The Perfect Race

The other day I was watching Ralph and Ron's slot car talk show 'Between the Lanes'.  It was mentioned that someone, I can't remember who, almost had a perfect race at one of the nationals or some other big race.  It seems the person they were talking about only had a couple deslots.  A local racer ran a race the other week with only two deslots for the entire race.  This got me thinking, which is a dangerous thing for me to do.  I don't think, alright I know, I have never run a complete race without deslotting.  How many of us have?  Sure, I suppose you could drive slowly and accomplish it.  Even then you would have to be lucky driving slow as someone could clip you in a corner.

The race I am looking for is the "perfect" race.  One where you are competitive and never deslot the entire race.  I am looking for a race where you finish on the podium and have the distinction of never having come off the track even once.  I have run "perfect" rotations, but never an entire race.  Think about it, a race where not only do you not make a mistake in driving, but where you are not involved in someone else's mistakes.  I am looking for a race where you are free from driving flaws, corner marshal flaws, other drivers flaws, and mechanical flaws.  Let's be clear about one thing.  I am not looking for a race where everyone or almost everyone else drops out.  I am looking for a competitive race.

I am sure it has been done.  After all, there have been perfect games pitched in baseball.  There have been perfect games bowled in league and tournament play in bowling.  There have been holes-in-one on golf courses.  Is the slot racing perfect game any less desirable or difficult to obtain as these?  I know I have never been in a race where there was a racer accomplishing this.  Possibly because I caused the deslot to prevent someone from making the perfect race.  Any one of us could be the spoiler in a perfect race.  A corner marshal's unfortunate handling of a deslot could ruin a perfect race.  If you were on the track by yourself it would be hard enough to run all the lanes for 2 or 3 minutes per lane and never deslot.  It is not uncommon for me to rip off 40 laps or so at my home track in practice without deslotting.  However, to run all the lanes back to back that way without deslotting would be difficult.  It would not be impossible, but it would be difficult to keep your focus without making a mistake for that long.  Let's face it, a perfect race does not come around very often.  I think it is something that should be recognized when it does.

I would love to write an article and honor any person who can run the perfect race.  So, I am putting the call out looking for this perfect driving effort.  I will write an article about the racer and make them the racer of the month in the following month here on the Slots New? blog.  What I need is the following:
1. It must be in an organized and scheduled race.  Impromptu races will not be allowed.
2. The race must take place on or after 8/26/2017
3. There must be at least 4 racers on the track for the start of the race AND the finish.
4. The person with a perfect race must be on the podium.
5. The person with a perfect race has to finish in the top 25% of the racers involved in the race.
6. The race director of the race must verify the perfect race.
7. It is preferred that a lap count of each rotation be provided, preferably a picture of the lap counts on a race monitor.
8. The race must take place on a routed commercial grade track.
9. Due to the difficulty of the achievement, a four lane track will be accepted as well as an eight lane.
10. All lanes must be run, it cannot be a four lane rotation on an eight lane track.
11. The lane rotation must be at least two minutes per lane.
12. Breakout classes will not be accepted.  Nor will classes deemed too slow be accepted.
13. No scale below 1/32 will be accepted.
14. Upon reviewing the race if there is any sign of creating the circumstances for a perfect race, man-made or by accident, it will not be accepted.  If the race appears more like a practice run than a competitive race it will not be accepted.  It must be a fully competitive race.
15. Acceptance of a claimed perfect race is at the discretion of the publisher of Slots New? alone.  In other words, me.
16. There are no prizes to accompany this accomplishment, only the recognition of the slot car racing world.
17. If a manufacturer, distributor, track owner, or anyone else would like to place a prize for this accomplishment, notification of it will be posted in Slots New?.  Any manufacturer, distributor, track owner, or any other individual wishing to place a prize for the offering should notify Slots New? at slotsnewmonthly@gmail.com

I wish everyone success in their efforts to have the "perfect" race.  I am truly hoping we can recognize someone for this incredible accomplishment.