this round I was down to 7th in the 2015
Parmastox British Championship with 43 points but with two drivers equal 2nd on
54 points and 10th on 39, apart from 1st on 81, the rest of the top 10 was very
close. The British Championship Series then took a break until
October.
12th May - Arena points chart
round 7 at 'St Mary's' with
all lanes working after a major track repair exercise and racing
my main Parmastox with shale wing. Heat 1 - 3rd of five drivers (26)
and heat 2 - 1st of four drivers (30 - 2nd scored 29). My places were
sufficient to qualify for the final - 2nd of six drivers (14 - 3rd scored
13 and was the same driver I beat by 1 point in heat 2!) - 12 (best
heat 5 + final 7) points chart points. 26th May - Arena points chart
round 8 at 'St Mary's' - Heat 1 (tarmac) - 1st of four drivers (33)
and heat 2 (spare) - 2nd of four drivers (23). My places were sufficient
to qualify for the final - 4th of six drivers (14 - 3rd scored 15) - 10 (best
heat 5 + final 5) points chart points. 9th June - I missed Arena points
chart round 9 at 'St Mary's' due to holiday.
During the 7th to 9th rounds I
was joint 5th highest points scorer
with two other drivers with 22 points, the joint 2nd highest average with one
other driver of 11.0 points and remained red grade. Following 9 rounds I was
down to 4th in the Parmastox Arena Points Championship with 73 points and the
5th highest season average of 9.1 points. No Grand National appearances
during rounds 7 to 9 meant I remained on 12 points and was down to
joint 4th with one other driver in the Arena Grand National points chart.
A main venue move to the Waltham
Abbey Community Centre ('WACC')
meant that Arena Slotstox Club meetings switched from Tuesday evenings to
Wednesday evenings with the first meeting of each month being at 'St Mary's'
and whatever fixture fell on those dates.
24th June - Arena points chart
round 10 at 'WACC' on the six lane track
with blue lane not working (probably due to not having been used
for a while whilst being stored in my garage!) (tarmac) - Heat
1 - 3rd of five drivers (27) and heat 2 - 2nd of five drivers (35).
My places were sufficient to qualify for the final - 4th of seven drivers (17)
- 9 (best heat 4 + final 5) points chart points. 8th July - Arena
points chart round 11 and Gold Top Qualifying round 3 at 'WACC' racing my refurbed
spare Parmastox - heat 1 - 2nd of six drivers (38) and heat 2 - 2nd
of six drivers (36). My places were sufficient to qualify for the final - 3rd
of seven drivers (35) - 10 (best heat 4 + final 6) points chart and
Gold Top Qualifying points. Although I was down to 4th in the Arena
Gold Top Qualifying points chart with 28 points I had a larger points gap for
staying in the top 6 qualifying places. 22nd July - Arena points
chart round 12 at 'WACC' (tarmac) - heat 1 - 3rd of six drivers (29) and heat 2
- joint 2nd with one other driver of six drivers (24). My places were
sufficient to qualify for the final - 4th of six drivers (26) - 9 (best
heat 4 + final 5) points chart points.
During the 10th to 12th rounds
I was joint 3rd highest points scorer with
one other driver with 28 points, the joint 5th highest average with the same
other driver of 9.3 points and remained red grade. Following 12 rounds I was up
to 3rd in the Parmastox Arena Points Championship with 101 points and the 5th
highest season average of 9.2 points. No Grand National appearances during
rounds 10 to 12 meant I remained on 12 points and was down to joint 6th with
one other driver in the Arena Grand National points chart.
5th August - Arena points chart
round 13 at 'St Mary's' (tarmac) - heat
1 - 3rd of five drivers (21) and heat 2 - 2nd of five drivers (25).
My places were sufficient to qualify for the final - 2nd of six drivers (25) -
11 (best heat 4 + final 7) points chart points.
On 10th August as part of a social
/ work related trip to Ipswich, I
attended my debut meeting at the Anglian Racewall (Metal Slotstox)
Club (ARC) based at Whitton United Football Club on the outskirts of
Ipswich. ARC was formed in 2014 by members of the Foxhall Foxes
Slotstox Club as a Metal Slotstox alternative following their regular visits to
firstly Arena Slotstox and then the other Metal Slotstox clubs that host the
British Championship rounds. ARC follow the same rules as these clubs and
have no-marshalling. On a six lane track with a chicane along
virtually the full one side of the track I tried both my Parmastox in
practice with the intention to use one in my first heat and the other in
my second heat. Each driver usually has two heats of one race per lane
over 8 laps with points awarded 6 for 1st down to 1 for 6th depending on
where a driver finishes in the heat. The top points scorers from the
heats qualify straight for the final with the rest competing in consolations of
two races per lane over 8 laps and each winner also qualifying for the final.
