|
'Thunderdrome' High Speed Racing
|
Opening Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday & Friday
9.00am - 6.00pm
Saturday
9.00am - 4.30pm
Shopping Basket
You currently have no items in your basket.
Transponders
All you need to know 
|
|
 Calshot 2007
Many Thanks To Karon Swan For The Great Photography
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Day’s Racing At Calshot Velodrome
On Sunday 12th March 2006 South Hants Model Car club ran an oval race meeting at Calshot velodrome near Southampton in Hampshire and I just had to go. I arrived at 8.45am not knowing what to expect. I walked into the large hanger type building, down some steps and was confronted by a large wooden oval indoor cycle track with 30-degree high-banked curves. By about 9.15 there were nearly 60 of us all fitting the largest pinions we could find to our cars, fortunately Phil from Reality Racing had bought along a big box of pinions plus a heap of other spares which was handy considering the stock touring cars would be racing at about 30mph and some of the modified cars at over 50mph. Plenty of crashes I would think. There were a few drivers that had arrived prepared due to them participating in last years event at which I understand only 30 drivers raced.
|
|
|
Two classes 27turn stock and modified (including brush less) were catered for. I was competing in the 27turn class, I fitted a 35 tooth pinion to my RDX then turned down the steering to 50% and once my cells were ready I was out to practice. It took a few feet togather speed, but was it fast, I just could not keep it straight.
|
|
I pulled over, turned the steering down to about 25% and was off again. That’s better, much more controllable now. After circulating for about 5 minutes I started to get the hang of it, but it was not easy by any means. It was difficult enough staying on the track without trying to pass slower cars at these speeds especially as the grip wasn’t ideal, but better than expected. Anyway we all ran 2 heats. I managed 12th out of 36 in 27turn that put me bottom of the ‘B’ final.
|
|
 |
From there it all started to go wrong. I went out on the first leg of the two-legged final and found I had interference, not nice at these speeds, so I pulled off. For the second leg I disconnected my new motor fan, which seemed to solve the problem after about 3 minutes and in forth place just exiting turn one the car veered right, off the track and over the barrier at the top of the banked corner. RACE OVER for me.
|
|
Fortunately when I eventually managed to retrieve my car it had only broken the front bumper & front shock tower, surprising considering a drop of about 20 feet on to concrete.
What an awesome experience.
CAN’T WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR!!!
Terry Crew
|
|
