I had built a few slot cars as a late teen in Fresno. When I heard they had a track at Bien Hoa, Vietnam I had to check it out since I was in the neighborhood. Sure enough it was at the base hobby shop.
I raced for a while in college in Vallejo. (using all my fathers old stuff from the 60's). Me and a buddy raced the old cox cars and had a blast. But as we were the only guys running these aged cars we just ran amongst our selves. We had to cut our own tires cause we couldn't get them. The regulars didn't like us to run cause the cars were "so slow". Thus we always ran when no one was around. I guess it has changed now and there are more guys running the "vintage" cars. Still have everything in a box. I think the track is still there.
When I was in grade school- early 60's in Woodland Hills/ San Fernando Valley- our local track was on Topanga Cyn near Ventura Blvd in a high-roofed building that used to house the post office. I had a 2nd hand car from one of my friends, but couldn't afford to run it much. But my buddy had a red Manta Ray that was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen, and this was before I even knew what sexy was. I can't remember the details, but I think the chassis was made of brass rod and tubing, and there was some sort of floating suspension-like feature going on with it.
The local, and only hobby shop in town here around '65 rented the vacant store next door and opened up a slot car track. We had all been messing with the HO stuff at home. Remember the "Hop Up Kits" you could buy from Aurora? I had a Mustang that was badass on the home HO track. The hopped up motor, the rotted slicks, lowered body with clay added for weight, and some kind of special pin to keep it on the track. Then we all just had to jump into the "big" cars, the local track was all 1/24th scale...i wonder where all my stuff ended up?
well, I just talked to my brother and we decided to dig out the old box of thunderjet 500's. see if I can't woop my nephews with the ole 65 mustang fastback.
My father played with the aurora's back in the 50-60's and when he built our house he made a game room in the basement with an H.O. railroad track and a slot car track so I grew up on his old slot cars, They started to remake them a few years ago and I bought a few and every once in awhile when I go visit the parents I go play on the track for a bit. I also had a slot car shop nearby as a kid and I went there a few times to watch them race so I guess in an indirect way it was like being a kid in the 50-60s but I am only 28.
That's what I used for my cars. A snap together Willys and an Anglia. The bodies are scaled correct but thw wheels are stretched like they are burning out doing a wheelie.
Two of my buddies and I were really into it back in the day. I remember we built a special car to race a six hr endurance race and won. It started at midnight and went til 6 am. Great fun!
I went to this place that my buddy said was the shit,and they were having some kind of endurance race. I watched for about 2 hours. I don't care for the winged cars though. The guys just stand there and hold the trigger down and the cars stick to the track like glue! Doesn't take any skill at all!!! I like the old cars much better. You have to slow down in the turns and back on the gas at the right time,or you'll spin out. That's what I call fun...
When I was 8 or 9 I used to visit this old metal building that was across the street from my house. You walk thru the door and all you see is a huge track (seemed like a 100 foot long back then) A bunch of old farts, smokin stogies and drinkin beer, with race car controllers in hand! The only racing I did was when someone yelled "Hey kid, put my car back on the track! It made for a safe fun environment on a Saturday nite! And it had good Hot rodding roots!
I was recently given a briefcase,and inside was 3 hand built slot cars i judge from around early 60's, engines appear to have been rewound, and balanced{i see on armature some hand work } also it contained many gears ,wheels, tires, tools, and oils and tire snot. Thinking of putting it on egay???
Remember after running your slot cars for hours, and they finally quit! You pull the body off, and the smell of burnt wire and plastic rises from the slot car. Your 1st thought is..."Let it cool off and it will be alright" Yea right, Time to take a trip down to the Hobby Shop!
I remember a place in pismo beach,ca right by the pier upstairs in the arcade. Man that was a long time ago.
Yes.Trying to remember some others. I saved a few old Slot Car magazines from then. I always wondered what those manufacturers places were like. Probably one man operations. I think I was rid of my 1/32 stuff by 1970 after the first boom was completely over. I held onto my Aurora HO for years after that but finally let it go about 10 years ago. I hate getting rid of cool stuff. There's a track up in Vallejo that I just heard about. I'll check it out if I ever make time.
