What is a Proxy Race?
A Proxy race usually consists of building a slot car within certain set rules and then sending the car to be raced at another track by another person (the proxy) - often in another country! Depending on the rules, the car could be bone stock or have minor or major modifications. In some cases, the cars have heavily modified chassis, faster motors, aluminum wheels, lightened bodies, and aluminum gear sets. Racing on different tracks by different drivers levels the playing field greatly. Setting up a car for a plastic track may not work on a routed track, and the length of the track also plays a factor. Tire compounds, gear ratios, and motor RPM ranges all factor into the success of the car.
How is the race run?
Most often, the rules of the race are up to the track owner as they will more than likely be doing the driving. As this was my first proxy, I decided that I'd be the only driver for consistency's sake. I was concerned that if multiple drivers were on the track it would be a race against each other and not the clock, not to mention the accidents that could happen while racing fender to fender.
I give each car a 3 minute timed heat. The total number of laps driven and calculated to the tenths is used as the finish placement. If multiple cars have the exact same number of laps driven, then the fastest lap of each car would be weighed for their finishing placement. This actually worked very well and there were no issues determining the winners with this method.
A Proxy race usually consists of building a slot car within certain set rules and then sending the car to be raced at another track by another person (the proxy) - often in another country! Depending on the rules, the car could be bone stock or have minor or major modifications. In some cases, the cars have heavily modified chassis, faster motors, aluminum wheels, lightened bodies, and aluminum gear sets. Racing on different tracks by different drivers levels the playing field greatly. Setting up a car for a plastic track may not work on a routed track, and the length of the track also plays a factor. Tire compounds, gear ratios, and motor RPM ranges all factor into the success of the car.
How is the race run?
Most often, the rules of the race are up to the track owner as they will more than likely be doing the driving. As this was my first proxy, I decided that I'd be the only driver for consistency's sake. I was concerned that if multiple drivers were on the track it would be a race against each other and not the clock, not to mention the accidents that could happen while racing fender to fender.
I give each car a 3 minute timed heat. The total number of laps driven and calculated to the tenths is used as the finish placement. If multiple cars have the exact same number of laps driven, then the fastest lap of each car would be weighed for their finishing placement. This actually worked very well and there were no issues determining the winners with this method.