[LazerzHP]

Can anyone explain what Sillage racing is?

 

[portals999]

"the degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn."

 

[portals999]

However you might be looking for this...BLST tracks.

His tracks are mostly stunning even if they do cost 3 months salary...

https://sillage-racing.com/

This is my favourite:

 

[portals999]

To me the name 'sillage' was always an unfortunate translation to English, when I used to hear the word I thought of, um, farms...

Not so any more!

 

[MrFlippant]

Can anyone explain what Sillage racing is?

As you can see in the above video, it's an automatic lane changing system whereby the proximity of one car to another determines if they both follow the racing line, or if they split to the two lanes so that one can attempt a pass. It also prevents lane changing when cars are next to each other. You don't choose your lane, but just race the cars. If you come up close enough to another car, while both are following the racing line, both cars will be forced into their own lane. Once one car has gotten far enough ahead of the other car, they both revert to the racing line again. The only lane changer you control, is the one into the pit lane, if there is one.

BLST essentially stands for Best Line Slot Track.

 

[MrFlippant]

Here's another video where it's easier to see what happens. Watch the yellow car as it approaches and passes the other cars.

 

[crustypop]

i think that after a while i would get bored with it as the cars are always taking the fast line ( provided there is not another car there ,

it looks like it takes the skill out of driving on a slot track IMHO.

 

[MrFlippant]

I've never driven on one, so can't really say one way or another, but I don't think so. Just because you see cars going a fairly constant speed in these videos, doesn't mean that's how people would actually race on them. I don't think the racing line takes the need to drive the car out of the equation, though it does take away the need to think about which lane to be in when coming up on another car. You still need to get yourself into that position and not crash while you're trying to make that pass, or even to not tail out too much and lose speed and end up behind the other guy again.

 

[theortoncobbler]

Sillage ????? Sounds like s--t to me ??!!??

 

[GRUNZ]

Sillage ????? Sounds like s--t to me ??!!??

Wow man, don't you think that is a bit harsh as a comment? have you ever tried one?

 

[GRUNZ]

I agree with MR Flippant. You lose some control over the car but the added value is that if you are driving faster than someone else the system will take care of letting you pass.

The main issue I can see is that you will be pushed in the "inner lane" to make the pass which means you have now tighter cornes to negotiate. Given that you normally drive in the "middle" lane it might be unnerving to be moved out of it.

The other thing is that you cannot really practice to race in the inner lane/tighter corners as you do not have any decision over which lane you are going to use.

The other big advantage is that you can put as many pace cars as you want and they will not bump into each other (as you can see in the video above).

 

[crustypop]

all the more boring IMHO

 

[portals999]

I'd love a shot on one of these tracks but I've no idea if there are any public BLST tracks out there in UK, I haven't heard of any...?

In some ways it's almost like analogue racing, yes you change lanes but the sensors decide so from a driver POV you are concentrating on just driving the car as fast as you can without deslotting.

Maybe not for the serious digital racers/purists but for a night in with friends/family looks like it could be a lot of fun! I do worry that after time though it might become a bit samey.

Surely some ppl here must have one or owned one in past and could comment?

 

[GRUNZ]

Let's put it in this way: surely it cannot be more boring than analog. But we (or some of us) enjoy analog so I think that there could be some valid points in the system.

Another positive aspect (and this is somehow related to Portal999's comment above) is that you do not need to get familiar with the lane changer positions.

When I race overseas on large digital track, one of the thing that put extra stress (on top of not knowing the track) is the position of the lange changers - especially on 4- and 6-laner.

With this system you can concentrate just on the track.

 

[Minardi]

I raced It in Denmark on Flemming's beautifully decorated track, which is now sold by the way. I had my doubts before the race but I was positively surprised about the fun to race. The racing lines make it feel and look so good and you concentrate more on racing. And of course, the pitlane is still a manual decision. Would I trade it for my standard digital track, no, but I would love to have one next to it.

 

[Ade]

I've raced on this system with the founder and maker with a full grid of cars, it was great, would I buy one, no, it just felt a bit synthetic.

The tracks do look very realistic though with that racing line and it does remain one of only two systems that you don't need to slow down to go for an overtake..

 

[theortoncobbler]

Sillage ????? Sounds like s--t to me ??!!??

Sorry guys.................think you might all have missed my point ???

Sillage to me is a farming term................hence the s--t reference !!??!!

 

[portals999]

What Sillage means?

Sillage (the French word for "wake", the trail left by a boat in water) may refer to:
Sillage (perfume), the trail of scent left behind by one who wears perfume.

So I'm guessing he's using that name to refer to the wake or trail left by a slot car? I dunno...however the translation to English is unfortunate

 

[David Caille]

Hi Guys,

And thanks a lot for all of your comments.

Sillage in French means Slipstream in English. I chose this word because the exciting moment of BLST racing is when you are in the slipstream of your chalenger and the system will determinate the best moment to deverts you out of the racing line to gives you a chance to overtake.

This part of racing is very intuive and it was a very good surprise when it works for the first time 18 years ago.

I'm not a top driver. Last year, for the 24h of Cognin in France, NSR team (race winer) took 10mn to have a race on my 14m long track. With top drivers, BLST went in another world. All cars was 5cm between them and never tuch another one. I saw some performances I never seen before.

Thanks a lot again, all of you.

My best way to share videos is on my FB sillageracing page.

best regards

Dav - Sillage Racing

 

[Slot.it]

Yes, BLST is different, and is really well thought and fun to use - I've tried it a few times in Brussels and at other Slot.it 24 hours where David had a demo track.