Scalextric Stock Car Challenge Review

I have to give Scalextric credit for investing heavily and bringing us plenty of American slot car products.  This Scalextric Stock Car Challenge race set is no exception, with two 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlos that are available for the first time as a 1:32 scale slot car.  The included cars are exclusive to the set which are fantasy liveries but still look the part.

The race set came well packed in a really nice box that has a lot of good information including all the features of the race set.  Opening the box, the track is bundled together with rubber bands and the ends protected with cardboard.  Each car is held in place securely from the bottom of the chassis with a screw-in fastener.  The instructions and warranty information come in a clear bag.  Overall, I'm very impressed with the packaging which is always part of the fun of getting a new race set.

Now it's time to get into setting up the track.  Some considerations are that Scalextric track is made of a somewhat soft plastic, so it's best supported on a hard surface such as a hard wood floor or a table top.  If going the table route, be sure that you have some sort of barrier system in place since 1:32 scale slot cars tend to have a lot of detail and aren't really made for flying off the table to the ground excursions.

The Scalextric track is really easy to put together.  You just slide it together and the tabs on each end locks it in place.  To disassemble, you only need to push the tabs on each end in and gently slide the track apart.  I chose to start off with the layout on the front of the box which takes up a space of 7' 4" x 4' 4" with a total running length of 18 feet.   The instructions also include 3 alternate oval layouts that can be built using the included track.  The set comes with banking supports that bank the curves 10 degrees for even more realism.

Now that the track is assembled, it's time to hook up the AC/DC transformer and the controllers to the power base.  The plugs are made in such a way that you can only plug the transformer plug in the center of the power base and the controller plugs will only fit the controller inputs on the power base.   Traditionally, Scalextric race sets came with an AC output transformer that was converted to DC by using electronics inside the power base.  Well, Scalextric has simplified things by going to a 15 volt DC output transformer that is rated at 1.2 amps, which is more power than the 0.8 amp transformer used in previous Scalextric sets. This extra power helps to eliminate any power surges on the track which ultimately leads to better racing.

The wait is almost over, just take a quick look at the cars and it's time to start racing.  Scalextric did a really nice job with these Monte Carlo stock cars. They are advertised as Super Resistant so the cars should hold up well and are also Digital Plug Ready, which means these cars can be easily converted to the Scalextric ARC Pro digital system at some point.  A quick spin of the wheel  found them to be very true on both cars which is a good sign for consistent handling.  Time to put each car on the track.

The set comes with all new Scalextric hand controllers that are very comfortable to hold and have 4 speed settings: 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the available power.  Just to get a feel for the track, I started at 25% and found the car very easy to drive with the ability to almost go wide open around the entire track.  This is a great option for young kids and those with little to no slot car racing experience.  I tried the different hand controller speed settings and found the 75% setting to be ideal for this oval track.  On a larger track the 100% speed setting might be the way to go for the more experienced slot car enthusiast.

I did come across a problem when trying the second car as it would just stutter and barely move at times.  I then tried the second car with the the controller that I used with the first car and it ran fine.  This led me to believe something was wrong with the second controller so I decided to open it up by removing two screws.  After opening the controller, I found the problem right away.  The metal wiper arm that rubs against the resistor was barely touching the resistor.  It was an easy fix, by gently bending the wiper arm a little closer to the resistor.  After reassembling the controller, it worked perfectly.  Scalextric race sets come with a 90 day warranty that covers the correct functioning of the product which would also have resolved the issue that I had with the one hand controller.

I was surprised that an oval track could bring so much fun.  It reminded me of watching a NASCAR race on TV as lap after lap you could slowly inch up on the car in front of you and also have a lot of side by side battles.   This set can also be expanded to a road course so you can replicate say Watkins Glen for those who also like to turn right.  Another thing worth mentioning is that Scalextric even got the clockwise direction right which is correct for a 1:1 oval stock car race.
 
