Thunder Country Grand Prix (details and tips)
Hey Diecast Builders!
The sign-up for the inaugural tournament has been incredible. Thank you. I am stoked! That said, I've been getting lots of good questions, and I want to touch on a few of them.
1. HOW ABOUT A CAR WITH SUPER WIDE AXLES?
My understanding is that a few Hotwheels have wider than the standard width 25mm axles. I have a Pontiac Azteca with 28mm axles. Note, it's not a GT class car, but I was asked if my track could handle the super wides. The answer is no. The car gets stuck at the switchgate near the finish. See the photo below.
(I promise my track won't be so dirty for the races. It's still under construction.)
2. DO I HAVE TO FIND A GT CLASS CAR THAT ALREADY MEETS YOUR CLEARANCE CRITERIA?
No, you don't! Just like the races at Shavano Mountain Raceway, you are allowed to trim back or trim off any plastic scoops to meet clearance. You are allowed to grind off metal from the body or the chassis to ensure you have clearance. I didn't specifically say NO GRINDING to the fender flares, so yes, you can do that. What you can not do is hog out the wheel wells to fit larger wheels.
3. I FOUND A GTR CAR, BUT THE R STANDS FOR RALLY.
In that case, the car does not qualify as a true Grand Tourer (GT). Sorry.
4. I FOUND A HYPERCAR THAT SAYS GT ON THE PACKAGE.
Please do not enter hypercars for this race. I will have a hypercar exclusive tournament later in the year.
5. THE MAX WEIGHT IS 60 GRAMS. IS THERE A MINIMUM WEIGHT LIMIT?
Although I did not specify a lower limit, I really should have. If you enter a stock car (i.e. straight out of the box) you'll be disappointed. It won't make it down. I encourage everyone to get the total weight above 50 grams as a minimum.
6. I'M NOT ON FACEBOOK, SO I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRACK.
Again, thanks to everyone who has entered the inaugural race! If you have any questions, feel free to message me here or send a private message.
Cheers!
Mark Hoyle at GTR
Discussion
You say "no wide cars"...all I see is a challenge :-)
In your earlier pics of cars you showed an RX7 Drift. So does this meet your GT class. Yes I did look up on google for my beloved Mazdas, but its clear as mud about any Mazda being a GT.
Cheers, Thanks
- Yes, the drift RX7 is good. I will allow a drift car if it looks like a GT car. Just email me a picture to confirm. Or, in the case of the RX7 Drift, it's already approved. — GravityThrottleRacing
- Thanks, yes the RX7 drift does look like a GT type car. So, yeah, HW dont make fast Mazda castings ugh, but, I wish to show my Mazda roots, and see if I can get one past the qualifying round into the top group. Thanks, cheers. — CutRock_R_Marc_D
Might want to note that would eliminate the Pandem Subaru BRZ, as that version has the super wide axels. Just so folks don't get confused, seeing as the regular BRZ is one of the pictured permissible cars.
Too long too short too tall too wide.
Ahhh I've got the perfect car a citation gt ish 
Jk. ????
I was looking at the Ford GT as a possibility but it has a wheel base of 43mm whcih looks to be too long for the track.
- FYI - The Ford GT will work on this track, so save it for a different race. — GravityThrottleRacing
- Sweet! — JBlotner42
I didn't read any of that, so I'm just gonna send in the widest GT rally car i can find...