Auto World Drag Racing Set - Home Racing World & Slot Car Garage

Monday February 07, 2011

One of the biggest items announced this year in HO scale this year was this Auto World Drag Strip set. For many years HO scale enthusiasts have wanted a new drag racing system and finally it has arrived. I am just as excited as you are so let's get right to it shall we?

Nothing seems to be more exciting than seeing a brand new race set ready to be opened and enjoyed. The box art here is nicely done and gives a full description of what you get. The back of the box also tells you the layout of the track along with accessories you can purchase.

Inside everything is neatly arranged and all of our track arrived unharmed. There are instructions that are as clear and easy to understand as you could ask for. This can make or break a slot car set and I was pleased with what Auto World included.

You will need 6 "AA" batteries to power both the start and end track sections. There are covers on the backside of the rails that indicate where they go. A small cross-tip screwdriver is need for the removal. After these are installed, simply follow the rest of the instructions and you will be on your way to drag racing!

The track sections are easy enough to snap together. I found a couple sections seemed to have a slight bow in them but nothing major. I flattened them out by hand and all was well. The track connections are compatible with standard AFX track sections although the tabs are slightly different. This is a good thing for many HO scale enthusiasts as the AFX track has been around for quite awhile and finding extra track is very easy and affordable.

The last step is your power and control hook up. Again this is as easy as it gets. Simple thumb controllers are your control and I actually like them over a trigger control for this kind of racing. Odd I suppose, but they just seem to feel right in drag racing.

Once you are all assembled, it is time to race! Just follow the instructions in the book. It is very easy.

The standard "Christmas Tree" type of system is in place. There are a series of lights when you press the button. Just wait for the green light and launch your car!

If you take off too soon, you "red-light" and are disqualified.

The track uses light sensitive photo cells. You have to make sure there is plenty of light in order for it to work. If not, the Christmas tree will show a red light at the bottom telling you it needs more light.

At the end of the race the gate will show you who won. It is that simple.

I apologize for the setup but we just did not have room set up in time so we used our oval. Still this shows you basically what you will get.

One item I like is the shutdown. There is a small section of track that has no rails in it to make it sort of a dead strip. This is great because you can easily snap on another standard straight for extra shut down length, or make a return loop as the instructions show you.

As cool as this set is, the real stars for me are the cars. There is just something about these wild looking drag racers that have always fascinated me. Not only that but they are John and Ashley Force. Regardless if you like them or not, I think this was the right name to put on this set.

The paint work and Tampo stamped markings are about as good as it gets. I am impressed on the level of detail and the body to chassis fit.

The chassis is the 4Gear Ultra G. It has 2 button magnets as you can se in the photo to help with down-force. They work well enough for me and both chassis ran perfectly out of the box.

All in all I like this set. No, it does not have timing or other advanced drag racing features but I did not expect that. Not for a set priced like this. It is designed to be a simple, entry level HO scale drag racing set and I feel it accomplishes that very well.

Even if you are not into HO scale, you might look very hard at getting one.

After all, it is still slot car racing and the fun this set delivers is well worth the investment.

- Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Thanks Go To BRS HOBBIES For Providing Us With This Set