Pros

• Included 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1:32 slot cars are durable and look the part.
• Hand controllers are comfortable and love the 4 speed settings.
• Transformer is DC and has 1.2 amps of power.
• Track is easy to assemble and disassemble.
• Race set is compatible with Scalextric and other brands of analog 1:32 scale slot cars.

Cons

• Controllers don't have brakes and one controller needed adjusted out of the box.
• Track is made out of a soft plastic which needs to be used in a temperature controlled environment to resist warping.

Final Thoughts - I would say overall, this race set offers a very good out of box experience.  This Scalextric race set is a great option for those who plan on running only 1:32 scale slot cars on a hard surface in a temperature controlled environment and are somewhat limited in space.  Even better, you can upgrade this set at some point to either the ARC AIR power base which gives you wireless controllers, working brakes, lap counting and pit stops or the ARC PRO digital system which has all the features of the ARC AIR, but with the ability of racing up to 6 cars on the same track which can change lanes at special lane change tracks.

For those who want to run both 1:24 and 1:32 scale slot cars on a track that can also be in a garage or attic with wide temperature changes and/or folds up against the wall, then Carrera would be the better choice.

This race set is available for purchase right now at BRS Hobbies for $ 149.99 with FREE shipping within the United States.  Here is the link - Scalextric Stock Car Challenge

’67 Alan Green Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 by Pioneer Slot Cars

By Michael Ashton

The original Trans-Am Racing Series was created in 1966 by the SCCA and reached its peak in the period of 1968-1972. The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, Mercury Cougar, AMC Javelin, Pontiac Firebird, and Dodge Challenger were the predominant competitors. They raced on some of the best tracks in North America including Daytona, Sebring, Riverside and Pacific Raceways, to name just a few. The 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 sponsored by the Alan Green Chevrolet dealership of Seattle, WA is a notable example of the wonderful automobiles that battled ferociously on these historic race tracks during this great era of racing. Now, Pioneer Slot Cars has recreated this little-known mighty machine for us in 1/32nd scale, and I will attempt to do it justice in the review that follows.

The Model

The ’67 Alan Green Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 is packaged in a crystal display case with an attractive cardboard sleeve suitable for static display. Also included is a vehicle data card which provides quite a lot of information about the mechanical specifications and history of the race car.

Taped to the underside of the display case base was a plastic bag containing a replacement guide with a 7 mm deep flag (the installed guide’s flag is 6 mm deep), one set of replacement braids and a 13 tooth pinion (the installed pinion is 12 tooth).

The overall appearance of this model is nothing less than superb. The Alan Green Chevrolet decoration is not complex. Nevertheless, the paint, Tampo printing, fit and finish of virtually every part is very well done. The only flaws that I could find were too minute to warrant mentioning.

Compared to every photo of record that I could find, the overall appearance and stance are just about perfect.

Detail is crisp, clear and quite faithful to the original.

Mechanical

Under the body, the Camaro is virtually identical to past Pioneer models.

The red arrow in the above photo points to the (D)igital (P)lug (R)eady cover. This mechanism will accept the Scalextric SSD DPR chip for digital operation in the Scaletric digital system. The top half of the following photo shows the underside of the body. In past Pioneer models (at least in the Mustangs), the interior was attached via screws to the chassis. This is no longer the case with the Camaro, where the interior is now attached to the body. Personally, I prefer this latest method.

Above we see what is now the familiar Pioneer mechanical set up. The very smooth and reliable 18K rpm Typhoon FC-130 motor driving the rear axle via a plastic 12 tooth pinion and 36 tooth spur in sidewinder configuration. These gears are relatively noisy (whiny) but they mesh well and run quite smoothly. The guide has a circular base with a 6 mm deep flag and a very tall post. It accepts [only] special purpose quick-change braids. The lead wires from the guide assembly are fitted with the “ferrite man” noise suppression components and terminate at the DPR plug. They exit the DPR plug and end at another ferrite man which is attached to the motor terminals. These particular noise suppression components are required only for the SSD system. A very strong neo traction bar magnet is fitted just in front of the motor. The rear axle spins inside brass bushings and what appear to be nylon bushings in front. There are nylon spacers on both ends of the front axle and on the non-gear side of the rear axle. A nice touch: the front bushings have oil holes, highlighted by the red arrow below.

