A Day at the Races-Take 2
With those new parts added to my car it, off to the races I went. I didn't want to go to the Ranch Pit Stop, those guys look really good, so I went to one of the local tracks to try out my car. This time I would be prepared. I had repurposed one of my flight boxes. I would use a Goldberg Handi-Tote to carry the charger, which was pretty big, it would also be able to carry the spare batteries and it had a drawer for tools and spare parts. I figured for tools I would bring what I used to build the car, a couple of screwdrivers, wrenches and ball drivers. For spare parts I made sure I had some of those dogbones with me and a few spare nuts and bolts. Overtime that list would grow but for now that's all I took with me.
I felt much more confident this time at the track. I had an upgraded Hot Shot and a really good charger. I had extra batteries and spare parts. I had some practice time driving at the park. It was time to see what I could do with my Hot Shot!
This wasn't an organized race, it was open track time, so many different cars were on the track. My competition were all 2WD (two wheel drive) cars. Some were entry level and some were fully modified racers. After just a few laps I was holding my own. After a few more laps I was starting to feel more and more at ease. I'd gone off course a few times and also had flipped it over but there was no damage to the car. Those new parts were holding up well. I did notice that when turning in a tight corner I had to slow way done. You could turn the wheel but until it slowed down it would continue forward. This is called understeer. I eventually learned how to compensate by going into reverse just after entering the turn and then crank the steering wheel hard over. This would get the rear loose and start to slide and rotate around . Once the back was coming around it was back on the throttle. If you did this wrong it was very easy to lose control and flip over or go way off course. If you did it right you went around that corner really fast. This took a long time to master. The other way was to slow way down and steer it through the turn while quickly blipping the throttle. This was safer and easier but slower and with less chance of a rollover. Until I learned to do the slide consistently I stuck to the slower but easier way.
Even though I was slowing way down in the tight corners the Hot Shot on the straights and shallow turns was fast. The 4WD made a difference as it would pull itself around the course easily. The Hot Shot was also heavier. On jumps it didn't go as high and landed flatter. While coming off a jump and sailing through the air for a long time looks cool the quicker you're on the ground the sooner you can be on the throttle again. Once you learn good driving techniques your lap times will drop and that's what wins races!
I had been going to the track about 3-4 times a week but had yet to enter a actual race. During those practice laps I had no problem staying ahead of the pack. I was driving under control and able to avoid traffic on the course. It was time to put my name on the race night signup sheet.
It was a Saturday night and the track was packed. In those days 2WD and 4WD cars raced together. The only other 4WD car I can remember was a Yokomo. It was fast and had a chain drive. The Hot Shot used a drive shaft. The Yokomo was rarely seen as it was about 500 (1985) dollars. I know there were other 4WD's but these are the only two I can recall.
This night there were a couple other Hot Shots racing but since it was my first race I was put in the novice class. There were four novice heats and the first and second places all advanced to the main. I was nervous and didn't calm down very much during the race. I didn't drive well but the Hot Shot made up for my mistakes. I finished second in my heat and got into the main.
I checked over my car during the other heat races and discovered some some things had loosened up. I was glad I had brought the right tools and got everything in order. I had learned how to max charge the Ni-Cads but waited to do that until right before the race. You would wait as long as you could so the battery will have no time to self discharge. You wanted to have the max power available off the line. You needed to get to that first corner at the head of the pack to avoid all the collisions that take place during that first turn when everyone is bunched up.
They call my race and in those days you lined up in rows. I find myself in the second row, second car in. Not a great spot to start but OK. The field was probably mostly Tamiya cars like the "Frog" "Grasshopper" and "Hornet" as they were all very popular. I do remember specifically the car in front on me was a "Hornet". He was the guy who beat me in the heat race! I knew he liked to cut close to the turn and then slow way down and make the turn then accelerate close to the edge. If you tried to pass him on the outside he would steer over to get in your way. In the first race when he had done this I would brake each time to avoid hitting him. I was trying to show good sportsmanship and be a considerate driver. It seemed to me he did this maneuver to stop anyone from getting inside of him on a turn or pass him on the outside. I thought of it as a blocking tactic and didn't like it.
Everyone's lined up and was ready to go. The track announcer counts down, the buzzer sounds and we're off! That Hornet was fast and first out with me right on his tail. He was heading straight to the corner like always and started to slow down and turn. I didn't even try to go around him this time. I just rammed into his left rear tire and sent him flying. I was in the lead and and feeling it. I was in the groove now. Every turn, every jump I increased my lead. On the straightaway I blasted by. Only once did I get a bit squirrelly in a turn. I took the flag and then saw how far ahead I was. The nearest car was 1/2 a lap back. The Hornet driver was pissed. I had knocked him out of the race when I sent him flying. His car was broke and he was mad. He tried to protest but no foul had been called so the final standings were posted. I had won first place in the Novice Main event. That was the only novice race I ever was in.
