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ddyke wrote:

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I think there must be an optimum ratio between "wheelbase" (guide hole to rear axle) and rear track (center to center on the rear wheels). What that ratio is probably depends on the track you are running. I hate long wheelbase cars on a track with lots of R1 turns.

This is right on target. The 'guide flag way out front' came from the commercial track days, when the prevailing philosophy was 'tripods are best'.

We've seen so far that the best prepped cars in 1:32 have the front wheels just touching the track to act as outriggers. Once you put those front wheels on the track, geometry is critical. On a Blue King track, the turns are so wide that you can put the guide way out front. But on a tight track with small radius corners, when the guide enters the corner and is pushed either to the right or the left, if the front tires are behind the guide, then the front tires are forced to move sideways relative to the slot. The front end wants to hop, and you have a real problem. That problem goes away if the guide is directly between the front tires.

Magnets can make the problem pretty bad, if the magnets are keeping the front end planted when the front tires are trying to move sideways. But this is much more of a geometry issue than a 'mag or no-mag' issue.

The longer lead is great for stability on a high-speed track, the short lead (guide between the front wheels) is good for making the car turn smoothly on tight tracks. You have to decide what kind of track you're running on, though.