How to start racing at FRC

Post by **gordon** » Thu Aug 18, 2016 4:43 pm

FRC is a 74 ft lap length Scalextric Sport Digital track with 18 direction changes each lap. Being digital (as opposed to analog), up to six cars can be driven and raced at the same time, with the ability to change lane to overtake or defend position, making for a much more realistic and exciting racing experience. The track has four levels from its highest to lowest point and is completely landscaped to represent a picturesque road-racing circuit similar to the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium:

(Picture by Nathanael Majoros - originally posted to Flickr as 2008_06_26 18h57_32, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4644168)

Its very easy to get started racing at FRC. You don't even need a car, just come along and you can drive any of the group's IROC cars (named after the exciting "International Race of Champions" series of years gone by). So what are IROC cars? These are cars owned by the group and generally stationed at the FRC track. There are currently five separate IROC classes, each comprising six similar and/or similarly-prepared cars:

IROC Classes:

Porsche Cup (6 Scalextric Porsche 997s running Slot.It 21,500 RPM motors and silicone tyres)
Lambo Series (6 Scalextric Lamborghini Gallardos running Scaleauto 25,000 RPM motors and silicone tyres)
Ferrari Team Challenge (6 Scalextric Ferrari F430s running Scalextric 20,000 RPM motors and silicone tyres)
Mini Challenge (6 Scalextric BMW Minis running Scalextric 18,000 RPM motors and silicone tyres)
Nissan GT-R Super Series (6 Scalextric Nissan GT-Rs running H&R 26,000 RPM motors and silicone tyres)

The first three are usually raced under the banner of "Mixed GT" where each driver competing drives two of each type of car over six races. The other three IROC classes are run separately where each driver drives each of the six cars in six races. Although we no longer include IROC classes in our official schedules, we do run them on special occasions or when there are at least two non-regular drivers present. You can see our class schedules under "Class Groupings" which we cycle through as many times as possible during the year.

While its fun to compete in the IROC events, half the challenge of the hobby is owning, preparing and racing your own car(s). For this FRC has an additional ten classes:

"Stock" Classes:

Slot.It Challenge (for Slot.It brand Group C cars only)
Scalextric BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) (for Scalextric BTTC cars from 2014 onwards)

Restricted-Modification Classes:

Formula 1 (for open-wheel F1 cars)
Rally Car (for cars modelled after rally cars - rally cars do 5-lap stages, one car at a time)
Historic Saloon (for cars based on production saloon/sedan and road going sports cars from the 1960s and 1970s)
Vintage Sports '60-'75 (for racing sports/GT and prototype cars from the 1960 to 1975)
American Pony Car (for American "Pony Cars" that took place in the Trans-Am series between 1966 and 1972)
Modified Production (for cars based on non-GT production cars)
Restricted GT (for two-door cars which compete in GT racing)
Restricted LMP (for prototype cars which compete in LMP racing)

You can see the technical regulations for each of these classes in our "FRC Classes 2019" section of the forum. Regardless of which classes you choose to drive in, our "General Competition Regulations" go into detail about our racing rules and procedures, so its worthwhile taking few moments to read through these.

So, what's in it for you for competing? Well we don't generally award trophies or other prizes, but we do guarantee that you'll have a great time experiencing slot car racing in a way that is closer to real racing than any other form of slot racing available. All results are computerised and results published in detailed "Race Reports" which you can see in the "Racing" section of the forum.

So what are you waiting on? Come check out digital slot racing at FRC, the region's foremost and most realistic digital track. Just don't blame us if you get hooked!