Australian Slot Car Racers Association

Hershman give the Wingcar results from the ADC on his show this week.Why didnt we get a mention.Im gonna do sumpin about it. Im gonna buy some more Wings build a King track in the loungeroom race against myself every damn night and send him the results.Then Im gonna form my own damn assc.and have my own bloody great World Champs and charge myself a bloody great big entry fee and give myself 1st,3nd and third place prize money.Then Im gonna sit back and wonder why no body else turned up.Thus is the way of our sport in Oz.Regards to myself BRAD.

Nobody posts the results - I would love to know what happened at the ADC - let me race you Brad and then you won't have so many trophys to look after - we can share them.

Hooray for me (and previously Stoo) for doing the Retro Reports at least

Very Good,...

Perhaps somewhat interesting then really isn't it, that somehow Ron Hershman is and has been made aware of the results, yet No One could be bothered putting up a simple 'post' in the Wing Car section of this Forum.

When I inquired some time ago about how come there was NO action / posts in the Wing Car section, I was informed that EVERYONE Just Uses effing Face-Ache-Book these days,.. except,.. try and find the Face-Ache page that deals with Australian Wing Car racing !!

Like I have often suggested, you could be forgiven for thinking the Race NEVER Happened !!

Sad really,..

I would like to race at your track too Brad,,but not a king, and lets stick to retro,s,,,cheetah motors only,,,,,not those crap retro hawks,,,,,,will bring light refreshments and a fishing rod also,,,,will be really good when I move up the coast in the future,,,,so looking forward to that,,,,,,,,,how big is your lounge room anyway ?????
Darryl

Hey gang,
Brad - Can I come too. Cant race by yourself!. If I had a King in my lounge room, I would only invite people I can beat ........ oh wait I would be racing by myself. I guess I would own all the track records.
Fox - We do look forward to reading your reports and are very grateful for you and Stop.
Stoo - This is my take on on what was reported on Ron and Ralphs show. Geoff Little posted the ADC wing car results on the King Willy Face Book site. I think he wanted to share the Vics good results in our race with the other Vic racers who were unable to come up. Most of the Victorians have a 'if it aint wing cars we aint interested' sort of attitude. Thats why it was wing car results only. Hersham is probably a Facebook friend with someone like Rick,Cody or Geoff. He saw the post and listed it as the ADC annual wing car race held at King Willys in Melbourne. (Because that was where the results were listed). Very nice of Ron to make mention of racing in Australia. Nobodies fault - cant blame him for an innocent error.
Most of the Raceways in Australia (including HSC) have a Facebook page under the name of the Raceway and results and pics get posted there. Having said that, not a lot of results on the HSC page.
I agree with you about posting Sedans and Wing Car results on the ASRA site, but reporting is voluntary and there does not seem much interest in writing up the reports. Maybe we can lobby Greg to be a reporter as he marshals at most racing nights at HSC and I have a vague recollection of him putting out a newsletter in the 1980's, so he has experience.
Darryl - Maybe you can use the Retro Hawks as sinkers when you are fishing at Brads place. If you run out, I have some spares. Probably won't work as the fish would outrun them. But it could be an interesting water break in.
I was talking to Geoff about Retro in Melbourne. They have swapped over to the Proslot FK motor from the Hawk. He reports close racing, consistent performance and no motor failures. Gee whats that like? I know that they run different Retro regs in Mexico, but it might be worthwhile following their results.
Looking forward to STR tomorrow.
Neil

I am pleased with your replies.Thanks guys.BRAD.

Just so you know Ron saw the posts on King Willys facebook page. No one sent the reports to the show. If anyone did they would have been aired im sure as they did when I sent in the Vic titles.

Also I informed Ron of the error as soon I viewed the ep

Thanks Jason.It was all tounge in cheek really. (I hope ).But it is good to have a bit of publicity these days.Regards BRAD.

Yeah !!
Thanks Jason !!

Realistically, I was merely 'concerned' that the 'Reporting' of a somewhat 'Long-Time' Event at (as far as I am Aware) the Oldest 'Still Existing' Australian Slot Car track !!

In a purely 'Historical' manner, it perhaps Would have been Nice for That Info' to actually have been 'Aired' and mentioned. Australia actually has a quite long and at times vaguely popular 'Commercial' Slotting History, similarly to the US, as Bowling also became Very popular here 'at that time' and the Two were somewhat intrinsically Linked,.. Let alone the Many tracks/centres built privately, like HSC.

Over on SlotBlog, there was a 'thread' discussing and 'listing' Tracks (Race Centres), that were Still in Existence and 'Noting' those that were Still at the Same Location, of which 'Waitara / HSC' is one of the VERY Few !!

Knowing it's History as I do, from my Personal involvement with the Centre since shortly after it Opened all those years ago, it is one could suggest, (Especially in These Modern times), almost an Unimaginable !!,...

It is I believe pretty close to the Same Age/Existence as 'Tom Thumb Raceways' in the States, with the Exception, that Unlike Tom Thumb, HSC does Not (perhaps sadly, Especially with regard to the Original 'Flat Track'), Still have it's Original Tracks.

Recently, there was some discussion about perhaps doing something Special for it's 50th Anniversary, but if you do the Sums, That Anniversary has Already passed !!....

I think it may even had made for some interesting News for the 'Yanks' to Hear about

Here is a Pic' of the Owner/Builder of the original tracks, standing with his partner, serving some customers, at the 'Original' Shop/Counter area, which is NOW the Kitchen area.
http://forum.ascra.com.au/viewtopic.php ... 8&start=15

Cheers,
Stewart

Stoo,you need to do a hookup with Ralph & Ron and let the world know of HSC,s proud history in the slot car world. Brad.

