Inventory Photography Complete! For Now, Anyway...

 I was finally able to finish photographing all the cars I had, which took a little longer than I had expected. Stacks of car cases sat scattered around the basement as I methodically wen from stack-to-stack, taking them into the workshop, setting them on a white background and snapping away with my iPhone. I thought I was done, then found a straggler hiding in a toolbox that I had originally set up for racing. It was a 90's SCX SRS Lancia LC2 that while in good shape, had yellowed considerably--probably due to UV light's affect on its lexan body.

 The total car count was at 236 including the Lancia,..until the Powerslot Lola T-298 that I had picked up on eBay arrived in the mail. I had wanted one of these long-discontinued cars for quite a while, but failed to get one when they were commonly available. I managed to snag this one at a very good price; (see below) it was used but looks practically new.

So the total stands at 237--although this doesn't include the two Daytona Prototypes and the two Artin F1 cars that I will be selling soon, probably on eBay. I just never really warmed up to the prototypes, and as I don't do F1 cars, I have no need for the Artins. They are actually not bad cars (I have at least a half-dozen Artin 911s and Mercedes CLKs) but I would just as soon let them go for some pocket change.

Slot Car TV Updated...Again! [new channels added]

It's really an exciting time in the hobby right now because we can all enjoy a wealth of slot car related content that's available on YouTube. Whether you're interested in tuning your car for better performance, getting a heads-up on the newest cars to buy, changing your track layout or tips on how to build scenic elements for your home track, you can find a wealth of info on these channels. Best of all, you'll find something for experienced sloters as well as those new to the hobby.

The number of channels seems to have almost doubled in the last year or so - with new channels appearing and well-established channels boosting their output and trying new video formats, including live streams. In addition, many of the hosts are getting together to collaborate in various ways, like interviews and live chats with multiple participants. We are truly in a great time for the hobby and I think all this content will definitely help it to grow!  So, visit our Slot Car TV list and check out the channels!

Silverstone Visitors Can Now Race on a Scalextric Replica

Soon, visitors to England's famed Silverstone circuit can experience some small-scale excitement by trying their skill on a small replica of the course that will be open to the public next month at the Northamptonshire track’s on-site museum.

 

Constructed by The Racing Room, which designs and builds slot car layouts, a specialized team of modelers built the track and created all the highly-detailed scenery. Currently the impressive layout is one of the highlights of the Silverstone Museum’s ‘On Track’ exhibition, which runs during the Easter holidays from April 1-16. You can read more about the track HERE on Motor Sport.

Newest Additions to the Slot Car Garage

Things have slowed down a bit over the past few weeks and my early 2023 buying spree has come to a close, I think. I feel like I've pretty much "caught up" on filling the holes in my collection, and have settled on looking for good buys on more obscure cars or used cars that might be good candidates for projects. Other purchases might be add-ons to some models of cars I already have, from different manufacturers or other variations.

 

One example of an "extension" to what I already have was this Carrera Porsche 917K - a nice analog example of a classic Le Mans car. I already had 2 Fly Classic 917s, but I've heard some folks on Youtube singing the praises of the Carrera versions that I wanted to have one to try out. Of course, NSR makes 917s as well - but I'm not sure my track design would allow that car to demonstrate its performance advantages, so I saved a little money this time around.

 

Another addition was made to my Early 60s Le Mans group - the Corvette Stingray No. 8 (from Carrera again) - an attractive white, blue and red livery that I preferred over some of the other ones available. In reality, I had wanted one of the Revell-Monogram Corvette Grand Sports that were produced some years ago, but they run almost $100 now if you can find NOS. For now, the Carrera - at $40 - is an acceptable compromise, and I look forward to running it with my Ferrari GTOs, XKE Jags, Cobra Daytona, Cheetah and Porsche 904.

What Does a Slot Car Racing Champ Do? Start His Own Club.

A retired holiday park manager and British slot car racing champion, Ant Hawkes is committed to doing his part to expand the hobby.  The 71-year old is holding a free introductory event this month to launch the Dumfries Slot Car Club. Ant secured a space for his racing track at a local YMCA, where the new club will be based.

The Dumfries Slot Car Club Track

The Daily Record reports that Ant, who has been racing slot cars since 1968, recognizes that most established slot car racers are middle aged or older. Nevertheless, he sees a number of younger people being attracted to the hobby.

“My plan is to invite people along to the YMCA to make an event of it as a launch, he says. The purpose of the club is to provide a safe and friendly environment for model car racing enthusiasts of all ages and abilities”

It's good to see an older generation recognize the need to bring younger people into the hobby. To read the entire article, go HERE.

Settling on a (newish) Track Layout

So after collecting the various sections of Artin track that I needed and making some final alterations, I think I’ve settled on a layout for my next track. Not surprisingly, it’s not so different from my previous track, which was removed about 3-4 years ago. The layout – a U-Shaped affair with a raised “Alpine” run on the left, a grandstand/pit area and long straight at the rear center, and an “Old City” section on the right, is essentially the same. Lane lengths are the same - just a hair over 50 feet, or 15.25 meters; as always, I resist the inclination to stuff as much track as possible into the space.

I’ve adjusted things a bit to give some more room for scenery in a few spots—so things are less cramped. Most importantly, where all the curves in the old track were R1s and R2s, the R2s have now been left out (I no longer have them) and R3s and R4s have been substituted. As a result, some of the curves have been loosened up a little to make things flow a little better. I lost about a half-section on the long grandstand straight, but this let me fit a 90-degree R3 turn at the end, which should be an improvement over the R2 turn I had before. There is also one less “squiggle” on the downhill ride from the highest section – which still remains the most technical section of the circuit.

The "Alpine" portion of the track will be similar to the prior design, with some changes.

Overall, the levels of each section will be much as they were before, although the alpine section may not be quite as high it was previously (it was almost 16 inches above the base level of the track). How high depends on how things “feel” during construction and how much room is available around the edges of the space. I’ve moved some scenic elements around for better placement and track visibility; the planned sky lift/cable car feature will be there (non-operating, sorry) and the configuration of the Old City will remain pretty much as before. I’d also like to add a small water feature, purely for visual interest. As before, the pit lane is non operational--the track will be analog, as are all my cars.

The "Old City" portion of the track will be configured much the same as this one.

In the end, the simple fact is that I loved the track the way it was previously, and the tweaks involved in the new design are there to make it slightly smoother and to improve sight lines. Actually, the biggest difference in the tracks will be the underpinnings; the old track was supported by a collection of small tables (of differing heights) a small 3-drawer dresser and some hollow-core doors. Track supports were cobbled together out of cardboard boxes, 2x4 cut-offs and other bits of wood and styrofoam. Once plastered in, it looked good and all held together quite well – but there was little if any pre-planning for electrical, lighting or time keeping, which were rudimentary, at best. Everything underneath was hidden by large panels of foam core, which looked OK and were removable, but certainly not sturdy.

This might give you an idea of how my first track was supported. Pretty sketchy.

This time around, the track will be supported by proper cabinetry, with plenty of room for storage, doors to hide everything. Power, wiring, timing and audio will be fully integrated into the track and designed for easier hookup and maintenance. Pretty sure I will be using SmartRace here as well. As the prior effort was just cobbled together as I went along, this one will be planned more carefully from the start. This will take some time and effort, but I do not lack for tools.

One of the biggest jobs is to clean the space out and prepare it for construction—currently it is home to leftover project lumber, some furniture, golf clubs, a small refrigerator, a window AC unit, table saw and an old Barbie dollhouse, among other things. But where will I put all of that? As Some in the garage, some in the attic, and some in the trash bin, I guess.