Almost every slot car that I have encountered has at least one or two issues that are introduced during assembly at the factory. This Pioneer Camaro is no exception. Upon close examination after removing the car from its display case, I discovered three minor anomalies that required attention prior to taking the car to the track.

The first thing that I noticed was significant horizontal play in the rear axle. This was causing the spur and pinion gears to come uncomfortably close to disengaging, as shown by the red arrow in the photo below. I thought that it might be the result of wheels not being pressed all the way on, however, I could not press them any further so it wasn’t that.

The solution turned out to be twofold: First, I added a second axle spacer as indicated by the yellow arrow in the following photo. Second I moved the pinion outward on the motor shaft by about 1 mm. These two actions eliminated the axle play and allowed the gears to align correctly, as highlighted by the red arrow.

The next thing that caught my attention was a rough scratching noise when I rotated the guide by hand. You could feel that something was scraping the wall of the guide housing. The red arrow in the following photo shows that one of the lead wire terminals was bent forward which forced it into contact with the guide opening wall.

Bending the terminal back toward the guide post was a simple yet effective fix.

The final issue encountered was an obvious one. The front axle assembly could hardly be turned because the wheels were pressed onto the axle too far, causing the hubs and axle spacers to bind with the bushings. Moving the wheels outward by a minute amount allowed the axle assembly to spin freely.

Performance Testing

There was no sign of lubrication of running gear anywhere. So, the pinion and spur gears were lightly greased, and the motor and axle bushings were all oiled. Braids were flared slightly and bent down at approximately a 30° angle. The motor and gears were allowed to break in at 5-6 volts with rear wheels elevated for about 20 minutes. Nothing else was done to the car.

All testing was performed on my relatively twisty 61’ NINCO road course home track:

• Power: Pyramid PS-26KX @ 12 volts DC.
• Throttle: Parma Economy 35 and 25 ohm controllers.
• Timing: Lap Timer 2000 with homemade IR light bridge.

I ran the car for about 25 laps with the [very strong] magnet installed. I did not time the laps because I don’t usually run this type of car with a magnet. However, I wanted to be able to convey my subjective impression of magnet performance. With the magnet installed the car is very fast through the turns and requires minimum throttle control. As has always been my experience with strong magnets, I am able to perceive very little, if any, feedback prior to “snapping” out of the slot when exceeding the limit of adhesion in a corner. Regardless, I am confident that those who run their cars this way will be more than satisfied with its performance.

Next, with the magnet removed, I ran the Pioneer Camaro casually, without timing, for about an hour. Slowly working up to its limits on the NINCO track. The car runs smoothly with a definite feeling of control. It’s a little more tail happy than I expected, but I’m confident that the tires will eventually “true” themselves on the rough NINCO track surface and handling will steadily improve. When I finally decided to time some laps, it only took six laps to reach a fast lap of 8.195 seconds, and I wasn’t really pushing that hard.

This is already faster than my [well-tuned] Pioneer Mustang and is a very encouraging starting point for this track. I could be quite satisfied with the performance exhibited at this point. However, I believe that for those who run without the magnet on plastic track or on routed wood tracks, and/or always want to take their slot cars to the ultimate level of performance, there are additional gains to be extracted from this car. For example, truing the wheels and tires and finding the places where added ballast will enhance stability will undoubtedly lower the lap times.

