Highwood Pre-War Classic

The Highwood Pre-War Classic is a new series of races that Andy and I have set up.  We're racing sixteen of our handbuilt 1930s racers (four are mine, the rest are Andy's - and he still has a few more!) with strict rules to help keep them all in good condition.  Only two deslots are allowed - if you have a third, your car is out of the race.  Similarly, if you run out of fuel, no little top-ups to let the race continue - you're out.

We're using a World Cup heats approach - four heats of four cars, with the winner and runner-up of each heat going into the semi-finals, with the winner and runner-up of each semi-final forming the line up for the four car final.  In each race, it's three points for a win, one point for second, nil points if you don't finish, plus a bonus point for the fastest lap.

Our first heat earlier this week was between a Bugatti, a Bentley, an Austin 7 and the Jones Stutz Special.


The Bugatti was fast, stayed in the slot and stormed it.  The Bentley was slow and got nowhere.  The 7 was quick but (with James driving) had a propensity to roll and failed to finish half its races.  The Jones put in a respectable showing, and with the Bugatti is now on to the semi-finals.

American Muscle Car Challenge

I had some close racing with Stuart this morning and we decided to capture it in a short video.

We had the usual calamities - and seemed to lose more the average number of wheels this session:

We also managed to collide at the Carousel cross-over, flipping the Lancia 037 and catapulting the Ford RS200 onto the lower track and over the barrier near the grandstand.  No plastic people were harmed.

"I don't make mistakes. I make prophecies that immediately turn out to be wrong."

I finally got round to painting the two packs of figures I bought from Slot Track Scenics earlier this year.  They also sell the camera crew and tower, and the fencing I've used around the track.

The first is another camera crew and photographer, with two commentators - pretty clearly the classic F1 commentary combination of Murray Walker and Martin Brundle.

They are now installed by the pit garages, with the MRRC camera figures relocated to the Folly Carousel.

The second set are paramedics with an injured driver...

...and they are now setup alongside a rolled BMW on the approach to the first hairpin.