Autobody Specialists Posted September 24, 2019 Report Share Posted September 24, 2019 (edited) Can't get enough racing? Saturday evening after the 8-hour enduro the Autobody Specilalists team (Blue Rx7 #139) is hosting a 1/64 scale drag race event to benefit the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, and we're hoping your team will participate. All it takes is a team entry fee of 5 new, in-the-package diecast vehicles, a pair of "competition" vehicles, (Yep, that's about $7.00 worth of toys) and a designated team starter, preferably sober, in case your team makes it to the final rounds. Basically it's a Pinewood Derby style event racing diecast 1/64 scale cars on a scale 1/4 mile dual-lane track. Just like real car drag racing the ultimate winner will have the best combination of fast car AND reaction time, and HAIL YEAH.. there will be custom trophies!! Check out the flyer for basic rules and info. Hotwheels and similar toys are proven to be important to children with autism and we couldn't think of a better benefactor for this event. Our goal to collect at least 500 new diecast cars to donate. Timothy Shannon operates a large Facebook group called "The Hotwheel House" and will be broadcasting our race live on his page, as well as leading the effort to present the donated toys to the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania at a special event a couple weeks after our race. He has asked the 4800 members of his page to donate cars as well. We very much appreciate that Champcar and the Pittsburgh International Raceway are supporting our event, and as mentioned we hope all the Champcar teams will participate. If you have questions please post them here or you can email them to me directly at 1058autobody@gmail.com Bruno - Autobody Specialists Edited September 25, 2019 by Autobody Specialists 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autobody Specialists Posted September 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2019 (edited) Thought we'd quick primer on our experience with diecast racers, as well as a few tips. The light blue/orange Gulf Nova is a typical mainline Hotwheel that can be found just about anywhere for a $buck. It would fall into the "Stock" category as it weighs less than 40 grams and has not been altered in any fashion. The yellow Nova started as a Gulf Nova and is a sample of a "Modified" version. It's been disassembled and fitted with a metal chassis & polished, graphite coated axles. The body has been lowered, wheel wells trimmed for clearance, repainted and then weighted to 60 grams. The modified vehicle will run about 3 tenths quicker than the stock vehicle on our scale 1/4 mile track. The black BMW is also a Modified vehicle with the only change being axle sets from a Faster Than Ever series Hotwheel and is also weighted to 60 grams. Faster Than Ever series Hotwheels feature nickle plated axles which typically produce less friction than a standard axle and are good choices for 1/64 diecast racing. Both the Yellow Nova and BMW will run similar ETs. However, having "the" car is not always an assurance of a win. The Silver Power Piston is another Modified class Hotwheel that has not been altered except for the external weights to achieve 58 grams, and strategically placed on the body. This particular vehicle finished 2nd overall in a race that drew more than 200 entries. The most critical factor seems to be how straight and true the vehicle runs over the length of the track. If you're testing cars pick them up and see how freely each wheel spins. Roll them on a flat surface to gauge how straight they track. Weigh them to get as close to the max allowed. Then just let 'em roll!! Edited September 25, 2019 by Autobody Specialists Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Bill Strong Posted September 25, 2019 Administrators Report Share Posted September 25, 2019 I just ordered a couple of these to donate. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FW0YZG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_998IDb6RS322J 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autobody Specialists Posted September 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2019 That's a sweet case. Looking forward to seeing what the Champcar community can come up with. We're putting together a bin full of Hotwheels by shop employees and the local Autozone store. Bruno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autobody Specialists Posted October 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 How about this one for an appropriate racer for the Saturday night HotWheel 500? It even comes with a start tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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