A note on body float: I have found that one of the most important criteria for superior handling when running no-mag or on wood is adequate body float. As experienced racers are aware, loosening the body mounting screws to allow the body to float or rock freely over the chassis will “de-couple” the inertia of the body from the chassis. This tends to enhance handling by allowing the car to stay in the slot at higher speeds in the corners. However, in its stock condition the Camaro’s body cannot be made to float in the manner previously described due to two design characteristics:

1.) There are several “mounting clips” (indicated by the red arrows below) that hold the front spoiler in position. Because the nose of the chassis fits underneath these clips it is held in place and vertical movement is restricted. The front mounting screws can even be left out and the chassis is still secured to the body by these clips.

2.) The lower edge of the body panels fits over the edge of the chassis, effectively creating a “clamshell”, interfering with any potential float, even when the body mounting screws are loosened. This is different from the Mustang where there is room between the body and chassis edges, allowing the body to float freely over the chassis.

The required modifications to the body and chassis needed to introduce body float to this car are well within the capability of the majority of slot racing enthusiasts. Once this is accomplished the car should be highly competitive in serious no-mag and wood track racing. Regardless, in my experience, the Pioneer Camaro performed very respectably without the benefit of body float — or any other tuning for that matter. So there is certainly no serious mechanical acumen or exotic tuning skill required to really enjoy this car. Which is really good news for me. :)

Summary

For me the Pioneer Alan Green Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 represents the best balance among appearance, performance and price in a slot car that I have encountered in quite a while. While it did take a long time to finally appear, I am convinced that it was worth waiting for. If you are a fan of the original Trans-Am racing era or just have a soft spot for late 1960’s Camaros, you will do well to acquire this slot car. Whether this is your first Pioneer Trans-Am or an addition to an existing stable, I am confident that you will not be disappointed.

It’s nice to see Pioneer starting to roll out new quality products again. If this car is representative of what will be coming along in the future, then I think we have much to look forward to.

Thanks to BRS Hobbies for sponsoring this review.

_Michael Ashton

Tuning the New Carrera GT Slot Cars for NINCO Track

By Michael Ashton

Just about every slot car made has certain characteristics that are necessary for good performance on any track. Round, true wheels and tires; well matched, smooth meshing gears; a soft tire compound that provides adequate grip and a host of other design criteria that collectively define a "good" slot car. However, even though the general criteria may have been met, there are always issues that are unique to the specific track surface that must be dealt with in order to facilitate good performance and, therefore, a satisfying slot car experience. The differences presented between a routed wood track and sectional plastic track are obvious. But the differences between the major slot car manufacturers' plastic track surfaces are also significant. And it is common knowledge that these same manufacturers design and construct their cars to perform best on their own particular track surface.

Carrera has been producing some really nice 1/32nd scale cars lately, especially in the GT and DTM classes. I have acquired several of these cars and my impression is that Carrera has made significant strides in both performance and appearance, while maintaining a very reasonable price point. Remember though that these cars are optimized for Carrera 1/24 track. And the differences between Carrera and NINCO track are neither subtle nor trivial. To Summarize:

• Carrera 1/24 track has a smooth, rigid surface. The NINCO surface is rough and can be irregular in the sense of an actual paved surface.
• Carrera 1/24 track has a deep, wide slot. The NINCO slot is relatively deep but much narrower.
• Carrera 1/24 track rails are flush with the track surface and are made from low ferrous stainless steel which minimizes magnetic down force. The NINCO rails are raised above the track surface and are made from mild, high-ferrous steel which accentuates magnetic down force.

This means that it is unlikely that these cars will run really well out-of-the-box on NINCO track. In fact, the stock Carrera guide, made for that deep and wide Carrera slot, can prevent the car from running on NINCO track at all. So, here are some really attractive model cars, at a very good price and I want to run them on my NINCO home track. The questions for me are: can they be made to run well (really well) on NINCO track; and at what cost; and how much skill and effort will be required? In other words, will the affordability of the Carrera cars be eclipsed by the need for aftermarket parts or special tools? The rest of this article documents my efforts to tune a Carrera GT for NINCO track and hopefully answers those questions.