Due to a lower than usual number of drivers at this meeting (holidays), the
format was changed to heats being two races per lane over 8 laps and the
consolations being one race per lane over 8 laps. Following a coin toss I
used my spare Parmastox in my first heat and finished 1st of six drivers (39)
and using my main Parmastox with tarmac wing in my second heat finished 6th of
seven drivers (20 - 5th scored 21). My heat points of 7 (6 + 1) were not
sufficient to qualify direct to the final as one of the top four points scorers
and so I raced in the third of three consolations. Using my better suited
spare Parmastox again, I finished 2nd of five drivers (16 - 3rd scored 15 and
1st 20 as it all come down to the last race in which for me being on the outside
lane a de-slotted Parmastox resulted in a non-finish). A thoroughly
enjoyable evening nonetheless and good practice for the Best in Britain
'Open' Championship at ARC later in August. I was Blue grade on the ARC
grading chart for September.
19th August - Arena points chart
round 14 and Gold Top Qualifying round
4 at 'WACC' (tarmac) - heat 1 - 1st of five drivers (43 and featuring
some great races with the driver who finished 2nd with 42 - race of
the night saw the other driver just pip me to the line after a close battle
whilst another race saw the other driver held up by a de-slotted Parmastox on
the last lap, allowing me to pass them on the final bend and beat them to
the line - a result that ultimately proved decisive!) and heat 2 - 3rd of
five drivers (19 - 4th also scored 19 and whilst we both had one win and two
second place finishes each, I had two third place finishes compared with
their one). My places were sufficient to qualify for the final - 5th of seven
drivers (17) - 9 (best heat 5 + final 4) points chart and Gold Top Qualifying
points. I remained 4th in the Arena Gold Top Qualifying points chart
with 37 points - just 1 point behind 3rd - but with only one
round remaining the gap to 7th was sufficient to assure my place in the
final on 25th November.
On 22nd August I raced
in the first 'Open' Championship
meeting to be hosted by the Anglian Racewall Club (ARC) in Ipswich -
the Best in Britain and as now traditional for daytime 'Open'
meetings, we made this a family day out. Having raced both my Parmastox
during my debut meeting at ARC earlier in August, my Spare Parmastox was
my preferred choice for this meeting. Each of the 32 drivers racing
would race in three heats with points awarded depending on where a driver finished
in the heat - 1st 12, 2nd 10, 3rd 8, 4th 6, 5th 3, 6th 2 and
where applicable 7th 1. The top 24 points scorers from the
heats would qualify for the quarter-finals with the top 3 from each of those
qualifying for the semi-finals and the top 3 from each of those qualifying for
the final. Heat 1 - 1st (12) of six drivers (37), heat 2 - 3rd (8) of
six drivers (27 - 2nd scored 28) and heat 3 3rd (8) of six drivers (24 -
very close as 1st scored 25 whilst 2nd also scored 24 but had two race wins
compared with my one). My heat points of 28 were sufficient to qualify for the
quarter-finals as the 9th highest qualifier. Quarter-final - 3rd of
six drivers (26) to qualify for the semi-finals. Semi-final -
5th of six drivers (22 and just missing out on the final as 4th scored 23 whilst
2nd and 3rd each scored 24) - initially I thought back to a race where I
was stopped by a de-slotted Parmastox and I would have qualified for the
final with a finish but I subsequently remembered that I crashed on
my own when leading and set for a win on the inside lane and if I had
finished then the outcome may (as my de-slotted Parmastox did stop
others) have been more favourable...fine margins that on this day didn't
go my way...
2nd September - Arena points chart
round 15 at 'St Mary's' (tarmac) and
race finishes were not easy to come by - heat 1 - 3rd of four drivers (15 from
4 race finishes) and heat 2 - 2nd of four drivers (24). My places were
sufficient to qualify for the final - 5th of six drivers (8 from 2 race
finishes as 4th scored 9 and 6th scored 7) - 8 (best heat 4 + final 4) points
chart points.
During the 13th to 15th rounds
I was joint 2nd highest points scorer
with one other driver with 28 points, the joint 6th highest average with the
same other driver of 9.3 points and was down to blue grade. Following 15 rounds
I was 3rd in the Parmastox Arena Points Championship with 129 points and the
6th highest season average of 9.2 points. No Grand National appearances during
rounds 13 to 15 meant I remained on 12 points and was down to 8th in the
Arena Grand National points chart.
