January, 2022 - Stewart Raceway

New F1/Indy Class?

HCSlots “Sportsman” chassis (short wheelbase position)

Well, not really new, just a little different twist on a theme we’re already supporting. The short story is that we’re proposing putting an F1/Indy hardbody on a Viper-Jet platform.

Please check out the details in the Stewart Raceway Forums here. And, please comment there also. Obviously, we need to discuss and sort out the related rules, though it’s pretty much “U-Build Viper-Jet” rules with just a body, wheelbase, and front-end change. The pics here are just two different V-Spec models but you’ll get the idea.

V-Spec with MegaG+ front hubs and tires (short-wheelbase position)

Yea, I agree, we don’t really need to introduce a new class right now. However, this one is a slam-dunk and should be a great addition to our racing program going forward.

In fact, if enough interest, we’ll debut this class of car at the next Formula “e” Oval race. One more oval layout event in this series, just need to decide when.

Okay, let the discussion begin!

Concourse d` Elegance Competition

Beautifully prepared TFX IROC set courtesy of George Peters

Just a reminder that we’re going to have a Concourse d` Elegance trophy awarded at the end of the current Formula “e” Series.

Actually going to have two awards: An individual car winner; and an IROC “car set” winner. Hope this motivates some to bring some cool IROC sets to the final race.

George is leading in points for the IROC set award after presenting the bodies for the Round 2 TFX “Lites” race.

Round 3 is this Saturday, January 29, at 10:00AM. Register now!

SR3 Update: Elevations and Banking Set

Yep, the initial setup is done. Of course, all adjustable at any time but this is what we’ll open SR3 with. Pictures don’t really do it justice. You can see it in person at Round 3 of the 2022 Formula “e” Series, January 29.

Right-click and open in a new browser tab for full-size images. The entrance to Turn 1 (oval).

Down-slope, off-camber exit from Turn 4. No slam-dunk getting to the finish line here.

Lower banking on entrance to Turn 1 (oval) and higher banking on Turn 2 exit. A little bump in the middle of the corner to make things more interesting for all types of cars.

No idea how this setup will work with the various cars we run, we’ll sort it out.

Plenty of work left to do, including completely securing each track piece to the table. This becomes more important in the summer season when the heat tends to expand the Sintra roadway material. I’ll likely end up securing each piece every 8″ or so.

Once I get all the pieces secured, it’s time to get going on the wiring, which is always a challenge when you use multiple RMS (timing system) setups. While I was leaning towards abandoning SlotTrak due to their recent crazy mandatory hardware upgrade, I decided to invest in that hardware upgrade for SR3 to try it out.

SR3 also has some new features that require a completely different track wiring design. I won’t go into the details here but the plan is to be able to change the voltage for each lane at the driver’s station (and computer). This supports drivers to test different cars at whatever voltage they like while also permitting the Race Director to reset the lane voltages at race time. It’s complicated but the hope is that it benefits driver/team track time by allowing practice sessions of virtually any type of car on the track at the same time. Yea, a bit sketchy but much more productive track/testing days.

Don’t forget! Round 3 of the Formula “e” Series is Saturday, January 29, 2022. Get registered now!

Okay, shut up and drive!

Jag Hobbies PR-5 and MG/MG+ F1/Indy Body G2

Round 2 of the Fe Series indicated that the AFX/RaceMasters injected-molded F1/Indy bodies may not be the hot setup, at least for oval track racing.

The Round 2, 400-lap, PR-5 “race-winning” body was a rather heavy 3d-printed 2021 F1 body. The only modification was some slight removal of underside material to get the body to sit at the proper attitude for racing, a very minor and quick mod, which is not required for the intended MG/MG+ 1.7 chassis.

Here are the weights of a few of the bodies campaigned in Round 2 of the 2022 Formula “e” Series. The Viper and Gary Fast bodies are shown for reference.

VSR Formula V Hardbody for VSPEC Chassis

Gary Fast (Fastbodies) 2010 Indy Dallara

No idea yet what is the best choice for both oval and road racing but hope this info helps. The current rules aren’t real specific so you can lighten any of these bodies. However, if you lose a rear or front wing, or otherwise break off a significant piece of the body while racing, you could be DQ’d.

“GP Designs” 1968 Camaro TFX Bodies

Yea, George took my prize TFX IROC bodies to his studio and gave them a sweet makeover. Needless to say, I’m impressed by the detail and workmanship.

These bodies are beautiful and very functional in terms of handling. They come out of the package a little high for racing but can be easily lowered and the wheel-wells opened a bit to clear the front tires. Rear wheel-wells are fine for stock TFX rear assemblies but may need to be opened for Jag TR-3 applications.

George knows I like numbers with a seven in them and this livery didn’t disappoint. We raced these in Round 2 of the Formula ‘e” Series on the oval over completely stock OS3 TFX chassis’ and everyone felt like they worked very well.