The Car

I have a number of GT cars from various manufacturers and I have to say that it is a slot car class that I really enjoy. The cars look good and usually handle very well as slot cars go. One car make that I did not have was an Aston Martin. So when I saw how attractive the Carrera release of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 looked I decided without hesitation to get it to run on my NINCO track. And hopefully not just run, but run well. Competitive with other GT cars in my collection.

My initial reaction to the Aston Martin Vantage V12's appearance is that Carrera is maintaining, and even enhancing, their commitment to quality and detail with each new model that they release.

Paint, Tampo printing, fit, finish and level of detail of this model are as good as any from a mainstream manufacturer in my collection.

The Carrera chassis is typical of their GT offerings that I have seen over the last year or so. It still uses their proprietary guide/braid system and the direction reversing switch circuit, however, it is much lighter and simpler overall than the typical Carrera chassis of just a few years ago. The motor is the tried and true (and consistent) E-200 which produces about 20,000 rpm and 100 gcm of torque at 12 volts. The motor is coupled to a nylon 27t/9t gear system that is remarkably smooth and quiet.

Out-of-the Box Evaluation

The Carrera Aston Martin V12 Vantage comes with the now familiar pair of bar magnets installed. One just in front of the motor mount and a second, narrower, just behind the motor mount underneath the pinion.

--- Mid-chassis ---               -------- Rear --------

Both magnets come with a metal shim, or spacer, that allows the magnet to be raised a slight amount in its holder. This effectively provides eight distinct down force settings. The factory configuration has the spacer installed below the magnets, therefore, in the raised position.

I can't bring myself to remove a new car from the box, place it on the track and start running immediately. So, I lubricated the motor armature with a micro drop of oil at each end and ran the car with the rear wheels raised off the track at about four volts. Bushings and gears were already well lubricated. After about ten minutes of this simple break in procedure, I placed the car on the track and began running laps. Actually I should say lap. The car could not travel more than 24 inches with the long and thick stock Carrera guide in the narrow NINCO slot. Of course this was not a surprise, but in the interest of being thorough and methodical, it had to be attempted. Regardless, the solution to the problem was already in hand.

The black guide pictured below is the stock guide that is installed on virtually every Carrera car at the factory. It is designed for the deep, wide slot of Carrera 1/24 track. It also is very effective in routed wood tracks where a deep wide routing bit has been used. Unfortunately, cars equipped with this guide are virtually undriveable on NINCO, Scalextric [Classic] and SCX track due to binding in the narrower slots of these track systems.

The solution to the problem is the red alternative (replacement) guide, part number 85309 available from Carrera, pictured above and far right. This guide is shorter, thinner and slightly shallower than the stock guide. Installing this guide in the Aston Martin solved the problem immediately.

I feel that the two stock magnets in their raised position provide all the down force necessary to achieve the lowest lap times possible at a given voltage on NINCO track. I ran the car this way for about 100 laps. Although the car was quite "stuck down", it was still necessary to operate the throttle through turns, although the rear end would not slide prior to "snapping" out of the slot due to exceeding the narrow adhesion threshold characteristic of high down force racing. The motor became only mildly warm to the touch and I would say that the car was fun and interesting to run this way. My fastest lap was 6.388 seconds which I believe to be as fast as the laws of physics will allow on my track. Lap times were consistently in the mid 6 second range. I'm confident that most hardcore hair-on-fire magnet missile aficionados would be reasonably satisfied with this performance and could easily improve on it.

For this type of racing I don't think that there is any further tuning that would yield measurable improvements in performance. At this point I consider the Carrera Aston Martin V12 Vantage to be a very good running magnet racer on NINCO track. However, I would like the car to run just as well with much milder magnetic down force and/or no magnet at all. This fits with my personal goal of superior performance that is also realistic to watch and more subtle to achieve through the controller.