16th September - Arena points chart
round 16 at 'WACC' (tarmac) - heat 1
- 1st of six drivers (42) and heat 2 - 2nd of six drivers (32). My places
were sufficient to qualify for the final - 3rd of seven drivers (25 - 2nd
also scored 25 but had two race wins compared with my one whilst 1st scored 26.
All very close as even 4th scored 21 and 5th 20!) - 11 (best heat 5 + final 6)
points chart points.
On 3rd October, I raced at The Heart of England Championship 2015
which doubled up as the fourth round of the 2015 Parmastox British Championship
hosted by Three Counties Slotstox Club with 34 drivers in attendance. Having
missed the Three Counties round in 2014, this was my first appearance at a
Three Counties hosted round of the British Championship series and as becoming
traditional for the British Championship rounds, we made this a family day out
and our twin boys entertained those in attendance going up and down the Little
Harrowden Village Hall with their walker! My first decision during practice was
which Parmastox to race – my intention was to race my spare Parmastox and after
practice with this plus my main Parmastox with tarmac wing this intention was
confirmed and I used my spare Parmastox for the whole meeting even though I
noticed during the meeting that one of the side irons had broken at one
end. All heats that I competed in were
two races per lane (five-lane track) over 8 laps. Each driver would have three
heats and score points based on their finishing positions in each – 1st 12, 2nd
10, 3rd 7, 4th 5, 5th 3 and 6th 1 – the highest points scoring twelve drivers
would then qualify to the semi-finals.
All three of my heats were extremely competitive and give or take a few
points here and there my results could have been very different! Heat 1 1st
(12 points) of five drivers (25 –
thanks to two race wins in the last two races on the inside lane as 2nd also
scored 25 but I had 4 race wins compared with their 1 whilst 3rd scored 24),
heat 2 2nd (10) of six drivers (29 – 1st scored 30, 3rd 28 and 4th 27 and it
could have been so much better had my Parmastox not stopped when I was running
well in the second race (later diagnosed as a blown fuse on my lane - lane 3)
although I did let the driver that ended up winning the heat past during a
later race – the reverse result would have seen me win the heat by 1 point plus
I crashed in the final race!) and heat 3 2nd (10) of five drivers (27 – 1st
scored 28 and 3rd 25). My heat points score of 32 was enough to qualify for the
semi-finals as third highest points scorer. Semi-final – top three qualifying
for the final – 6th of six drivers (16 – 5th also scored 16 but they had 2 race
wins compared to my 1 – that being the last race on the inside lane…to little
too late! Whilst starting as blue grade
had helped in the heats, I was susceptible to the drivers starting behind, as
had been the case at times in the heats; and with this in mind I simply made
too many mistakes trying to keep ahead!)
6th in a semi-final equated to 8 British Championship Series points plus
(new for 2015) the top 3 in each heat would also score points to the Series –
1st 3, 2nd 2 and 3rd 1. My heat results of 1st (3), 2nd (2) and 2nd (2) added a
further 7 points for a total of 15 points from this round. After this round I
was up to 4th in the 2015 Parmastox British Championship with 58 points but
with 2nd on 63 points and 7th on 54, apart from 1st on 114, the rest of the top
10 was very close especially with the final round, to be hosted by Arena, being
double points. The meeting ended with a
white grade heat and Clare used my Parmastox with tarmac win but unfortunately
only managed to finish one race (albeit a win) to finish 6th of six drivers.
During the 16th to 18th rounds,
I only attended the 16th round - missing
the 17th on 30 September due to illness and the 18th on 14
October due to Clare having a clashing engagement meaning I was
on babysitting duties - and was 11th highest points scorer with 11
points, the 3rd highest average of 11 points and remained blue
grade due to needing to participate in at least 2 meetings to be eligible for a
roof grade change. Following 18 rounds I remained 3rd in the Parmastox Arena
Points Championship with 140 points and the 5th highest season average of
9.3 points. No Grand National appearances during rounds 16 to 18 meant I
remained on 12 points and was down to 11th in the Arena Grand National points
chart. Round 17 on 14 October doubled up as the 5th and
final Arena Gold Top Qualifying round. I had already qualified
for the final and despite missing this round I remained 4th in the
Arena Gold Top Qualifying points chart with 37 points.
