Historically speaking, and relying on pure memory here, the H:O Le Mans race was the brainchild of one David Cutler, the grandfather of H:O slot car publications in the U.K.; the subsequent disappearance of whom has yet to be adequately explained (at least to me). I’ve forgotten the name of his publication at the moment, but it ran concurrently with the early editions of HO-USA, and Rob Anderson’s memorable HO-sers, and was presented in the (roughly _ scale) format preferred by British H:O enthusiasts; still used to this day by the Official D.H:O.R.C. and Doug Passell’s HO:RACE magazines.

Regardless, and certainly more to the point, Dave thought it would be a brilliant idea to have a 24 race

I’m quite sure, however, that it was won by a Tomy Turbo (“Turbo” is synonymous with “standard” to the British, in this context) Sauber Mercedes in the traditional silver color (or colour!). By the time the Earth had finished another lap around the sun, poor (or mysterious, you choose!) Mr. Cutler had vanished, and the event was taken over (fortunately for us!) by one Nickolas Sismey of Derbyshire.

Nick is key to this whole H:O Le Mans event, and I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that without Nick the race would not exist. That statement (over or not) should have a mandatory clause with a hearty “Thank You!” to Phil Rees as well, since he is Nick’s right hand man in all this H:O Le Mans endeavor, and in fact, the one who actually does most of the work, that Nick so brilliantly coordinates. Not that there aren’t many more folks who make necessary contributions to the overall effort, but Nick and Phil stand tall as the men who shoulder the majority of the responsibility, and not surprisingly, the blokes who get the flack if anything goes wrong! Which, occasionally, something does. But not often, . . . thankfully! Thank You, Rolls Royce Aero!

I should also note that when I say “Welfare” it doesn’t mean “free stuff for poor people” like it does in America (British call that “the dole”). Rather it is concerned with looking after the care and feeding of Rolls Royce Aero employee’s sports and recreational activities, clubs and organizations. Got that? Also, please keep in mind that “Derby” is pronounced “Darby” so as not to embarrass yourself with American

Those of us who follow motor racing history will note that the famous (full scale) racing track: “Donington” is located nearby to Derby. In addition to having hosted a real Formula One race in the not too distant past (Senna won!), Donington also boasts a huge museum of Formula One (and a variety of other) racing cars that is a joy to behold.

Team USA, the Short History

All that said, this was the ninth running of the H:O Le Mans, and the fifth competition for Team USA. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the first onslaught of the “rebel colonists” back in ’96 (we finished 3rd), and while I was satisfied enough with a podium finish our first time out, I was subsequently unfortunate enough to miss the next two years, in which Team USA took the Victory, the Trophy, and of course, all the Glory!

My return in ’99 was heralded by yet another 3rd place finish, giving me visions of being a plague to the team, or at least enough of a jinx to keep us off the top step of the podium. My driving in ’99 was nothing to write home about (so I didn’t) either, but perhaps I can write some of that off to the box full of duff motors we were unfortunate enough to draw that year. Maybe. The general rules, details and layout (procedure) of the race go something like this:

The Track

The track is a bit over 200 feet long (209 comes to mind), 8 lanes wide, and the main straight (Mulsanne) is 85 feet long. Yes, I know some of you guys have big tracks with huge long straights, but this sucker is so big its not going to fit the average home garage or basement! In the old days (Le Mans 1 – 7) the whole lot was made up of typical Tomy track. Also in said “old days” the controllers (which are “hand controllers” in England) were stock, out of the set-box Tomy controllers, and whole event was co-sponsored by Tomy U.K.

In 97, due to extensive efforts by Team USA, Parma controllers replaced the Tomy sort, and in 99, the first (approx. one third of a lap) Bowman hand routed track sections were added (from the Ford Chicane to just past Tetra Rouge, for those of you familiar with the full scale Le Mans circuit) courtesy of Brad Bowman. Well, not entirely courtesy, since D.H.O.R.C. paid him for this work, but for that much 8-lane routed track, they got a killer bargain. Shipping was an even better bargain, a free gratis deal from Nick’s friends at UPS; taking the track sections from San Francisco, CA - USA to Rolls Royce, Derby – England!

