Slot Car Raceway

 

4

84

Mick B.

Waukegan, IL

1/11/2009 2 photos

Alan wrote a good review and I don't have much to add to it other than (owner) Frank is a heck of a great guy.

While I was in town for the 2008 National Championships, he went out of his way to make sure the visitors were entertained and taken to local nightlife spots after the activities were over each day.

So my hat is off to Frank and his staff for not only running a first class establishment, but being a great host and all around good guy.

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2

37

Alan O.

Oakland, CA

6/22/2006 4 photos

This place is a throwback to the '60's when slotcar racing was one of the hottest most popular hobbies on earth.

Slotcar racing nearly died in the '70's but has been kept alive by racers and track owners all over the country.  It had a mild resurgence in the early '90's, unknown to anyone except racing devotees, and it was then my son and I started racing at Fastrax in San Pablo (since closed, sadly).  

Many reasons caused slotcar racing's near-demise: competition from radio controlled cars, the cost of equipment, etc., but it's a lot of fun to drive the cars and even more enjoyable to build, modify and develop your cars in a friendly racing environment.

Slot Car Raceway is owned by Frank Sarkela, a champion racer and fanatic car builder.  Hot motors are his thing, along with developing chassis and cars that handle.  Everything comes into play in slot cars: aerodynamics, handling, speed, consistency, gear ratios, body styles, tire compounds, etc.  The difference here is that many parts cost only $1!  This is not to say that slot car racing is cheap, but for a beginner you can start racing for around $150 if you want your own car.  Things ramp up dramatically after that, with the fast cars, wing cars, running at around $500 each, and controllers (to control them) at around $350.

Birthday parties are a lot of fun at Slot Car Raceway - you can rent the track and have races, for grown-ups and kids, then have pizza and birthday cake in the "pits."

For those nostalgic for the past, I run in a sub-group at the track called VMRA or Vintage Model Racers of America - we race cars from the 1960's to 70's but modify them using modern slot car racing principals so they run like I could only dream about when I was a kid.

This is as far from a computer game as you can get, but in some ways it's similar.  You drive these things through remote control, and nobody gets hurt.  On the other hand, you're standing next to other real people drivers at the track control console, racing them on the track.

Sometimes it's truly hilarious as you crash or your crash others out.  In short, it's a blast from the past.

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