Hi gang,
What is the actual date that HSC opened?
Was it ever located in Hornsby?
I have often wondered why it was called Hornsby when it is in Waitara?
My family moved to Hornsby in 1964 and the Centre was opened then and yes Stoo that big 10 lane absolutely nothing resembling a bank track was a thing of beauty. I know by the mid 70's the banked track was fairly worn. Did the flat track wear out or was it felt it was time for change?
What year did the tracks get replaced?
The other piece of Australia's slot racing history is of course the track at SSME. I think someone told me it was built in 1966. It must be the oldest track in Australia, although not in the same place like HSC.
Neil

Hi Neil,... & Others

All Very Good Questions Neil,..

Others can and hopefully Will 'Chime-In', regarding Same.

In all honesty, I Do NOT have (at hand), the Exact 'Date' of it's initial Opening,.. but Will endeavour to find out,.. Perhaps Charles may know!!??

Initially, it was Known and 'Represented' itself as "Waitara Raceway", as far as I recall.
I think perhaps the "HSC" may have Started later during Martin D's ownnership OR perhaps When Charles Purchased the 'Enterprise'. ??

From some of the 'Older' Magazines 'posted' the Picture 'referenced' above, is in a 1966 Magazine but is Definitely Taken Earlier than that !!
Interesting that you ARE 'Aware' of it's Existence in 1964 !! (he Must have been building the Flat Track in 1963 !!)

I am pretty Sure that in the Pic above, the Flat Track may still have been the Only track there, as the Banked track was built slightly Later and (as suggested above), it Looks Early !!!!,... Especially with All those 'Kits' !!

What was in some ways interesting, was the Detail and in-built 'Ruggedness' and 'Build Quality' of Both the Tracks, Especially the Flat Track !!!!

He was a Cabinet Maker and So I guess figured He could 'Do it Right' and those that Know of it, Probably Agree that He DID
He also Often 'commented' that He would Never build Another track 'That Way', as it was Too Hard and Too much Work !!,..
It was Basically, a Number of very Solid 'Tabled' Sections all Bolted together, and SMOOOOTH AS !!! .

A 'Challenging' track, in fact in a similar 'fashion' to the current Smaller/Flat track at HSC today.

The 'Banked Track, was built Completely differently including 'Materials'.
Arguably perhaps also Far Easier, but Even He recognised a couple of 'Personal' "Won't do That Again" dissatisfactions I guess, as a builder,..
It was 'Based' on a 'Frame' Built and Secured to the Floor and apart from a Few Sections, was Basically 'Laid' and 'Built on Top and in Situ.
Sadly perhaps, Some pieces of the actual 'Racing Surface' Were made using, 'Masonite', (which was at the time a recent 'Hypy' Product,..lol).
In later years Some 'Wear' Was evident on those Areas/Sections.

Nothing 'Flexed' or Moved,.... it Too was Solid !!
It was like the Whole Top 'Racing Surface', was One Single Big piece !!,.. lol
It used a Completely Different 'Surface' methodology and was I guess (at the time) a Fairly Advanced Surface and had a certain 'Texture' to it.

Real 'Racing' Never actually occurred on the 'Bank Track', until around the time the Centre was re-configured, (as far as I am aware), which was when (Unfortunately), the Flat Track was Sold.

I Started going their with a School friend to 'Play',.. My 36D Revell Sidewinder, eventually Against His Testor Car, (His Proved to be the Far Better Car !!,..lol) and That was in 'Primary'.

Around the time I Stopped 'Playing' and got more serious and started Racing in the 'Club' Racing.
I had become pretty friendly with the Owners and often then 'travelled' to the Track regularly on Sundays, (as they drove right past my Front Door on the way there), they would pick me up and off we'd go and they would drop me back Home. I occasionally helped behind the counter for a while, until my early 'Teens'.

They had a rather 'Healthy' number of Older 'Dudes' running at the time, in the Club, who (with learned Hindsight, Really Did Know their Shit and Drove pretty Well !! )

Will Have to check with Gary (he may chime-in anyway) regarding what Year he Built/Installed the 2 x New tracks.

Due to the Build 'Methodology's mentioned above, the Flat Track Was 'Relatively' Easily Dis-assemblable & whilst Heavy, Transportable and was In 'good Nick' when in it's initial position at it's new Home at Lurneah. It's Position ()in the Centre), was changed and it was Shortened, somehow, which (now that I'm thinking about it), could perhaps have been a Design Accident/Feature of how the Back end of the track could 'Line-Up' with the Front Straight.
(Charles may also be able to 'confirm' the above).

Regarding SSME, I am Sure Steve K can confirm, but easily 1965-66, with the 'apparent' LOSS of BOTH the 'Waitara' tracks, it IS Definitely, THE Oldest track currently being used, Probably in Australia !!

Cheers

Stoo,do the two original tracks still exsist or do you know their history after they were sold?BRAD.

The SSME track was the largest of two tracks built in 1967 by Roy Summersby, for a commercial venture at Woy Woy on the New South Wales central coast.

The Woy Woy centre closed in the early 1970's when the slot car boom died, and the tracks were disposed of.

The small track went to Boy's Town, Engadine NSW. The current whereabouts of the small track is unknown, but is suspected to have been broken up and dumped.

The larger track was purchased by SSME around 1972, kept in storage for a while, then reassembled at Luddenham.