Tuning

First I removed the rear magnet and left the mid-chassis magnet in place in its raised position, running about 25 casual laps. Next I removed the mid-chassis magnet and ran another 25 laps. I didn't bother running with the rear magnet alone because the performance is not that much different than an LMP car. In any event, low mag and no mag performance were not inspiring to say the least. There was noticeable hop/chatter when powering through "S" turns and spontaneous desolating when accelerating out of some turns. But that wasn't surprising given the pedigree of the car. It is designed for magnet racing on a much smoother surface. Nevertheless, I sensed that better low/no mag performance was not only attainable, but not that far off.

At this point it would be easy to start chopping up the chassis and replacing parts. Install an aftermarket guide assembly, aluminum setscrew wheels, Slot.it drive train, etc. And there is no doubt that this would result in a much better performing slot car. But these are cars that are intended for the home racer and track. Casual slot car enthusiasts like myself who don't have a tire/wheel truer or a machine shop at their disposal. So my goal was to achieve the maximum improvement in performance possible without incurring additional expense and by relying solely on my limited but tenacious tuning talent.

From my standpoint, the basic foundation of a good running slot car was already in place: the tires and wheels are round and true; the tire compound provides more than adequate grip; the chassis and body, although characteristically on the heavy side, are straight and absent any distortion; all moving parts have adequate clearance with body/interior/chassis; and the drive train is sound. That being the case, in my experience the most important tuning opportunity lies in optimizing guide position relative to the rails and creating unrestricted float between the body and chassis.

The Carrera guide in their GT chassis' tends to ride a little high. This can be seen when the car sits in a slot on a flat surface such as a set up block. See the photo below:

However, the raised rails of the NINCO track tend to minimize this issue, especially when running with [even a mild] magnet. Also, the Carrera braids are relatively thick and stiff which tends to preclude the need for a truly planted guide. The photo below shows good braid-to-rail contact and a guide flag that sits reasonably low in the slot. This proved to be adequate for the low mag configuration, therefore, nothing was done to the guide for low mag operation.

Next is the issue of body float which, in my opinion, is the most important issue for low/no mag operation on NINCO track. This is because the rough track surface produces very high grip, especially during steep acceleration in turns. If the body is fastened tightly to the chassis or is in contact with the chassis edges, the inertia of the body is transferred to the chassis. This will result in wheel chatter during braking into or acceleration out of a corner, and/or de-slotting due to rolling or front end lifting when exiting a corner. Normally, loosening the body mount screws one or two turns will alleviate these problems. However, there are some design issues which require a little more effort for the Carrera cars.

A very common problem that can inhibit a free floating body is contact between the sides and/or ends of the body and the edges of the chassis. The Aston Martin side panels are a snug fit to the chassis and were definitely contacting, or catching on, the sides of the chassis, as pictured below.

Using a sanding or emery board, file the edge of the chassis along the area where the body panel is touching. The following photo shows the same area after sanding. Note the small, uniform gap that now exists between body and chassis.

The next issue, pictured below, are the rear body mounting post (left) and and the corresponding mounting base of the chassis. The base has a lip that surrounds the post and the post has two tabs (red arrows) that fit into slots in the base's lip. Presumably this is intended to maintain body/chassis alignment by preventing any horizontal play between body and chassis. The two front mounting post/base combinations are similar. This system of mounting is found in a number of slot cars. In the case of the Aston Martin, the combination of the lip and tabs creates a very tight virtual "snap" fit that effectively prevents any body float at all—even with the body mounting screws loosened.

One solution that has been used in the past is to grind/file away the mounting base's lip. But the mounting base's in this car are difficult to access for filing and this would still leave the tabs to possibly interfere with body float. So, I decided to deal with the mounting posts alone.

The following photo shows the modifications applied to all three mounting post(s). Approximately three millimeters of the tabs was removed at the end of the post, shown by the red arrow. Then the edge of the post's end was beveled (rounded) so that it no longer catches the mounting base lip when the body moves vertically or at an angle, indicated by the yellow arrow. The only tools required for this modification are a sharp hobby knife and a narrow emery board.