This year (2000) another third of a lap of Bowman track was added, roughly from the exit of Arnage, through the Porsche curves, up to the Ford Chicane. Every racer (no exceptions!) loved the Bowman bits, such that the sections of (aging) Tomy track seemed quite inadequate by comparison. Most of the Mulsanne straight, the Indianapolis / Arnage sections and everything in between were still Tomy track for 2000.

An Average Lap

Since you re probably wondering, an average lap around this H:O Le Mans circuit in a Tomy Turbo car, takes thirteen or fourteen seconds, with the lap records down in the twelve and a half somethings.

I might also add that ones first lap is rather intimidating, since the sheer size of this monster is so much greater than any track we find ourselves trying to master in the real world. And your car gets to be so darn far away; . . . aye, a tiny speck it is, until you round the Mulsanne corner (God willing), and it begins to grow larger in your view once again. Truth be known, the second lap is intimidating too! Every year it takes me about a half hour of driving before I feel comfortable about the whole thing; have my braking points worked out (esp. for Mulsanne!) and begin to get a feeling for what the car can and can’t do around each corner.
Rather than standing on the floor, with the track on a table, at Le Mans the track is on the floor and the driver’s platform is raised about four feet off the ground. A steel tube and plywood affair (four steps and you’re up), the platform has no safety railings, but inspires adequate confidence, such that you don’t actually fear any dire consequences the first time someone stomps across the platform behind you! There is a handy box on the bit of plywood in front of you (marked with a lane number!), into which you plug your 45 ohm controller (supplied by Parma, regulated by D.H.O.R.C.).
The Cars (spec.)
The cars (motor/chassis) are what we know in the U.S. as Tomy Turbos, the 2nd generation sort with the notched traction magnets. In the U.K. they are known as “standard,” and no, I have no idea why. Just before the start of the race, each team picks a “box” of parts containing all the motor/chassis parts one needs to assemble a nimble racing rocket, hopefully one that will take you and your mates to the checkered flag. The choice is not totally random, with the last place finisher from the year before (or the “new team” this year) getting first choice; but it doesn’t really matter since there is no way to tell which of the “equal” boxes is a bit “more equal” than the next.
Another new twist for 2000 was that our friend Brad had methodically tested each of the motors allocated for the race (each team got half-dozen or so), providing them with an equal number of “A” motors (the best), “B”s and so on down to the lowly “D” sort. The other bits-in-the-box were the expected chassis, pickups, springs, tires, gears, etc. Everything you would need, really, except the body.

Each team brings their own body, but it must be compatible with a Tomy standard chassis, and may not be modified in any way (other than painting, decals, etc.). While Team USA has a tradition, so far unbroken, of running the AFX A/P Corvette, other teams run the gamut of Tomy bodies (plus one Johnny Lightning!); and if memory serves, the bodies this year consisted of two BMW M-1’s (D.H:O.R.C and Race Control), two Datsun 240-Z’s (Continental and Southern Comfort), a Toyota GT-P (H.O.R.S.E.), a Porsche 959 (The Enjoyables), the J.L. Viper Coupe (Bourne) and our Vette. Team Continental (French) were all set to run a resin Corvette Grand Sport, but switched to the Datsun (at nearly the last moment) due to excessive oversteer caused by the G.S’s. greater rear overhang.

Building the Race Car

Anyway . . . after picking your team’s “parts box” and “hand controllers” pretty much at random, the team members retire to the “garages” (actually tables and chairs set up for that purpose) to build the cars. While I can’t speak for any of the other teams, in the Team USA “garage” Brad Bowman set about pulling the parts for the first assembly of our race car, with the attentive help of Jason Boye. The rest of us pretty much tried to stay out of the way, since a proper race mechanic (particularly one with full scale C.A.R.T. experience!) probably doesn’t want car set-up suggestions from his drivers anyway! The other thing you may want to know about Team USA is that only four of us were really from the USA! In addition to the experienced Le Mans drivers (Jason, Brad and myself) we had added Greg Katz (a friend of Brad’s) for 2000. Returning for duty were our two British friends, Phil Rees (see prev. note) and Deane Walpole (inventor of the Scorpio HO slot car, and all around dedicated HO slot car enthusiast); both of whom drove for us in ’99 as well.