Hey Doc, Did you ever race at Wynnum in Brissy? I raced there on Friday nights from around 1991 - 1995. If so, you might remember this one (it's a bit worse for wear now): Never did get this one finished: -Pete
Charleston S.C. 1966, gave my wife an engagement ring , and went to the slot car track to run my Cox Chaparral the same day. She went too.. Oh , yea , she's still my wife..
Cant say I ever made it up there. Most of my time was spent at Ingleburn, raced with Mario and Andy Colalillo and a few guys from my unit there.
Dont know it anyone posted about it.. but there is a large slot car track in Citrus Heights, CA. also... I remembered lusting after the largest track in the Sears catalog as a kid, but never got the big set... until I could afford to buy it as an adult. Now I've got a 4x8 track that takes about 2 hours to set up... but damn its cool.
I used to race at a track in Independence, Kansas. It was upstairs above Coopers Hobby Shop. Anyone remember HO cars that were called magnatrac? Lots of weekend fun from the past.
back in the mid sixties,there used to be a track in meadville,Pa.They had a big oval and a drag strip.I was just out of high school,and I spent lots of time there.one of my co-workers at the VW garage spent so much time there that his wife left him.I still have my 40 willys coupe and my 40 ford coupe. There were a couple of city firefighters that had all the "hi tech" parts and they pretty much dominated the track.When I came home from a 4 year hitch in the army,the track was gone.They opened a pizza shop in the building.
In the town where I went to high-school in the early 60s the was a mom & pop slot track that was a going concern. They had a 17 year old daughter that the did not allow to date. She was not happy about that. Pop ran the place all day and when it got really busy at night Mom would go help him. I'd race early and when the place got busy I'd go see the daughter. I loved that place! But when she turned 18 she ran away. I think thats when I put the slot cars away. They're around somewhere.
The local track here recently shut down but my little brother,cousin and I used i tfrequently. My Dad also raced on the same track way way back and was said to be a track that Don Schoenfield had at one time. The track was in really decent shape,and at one time a drag strip was added to a side wall and a new very high banked track was installed for a short time. The indoor dirt racing RC and indoor carpet RC racing took over the shop for a while but last time I drove by it was housing tons of washer/dryers and refrigerators. Sad!! This shop was U-Drive-Um RaceWay in FortSmith ARK.
My "home track" was "Marellis" in Twinbrook,Md., all 1/24th stuff. Worked up to frames of brass tubing lined with piano wire, rewound motors, all the trick stuff I could afford from cutting grass. Even got a few "Best Engineered" trophies at some of the big events. About every 6 weeks they would have a race that was "style" specific, open wheel, stock car, jalopy. The time invested usually would result in bad grades and restriction from racing. Another track was "Vincents" in Silver Spring,Md., they had huge tracks and a dragstrip but I couldn't afford both type of cars. The drag cars were a bit anti climatic because the "run" was under 2 seconds. Great thread and good,good memories!
Check out this site. Go to the Dirt Oval link on the bottom too! http://home.att.net/~burnoutalley2/index.html
Pauls hobby shop on east kellogg in Wichita, we would ride our bikes over every saturday morning, he was really kool and even had a work bench all set up with stuff for us to use, He'd help us with our cars when we needed it , even had Model Car contest Mid 60's. There was another place at Parklane shopping center that had a monster track, don't remember the name...Oh well.,
This is so weird cause I just happened upon one of those places in the Engilshtown Auction in NJ! We raced for 30 minutes and after that my girl and I were almost ready to buy our own cars. We talked ourselves out of it because the place was 45 minutes from home. I ran a google search and there are still quite a few places in NJ! Hmmmmm Maybe I will go back and get that '40 Ford.
RACELAND.. NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES.. 4 TRACKS AND A HUGE SELECTION OF PARTS AND ACC.... I THINK ITS A CHURCH NOW............
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