The Miniracing team drivers:
Antonio Casanova «Tachán»
Abel Quiles
Jordi Verdet
Yago Mateos
Juan Pablo Aragón
«Arrival at the pavilion»
As soon as you arrive on Friday morning at the place where the 24h race is going to be held, you notice that something is cooking there: the Los Rosales Sports Pavilion in Móstoles (Madrid, Spain). The number of cars parked around and the movement of people coming and going with suitcases, portable fridges, mats, etc…. You understand that something big is brewing inside that place you are going to enter. A kind of Woodstock Festival, but with slot cars… more like a technocamping with a hippy touch to see who is the fastest with a 1/32 scale car.
For an enthusiast of this hobby, arriving at the pavilion and witnessing the assembly and layout of tracks and timing systems is like a entering Milan’s Duomo for a historian. You experience a sudden ecstasy that, together with the temperature of the pavilion (about 35º) and the aroma of humanity (haha….) , leaves you ready for astral travel.
Jokes aside, the nice thing above all in these gatherings is the reunion with colleagues, slot world acquaintances , exchanging impressions, and learning new slot car tricks.
Free Practice Sessions
Very important to become familiar with both the car and the layout of the track and, no less important, the viewing angles. You get used to another dimension, if you compare it with your lifelong club.
The environment is totally immersive. Driver and car rotations, and each and every one of the team members took the opportunity to take a look at the competition, and comment on anything that caught our attention.
A Masterslot is not just about laptimes
On the social level, people with social skills can be seen to act as authentic ambassadors. Our teammates Antonio and Abel moved like fish in water, acting like Flavio Briatores around the paddock.
Scrutineering
A key moment, and one that will determine if you have done your homework. The verifications, which are carried out by the commissioners appointed by the organization of the event, call on the captains of each team to guarantee that each and every one of the components of the car are in accordance with the regulations. Our captain, Antonio Casanova a.k.a. «Tachán», a meticulous preparer if ever there was one who did not leave a single loose end, passed the verification of our GT without any problem.
Qualifying session
Here began the moment of truth; Although it may seem that the importance of pole is relative, in our case it was decisive in the final result. Antonio carried out a correct pole, without taking risks, and taking the car around the place. However, he noticed that with the engine provided by the organization, the car was somewhat «stuck», since the time set, 15″60, a time above what was expected. The opposition was around half a second faster than us. This time left us in the second group.
It was going to be a matter of the engine being loosened throughout the race to improve times and sensations.
How was the arrangement of teams and tracks organized after the pole?
A division of 30 teams on one side and 20 on the other was established. The group of 30 teams traveled on tracks A-B-C, and the other 20, in which we were included, on tracks D-E.
Race Start
With a literally electric atmosphere, the race started on Saturday morning, around 10:00 AM approximately.
The moment of truth had arrived, and there was no shortage of desire to start as soon as possible. As a team, the strategy was to find speed gradually, and not overcook the car in the first stints, anything can happen in 24 hours. Above all, keep the car on track, avoid unnecessary duels, and add laps in a constant manner. We would have enough time look extra tenths as the race progresses.
First of all, each of us put our heads together, but it didn’t take us too long to gain confidence with the car . We got used to some voltage peaks on track D, but the car, began to accumulate laps in our hands at a more than promising pace. Talking about promising pace is not the result of exaggerated enthusiasm, the car become one of the usual group leaders, as can be seen in this photo.
The Heat
This is a key element that must be taken into account. Rehearsing or doing brief preparations at your club is not the same as facing authentic 24-hour non-stop torture for the slotcar’s internals. The internal temperature of the engine can play tricks on components such as the cradle, chassis, etc. But curiously, stint after stint, our car was only moving forward in a relentless way. Our M8 must have been created in Mordor or Krakatoa, because it did not falter at any moment, and the hotter and more charged the environment, the better it performed. The only element that gave way halfway through the race were the tires, a replacement that Antonio requested in one of his night tasks, and for which we had the invaluable help of Abel García (SRC); Thank you very much Abel.
Racing at night
The night is worth experiencing in person. The videos I share here give you an idea. The noise and high dB level derived from the shouting of several drivers, who desloted and ask the marshals to be faster when putting the cars back on track, are the sauce of the night. And surprisingly, when it’s your turn to drive, you manage to abstract yourself from all of this and achieve the necessary concentration. You have no choice if you want to survive at a reasonable pace. During the night stints, I was thinking about a Guns’N’Roses song, «Welcome to the Jungle», more than appropriate to face those crazy hours.
In my case, also, due to the strategy for the relays, I had the privilege of doubling up at night, and it is something that I will never forget. It’s curious how despite the tiredness that you are already beginning to accumulate, the energy of the place keeps you at 110% with all five senses, placed solely and exclusively in your car.
Sunday morning arrives, we have to consolidate our position
With the arrival of the first rays of sun, and therefore, the night over, the already defined objective was to control the VKSRunning team, who were our direct rivals. We managed to manage and administer a lead that we maintained until the end, and consolidate our overall position in the group of 20 cars, as well as undisputed first GT.
Let’s enjoy our dear Tachán, finishing off the task in the very last round.
This was the final overall result of our group of 20 teams, tracks D-E.
And this was the final result in the general of the other group of 30 teams (tracks A-B-C)
Acknowledgments
It is well-born to be grateful. Without the invaluable help of David Torregrosa and Fermín (RKS), we would not have had the exquisite tuning of this excellent racer that our M8 has proven to be.
And what else to say? A pleasure to share the track with all our neighboring teams in the area: RKS, ISI Racing, Flarock, JSD SRC, Pepino SRC.
Conclusion
My total gratitude to my club colleagues for making me participate in this experience.
We leave evidence of our craft, good work, and unbreakable cohesion as a team. An infallible formula with the leadership of Antonio as captain, the invaluable experience and speed of Abel Quiles (Miniracing Studios), a lethally effective driver like Jordi Verdet, the seamless speed of Yago Mateos, and in my case, make use of my calmness and maintain the car’s laptimes and team’s rhythm.
Thanks guys! What a blast and a privilege! To be continued….
Update 08/17/2024 – Youtube links to pole and race broadcasts
JPSLOTWORLD.COM 
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