By way of short introduction, the other competing teams were as follows: D.H.O.R.C is the Derby HO Racing Club, and yes it is pronounced “dork” and yes, a “dork” in the U.K. means the same as it does in the U.S. Cute club names aside, they also sport one of the finest teams of drivers, esp. the prev. noted Mr. Sismey, Simon Goodlip, Allen and A.J. McPeake, Martin Chadwick and another couple of nice blokes whose names I can never remember! Heck of a good lot if drivers though . . . D.H:O.R.C. was driving a
BMW M-1 in Marlboro livery. They would be considered the Home Team, if such a thing mattered. It doesn't, really, because aside from having a warm bed only a few miles away, there really is no home team advantage. This track is only set up once a year, and they don’t race Tomy Turbo cars except at this event! Regardless, they did manage to take home the victory after going three straight years without!

Arbitrary “What It Takes” Notes

This is also as good a place as any to throw in my arbitrary estimate of “What it takes!” to win this race on a percentage basis of qualities, as follows:

Mix 70% driving ability with 20% car set up, maintenance, strategy-tactics and 10% dumb luck, and you have a good chance of actually winning this thing! Dumb luck takes into account which “parts box” you happen to pick, and how many times your team is a victim of poor marshalling. While it is true that, like many things, poor marshalling “happens,” it is also true that Absolutely Inexcusably Horrible Marshalling rears its ugly head at least a couple of times each hour (by my count). Needless to say (but I will!), the better your drivers are, the less likely they are going to be victims of A.I.H.M. attacks! I could give some specific examples, but most of you have been racing long enough to know the true causes of poor marshalling. Add to that the fact that Le Mans marshals may not have had any sleep for 36 hours (or very little) and you can see disaster waiting for you at every unfortunate “off.”

Okay, back to teams . . .

Race Control is aptly named since it is their responsibility to count all of the laps, for all of the cars, note any cars that go over the start/finish in the wrong lane, post hourly standings and generally make sure the power is on when the race is on, the lane changes take place on time and in an expedient and orderly fashion, the marshals are in place and alert (!) and that everything continues “on course” (in both the figurative and literal applications of that phrase). As if that’s not enough (and many think it is!), they are also expected to race a car and drive in a competitive fashion, just like everybody else!

Having finished as high as 2nd in the past, this year’s Team Race Control suffered a bit due to a couple of drivers, yet team captain Brian Gabauers did a masterful job of both driving, and keeping the race scores properly posted. Brian did get a bit of help from A.J. McPeake, and a few others (with the computers), and overall I would have to say that this year’s was the most “in control” Race Control that I’ve experienced. At the finish, they found themselves in sixth place.

Back again this year was Southern Comfort (from Southern England), captained by Peter Baldock with able assistance from his talented son Tony. Nigel Sykes is the only other name I can remember from this team (overall winners in ’95, as I recall), but a great group and wonderful competitors. Team USA has become great friends with Southern Comfort over the years, in spite of some pretty intense competition between our star driver (Jason Boye) and theirs (Tony Baldock)! They were fifth this year, after a somewhat disappointing run.

H.O.R.S.E. (H:O Racing Southern England) was back after their victory in 99, running the same Toyota GT-P as well! Last year this team has sufficient horsepower to win Le Mans with an 18 lap lead. This time they weren't quite so fortunate, but still drove a good race, finishing on the podium in third place.

Team Continental was totally French this year, their driver from the Netherlands (Burt) having come down with bronchitis and missed out on this year’s event. The balance of the team was much the same, with famous HO motor racing artist Frank Figuls (the only member who speaks English) doing his usual excellent job as team captain. Their car was the same as last year too, the beautifully painted AFX Datsun 240-Z. This seemed to be the best year yet for the Continentals, and they came very close (1/4 lap!) to getting on the top line of the leader board at one point. Not being aware of their exact position at the time, they pulled in for a routine pit stop just short of taking over the lead! By the end the results weren’t quite so positive, ending with a fourth place for the French Continentals.

