Slot Car Racing
Slot car racing has been a very popular sport for many, many years. You have the amateur racer dabbling in this fun sport and then you have the serious enthusiast that spends every minute of free time modifying and racing their electric slot car.

A slot car is a powered miniature automobile which is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot. Though some slot cars are used to model highway traffic on scenic layouts, the great majority are used in the competitive hobby of miniature motor-racing, also called slot car racing or slot racing.

Slot cars are usually models of actual automobiles, though a few racers custom-design their cars' bodies. Most enthusiasts use commercially-available slot cars (often modified for better performance), others motorize static models, and some "scratch-build," creating their own mechanisms and bodies from basic parts and materials.

First, we will talk about the amateur racer that's looking for a good set to set up in the house. The original slot car racing system was launched in the 1950's by Scalexric. This hobby has been so popular that there are many other brands on the market today like Carrera and Revell. The race sets are available in 1:32 scale, 1:24 scale, 1:43 scale and 1:64 scale which vary in price. Choosing the right set is very important because many parts are not interchangeable between sets. It's better to purchase the biggest set affordable to your budget because it usually costs more to buy the cars or track individually.

The serious enthusiast will probably join an organized slot car racing team. This sport has come a long way since the humble beginnings of the sixties. Modern cars can lap a typical 100 foot club track in 5 seconds. In those 5 seconds the driver has to brake and drive around 6 or more corners. The faster cars are capable of 60 mph on the straights. (that's actual speed not scale speed) and have covered over 400 miles in 24 hours.

There are two sizes of cars regularly raced in a club. The 1/32 scale cars are about 6 inches long by 2-1/2 inches wide. The 1/24 cars are about 7-1/2 inches long by 3-1/4 inches wide. All models have to resemble a full size racing car and racing is divided between classes of cars. Both 1/32 and 1/24 cars can run on the same track.

Each driver has a hand held controller which contains a variable resistor or a transistorized circuit. A spring loaded plunger or trigger varies the amount of power supplied to the car.... the harder the driver presses down the faster the car goes. To slow the car, the driver releases the plunger / trigger , power is removed and a system of "dynamic braking" is applied. This "dynamic braking" is when the motor acts as a dynamo and generates its own braking force.

The skill is to drive as fast as possible without falling out of the slot. You have to slow down for each corner, drive smoothly round, and then accelerate away on full power down the next straight. If you go too fast into a corner, or apply too much power in a corner the car will come out of the slot. If you "de-slot" you will loose a lot of time while the marshal puts the car back on. www.mercantilemall.com says the best drivers can consistently drive get the maximum out of the car, but rarely go over the limit and fall off. For beginners its a question of plenty of practice to improve your driving.

Technique and judgment come from practice but there's an element of natural ability in the need for lightning reactions; perhaps the most important driver attributes are concentration and coolness.

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