28th October - Arena points chart
round 19 at 'WACC' on the four
lane Brentwood Show Track as the main six lane track was subject to
maintenance work ahead of the forthcoming hosting of the Parmastox British
Championship round 5 and the Slotstox World Championship. With
heats and final still 2 races per lane and with points scored in each race
as 4 for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd and 1 for 4th: helped by my blue
grade status - heat 1 (spare) - 1st of four drivers (24 - the
first race being re-run after the track voltage had been accidentally turned up
from 10 to 14!) and heat 2 (tarmac) - 1st of four drivers (29). My places
were sufficient to qualify for the final (tarmac) - 1st of five drivers
(22) - maximum 13 (best heat 5 + final 8) points chart points. 11th
November - Arena points chart round 20 at 'WACC' with a later start due to
completing maintenance on the six lane track which as a result
was very dusty and slippery in the early races. Due to the delayed start
whilst heat 1 was two races per lane, heat 2 and the final were reduced to
one race per lane. Heat 1 (tarmac) - 3rd of five drivers (23) and heat 2
(tarmac to start with but due to a breakage of the chassis front following a
crash I had to switch to my spare) - 2nd of six drivers (17). My
places were sufficient to qualify for the final (spare) - 1st of six drivers
(21) - 12 (best heat 4 + final 8) points chart points.
25th
November - at 'WACC' - Arena Gold
Top Championship Final. I qualified 4th of the six drivers (having missed 1 of
the 5 rounds) who drew their starting lane in qualifying order. Using my spare
Parmastox, I started in the yellow lane (lane 2) with drivers having two races
in each lane over 8 laps all starting from the yellow grade line. I finished
4th of the six drivers with 18 points - the same as 5th but I had one race win
compared with their none. I finished 3rd in each of my races in yellow lane, 5th
and 4th in red lane (lane 3), a non-finish and a win in white lane (lane 4),
two non-finishes in black lane (lane 5), non-finish and 3rd in green lane (lane
6) and 5th and a non-finish in blue lane (lane 1).
The
21st and final Arena points chart
round meeting itself went better - heat 1 3rd of six drivers (32) and heat 2
1st of six drivers (48). My places were sufficient to qualify for the final -
2nd of six drivers (15 - run as one race per lane due to time) - 12 (best heat
5 + final 7) points chart points.
During the 19th to 21st rounds, I was the joint highest scorer
with one other driver with 37 points, the joint highest average with the same
driver of 12.3 points and was back up to red grade for the start of the 2016
season.
I finished 3rd in the Parmastox Arena Points Championship with 177
points and the 5th highest season average of 9.8 points. No Grand National
appearances during rounds 19 to 21 meant I remained on 12 points and was down
to 12th in the Arena Grand National points chart. I won three finals during the
season - two at ‘WACC’ and one at 'St Mary's'.
On 28th November, I raced at 2015 Hertfordshire Open Championship
which doubled up as the fifth and final round double points round of the 2015
Parmastox British Championship hosted by Arena Slotstox Club with 40 drivers in
attendance (although being held at the Waltham Abbey Community Centre - a venue
in Essex!) As becoming traditional for the British Championship rounds, we made
this a family day out. The decision of which Parmastox to race was easy as my
main Parmastox was still un-repaired from the meeting on 11th November but I
would have raced my spare Parmastox anyway given that it started to go well
towards the end of the meeting on 25th November (even though one of the side
irons was still partly detached!) All heats that I competed in were two races
per lane (six-lane track) over 8 laps. Each driver would have three heats and
score points based on their finishing positions in each – 1st 12, 2nd 10, 3rd
7, 4th 5, 5th 3 and 6th 1 – the highest points scoring twelve drivers would
then qualify to the semi-finals. Heat 1 2nd (10 points) of six drivers (25 –
3rd also scored 25 but I had 5 second place finishes compared with their 3),
heat 2 1st (12) of seven drivers (45 – 2nd scored 43) and heat 3 1st (12) of
seven drivers (45). My heat points score of 34 was enough to qualify for the
semi-finals as third highest points scorer. Semi-final – top three qualifying
for the final – 1st of six drivers (42) despite having to borrow a handcontroller
as mine started to play up early on - just as it had during the final at the
final round in 2014 - meaning I qualified for my fifth Arena/Hertfordshire
'Open' final with my previous best result being runner-up in 2011 plus my
second final of the 2015 British Championship series following round 1 at
Wellgate. Final - 3rd of six drivers (27) which equated to 36 British
Championship Series points (18 doubled) plus (new for 2015) the top 3 in each
heat would also score points to the Series – 1st 3, 2nd 2 and 3rd 1 which was
also be doubled at this final round. My heat results of 2nd (4), 1st (6) and
1st (6) added a further 16 points for a total of 52 points from this round.