The Bourne team was new this year, and by that I don’t mean that they were only new to H:O Le Mans, but rather that they were totally new to the hobby-sport of slot car racing! I never did get the whole story on exactly how this happened to come about, but apparently Nick gave them some kind of an offer they couldn’t refuse! They all seemed to have a good attitude about it, and had fun time doing it, but it was apparent by the large number of “offs” and oddly irregular speed when they were, actually, in the slot . . . that they were on a “learn as you go” program. Talk about being thrown in the deep end! They finished last in the race (no surprise!) and I was happy to see them having a go at it, yet careful not to try to pass them on the outside of the corner! Fortunately their neon yellow Viper was easy to see as you were coming up quickly from behind . . . It remains to be seen if they will be “Bourne again” (so to speak) as an entry at next year’s H:O Le Mans!

The Enjoyables could also be thought of as DHORC 2, since all the members were part of the home team /club too. This team had a few “junior” members as well, and got their name because they were competing for the pure enjoyment of racing their blue and yellow Porsche 959! To put it another way, they were just out to have a good time, drive a lot of fast racing laps, but had little or no hope of actually being able to win this thing!

Great bunch of blokes, though, and I had a fine time at the Arnage/Indianapolis marshalling station, as they taught me British in exchange for my teaching them a few words of Californian. Great fun, even if it had little to do with the job at hand. But yes, if you must know, we did take a break in our linguistic co-education to put errant cars back in their respective slots! In the end, they finished 7th, but well ahead of the Bourne team!

Practice / Qualifying

In the immortal words of Henry N. Manney III, “Practice was the usual shambles.” Everyone was trying to sort out their (just assembled) cars, some drivers were learning the track for the first time, and still more seemed to be mucking about, not quite sure what they should be doing! During this time I was able to get about 20 minutes of practice, all of which seemed to pay off later on. I was impressed with how “drive-able” the new Bowman track sections were; not that I should have expected otherwise. The Porsche Curve section, in particular, was far more interesting, less “on and off” the throttle, and more just keeping the speed up and letting off a little in the twisty bits. Can’t wait until the whole circuit is paved with the good stuff! As far as qualifying goes . . . Team USA decided to spare the car and only have Jason and Brad drive qualifying times (quite within the rules), yet when I “passed” on my turn at qualifying, Nick told me that it was within the “spirit” of the rules that everyone should have a go at qualifying. In addition, when Brad went to clean our tires between qualifying runs, he was told he couldn’t do that (even though, again, it was within the rules) simply because “The other teams haven’t been cleaning their tyres.” Brad’s response was that the other teams had the option and had not taken advantage of it; but that was no reason why we shouldn’t be able to! Our appeals were dis-allowed, and our objection to the organizers changing the rules in mid-stream fell on (apparently) deaf ears.

After being put-off by Nick, we made a formal complaint to Phil, but his only response was that the rules had all “Gone rather pear-shaped!” Since this was a bit of “British” that we Americans didn’t understand, I asked Phil for a more understandable definition of “Pear Shaped,” in this context. After contemplating that request for a bit, he didn’t seem to be able to come up with one. I asked if “Pear Shaped” meant the same as “****ked Up?” He smiled, then agreed. “Yes, that’s it!” he exclaimed. In the end, we were required to qualify every driver, and were not allowed to clean our tires. Sometimes you just have to accept that it is their event, and as such, they assert that they can change the rules as they please, mid-event or not. Much like the F-1 teams dealing with the FIA, seems to me!
After the dust had settled, Jason was the fastest qualifier on Team USA, putting us fourth on the grid, which translates into fourth choice of starting lane. If I remember correctly, we took lane 7 to start, the reasoning being that it would get the hardest lanes out of the way first, and leave the “fast” lanes (the middle ones) for piling on a lot of laps later on.

The Race . . .

Unlike last year, but like all years previous to that, we were back to a standing start for the 2000 edition of H:O Le Mans. Since Jason is our best driver, we put him up first, hoping to get our lap totals up there quickly and (possibly) get a little psychological advantage by virtue of a huge initial lead. All went right at the start, as the Tomy timers went through their count down beeps. Jason led the first lap, and Team USA was off to a fine start. Over the first third of the race, we were actually doing quite well, holding down either first or second place each hour (the “Stat Board” gets a new posting every hour, showing who is in what place, how many laps they’ve completed at the passing of the previous hour, and where they stand relative to the overall record).

