NASCAR Racing on a Budget

When Scalextric recently dropped their prices on sets and cars, I was hoping to find a few things I had perhaps missed out on in the past. Sure enough, some older NASCAR sets dropped dramatically in price and I could not pass on them this time around.

I chose the Scalextric NASCAR Speedway set #C1041T. Not only does this set give you plenty of track if your looking to expand your existing layout, but it includes some of the finest running model cars you can buy with the 1999 NASCARS.

These cars have long been favorites of mine, having excellent detail, plus very quiet and smooth. These models differ from the new 2001 releases, having an inline drive system compared to the sidewinder drive of the 2001. In addition, the magnet is not adjustable, being placed under the chassis instead of inside, and the interior is of a half-tray design. Still, these cars are very competitive, and we have logged many miles on our previous models.

The magnet in these cars are weaker than the new Scalextric bar magnets found in the 2001 releases, and detuning my entire field of current NASCARS was not the route I wanted to take. We have upgraded our other models to 2001 standards, so the upgrade was needed to allow these 2 new additions to keep pace with the rest of the field.

I chose the Slot-It Progressive Super Magnet #SICN02 "C" magnet, AKA the "bowtie" for $3.99. This magnet is thinner in the center, with the outside edges thicker to provide more magnetic down-force when in the corners. As the car starts to drift, these thicker areas aid in keeping your car in the groove.

The stock magnets are glued in place, but removal is still easily accomplished. As the photo shows, just using a small flat tip screwdriver will pop them right out. The older magnet has notches on each end, that allow your screwdriver to fit right in. After removal, there might be some excess glue or an area of plastic roughed by the adhesive, but using that same screwdriver, or an X-Acto chisel tip will clean this up in a snap.

When it came to adhesive, I chose the old reliable Super Glue. A couple drops on each end was all that was needed. Then simply slip the magnet in place, it is a perfect fit. Now you could flip this magnet over, making the center area of the magnet further away from the track rails, but on my Carrera track, this worked perfectly. The chassis is slightly lower than the 2001 models, and the magnet being closer to the rails allows this car to easily match your new models.

Using standard Ninco power packs, 1 per lane and 60ohm controllers, lap times were quick with scores of 4.9, 5.0 5.0, 5.1 and 5.0 on our 59 ½ foot Carrera track. These are very close to the 2001 Taurus, in fact dead even, as the best time for a box stock 2001 was 4.8. These times were without silicone tires, with the tires being lightly sanded. With the silicone tires added, lap times dropped to an average of 4.7. All our NASCARS get these in the rear, so they were installed after the initial test. Of course there are more modifications some choose to do as well, from gearing to motors, but for our basement racing, this is all we do for some close, satisfying racing.

This set is one of the best on the market in my opinion. At $99.95, it combines great cars with plenty of track at a basement price. If your looking to get started without a lot of investment, just looking to expand your current Scalextric layout, or just looking too add more NASCARS to your current collection, here is just one answer for you. Shop and compare yourself, you may find room for it sooner than you think!

As always feel free to drop me a line about this article or just the hobby in general at wiseone@yhti.net or stop in the Home Racing World Message Forum and let us hear from you.

Harry
 

 

Set provided by Slot Car World. As of this writing they still have plenty of Scalextric Classic sets for you to choose from.