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Old23 (Stewart) chose his car and number for the Can-Am Proxy today and it started me thinking about an open wheel proxy race here on HRW. Stewart used to run the VRAA (Vintage Race Across America) proxy over on the SCI board and some of the cars that used to be submitted and raced in that series were serious pieces of slot car art. So, that got me thinking; why not a Formula 1 proxy race right here on HRW; it's certainly been a long while since I've seen an open wheel proxy; particularly a modern Formula 1 race series.







I know, the wrap on this kind of proxy is damage to the cars; particularly the front ends; the spoilers and the front axle assemblies. But, if you ran them no-mag, put in a milder motor and turned down the track voltage, you could probably minimize a lot of that and I recall some local racing that Matt (changing-gearz) used to run on Carrera plastic track, at 12 V with magnets and stock Scaley motors that used to conclude (usually) without much damage to the cars. So, why not?

Here's my preliminary thinking:

1. Modern Formula 1 (2005-2017)
2. Scalextric Formula 1 cars only (I know, that's a big limitation, but there are quite a few Formula 1 cars out there and they're not all equally capable and they often times don't race well together - so, I'd leave it Scaley for this first series, collect some data and see how it goes. Plus most of you are going to have a Scaley F1 car from that era on your shelves, gathering dust, anyway............)
3. Spec motor (yup, that's another big limitation, but it will help to keep the playing field level) Probably either the SCC Minnow (18k rpm) or the MT SL-1 (14k rpm)
4. Gearing - open
5. Body - stock Scaley F1
6. Chassis - stock Scaley F1 (front end can be strengthened)
7. Wheels - open, but to scale (14x13 rears and 14x8 fronts)
8. Tires - urethane (any commercially available manufacturer) / can be glued, trued and profiled
9. No-mag (no traction magnets)
10. Weight - open
11. Clearance - stock Scaley (I think it's 1.2mm)
12. Races - 8 Rounds (to minimize damage over the series) Likely 4 in the US and 4 in Canada, but I'm open to shipping them down under, too
13. Number of cars - limited to 24 cars; one car per racer
14. Livery - stock or fantasy
15. Numbers - no duplicate numbers
16. Tracks - routed wood
17. Racing voltage; if the Minnow motor, then probably 9V / if the MT- SL-1, then probably 10V maximum


Timing would be sometime towards the end of 2018; after we get the Can-Am proxy off and running and the same for the SCCA Early Years proxy.

So, what do you think? Time to have some open wheel racing fun again this year........?

Allan

Oh Allan, we Must be kindred spirits or something as I’d love to do a F1 proxy!
I really like the idea of the 14 to 18 k motors to minimize the destruction, I always thought there was too much motor in them.

I’m in, this could be fun to come up with my own livery for this one.
Mike

You guys are seriously thinking about an F1 Proxy Race series.............?



:text-bravo: :text-bravo: :text-bravo:

Jean Todt

:text-goodpost: :auto-driving: :auto-checkeredflag:

I say old chap could you be truly serious.
Why Uncle Colin would be spinning in his grave.
Of course i am biting at your noodling . Lets get these competitons of man and machine underway, Can Am, SCCA, and Good Old F1.
I say Jolly good show mate.
Bob

I like the idea very much but:

1. Modern Formula 1 (2005-2017)
2000-2013 (exclude hybrid era for uniformity) .Then i think that cars of this era were fitted with FC130 which gives more choices for motor


3. Spec motor (yup, that's another big limitation, but it will help to keep the playing field level) Probably either the SCC Minnow (18k rpm) or the MT SL-1 (14k rpm)
MT SL-1 is way too slow

15. Numbers - no duplicate numbers
Until recently in 1/1 cars were numbered 1-20 that could cause problems.

17. Racing voltage; if the Minnow motor, then probably 9V / if the MT- SL-1, then probably 10V maximum
We raced a series of 7 rounds last year using Slot.it F1 for the first time @ 12v with standard motors and it was fine


12. Races - 8 Rounds (to minimize damage over the series) Likely 4 in the US and 4 in Canada, but I'm open to shipping them down under, too
If you are open to shipping to Athens i could host 3 rounds,2 on Ninco 1 on routed

Thanks for the comments, Alexis.

1. I don't know how far back the Scaley F1 cars actually go. 2005 was the oldest F1 car that I could find for sale at Electric Dreams, who usually had a good selection of what's available. If Scaley F1 started before that; modern F1 that is, then I'm open to pushing the time period back.

2. I'm in agreement that the Mt-Sl-1 is probably too slow for these cars; the SCC Minnow seems like it could be a good choice.

3. Fantasy liveries and re-numbered cars will be fine for this series; if the number on a stock car is already taken then it can be re-numbered with decals.

4. I'll drop a Minnow in one of my Scaley cars sometime later this Spring to get an idea of the right track voltage; my original post was mainly to say that we'll try to set a track voltage that causes minimal damage to the cars.

5. Thanks for the offer on tracks; if we do ship the cars outside North America, then we'd be happy to have some Rounds in Athens!

Allan

So would their be an issue with some of the older F1 cars having wider wheel widths (ie Longer suspension) than some of the 'modern' F1 with the short width stance wise?

Since they are all inline, that's OK, but some of my SCX cars have that huge 90's suspensions, making the tires look like they are miles apart. Maybe I need to go home and compare them again, As Alexis says they've been on the shelf a while.

:angry-tappingfoot:

Well Mike i too wanted to propose SCX and Ninco F1s but then i thought that those front steering systems are very delicate and you cannot find spares if they brake.Another proposal would be Proslot Ferraris but they have an unfair advantage

I think just sticking with the original plan maintains easy rules, and a level playing field for all. Single brand with specified motor etc.
After all this is for fun.
Bob

True Alexis, I had not considered the delicateness of the SCX with the turning wheels.
I like the Scaley series only option for simplicity. Only wondering about other brands.

Hi Allan, You may want to consider a max front/rear track width limit........without fenders as a guide, it is easy to make the F1 cars wide...wider...widest !!

I have been in several F1 proxies, and a track width limit was specified in all cases.

Cheers
Chris Walker

Allan, Chris makes a very valid point. In the range of years you have selected widths did vary from year to year.
Bob

I'll need some help on this point. I don't have the kind of modern F1 collection that Alexis has, so I can't measure them all to get an idea on maximum front and rear track widths. He raises the point that Scaley F1's go back to 1995. I'd like to keep the series in in this millennium, so maybe we go back to 2000 instead of 2005' that opens up 5 more years of cars.

So, who can give us a measurement of maximum rear track widths for the years 2000-2017?

I'm OK with the hybrid era cars, because, to me, they look like the car in the years just before them.

Allan