Of course, if you want to know where your team is at some time not on the hour, you can go over and bother Race Control . . . Brian will push some computer buttons, a beautifully designed spreadsheet will pop up on the screen, and all the details (right down to the last completed lap) will be displayed before your eyes. Depending upon how much sleep you’ve gone without by that time; they may or may not make a lot of sense to you! It is, however, sometimes quite helpful to your driver to know how far behind Team X he is at the moment, or how far he is ahead of Team Y, particularly if they seem to closing on the track at the moment.

What’s it like out there?

As the night, and esp. the following day wore on, Brad had Jason were driving far more than any other Team USA member, and in fact Jason drove over 53% of our race! That works out to a full-scale (actual) distance of 109.6 miles! That, in turn, works out to 3.87 laps per minute, or an average lap of 15.5 seconds. By comparison, I only drove for a measly 18.9 actual miles. In my defense, I can only say that I did man the marshaling stations far more than Jason, and I did a damn fine job of it too! Doesn’t show up on the stats though . . .

When it came my time to drive I was definitely ready. Even so, it took me a few minutes to be able to turn in consistently good laps, and avoid those time consuming “offs” as much as possible. With seven other cars on the track, and even taking the 209 foot lap length into consideration, you do find yourself coming across your competitors rather often. Of course it is difficult to resist “racing” with all and sundry, even if you do find yourself flying past the Viper and the 959 (for example) fairly often, the others tend to not go behind without a bit of a battle. The D.H.O.R.C. BMW was my toughest fight, yet I found that if I could stay cool and keep our Vette on the track, it was fairly easy to keep up with the D.H.O.R.C. car because of it’s occasional offs.

Otherwise it’s the usual contest when driving a racecar, i.e., to go as fast a humanly possible, and yet maintain the car in the slot. Keeping the occasional marshaling atrocities in mind, one took special care at the Ford Chicane, and of course Tetra Rouge, since that leads onto the main straight at Mulsanne. Overall I was pleased with my two drives of an hour each; one about 10:00PM and the other at 3:00AM or so.

In the end, of course, it’s all Great Fun, to be racing on this huge circuit, against all these other drivers at once, in the largest and most famous HO slot car race in the World. The fact that it goes on for 24 hours is both horrible and wonderful, depending on your mood at the moment. Imagine being in the middle of it, for example, at 1:00AM. Having just witnessed, and been a part of this race for 12 solid hours, and then realizing (as obvious as it is incredulous) that you still have 12 more hours to go!

Not only that . . . but (as an American) here you are in a foreign country, having spent a bunch of your hard earned dollars to get here, just so you could race little cars (and sit on the hard floor marshaling) for 24 solid hours! Until you were so sleepy, that not much of anything was making sense anymore. Much less, what you were doing here, what came over you, and why . . . ? And, I can understand these people (the British), but they aren’t really speaking the same language, are they? Humans sure are funny, huh? At least those of us who are hopelessly addicted to racing slot cars!

Back at the Ranch

Meanwhile, and totally regardless of the senseless philosophical thoughts of half-asleep racers (yes, we already knew the marshals were half-asleep!), the race must go on, and go on it definitely did! The D.H.O.R.C.s seemed to have the most efficient combination of excellent drivers and very competent motors, not to mention the fact that experience does count for something (!), and they were certainly the most experienced Team here, at least in this context of endurance HO slot car racing. The D.H.O.R.C.’s were always a pleasant lot, and went about the business of motor racing in a quietly efficient manner. If that sounds like the smooth confidence of winners, perhaps it is! And just to show how equally competent they are, no D.H.O.R.C. drove more than 5 hours and 15 minutes (Martin Chadwick), and only one was under 4.03 laps per minute. They not only know what it takes to win, they know how to go about doing it!

