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The ECRA C track (left photo) was only used in 1981. Track builder Stewart Wyatt is seen here marshalling a car in the "doughnut". The track was modified by replacing the doughnut from 82 to 86 (right photo). The man in the MUTLY shirt is Paul Lyon, the LY of Mutly. See the Sept/Oct 2001 "Slot Car Racing News" for the story of the tracks.
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Steve Walker won all 3 classes in 1981. Since his first Nationals
title in 1976, the Medway driver had never gone away without at least one
title, he retired having achieved the clean sweep (the first time it had
been done). It was also Steve's 10th title. He was also a member of
the winning Medway squad in the 1981 Club Team
Championship.
Below I've reproduced the ECRA Newsmag photos of the 3 winning cars from 81. |
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The cover picture from the ECRA Newsmag shows Steve Walker's 1981
winning Grand Prix car.
This is a 6 Wheel Tyrrell P34 - very much the conventional set up in those days. The pans are double layer sitting on top of the center section. Look at the lower photo, in front of the motor you can see strips of lead inlayed into the top pieces of brass. |
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Steve's 81 Sports winner.
The conventional anglewinder motor placement features a Johnson 111 can with polymer samarium cobalt magnets. The endbell is a machined down Mura item. Steve ran the brush springs in the standard Mura position with the coil of the front one at the bottom - unlike his F1 (and most people's sports cars) with both spring coils at the top. The flex rails (the ones either side of the center plate that control the flex of the guide are 18g (1.2mm) diameter piano wire. The front axle is hinged from a pivot in the center of the chassis (just in front of the cross bar in the upper photo). There is a cross tube in the middle of the front axle which can have a piece of wire inserted to lock up the vertical wheel movement. As far as I know, Steve always ran the car with the front axle movement locked. |
This is Steve's winning saloon - a long wheel base car which was fitted with a Dodge Daytona body. The chassis works in very much the same way as the sports car.
Back to early 80's Nats - Part 2
Copyright © 1981 and 2001 British Slot Car Racing Association (formerly the Electric Car Racing Association) All rights reserved
It includes photographs copyright John Goldsmith 1981 - 1983.