Announcing a Semi-truck Indy Track Racer Contest-Update

[Guest zebm1]

Hey Modelers, sometimes a rookie (change that - Semi-Pro) has to remember to look below "Tha Fold"......

---beginning of October a few of us, in PSAB Chat, were bemoaning as how similar Model Contests are becoming ,.... hell their even doing Theme competitions... and becoming Normal. We comiserated that we had seen this all before, back into tha change from 60s to 70s and it seems every decade is much tha same. Sooooo we hashed out sum ideas and no one could ever remember a Semi-Truck track racer model in any Contest. So we came up with this:..........So think it over, Jairus has already agreed to and Volunteered Gregg as Judges. Tha Rules will be finaled by Secret Committee Vote by Nov. 30, 2006. Contestants on tha Honor System to spend Dec. and Jan. to Plan...then a sprint race to build, finish and submit photos to MCM by a week before Carburetion Day -2007.

Wrote this a coupla days ago;

Heya Dave (alias Gowjob), just remember that I'm still mulling over tha Rules and nothing has been chiseled in marble yet!

What I've decided to do is; as per Ken-Big Truck's- contribution that all entries must be submitted by Carburetion Day- 2007 Indy 500 - and require that tha Semi-truck Track Racers be designed to compete for say a 150-250 Mile event at Indy and be capable, beliveable as 175 mph truck racers .

Makes sense for several reasons:

Tha Memorial Day Indy 500 race has always been known and respected for being a creatively innovative hotbed of new racing technology--as opposed to some of tha flatbed racing associations we have these days.

Sooo, in answer to yur question Dave and not wanting to restrict creativity too severely I was thinking (and keep in mind I am not tha most knowledgeble about BIG Trucks) that tha transaxle arrangements that those Monster Trucks run might be adaptable to a semi-truck track racer. Just wondering tho, where's tha driver sit, right in front or over tha engine? Bet that wuld be downright scary! BTW Dave aren't tha banked turns at Indy only 9 degrees?

Had a thought Dave while writing this....I wonder if, in real life, a herd of say 25-30 of these truck racers went thru tha turns at Indy at speed, ifn tha ground would shake enuff to make yu feel as tho a herd of saurian dinosaurs had just stampeded by??

As a refresher:

1. This is an UNLIMITED Semi-Truck Track Racer Class , capable of racing Indy during May.

2. Start with a semi-truck, any year ( but it also has to start with engines available for that truck/frame).

3. All body mods are legal, BUT stock height windows must remain same size as when yu bought them. i.e. Wings, valances, side pods, channeling....how creative are yall? Truck has to be somewhat recognizable as to its heiritage (kinda like tha NASCAR types have been, NOT tha New Model racer), must have a Hood.

4. Facsimile 5th wheel required.

5. Engine mods.....IT's an unlimited class, but it has to be beliveable.

6. Tires - Rockstone Blasters are legal, ifn yu think they culd really handle 175-95 mph at Indy.

7. Any semi from any part of tha world is acceptable, as long as a real world stock truck could pull a loaded 40 ft. trailer to 70 mph.

8. But ya gotta start with tha stock truck frame rails that came with tha kit. Suspensions, drive axles should be able to hold up tha figurative weight of a real semi-cab, torque characteristics.

[Didn't you say Dave that some of these track racers have water injection systems to cool their brakes?]

9. Am thinking of limiting tha wheelbases from tha truck's front axle back to tha last axle of tha rear tandem, should make tha truck long enuff for some innovative racers. After consultation with a semi-truck eggspert, wheelbases are allowed to be from 135 to 200 scale inches (any scale). Also, ifn yall wanna run a tandem rear drive axle combination (like a reverse Tyrell ---go for it, after all these are Indy semi-truck racers.

10. Contest to start February 1, 2007 through May, Carburetion Day.

11. Judges are tha brothers Gregg and Jairus Modelcarmaggerson. And since this is a Indy Racer Contest, I think it would be real fun ifn Biscuitbuilder would accept an Honorary Judgeship (due to his rather extensive knowledge of Indy racecars) to break any ties. Because we need 3 Judges, not to be fair necessarily, just to keep tha brothers Modelcarmaggerson's from coming to blows.

Now these models aren't to be Cartoon caricatures ala Jairus or Thom Taylor or Brad Leisure, as I've seen them sometimes draw, but believeable recognizable Truck racers in tha Yunick tradition of Indy racers. BTW, Jairus doesn't think there's enuff Truck modelers out there with any creative fire left in their veins, not for a contest tha likes of which they have nevah entered...just for Bragging Rights for a year. So far we have 10 modelers committed, yall will havta figger out who.

An BTW, I have never built a semi truck model! Built lot's of racers, real and scale over tha years.....it's got my creative hormones a jerking.

I git mah truck sumtime this week, twin turbo V-8! Shades of a Novi - Yeehawwwwww.........

Drop me a line @ <zebm1> ifn yall are intriqued.

Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that, my suthern accent has a habit of creeping inta my typing.