What's coming - Part two

We have run into some snags with the planned T-Jet Legends of Stock Car Racing. Mainly money issues and driver issues. There were originally plans to have 20+ cars, we do have the chassis, about half of them are complete and the other half need things ranging from wheels and tires, gears, axles and a few need pick up shoes. The last couple of days we sat down and made a parts list on what it would take, including decals, to get the 20 cars ready. It came out to $223.89. Roughly $12 a car but right now well beyond all of our means.

Our alternative has always, ALWAYS been to run the Tyco 440X2 chassis that is available from Tyco for under $3 with either an AMG Rocket Dirt Mod or a Late Model body. A complete car including decals would run $8. There would be no restriction on decals or having to tech body height, the cars would be dead stock and have their traction magnets removed. The cost for 22 brand new cars would be $176, or nearly $50 less than what used T-Jets would be.

We have raced this class at Sequoia before with great success, and they work will with the magnets replaced on the banked tracks. The body is extremely sharp looking, Pete would even sponsor the class with free bodies for anyone entering at least 2 chassis. It would appear that this would be the best way to go, it's a great way to get people into cheap racing and it promotes AMG Racing too.

The decision will be made sometime in the next two weeks, but I have anticipated a good answer and already ordered 6 chassis just for myself and 6 for Sarah. Pete already has 5 or 6 so we're already going to be close to 18 of the minimum 22 cars this class will call for. Either way, Rocket Concept Mod or Late Model, this is going to be the new, inexpensive way to run locally.

The cost rub goes deeper than an average of $12 a car. The cost to introduce a new T-Jet into the series would be $25-$30 each. The 440X2's stay at about $8.

Let's break this down over a 3 car team (a primary and two back-ups). $3.00 each for the chassis plus shipping, so let's say $4 each for a total of $12. Bodies, which I'll sell for $1 each, so now we're up to $15. Add a sheet of Patto's decals (you can do 3 identical cars from one HO sheet) for $8 with shipping and that's $23. That's 3 440X2 class cars for the price of one class legal T-Jet, or about $7.60 per car.

Let's look at performance now, the current T-Jet track record at Sequoia is 2.16 seconds, the 440X2 record is 2.07 seconds. Not that much difference there. With T-Jet's you pretty much are wide open all the way around, and if you're on the outside you can flat foot it. With the 440X2's you have to drive them, you have way too much horsepower. You get on it too soon you're going to go around, you hesitate and you're going to get passed.

Dirt Mods or Late Models are apples and oranges really, the chassis is what makes the difference.

I like this idea! I mean, I know that the Legend of Stock Cars is something that Pete has been wanting to do, but until things change economically, this is a good alternative. Just be sure to come back to the LoSC race idea later.

I also think that this sort of racing is great because it can be replicated ANYWHERE! What a great, low cost, fun racing idea! And you get THREE cars for the price of one? You can't beat that!

I've been wanting to grab some of those 440x2 cars to refresh my old Tyco cars from when I was a kid. I'm still hoping and praying that my cash flow changes - like the rest of us. I sure hate continuing to sell my slot car fleet.

Great idea and good luck with getting it going guys and gals!
PD2

And honestly I'd say that the Prelude to the Dream cars are just as attractive of a choice as the Legends series would be. The late models will use all of the decals from a NASCAR stocker sheet with room to spare and you could have the great classic Ford-Dodge-Chevy-Toyota battle too.

I have some of the regular 440 cars with the bar magnet, without that magnet they're the same as the X2's without the magnet, so I'm there with my 7 or 8 cars. I just need some new tires but I have some LL cars I can rape the tires from to run with. Let's get this going, I need to do some testing.

I'm working on making a relief mold of the rare Stealth Late Model that came before the current Outlaw version. I have one body left to fill with epoxy to make a mold from out of only 6 that I made. This will give a little variation.

I have one of those 6 - Truex's car. Those cars are VERY cool too! Just wish we could find tires with the yellow writing like this again. I enjoy running mine around my oval!

PD2

Paul, they come with the $3 Tyco chassis. If not Patto's makes a great decal for the tires in Goodyear, Firestone and Hoosier.

I made 6, you got the Truex car, which coincidently is the same as the cars I'll be offering for $15, so you are class legal! My Kenseth car was #2, the one I used for the mold was #3, #4 and #5 went to Yoshi and #6 went to the guy who was supposed to do our sprint car decals and didn't. The Stealth is more "swoopy" where the Outlaw is smooth, and the Outlaw is the evolution of that mold. The Stealth is also the only car that I molded windows into, something that I very rarely do.

Pete McKay wrote:Paul, they come with the $3 Tyco chassis. If not Patto's makes a great decal for the tires in Goodyear, Firestone and Hoosier.

I made 6, you got the Truex car, which coincidently is the same as the cars I'll be offering for $15, so you are class legal! My Kenseth car was #2, the one I used for the mold was #3, #4 and #5 went to Yoshi and #6 went to the guy who was supposed to do our sprint car decals and didn't. The Stealth is more "swoopy" where the Outlaw is smooth, and the Outlaw is the evolution of that mold. The Stealth is also the only car that I molded windows into, something that I very rarely do.

SWEET! I'll remember that as I refresh my old cars to grab an extra one for updating the Truex car too!

So what you are saying is I have a rare car from TEAMG and that I should probably shelf queen it due to it's uniqueness? Man, you should have told me I would not have run it - but man it has been fun to run!

I can't wait to be able to order some of these! I just hope you are still doing the ones I want to get when I do.

PD2

LOL, it WAS rare. Sort of like the original 1966-1967 427 Cobra's. Now that I've make a mold of it again it won't be so rare but there are a few changes between the first run and the cars that will be made from this mold.

What we've decided to do is instead of drawing car numbers this time we will do NASCAR teams. Yoshi had first choice since he won the last series with these cars and took Hendrick Motorsports. He will do all of the cars from there, Gordon, Johnson, Dale Jr and Mark Martin. I will have Roush-Fenway Racing with Kenseth, Edwards, Ragan, Jamie Mac and Biffle. Sarah will probably drive for Hendrick-Nagura and Jim Jr will hopefully drive for me. This works when you have more than one team car in a heat or main and can get your second driver in to fill the grid.

The only other participant interested is Dave Armstrong who has said he'd like to get involved as a team owner but hasn't said which one. I'll do a Stewart-Haas Racing (Stewart and Newman) for rentals if nobody steps up to claim it.

YES! Stewart-Haas Racing is "smokin" right now! Tony has probably driven better than I have EVER seen him drive and appears to be keeping a fairly cool head on his shoulders - definitely not a Smoke norm. I know it is still early, but you have to admit S-H Racing is rockin!

No worries on the rarity - not like I was planning to sell that one anytime soon. All the customs like that are planned to be kept and not sold (and if they are, the original creators will have first dibs).

PD2

The old guy misunderstood. We will be picking individual cars by number, but I wanted first pick and it would be a Hendrick car. Not sure who just yet but I have first draft. The top 12 available for the draft are:

Stewart
Gordon
Johnson
Newman
Kurt Busch
Edwards
Biffle
Kenseth
Reutimann
Hamlin
Martin
Kahne

Note that 3 of the 5 Hendrick cars are in the top 12, and that 3 of the Roush cars are too, but both of the Stewart-Haas cars are. Those 3 teams make up 8 out of 12.

Once the top 12 are picked then you can pick any other car. Sort of like fantasy racing.

Now that's a cool format too. Still, I'd have to have the SHR pair together. LOL!!

Good luck on the picks guys! GIT R DUN!

PD2