Slot Car Racing or Slot Racing is the competitive hobby of racing powered scaled / miniature cars, trucks, etc which are guided by grooves or slots within the track on which they run. Slot cars are used in this endeavor and are typically models of automobiles, although some have racing bodies that are special designs for this type of miniature racing.
Slot Racing ranges from casual get-togethers, typically at racing tracks within the home with participants using whatever cars the host may have available, to serious competitions consisting of contestants who painstakingly build or modify their own cars for maximum performance to compete in a series of races that may lead up to a national championship competition.
Slot Racing was most popular during the 1960s, with sales surpassing $500 Million per year. During that era there were 3,000 public courses in the United States alone which attracted thousands of amateur participants. The fad / trend sputtered out by the start of the 1970s as many “amateur” participants felt squeezed out by “professional players” at major slot racing events or competitions.
In Slot Car competition, sizes vary; scaled sizes are as follows: 1:24 is the largest (7 to 8 inches long); 1:32 scaled (5 to 6 inches long) cars are generally used for home style tracks but it is not uncommon for these cars to be utilized for commercial tract events; the 3rd scaled size is simply called “HO” and may vary in size from 1:87 (older cars) to 1:64 (newer cars) and are usually 2.5 – 3.5 inches long. Although the HO cars may vary a bit in size, they all most always use the same width of track (the larger cars obviously require a larger track) … Here we display an image reflecting scale size variations … largest (1:24; 1:32 & 1:64) to smallest:
While a few folks might consider slot racing antiquated, out of date, or just plain old fashioned, this type of thinking is far from being true. As a matter of fact, Slot Racing is making a major comeback as one of the few affordable “fun hobbies” found anywhere today that’s suitable for all members of the family － be you 5 or 85!
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slot_car http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slotcar_scale_comparison.png
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