Through the night and early morning hours, the battle went on (and on, etc.). While Jason slept, the rest of us took our turn(s) in the USA Corvette, trying to at least hold even with the D.H.O.R.C.’s, though we didn’t really have the motor(s), or was it the driving talent (?), to pull ahead.

The French Connection

The other teams who were really in the fight during the middle of the race were the Continentals (the French Team captained by HO-USA artist Frank Figuls). They had at least one really brilliant driver in Theirry Taupenas, as Theirry was snapping off an extraordinary 4.24 laps per minute and driving a third of the French team s race, with their beautifully turned out Datsun 240-Z. As I mentioned earlier, they did get within a lap of actually taking over the lead, before a scheduled pit stop took them (temporarily) out of the action. I should also mention that the French seem to take this all very seriously (maybe because Le Mans, in full scale anyway, is a French race!). Since they were driving directly to our right, I was often “treated” to their discussions of team tactics . . . no need to whisper, the Americans can’t understand a word of it anyway! From all the French I didn’t understand, however, I heard neither a chuckle nor a chortle, leading me to think they must always have been in some serious discussion of tactics!

Not Horsing Around!

Defending H:O Le Mans Champions, Team H.O.R.S.E. was well up there at various times throughout the night, using their star driver Paul English for _ of their full race distance (that’s 2,985 laps, folks!). I’m not sure whether they made it up to P1 (first place), but it wouldn’t surprise me, at least during the time that Paul was “at the wheel.” This team rather kept to themselves during last year’s race (with the notable exception of Tony Mills), but were much more open and friendly this time around. At one point I was having a talk with a bunch of the H.O.R.S.E.’s at a marshaling post, when their Team Director (who didn’t drive) admonished them for talking with opposing team members! Happily he was ignored as soon as he walked off, and we got back to discussing whatever it was we were discussing! For this and similar other “less than sporting” behavior throughout the race, he was quietly dubbed “The Horse’s Ass” by some creative gentleman- racer who shall remain nameless in this report! None of which takes away from a really good job done by the HORSE drivers, and while they were rewarded with third place for their efforts, it was certainly a let down from their victory the year before.

Not So Comfortable

Southern Comfort was one team of whom we expected more, but for whatever reason they weren’t able to put together a top-notch result this year. Tony Baldock once again upheld his position as the “Star Driver” of Southern Comfort, going six hours with the Team’s bright yellow Datsun 240-Z, for a total of 1,480 laps, or 4.11 laps per minute. Steve Bryan was the only other S.C. team member over 4 laps a minute. We certainly wish them better luck next year, and if being great sportsman was what the race was all about (and it may well be!) Southern Comfort would be at the top of the standings!

In the End . . .

When the twenty four hours is actually over, there is a great applause from the gathered multitudes (rather, . . . the few still left in the Rolls Royce Sports Hall!), and the awards are given out; in this case to each of the D.H.O.R.C. drivers! In addition to their individual medals, the Team takes home the traveling trophy, and receives the original HO Le Mans painting, artistically rendered each year by Frank Figuls. The D.H.O.R.C.s fully deserved their victory, having taken their Marlboro BMW into the lead for the final time in the early hours of Sunday morning, and kept it there for the duration.
Team USA was happy too, though not so much as the D.H.O.R.C.s, of course; but as happy as can be expected of a 2nd place finish. In this event, 2nd place gets you exactly as much material reward at last place (i.e. nothing!), but it made the flight home a bit easier, knowing we were the “best of the rest” and a personal improvement in my case, with this 2nd place beating out my pair of 3rds in previous attempts.

After is was completely over, many of the competitors (plus James Henry’s Mother and Martin Chadwick’s daughter) stayed on and helped put the track, computers and misc. equipment away, put the trash in its place and generally clean up the Sports Hall. An hour after the finish of the race, there were no remaining clues of the huge event that had just taken place!

Giving Thanks!

We must be sure to thank the Rolls Royce Welfare for letting us use their sports hall, Nick Sismey and Phil Rees for their tireless hours of organization and set-up, and Brian Gebauers for his work with the timing, scoring and race statistical reporting. We should also thank our friends at UPS for delivering the Bowman track pieces so willingly at absolutely no charge at all!