After this round I finished 3rd in the 2015 Parmastox British Championship with
110 points and showed the benefit of this season attending all the rounds - the
three drivers in 4th to 6th had each missed rounds but I had been impacted by
this in each of 2013 (missed the final double points round of four when 2nd
overall before it) and in 2014 (missed two of the five rounds around the time
when the twins were born).
Slot-Classic Hot Rods
10th February - Arena points chart
round 1 at 'Comades' on the four lane
track (2 races per lane over 8 laps with points scored 5 for 1st
down to 2 for 4th) borrowing a Slot-Classic Hot Rod - heat 2nd of four drivers
(18) and with the top 2 qualifying for the final – final 2nd of four drivers
(24 – beaten by the person who had lent me their spare Slot-Classic Hot Rod!).
7th April - Arena points chart
round 2 at the new 'Comades' on the six
lane track borrowing the same Slot-Classic Hot Rod as at round 1 (going much
better at this round following the replacement of a well worn tyre by one of my
spare Slotstox tyres!) - heat 4th of five drivers (15) with the top 3
qualifying for the final. Due to time I didn't race in the non-final qualifiers
heat.
29th July - Arena points chart
round 6 at the new 'WACC' venue on the
six lane track borrowing a (very good) Slot-Classic Hot Rod for the
heats and a different Slot-Classic Hot Rod for the final (the one I used in the
heats being used by the owner!) Heats and final being 6
laps one race per lane - heat 1 1st of six drivers, reduced to four
drivers after the first race due to car problems (24) and heat 2 1st
of four drivers (24). Two wins saw me qualify first for the final of
six drivers all starting from yellow grade - 5th of six drivers (8) getting
used to the change of car.
Support formulas
At Arena meetings, support forumulas
would be run when time allowed on a
rotation basis and count to one 'support formulae' points points chart.
In addition to only being run when time I also decided not to race these
sometimes preferring to leave earlier. They were also
run at Parma-Saloon meetings which I decided to not attend in 2015 so as
to have a weekly break one meeting in four. 14th April - Arena
points chart round 1 at 'Comades' (Parma-Minis) - heat 1 2nd of six drivers (12
- 3rd scored 11) and heat 2 4th of six drivers (10) - 6 (4+2) Arena Support
formulae points chart points. 22nd July - 'WACC' (Parma-Small Vans)
- one race per lane - heat 1 joint 3rd with two other drivers of five
drivers (0) and heat 2 3rd of five drivers (7 - 2nd scored 8) - 6 (3+3)
Arena Support formulae points chart points.
Multi-formula
On 16th December at 'WACC' was a new multi-formula event for an
end of season fun night - the Arena Christmas Challenge Championship with
twelve drivers racing. Total points from all races count towards this
multi-formula championship format. All heats were one race per lane over 8 laps
with all drivers starting from the start finish line. For Go-Karts, Robin
Reliants and Legends a maximum of four drivers were racing at any one
time in each heat with a dedicated car allocated to each lane provided by the
Club. For Libre six-drivers raced in each heat using their own Libre. Go-Karts
– 4 points and 9th overall 6 behind 1st. Libre was next and borrowing a Libre –
13 points and 4th highest Libre points scorer – 4th overall with 17 points and
13 points behind 1st. Robin Reliants – 9 points and joint 2nd highest Robins
points scorer with four other drivers (1st scored 10!) – remained 4th overall
with 26 points and 13 points behind 1st. Parma-Legends – 22 points and highest
Legends points scorer. This moved me up to finish 3rd overall in the Arena
Christmas Challenge Championship with 48 points - 6 points behind 2nd and 11
points behind 1st.
