A Whole New Sport!

The New Track System by Scalextric!

Scalextric's announcement of the their new Sport Track system has had quite a few enthusiasts on the edge of their seat, anxiously awaiting its arrival. Promises of a better track system for the model car racer is no small order, but Scalextric is used to bringing us quality, and they have achieved that goal once more.

This track is quite an improvement over the classic track, not only in the track itself, but added features as well. From the new straight sections of the popular gravel trap borders, to fully independent power per lane, make this system even better.

The track in this review is the standard circuit 3 GT Sport set. It includes 2 of the 911 GT3R Scalextric Porsches. These cars are 2 of the finest model racing cars you could ask for, and if this is your first set, you are in for some fun and challenging racing.

Even in the event you are limited on space, the Circuit 3 configuration is just the right amount of track to give you a challenging, and flexible layout. Add to that some interesting specialty track, and you have the makings of a system guaranteed to keep you happy for quite some time. The set arrived neatly packaged, and all components were present and accounted for. The set instructions were easy to read and understand, so everyone should have their track up and running quickly and easily. Also included is a new booklet informing you of all the new Sport Track pieces, and something else I really enjoyed: Track Plans! It lists fourteen 2 lane, and thirteen 4, and 6 lane configurations, of which, 5 of these are based on real tracks around the world. It tells you all the pieces required, track lap length and space required. I thought this was a nice touch, and it gives the newcomer and veteran alike, a great deal of information.

One of the first additions I noticed is the special track sections, most notably the 2 racing curve crossovers. These are very different from the crossovers I have been used to, and I was anxious to try them out! A "side-swipe" straight, as Scalextric calls it, is also included, providing you with plenty of racing options. Enough of the "Gravel-Trap" style borders are included to completely wrap around one end of the layout. One thing to note is that these borders now include regular straight sections, coming in half-straight sizes. This has always been missing before, and I for one, am very glad to see them. Having these borders really adds to the visual appeal of the layout. 10 of the familiar plastic supports are included, along with 2 cardboard track supports. These supports served their purpose, and fold away neatly for track storage.

Assembly of this track is even easier than before, the track sections simply push together, and the tabs underneath snap in place. I had this layout completely assembled, with all borders, power connected and racing in just 11minutes! Disassembly is different than before, it takes a little getting used to, but is not difficult. The easiest way I found to do this is to feel around underneath the track, press in one tab at a time, pull the tab out, then, do the other side. Even though it is a little tougher than the classic version, I like this feature, as it prevents the user from bending the track at an angle, causing you to bend the rails, or damage the rail ends.

The track itself has really undergone some changes, and I must tell you that I was very impressed. The surface was the first item that caught my eye, as the abrasive surface that you may be familiar with, is no longer here. I compared the surface with my Carrera track, and it is every bit as smooth and provides the driver with a clean, fast racing surface. I feel the tires should grip the track, not a track designed with a "sandpaper" effect to grip the tires. This allows you to fine tune your favorite models with more flexibility. Adding silicone tires to your models will allow them to hug the corners even more than before, or, if you prefer the sliding action this smoother surface can provide, especially if you are a Rally fan, leave the standard tires on. I tested several different cars, first without silicones, then again with them added. There is a noticeable difference, and lap times were obviously quicker using silicones. On the subject of a smoother surface, it really boils down to personal preference; some prefer the more abrasive systems, while others do not. The only way you will know what kind you prefer is by trial and error.

The next improvement is the guide (slot) depth. With classic track, trimming of the guides became almost a standard practice, as the guides on some models would rub the bottom surface of the slot, needless to say, performance suffered. Again, Scalextric has remedied this problem, as the depth of this slot accommodated ALL of my cars, including Carrera and my Parma Womp.

Moving right along, we find the rails of this system to be more recessed, and virtually flush with the track. This may or may not be of great importance to some, but I found it to be an improvement over the slightly raised rails found in the classic track. It allows the front end on your models to be slightly lower, and for some this is a major factor when trying to tune a car to its best performance. Second, drifting (sliding) over these flush rails is a sight better than hopping over the older version. The rails having this recess, obviously resulting in a greater distance from the magnets on your cars, does make it slightly less magnetic. However, the amount of distance is not that that much, and I could hardly tell the difference between the 2 versions.

Not being satisfied with just changing the tooling of the track, Scalextric has added a few more features to their new Sport line that are welcome additions in their own right. First and foremost is the power system. Fully independent power per lane is standard equipment. This has always been the single most important modification you can make to your track, now Scalextric provides it, and they did it quite well. Simply add an additional power pack and that's it. You CAN use your older power supply (C977W) from the classic track system, so this means if you decide to purchase a new Sport set, you don't need to purchase another supply. Once you plug in the second supply, move the selection switch on top to the right, where you see the two 16V~ symbols, this selects power to be FULLY independent. However, you can leave this switch in the single position. What this does is provides you with double the amperage, and there is a noticeable difference in power increase for that lane, but power is NOT independent, so you will see a drop in power when running another car in the other lane. The adaptor track from Sport to Classic is not included in the sets, but if you purchase the power supply separate, it does come with this half-straight adaptor.

Adding to the list of improvements, is finding that the addition of Dynamic brakes are now a standard with this new system. This adds so much to the performance and enjoyment of your model cars, that I personally consider them mandatory. If you have raced without brakes, then driven on a system with it, you will never want to go back, at least in my opinion. This does mean however, that you CANNOT use your older controllers with this new system. When this new track system was announced, some felt that Scalextric should have included better controllers, but I disagree. The set controllers have been very durable in the past, with my classic controllers functioning perfectly, and still do after years of hard racing. This keeps the cost of the set down, and it still provides you with high quality. The controllers found in this set are 60ohm, and they worked quite well, throttle response was excellent, with braking being crisp, yet not overdone. Of course, as before, if you want to upgrade to a higher end controller, or one with lower ohms, you can do so to suit your driving style.

Now for the fun part! Driving on this track is simply a pleasure, and many test laps were racked up quickly. The cars were whisper quiet along with clean, tight connections provides top-notch racing. This track is SMOOTH to say the least. We tested several different cars and brands, with all of them running beautifully. In all the racing action, a few things were pleasantly discovered. First, the racing curve crossovers are very well done. Unlike some of the older classic crossovers, the Sport versions are flat and wrinkle free. I have not really liked the crossovers because of that very issue, but on this track, they were a lot of fun. The cars drift right through them as quietly as they do on regular track. The "side-swipe" straights are just as entertaining, and YES, some cars can make it through them together. The Porsches could just barley squeeze through, but wider cars, such as the Lister Storm could not. Trading paint here and there is all part of the fun for us, and this set delivers that full throttle.

The only way to sum up this review, is to state that this new Sport Track is exactly what Scalextric claims it to be: An Advanced Track System. Simply put, this system has all the ingredients any enthusiast could ask for, in fact, this IS the track many of you have been asking for! I have now raced on both systems, and in my own personal findings, the new Sport Track is miles ahead of the classic track.

I have to recommend this set, it is impossible not to. I will even go so far as to recommend any of the new Sport track systems, as with combining this new track with their already high quality model racing cars, how can you go wrong? You simply can't. Scalextric has produced the best all around 1/32nd scale model car racing system you can buy, and recommending a set to a beginner has now become that much easier to do. I commend Scalextric on this effort, a job well done!

Harry.

As Always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com

Thanks go to Scalextric USA for providing us with this great new set!