1.
GV Lilford Park circuit, Heat 5 crash of cars.
0.10

2.
GV Cars during race zoom into controllers of 1/8th scale cars.
0.27

3.
GV End of heat 5. People collecting their cars.
0.37

4.
GV Crowd of spectators.
0.40

5.
GV Start of heat.
0.50

6.
LV Controllers on platform.
0.51

7.
GV Heat six in progress to the end sounded by a horn and model cars being collected.
1.07

8.
SV Start of heat 8 and a crash.
1.25

9.
GV Cars around bends in race.
1.34

10.
GV Cars running in the circuit.
1.55



Initials HS/2210



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The 1978 European Champion ships for 1/8th scale, radio-controlled racing cars were held at the Lilford Park Circuit in Northhampshire over the week-end. (August 13/14). The organisers said that though the cars are smaller scaled, everything else connected with this increasingly popular sport makes it for an exciting attraction.

SYNOPSIS: The Lilford Park Circuit is just one of 10 permanent circuits operating in Britain. All circuits are operated in conjunction with a model car club.

All the cars, operated by remote control from around the circuit are 1/8th scale models of actual racing cars. The cars have full proportional steering, throttle control and braking, with most cars using a disc brake. The cars respond in exactly the same way as the full scale cars on which they're modelled. They are built by their owners and cost from 150 pounds upwards.

Spectator from all over europe came to the event.

Each car competes in three qualifying heats of five minutes duration, with six cars in each heat. Cars have recently been recorded at speeds of 80 miles per hour, but because the Lilford circuit is a tighter road, the highest expected speeds at this event were 65 miles per hour. The winner of this sixth heat was from a British club and completed 14 laps in 4 minutes, 40.6 seconds.

While obviously a safer form of racing than the full-size kind, the driving demands as much skill and depends entirely on the drivers view of the car and track for judgement of speed and track conditions.

Each country that sent entries ran a qualifying competition to find a national team. The largest entries were from Italy, Switzerland and Great Britain. Austria, Belgium, France Germany, Holland, Monaco and Sweden also sent teams. The entrants were working toward the final race which lasts 30 minutes and features refuelling stops. The cars only carry enough fuel for between five and eight minutes. This is the fifth annual running of those European Championships.