District Race....CAN NOT EXPLAIN!!!!!!

[jarce]

Hey everybody...nice forum!!!!

Here's my big question...my son and I did most, if not all, of the tricks for his derby car; cut the back-glued to the front, com at .65" in front of back axle, wheel and axles sanded and polished to 8000, almost no wood left-so a lot of tungsten added, and pretty good alignment.

He won at his Pack but at the District got a second place behind a car that finished at least four cars ahead of him.

What else can you do to get that much of an advantage...other than maybe not following the rules!!!! The reason I say that is because I think he was using light wheels...against our rules...but, can lighter wheels make that big of a difference?

WHAT ELSE???

[5KidsRacing]

Mar 2, 2011 8:42:46 GMT -6 jarce said:

Hey everybody...nice forum!!!!

Here's my big question...my son and I did most, if not all, of the tricks for his derby car; cut the back-glued to the front, com at .65" in front of back axle, wheel and axles sanded and polished to 8000, almost no wood left-so a lot of tungsten added, and pretty good alignment.

He won at his Pack but at the District got a second place behind a car that finished at least four cars ahead of him.

What else can you do to get that much of an advantage...other than maybe not following the rules!!!! The reason I say that is because I think he was using light wheels...against our rules...but, can lighter wheels make that big of a difference?

WHAT ELSE???

Yes, light wheels could be the answer, but for that much of an advantage they would have to be running 1 gram wheels which are pretty easy to spot at check-in.

Was the other car running oil and your Son graphite? That is the more logical explanation.

[psycaz]

Do you have access to a test track to tune your car?

Do they have access to a test track to their car?

Better setup for the track in question?

Who's track was used at Districts? Was it from this person's pack?

The last one comes from an experience of my son. When he was a Web 1, he was the only person to break up all the boys from the same pack sweeping that rank that year. Ended up they were also from the pack who track was being used.

Nothing wrong with that, I just figured since they already knew the track, it helped them at by knowing how to build and tune for it.

[cutterracing]

Sorry to here about your sons loss. At our pack race we noticed a car shot out in front. He had lightened wheels. The Dad said it was legal because we passed it. It wasn't the sons fault so we let him race. His wife was a den leader and didn't talk to him for 2 weeks. He told me later ,he thought it was going to cause a divorce. A lesson learned for everyone! The following year we had tougher inspections.

[jarce]

Well, our track is a wood track with a gradual slope to a flat section, maybe 32' long; the track is in really good shape. The district track was a wood track too but maybe 40'+ long. The other car just jumped in front of everybody from the start.

I was not able to check the other car but our rules call for graphite, so that's what we used.

On another note, on a gradual slope track is +-.65" in front of the back axle the best location for the com? It worked this year but we had few races that were really close. I don't have access to a test tract and I was just wondering.

[5KidsRacing]

I think a .65" COM is fine... it might be a tad aggressive to use without a test track but there are other things you can improve upon to get you speed.

[psycaz]

Trying to find things that can account for it that are legal:

Could just be he had better alignment and bore prep. I have seen many a car jump out in front in races in the varying leagues. All those cars are built to the same rules and vigorously checked to make sure they adhere. Just sometimes a car has that get-up-and-go right off the pin.

Every time I get one of those, it dies on the flat for me.

A test track helps tremendously with that kind of stuff. Especially if you have enough room to set it up for whatever length you will be running at.

It could be as simple as they had access to a test track.

There is a HUGE difference in steer that is needed to win on a 40' track as opposed to 32'. You can get way, way more aggressive with the steer and not be affected by it. The flat length is short enough that it won't hurt as bad on 32'. Take that car and put it on a 40' track and it will seem like it has brakes for that last 8'.

My son always, always kicked my butt in scout races. My car was always faster on the 32'. He would take me on the 40' for district. Always the last 8'. Just steer.


Forgot to ask, who staged the cars? Could be something there too.

[jarce]

At the scout races is the boys, and my son is very meticulous staging the car; at the district is the eagle scouts and scout masters...and they don't put too munch effort in the staging phase. It could be one of the reasons.

As you mentioned, one of our issues is making a car that would win the 32' track (scout race) and be competitive for the 40' track (district).

If I'm able to find a test track, would it be better to use a 32' or a 40'?

[psycaz]

Mar 4, 2011 8:31:41 GMT -6 jarce said:

At the scout races is the boys, and my son is very meticulous staging the car; at the district is the eagle scouts and scout masters...and they don't put too munch effort in the staging phase. It could be one of the reasons.

As you mentioned, one of our issues is making a car that would win the 32' track (scout race) and be competitive for the 40' track (district).

If I'm able to find a test track, would it be better to use a 32' or a 40'?

I would always think longer is better. If you want to tune for the shorter distance, you can always take out a section. Can't do that if you don't have it.

Of course, you have to have room to setup 40'. Wish I had that room. 35' is too long, mine is 33.5' lol

I had to order a shortened section so it would fit in my basement.

As to your original questions - I would be sure that the staging at districts played a huge part.