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From: H+T Motor Racing
To: Tamar Nelwan 1/24 LMS
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2001 3:48 PM
Subject: spring steel chassis
Hello, first many thanks to Tamar, Willem, all the others of the SSP organisation
and also to Peter Meister with his family, for the great race event and
the nice hospitality in Kamp Lintfort.
Concerning the silver steel version, for a better understanding, here
are some general notes:
1.Powerfull engines, heavy crashes
Due to the experience in the Plafit European Championships in the years
1999 and 2000, racers have had to notice that with the fast engines (16d
and super 16d motors were also allowed due to regulations used before
in France) a "high speed" crash (where a car usually
hits the barriers in a diagonal way,on one side around one front or rear
wheel area) often resulted in a long Pit stop "rebending"
or replacing parts.
2. Heavy cars, heavy crashes
Similar informations were reported by drivers racing in other championships
or in endurance meetings. After a closer look into this matter, these
racers mostly were using standard engines but mainly in heavy cars (200+
gr).
Even with "slower" engines (like standard fox/cheetah or
like carrera and racegold tuning motors - both on high volts - or similar
engines), these cars handled so fine that they also reached high speeds
in both curves and straights.
3.Need for stronger chassis
Inquiries from "not-professional" drivers racing flexi-cars
(or similar style slotcars) was asking for a stronger chassis to
"use" like an realistic body on fast wooden tracks with 16d
or c-can motors. These racers do love to drive with the high speeds a
standard flexi-car offers, but they did not like the appearance of these
cars.
The excel shows great performance even when using hardplastic bodies,
but the chassis components seems to be to soft (for THIS type of racing!)
for the use on an regular base.
4. Evolution rather than revolution.
The notice of the above ends in a deeper look into this points. It is
true, that it makes no sence to build a car, to enter an endurance race,
or to travel a long distance to a meeting, when the racing activities
or a possible win can end too easy with a deformed chassis part ...
so the main question was how to make a better product to cover also the
special needs of the "serious" model car racers.f
Fact is, that the majority of all Plafit chassis is used by model-car-builders
and raced on home tracks (most popular chassis since many years is
the 124 "inliner" series). a
A smaller part is used in various types of active club racing, and the
smallest part is used by experts in serious (maybe this is the wrong
word, it should stand for racers wich are able to build and drive a car
on the maximum limit .....) model car competition events.
From the point of the market, it was not possible to produce a special
"new" chassis to cover the needs of the expert racers only,
because the demand is too small and with a very limited production the
price would be to expansive.
On the other side the Full-racing versions of both 124 and excel chassis
types offers such a big potentional even to experts, that a need of an
introducion of a "general" new chassis concept was also not
given.
But the target was to be able to offer an improved product for an acceptable
pricing to the real experts. So some new designs based on the actual chassis
were developed and a material research was done.
The following tests on different tracks and with various motors and tires,
shows that the updated version of the current chassis is they way to move.
5.The Pro Racing chassis.
In mid of 2001 the updated chassis called "Pro-racing"
was introduced. Both of the 124 and excel type chassis versions are produced
in an harder silver steel (non magnetic) material, major points
of the chassis main plates are redesigned to give a more rigid (but still
flexible) chassis with stronger axle mountings.
Due to the fact that the pro-racing is directly placed into the experts
market only, it was possible to supply them ready equipped with the fine
screws sets and the lower racing type body mount plates. Extras wich are
not popular in the regular market, but makes a difference in competition
racing ...
The Pro-racing is very sensible priced (bad euro exchange rate!),
and results in the costs for the designed of the new parts, more
expansive material costs and in an shorter lifetime of the use of
cutting tools (compared with the regular hardened material).
6."Old" Excel will remain in production
Important to note is, that the regular range of 1:24 scale chassis will
continue on in production.
The Pro-racing is added to the range as "the" chassis for the
top level in model car competition racing.
So race organisers can decide in their rules, if they will allow the pro-racing
versions or not.
If there are no reasons for a change (see points 1. to 3.), there
is no need given to change existing rules! Also, for racers who do not
have the need to reach the maximum in performance, there is no need to
use a full-racing or pro-racing version of a regular chassis!
Inline 124 still competitive
For the organisation of low cost effective racing series (wich do not
allow the use of expansive bodies or special racing equippments and variable
adjustable controllers), or a championships ideal for youngsters or
beginners, the "standard" 124 inliner chassis offers since years
a solid, very functional and universal way to race.
It is fully adjustable, simply to set up and for most drivers it is far
away from being slow ...!
best regards,
Kurt Petri
H+T Motorracing
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