Around the Slot Car Tracks

City Racing

Racing in the streets is getting more popular every day. More and more Formula One races are organized in the streets. In 2008 they race beside Monaco also in Singapore and Valencia. Also special motor sport events are brought to the streets of Moscow, Rotterdam and Kiev. It is a small step from real racing to slot car racing. I decided to follow the trend and build a track inspired by a virtual city.
City Racing

Jouef

George Huard founded the French Company Jouef in 1944. The Company started as a toy company that also produced model trains. In 1963 Jouef introduced in co-operation with the British manufacturer Playcraft the model racetrack system Record-64.
Jouef

Toys for boys

Model cars and racetracks are toys for boys according some people. It started for every hobbyist as a game, became serious business after crowing-up. Many of us started with a battery operated set and now we are spending many dollars.
Toys for boys

Slot Car Contests

Not only Aurora (Beat the Champ and the nation-wide competition Grand National!) was organising competitions but also other companies and organisations have organised or sponsored big races from coast to coast.
Contests, Great American contests in the sixties

Commercial Raceways

Club racing started in model hobby shops. Customers could try new models in backrooms of stores. The owners of stores realised that a track in the shop was an enormous impulse to their sales. The first commercial raceways were opened in the United States. Other countries followed including Canada, Australia, Japan and some European countries. It took a few years before the first commercial race club was opened in the United Kingdom.
Commercial Raceways

Boom in the sixties

Slot car racing was very popular in the sixties. Racing was it the only serious rival to television as a leisure pastime in some households, according to Phil Drackett in his book Slot Car Racing. Racing was an event for the whole family. "Any number can play" was the slogan of the manufacturers.
Boom in the sixties

Hermann Josef Neuhierl

Josef Hermann Neuhierl, born on 20 July 1927 in Germany, is the founder of Carrera. Neuhierl started with the model toy company JNF, Josef Neuhierl Furth. The downfall of Carrera came at the end of the seventies.
Hermann Josef Neuhierl (1927-1985)

NSCC

The NSCC is the independent club for slot car enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. The NSCC Journal is name of the newsletter of the club. The NSCC is an interesting club for collectors.
NSCC Models

Beat the Champ!

The Grand National, an in-store racing competition, was a marketing concept developed by Bill Silverstein of Aurora. Aurora installed tracks in the stores nation-wide. The first race (Grand National) was organised in 1962.
Beat the Champ

The Most Famous Race

The most famous race is the twenty-four hours race in Le Mans, France. In this article you find the words of the speaker as spoken in the Le Mans movie of Steve McQueen and a drawing of the Scalextric Sport track layout.
Most Famous Race

Le Mans moving pictures

Racing has always been a source of inspiration for moviemakers. The films Le Mans and Grand Prix are the best films about racing. Many movies followed, like Days of Thunder and Driven, but did not bring the success the producers hoped for.
Le Mans moving pictures

Carrera 132 Universal

The German company Carrera is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. Carrera has produced several track systems over the years. An interesting system has been the 132 Universal system. It is still popular although the production of Universal was ceased in 1984.
Carrera 132 Universal

Today's Slot Car Manufacturers

Many readers ask me from time to time which cars of which brands are available for a 1/32-scale racetrack. This article gives an answer to that question. In this overview you will find all important 1/32-scale slot car manufacturers of today.
Today's Slot Car Manufacturers

DS Racing Lap Counter

Buying a good timing device is the best investment you can make for your hobby. The DS-Racing Lap Counter DS 200 Pro is probably the best of its kind. It is the most reliable Lap Counter you can find.
DS Racing Lap Counter

Race Management System of Scalextric

Race Management System (RMS) is a nice tool for the slot racer. RMS can be connected to the Sport system and Classic track of Scalextric. Many people have waited impatiently for the system.
Race Management System of Scalextric

Scalextric Sport Lap Counter / Timer

Racing is giving more fun if your laps are counted. It is nice to know that you are faster than your competitor. Scalextric Sport offers a basic inexpensive lap counter/timer. Up to 999 laps can be counted. The best lap will be timed to the nearest tenth of a second.
Scalextric Sport Lap Counter / Timer

SCX rally cars

The Spanish slot car manufacturer SCX (sold in Spain as Scalextric) is the leader in 1:32 scale rally racing. SCX offers a great variety of rally cars. Three present models are featured in this article about SCX rally cars: Citroen Xsara, Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza.
SCX rally cars

Days of thunder with Scalextric

After years of marketing research the slot car companies Scalextric and Carrera are developing special series for the American market. The new generation of muscle cars was shipped to the United States by the end of 2001. A few years before Scalextric swept the American market with the Nascars.
Days of thunder with Scalextric

Scalextric Sport Track

The new advanced track system of Scalextric is called "Sport". The new system offers a new track surface, a deeper slot and many new exciting track sections. Scalextric claims that excitement is guaranteed with the new range of Sport sets. They are absolutely right.
Scalextric Sport Track

Märklin Sprint

The model railway manufacturer Märklin has produced in the period 1967-1982 the slot racing system "Sprint". The German Company is still selling model trains, but was forced to stop the production of "Sprint" during the eighties.
Märklin Sprint

La Pasion a 1/32, Slot Racing in Spain

While visiting Barcelona I took the opportunity to check out the slot race scene in Spain. The first thing you notice is the availability of Scalextric. Some big department stores have a special section with Scalextric cars and tracks.
La Pasion a 1/32, Slot Racing in Spain

Controllers

The hand-held controller is the tool of the slot car racer. It is very important to choose the controller that gives you the feeling that you can be the fastest on the raceway.
Controllers

Slot Racing in 2001

There has happened a lot in the year 2001. The big four 1/32 manufacturers have produced many car. Firms like Fly, Scalextric, Ninco and SCX have produced beautiful slot cars.
Slot Racing in 2001