Moving up to Modified,,,
With those new parts added to my car it, off to the races I went. I didn't want to go to the Ranch Pit Stop, those guys look really good, so I went to one of the local tracks to try out my car. This time I would be prepared. I had repurposed one of my flight boxes. I would use a Goldberg Handi-Tote to carry the charger, which was pretty big, it would also be able to carry the spare batteries and it had a drawer for tools and spare parts. I figured for tools I would bring what I used to build the car, a couple of screwdrivers, wrenches and ball drivers. For spare parts I made sure I had some of those dogbones with me and a few spare nuts and bolts. Overtime that list would grow but for now that's all I took with me.
I felt much more confident this time at the track. I had an upgraded Hot Shot and a really good charger. I had extra batteries and spare parts. I had some practice time driving at the park. It was time to see what I could do with my Hot Shot!
This wasn't an organized race, it was open track time, so many different cars were on the track. My competition were all 2WD (two wheel drive) cars. Some were entry level and some were fully modified racers. After just a few laps I was holding my own. After a few more laps I was starting to feel more and more at ease. I'd gone off course a few times and also had flipped it over but there was no damage to the car. Those new parts were holding up well. I did notice that when turning in a tight corner I had to slow way done. You could turn the wheel but until it slowed down it would continue forward. This is called understeer. I eventually learned how to compensate by going into reverse just after entering the turn and then crank the steering wheel hard over. This would get the rear loose and start to slide and rotate around . Once the back was coming around it was back on the throttle. If you did this wrong it was very easy to lose control and flip over or go way off course. If you did it right you went around that corner really fast. This took a long time to master. The other way was to slow way down and steer it through the turn while quickly blipping the throttle. This was safer and easier but slower and with less chance of a rollover. Until I learned to do the slide consistently I stuck to the slower but easier way.
Even though I was slowing way down in the tight corners the Hot Shot on the straights and shallow turns was fast. The 4WD made a difference as it would pull itself around the course easily. The Hot Shot was also heavier. On jumps it didn't go as high and landed flatter. While coming off a jump and sailing through the air for a long time looks cool the quicker you're on the ground the sooner you can be on the throttle again. Once you learn good driving techniques your lap times will drop and that's what wins races!
I had been going to the track about 3-4 times a week but had yet to enter a actual race. During those practice laps I had no problem staying ahead of the pack. I was driving under control and able to avoid traffic on the course. It was time to put my name on the race night signup sheet.
It was a Saturday night and the track was packed. In those days 2WD and 4WD cars raced together. The only other 4WD car I can remember was a Yokomo. It was fast and had a chain drive. The Hot Shot used a drive shaft. The Yokomo was rarely seen as it was about 500 (1985) dollars. I know there were other 4WD's but these are the only two I can recall.
This night there were a couple other Hot Shots racing but since it was my first race I was put in the novice class. There were four novice heats and the first and second places all advanced to the main. I was nervous and didn't calm down very much during the race. I didn't drive well but the Hot Shot made up for my mistakes. I finished second in my heat and got into the main.
I checked over my car during the other heat races and discovered some some things had loosened up. I was glad I had brought the right tools and got everything in order. I had learned how to max charge the Ni-Cads but waited to do that until right before the race. You would wait as long as you could so the battery will have no time to self discharge. You wanted to have the max power available off the line. You needed to get to that first corner at the head of the pack to avoid all the collisions that take place during that first turn when everyone is bunched up.
They call my race and in those days you lined up in rows. I find myself in the second row, second car in. Not a great spot to start but OK. The field was probably mostly Tamiya cars like the "Frog" "Grasshopper" and "Hornet" as they were all very popular. I do remember specifically the car in front on me was a "Hornet". He was the guy who beat me in the heat race! I knew he liked to cut close to the turn and then slow way down and make the turn then accelerate close to the edge. If you tried to pass him on the outside he would steer over to get in your way. In the first race when he had done this I would brake each time to avoid hitting him. I was trying to show good sportsmanship and be a considerate driver. It seemed to me he did this maneuver to stop anyone from getting inside of him on a turn or pass him on the outside. I thought of it as a blocking tactic and didn't like it.
Everyone's lined up and was ready to go. The track announcer counts down, the buzzer sounds and we're off! That Hornet was fast and first out with me right on his tail. He was heading straight to the corner like always and started to slow down and turn. I didn't even try to go around him this time. I just rammed into his left rear tire and sent him flying. I was in the lead and and feeling it. I was in the groove now. Every turn, every jump I increased my lead. On the straightaway I blasted by. Only once did I get a bit squirrelly in a turn. I took the flag and then saw how far ahead I was. The nearest car was 1/2 a lap back. The Hornet driver was pissed. I had knocked him out of the race when I sent him flying. His car was broke and he was mad. He tried to protest but no foul had been called so the final standings were posted. I had won first place in the Novice Main event. That was the only novice race I ever was in.
Moving up to Modified,,,
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