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2007 Thingie Proxy When the 2007 Thingie Proxy was announced on SlotForum I knew that I had to field an entry in the 1/32 Unlimited class, just for fun. When my son wanted to be involved, it became two entries. We worked together for several weeks, building and painting, and we finally got two cars off for the series just in time (by minutes as it turned out!) to make the deadline for the first race. To our surprise, the cars were highly competitive and we managed to place first and second in the opening round. I know that will likely change in subsequent races but it was a thrill to start the series in such a way. Our luck changed in the second round. I expected our heavyweight cars might be slow on faster tracks and it seems that was the case. My car managed a respectable fourth but Brad's car suffered a loose gear and he finished seventh. Oh well, it's early in the series and I'm tied for first although Brad has slipped to fifth. Round 3 took place on a twisty track which suited our cars quite well and both Brad and myself grabbed podium spots, finishing 3rd and 2nd respectively. This gives me an 8 point lead in the overall standings and Brad rebounded to tie for 3rd, just one point behind second! We may not be so strong on the next two tracks though. As forecast, we didn't fare well in Italy for round 4! Brad had a respectable fifth which gave him sole position of third overall, but I had a disappointing ninth which dropped me to second in the standings. Two races to go and our hopes are to finish on the podium at the end. If we can, it would be a fantastic result. Round 5, in Herrsching, Germany, was a disaster for both of us! A lead wire broke on my car and Brad's stripped a gear! We finished 10th and 12th, respectively. That podium dream now hinges on the final race, where we both need solid finishes, and perhaps more than a bit of luck. The final race in Lugano, Switzerland turned out to be the race we both needed! Our cars worked well on this new track and mine took second while Brad grabbed fourth. I held onto second overall but Brad vaulted into a tie for third, giving us the dual podium result we had previously dreamt of! But with the racing over, we had one more hurdle to overcome before we would know our final overall series positions - the concours judging! Not only did we hold our own but Brad took over sole possession of third place and nearly caught me! We closed a bit on Allan, the leader, but his race performances were far too much for us to overcome. In the end, Allan finished with a blended point total of 56.85, I had 52.70, and Brad had 51.30. It was very satisfying to see two Canadian flags marking our positions in the results! And, even more importantly, immense fun to participate in a series organized by such fine people and hosted by some of Europe's top enthusiasts. We'll be back next year!
The following pics show the cars that we submitted. Basically, the only requirements were maximum width, minimum ground clearance, and the use of a "spec" motor - a ProSlot 47K unit. The brass work is done, time to start the wire work: 
The two finished chassis: 
The "diamond" front end was not easy to build: 
A tidy rear end: 
Finally ready to roll: 
Paintwork done, ready to pack and ship: 
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