The body was reinstalled on the chassis and the three body mounting screws were loosened by two full turns from the tight position. The effect of introducing unrestricted body float was immediately positive and measurable. Lap times without a magnet were consistently in the 8.6 second range with a fast lap of 8.375. With the mid-chassis magnet installed lap times dropped to a 7.5 second average with a fast lap of 7.297. These are very respectable times on my track. More importantly, there was no chatter in the turns and the car exhibited no tendency to de-slot unless clearly overdriven in the turns.

The only remaining issue with body float was the mounting screws themselves. Carrera uses a relatively wide diameter screw with a deep thread. This was causing the screws to catch on the edges of the chassis mounting hole when the body moved vertically. Therefore, a 1/8" drill bit was used by hand to increase the chassis mounting hole size ever so slightly. Please note that I'm referring to the chassis mounting holes—not the body mounting posts. This eliminated the mounting screw rubbing problem. Now the body truly floated over the chassis, while still secured by the mounting screws.

The final action taken was to lower the guide flag. There are only two ways that I know of to lower the Carrera guide assembly. One is to lower the front ride height, either by installing lower profile tires or modifying the front axle bushing holders to allow the bushings to sit higher in the cradles. The other is to replace the entire guide assembly with an aftermarket assembly such as B-NOVA and a NINCO guide. Neither approach would fit with the goal of no additional expense and no significant surgery.  Although I believe that the vertical position of the stock guide assembly is adequate, I decided to shim the guide flag to see if any advantage could be gained. The flag (or keel) of the Carrera guide is a separate piece that can be lowered with a properly configured shim. In this case, a #8 nylon washer with the sides trimmed to the same width as the guide flag's base. This allows the washer to fit snugly between the braids and keeps the vertical tab at the front of the flag positioned properly inside the slot of the guide assembly swivel plate.

The guide flag now sits about 1.5 mm lower in the slot as can be seen clearly in the following photo.

Lowering the guide flag in this fashion did not significantly reduce lap times, however, it did make them more consistent. Now there was a sense that the car could be driven a little harder into and out of the turns. I would consider lowering the guide flag to be less than critical to obtain better performance, but well worth trying, especially for no-mag running.

The following table lists lap times for all the various tuning steps and combinations of magnet placement. Lap times from the third row on were recorded after all tuning steps were taken. The final row times reflect the shimmed guide flag. These times are comparable to NINCO 1 PLUS GT's that run very well on my NINCO home track.

All testing was performed on my relatively twisty 61' NINCO home track:

• Power: Pyramid PS-26KX @ 12 volts.
• Throttle: NINCO 55 Plus.
• Timing: Lap Timer 2000 with homemade IR light bridge.

Tools required for all modifications:

• Hobby or utility knife with a sharp blade.
• Medium grit emery board or sandpaper.
• 1/8" drill bit (turned by hand).

Summary

The Carrera Aston Martin V12 Vantage is now, by far, the best running Carrera car on my analog NINCO track. And the only additional expense incurred was the cost of the smaller Carrera alternative guide flag which is obviously negligible. It's likely that performance could be enhanced even further with the aftermarket parts replacements previously mentioned. However, in my case the goal is not to compete with Slot.it and NSR. The goal is to optimize performance of a stock Carrera GT car on NINCO track. I believe that has been accomplished. The Carrera Aston Martin V12 Vantage is now fun to run. My preferred configuration is with the mid-chassis magnet installed over the spacer. This yields performance that is very similar to no-mag with just enough down force to allow moderately aggressive driving through the turns.

If you run on NINCO track and are contemplating the acquisition of a recent Carrera release, or already have one that is not performing as well as you would like, try these tuning actions. You will have virtually nothing to lose and I'm confident that you will be pleased with the result.

This article is a service to our slotting friends made possible by BRS Hobbies, who kindly provided the Carrera Aston Martin V12 Vantage "Young Driver" slot car reviewed here.

_Michael Ashton