Other
On 11th June, I attended
a meeting at the Timaru Raceway in
Broadstairs, Kent. This was during a
family holiday after Clare spotted a sign outside a building saying Slot-Racing
every Thursday about a 10 minute walk from where we were staying! A bit of research
beforehand revealed this
club was a member of the British Slot Car Racing Association (BSCRA) and I
arrived to find this was a four lane circuit racing club which this evening was
racing 1/32 scale sports cars. I
introduced myself without revealing that I had Slot-Racing experience - passing
myself off as being a Stock Car/Motor Racing fan interested in giving the club
a look. During the evening I was
informed of various clubs including Rockingham, Pinewood and Ipswich where I’ve
raced previously and of the Brisca based Slot Car racing! I watched for a while
before asking if I
could have a go and I was told that whilst I wouldn’t be able to compete (I
trust they take a different approach to local newcomers!), I could have a
practice. Using a club car and
handcontroller and with the power turned down (not my choice) I did a few laps
nice and steady to show that I could keep a car on track in the hope that I
might be able to compete. The format of
the meeting was that each of the 10 drivers had 1 track marshalled minute in
the lane of their choice to set a fastest lap – the 3 with the fastest lap
qualified for the A-final, the next 3 the B-final and the final 4 the
C-final. The winner of the C-final would
move up to the B-final and the winner of the B-final would move up to the A-final.
Each final consisted of each driver having 3
track marshalled minutes in each lane (12 minutes in total) to do as many laps
(+ ‘bits’ of laps as marked) as possible.
The idea of the qualifying was so that drivers in each final would be
evenly matched but the overall places on the evening would be determined by the
most laps completed during the 12 minutes so in theory the winner could be from
any final (although in the end the winner was in the A-final!) After each of
the drivers had their qualifying
minute, I asked if I could have one which was agreed. Whilst the power was left
turned up, my
handcontroller was plugged into a resistor which I guess was again to slow the
car. My fastest lap in the minute was 5.654
seconds (the typical qualifying times were around 3.5 to 4 seconds) but again I
didn’t push it still in the fruitless hope that if I could show I could keep
the car in that I might be allowed to compete!
I was then told by one of the members that with this car they’d expect a
lap time of around 4.8 to 4.9 seconds…other members were more sympathetic in
that most new drivers crash at every corner (I still trust they take a
different approach to local newcomers!)
I watched the main meeting and picked up a few tips as I’d been told I
could have another go at the end. This
time I had a go with at full power and decided to push it a bit to see what
laps times I could do… even with a few more crashes along the way! I was
then given a 1/24 scale sports car to
try as this would be easier to handle and I wasn’t far off the pace of a few
regular members that had stayed behind (which is when I revealed I do race Slot
Cars just very different to these and with very different tactics that are not
all about pure speed). I even managed to
de-slot one of these member’s car a couple of times but I don’t think they
appreciated my comment that surely this was a good tactic to slow your
opponents! The practice with this car
helped when I went back to the 1/32 car and I asked if the lap timer could be
turned on. This time I managed a 4.922
lap which from what I’d been told earlier would be about the time of the
regular members with that car (and this was with a standard club handcontroller
too!) All in all it was good evening and
good to gain experience of a different type of Slot-racing even if it was a
little disappointing I couldn’t compete (but then they did think I was a ‘real’
beginner!) I said to a couple of members
left at the end that they’d be welcome at Arena where I’m sure they’d receive a
nice ‘this is contact racing’ welcome!
SLOTSTOX
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: B-FINAL
2ND (8th overall)
SLOTSTOX
ARENA POINTS CHAMPION:
420 POINTS
SLOTSTOX
ARENA GRAND NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP: 4TH= - 12 points
SLOTSTOX
ARENA 'COMRADES/WACC' TRACK
CHAMPIONSHIP: RUNNER-UP - 257 POINTS
SLOTSTOX
ARENA 'ST MARY'S' TRACK
CHAMPIONSHIP: RUNNER-UP - 108 POINTS
SLOTSTOX
ARENA 'BRENTWOOD SHOW' TRACK
CHAMPION: 55 POINTS
SLOTSTOX
ARENA GOLD TOP CHAMPIONSHIP:
3RD
SLOTSTOX ARENA STATISTICS: 2
final
wins – 1 'WACC' and 1 on the Brentwood Show Track
PARMASTOX
BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES:
3RD - 110 points
PARMASTOX
HERTFORDSHIRE
'OPEN' CHAMPIONSHIP: 3RD
PARMASTOX WELLGATE METAL MANIA
IV 'OPEN' CHAMPIONSHIP: 4TH
PARMASTOX
ARENA 'OPEN' TEAM
CHAMPIONSHIP: RUNNER-UP (with
Clare Banham and Colin Woollaston)
PARMASTOX
ARENA POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP: 3RD - 177 POINTS
PARMASTOX
ARENA GOLD TOP CHAMPIONSHIP:
4TH
PARMASTOX
ARENA GRAND
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: 12TH - 12 POINTS
PARMASTOX ARENA STATISTICS: 3 final
wins – 2 at 'WACC' and 1 at St Mary's
ARENA CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP: 3RD