Topstox conversion kits and donor cars (FG Marder) also spares are usually available trackside at most of our   meetings.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the world of Marder Topstox and Marder Sprint Car Racing, the latest model car formula to be launched into the model car racing scene. What is a Topstox ?, where do they race and who sells them ?, read on it gets better (I promise).

For many years a form of radio controlled stock car has been raced around purpose built short ovals in the UK, Holland & North America (Ken Walton Country) in either 1/12^th electric or 1/8^th IC scale, built to resemble the real BRISCA F1 style stock car

The model stock car has given many enthusiasts of the full size formula a way of racing a scale version of a sport they follow. By the late 1990’s numbers in 1/8^th scale model stock cars had dropped, leaving to try another formula or leaving the sport totally. Larger versions of  model stock cars had been around for a few years but when scratch built as these were, they were very heavy and unless you had a degree in engineering were beyond the means of the “out of the box” racer.

Enter Dave Oakley & John Elliott, the North & South of stock car development, Dave Oakley lives in Derbyshire, sort of North (it’s cold anyway) and John lives on the South coast. A conversation one day about stock cars (surprise. surprise) brought about a collision of ideas which would change model stock car racing forever !.

A large scale “ off the shelf ” stock car Kit was unheard of let alone one actually running, most people said it would never work, few knew what “ OE Racing “ otherwise known as (Oakley Oval & Elliott Fabrication) were about to try, that was a number of years ago, After a large amount of thought and consideration with regard to the type of drive train and construction Dave Oakley approached Dave Ibbotson of Direct Models without who’s blind faith in what represented an idea of some worth, the project would have faltered. So with a donor car supplied by Direct Models a project car was built and promptly scrapped, it was too heavy and unmanageable. Six months down the line the car that now actively races made its first appearance at the N.E.C. as a static showpiece. With nowhere to run & test the car effectively Dave Oakley set off to Holland and did the unthinkable, tested the car at the 1/8^th European Championship on one of Holland ’s larger oval tracks. In front of more than 80 1/8^th drivers plus spectators the car was put through its paces and exceeded the most hardened drivers expectations, they all thought it would not get around but it did it in great style, Topstox was born.

Back in the UK all efforts were made to find a track to race on, Nottingham club “went for the ride “ as they say and within eight months the club had created the largest tarmac oval in Europe. A second visit to the N.E.C. Autosport Show in January 2001 saw interest build and in March 2001 Topstox took the BIG step into the oval scene at the Notts & Derby Model Raceway. A successful first meeting and full season plus a first National Points Championship produced it’s first Champion in the shape of Roy Crowson (ex 1/8^th stock car champion & now1/10^th touring car driver)  who came over to Topstox having seen the exciting potential of this formula.

March 17^th 2002 was the first race date on the full fixtures list and marked the beginning of the new season for Topstox, the future is looking as exciting as the development year and now is the time to get into this awesome formula, don’t delay just go for it !