12 replies to this topic

[Shruska55]

I don't know if anyone has seen this before, but a friend of mine suggested I check out Zeemaps using Slot Car Race Center Locations as my search criteria.

 

Wow! It seems like every raceway ever built and opened is listed here. I found the raceways I ran 50 years ago listed. Closed of course, but for a trip down memory lane as well as where current raceways are listed, try this link.

 

Zeemaps.com - Slot Car Race Center Locations

[muskie^man19]

Great post, but many errors and also raceways newer (and older) are definitely NOT included.  Simply using Chicago metro as an example:

• Moto-Rama in Forest Park, IL, was an iconic raceway in the 1960s with two amazing tracks and is not shown at all.
• Jerry Kulich owned and operated Fun Island with an AMCR Imperial Red in Berwyn, IL, in the 1980s and this raceway is not listed at all.
• Cycle Smithy's featured another American Imperial red in Chicago, hosted many USRA wing races in the 1980s and also is not accounted for.
• The address shown for Tom Thumb in Oak Park, IL, (my hometown) and the location on the map are both incorrect as the address would be in teh city of Chicago, not is Oak Park.

Again, great stuff, but a grain of salt upon review.

[MSwiss]

My prior two locations are listed, but not my current one of eight years.

 

They catch old raceways like Hinsdale, which closed in about 1970, but miss quite a few newer ones.

 

They also list some basement club tracks.

 

There is talk of 200 raceways in the Chicago area, at one time, in it'\s heyday.

 

I know I could walk to two at one time.

 

That 200 number, operating at the same time, in my opinion, is a bit of an exaggeration, but over the years, 200 is almost a certainty, and that map doesn't come close.

[Bill from NH]

Of the New England tracks I checked for, 90% were not included. No big surprise.

[Paul Menkens]

Of the New England tracks I checked for, 90% were not included. No big surprise.

on surprise here, after all, New England always has been the forgotten corner of the country when it comes to slot car racing and it always will be.

[Miata]

on surprise here, after all, New England always has been the forgotten corner of the country when it comes to slot car racing and it always will be.

 

Interesting, growing up in the 1960's  in Mansfield MA there were two slot car tracks on main street.   One owned by Sam Holland, who also owned a gas station in town, and raced VW bugs.    The other was owned by Ed McPherson.   In the 1990's there was Mansfield Hobby, also on Main Street.    Too Bad, in Taunton MA, which had multiple tracks in the 1990's,  was also not listed.   

[MG Brown]

Great post, but many errors and also raceways newer (and older) are definitely NOT included.  Simply using Chicago metro as an example:

• Moto-Rama in Forest Park, IL, was an iconic raceway in the 1960s with two amazing tracks and is not shown at all.
• Jerry Kulich owned and operated Fun Island with an AMCR Imperial Red in Berwyn, IL, in the 1980s and this raceway is not listed at all.
• Cycle Smithy's featured another American Imperial red in Chicago, hosted many USRA wing races in the 1980s and also is not accounted for.
• The address shown for Tom Thumb in Oak Park, IL, (my hometown) and the location on the map are both incorrect as the address would be in teh city of Chicago, not is Oak Park.

Again, great stuff, but a grain of salt upon review.

 

 

Of the New England tracks I checked for, 90% were not included. No big surprise.

 

 

 

Please note that is is a crowd sourced map that you can add raceways to. Instead of complaining about omissions, add what you feel should be included. I guess those complaining can't be bothered?

[Phil Smith]

Or they didn't know?

 

[MG Brown]

Google queries run today to find information on the web about omitted raceways mentioned in this thread.

 

Moto-Rama in Forest Park, IL - nothing found.

 

Fun Island with an AMCR Imperial Red in Berwyn, IL - nothing found

 

Cycle Smithy slot car chicago IL - mention of buying out Park West Schwinn and setting up a slot car track was found but no address or other contact information or what tracks were at the location

 

Tom Thumb in Oak Park, IL slot car - Evanston location information found, discussion thread on Facebook found about Oak Park location but no address or other contact information.

 

The above is typlical of what you find when attempting to research raceways that are now out of business. The best informaton often found is someone's hazy recollection that there was a raceway "somewhere" in a particular city or suburb.

 

I find it incredible that no one apparently took the time to write down the addresses when they were in business, or they had no advertising, or that there was no apparent paper trail that we can reference today.

But I digress, To put things on a map one needs addresses, etc. Otherwise you have a list of names which really isn't very visually helpful.

 

Did anyone keep information for any of the above? It would be helpful to have it if it exists.

[team burrito]

P1 hobbies in ukiah, ca has been closed for 2 years & somebody else got their number, so please don't call them. Nice to see the club track in san carlos, ca on the map. it's been closed for about 2 years now & the track is now at JK headquarters.

[Bill Seitz]

As MG Brown pointed out, Zeemaps is crowd sourced, so if you know there are errors or omissions, submit changes and the map will get updated.

 

My wife and I use it as an initial resource (along with the Slotblog raceway directory) to see what potential raceways lie along a proposed trip route. We always verify accuracy before we commit to visiting a raceway, but it has helped me discover new raceways I'd not have known about otherwise. I sincerely appreciate the effort of those that inform Slotblog and Zeemaps of raceway status and keep these resources updated.

 

I wasn't aware P1 in Ukiah had closed, but they'd placed foam mats on their slot track to use it for 1/24 R/C cars, so it's not been a viable slot car place for a while and crossed off my list.

[Paul Menkens]

I have no idea how to go about entering them but here are 3:

 

Burlington Speedway, 81 Church Street, Burlington, Vt. closed

Yelo Windsor, Blue King, Hill Climb, 220’ Engleman

 

Burlington Gran Prix Model Car Raceway 151 Main Street, Burlington, Vt. closed

Red Imperial, Black Royal

 

St.Albans Model Car Raceway, 36 Lake Street, St.Albans, Vt. Closed

Mr.Raceways LeMans

 

Shelburne Toy And Hobbies in Shelburne, closed

 

There were also a raceway in Barre, Rutland Gran Prix and one in White River Junction in Vermont in the 60s.

and a short lived raceway in Burlington in the 90s

[MSwiss]

Great post, ..........................................
 
Again, great stuff..............

Of course.
 

Please note that is is a crowd sourced map that you can add raceways to. Instead of complaining about omissions, add what you feel should be included. I guess those complaining can't be bothered?

 
 

Or they didn't know?

This is it in a nutshell.
 
Someone started this but didn't mention it on Slotblog, as far as I know.

 

As MG Brown pointed out, Zeemaps is crowd sourced, so if you know there are errors or omissions, submit changes and the map will get updated.

Bill,
How does one do that?

Going to the link in post #1, on both my PC and phone, I don't see any obvious way to it.
 
Along with getting my current raceway listed, I have a handful of defunct raceways I would like to give props to.

I would like to see if it will accept an intersection for an address.

IE - there was a raceway in my neighborhood that was on the northwest corner of 26th and Ridgeway, that was just referred to as Ridgeway.

I don't have any idea if the address was 25XX South Ridgeway or 37XX West 26th St, nor do I know if that structure still exists.

I realize I can go to Google Maps and try for a visual, but is that real necessary for a raceway that's been closed for 54 or 55 years?

Also, I find it very odd whoever started this, or has since contributed to it, made the effort to list my 2 past, obviously closed locations, but didn't list my current, open location.
 
I've been here for 8 years.
 
My address is in my Slotblog signature.
 
Is there a way to find out who started this?