295 replies to this topic

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

There was a 275' version of the Mille Miglia track locally that stayed open until the late '70s. It had a "sandtex" surface that ate a set of tires every four heats! The layout was the same, the extra 35 feet was totally in the two main straights. The gap in the middle was WIDE. The power was awful. It had a gated array output that gave all the amps when no one was on the track, but when in use, each lane got its fair share! Meaning that in the day of 6 oz cars and 24 singles, it was AMP SUCK city. I abused them a few times by running a car with so little weight, so low power, that it didn't need to steal from other lanes.

Grin.

Fate

[Gus Kelley]

Hey Guys!

Here in NorCal were several very big tracks. Here in Sacramento, where I primarily raced during the heyday, was C&M Raceway. The owners were Chet and Marge Colby and their son, Ed, ran the business. At their second location were two large tracks. The one that had most of the racing was the red track, I believe was 308' in lap length. The blue track was I believe 240'.

When more major races were put on and attracted the San Francisco boys; also sometimes the LA boys, there was one feature that often befuddled out-of-towners, two launch ramps. These were sudden, two foot elevation changes. One came on a short stretch off the large bank which was off the longest straight. Timing was extremely critical. In those days, there were no such thing as a track call, even cars launched off the bank and often landed on top of the bathrooms. That required climbing a ladder to retrieve such cars. I don't who manufactured those two tracks but I believe they were professionally built and brought in and set-up.

In the San Fran area were a couple of very large tracks and one large raceway. The raceway was Playland and had I believe six tracks, all American Raceways tracks, including a 220' Sovereign. It was some showplace and didn't last long. The tracks were at two different raceways, a street raceway in San Leandro and another at a track whose name escapes me and township likewise. The unknown track was located near Ron Mura's factory and was about 360' in length. I was only ten years old the couple times I went there but you could walk under some sections of the track as I recall.

Gus

[Vay Jonynas]

The Groove:

I'm drooling about the track in your basement!

[Champion 507]

Does anyone know the footprint of an American orange?

Thanks!

[Champion 507]

Question answered in another thread. Thanks.

[chaparrAL]

The last of the slot racing at Tom Thumb in Evanston, IL, was the winter of '73-74 on the King track. A bunch of us from the southside would load Bill Metro's car on Sat and head up there to race G20. First ran an HO race there on the Aurora Tub about '72 and had to go back and race on the King.

By this time the big track was gone. Back home on the southside we had NO track until Dan Thorne opened the In Spot in Momence a couple years later. Art was the owner and I remember Tyree Phillips, real nice guy.

Does anyone remember a nut who raced under the name Ferd, he was banned from TT and he lived right there, raced all over back then.

[Mark Clemence]

Wow, does this thread bring back some memories! Growing up in Kansas City, I raced mainly at King Louie East (bowling alley) and they had a Regal, Monarch, and Imperial in the basement. I occasionally raced at a shop at the Antioch Shopping Center which had a huge track... it was so big it dwarfed the American Imperial that was also there.

Since it is not pictured in this thread I don't think that track was an American. It was metallic blue and had two really, really long straights.

[nicky 65]

Anyone wanting to see not one but, four American tracks still up and running can got to Buzz-A-Rama in Brooklyn.

Tracks are as follows:

yellow Windsor
black Regal
blue King
orange Monarch

And Buzzy has the only yellow Emperor still left... it's just not assembled. Was taken down for a party room.

[Joe Mig]

And Buzzy has the only yellow Emperor still left... it's just not assembled. Was taken down for a party room.

Too bad that is a great track. Come on, you guys got him to do racing after all the years. Maybe you could talk him into putting the Emperor back up.

[nicky 65]

Hey Joe,

It was hard enough to get Buzzy to start racing again... Chris and I are pushing him to clean up the place and reassemble the old girl.

After all, it is the only Emperor left.

[leftyslots]

Cleaning starts tomorrow at 5 PM. All are welcome to come down and give us a hand. As for the track, Buzzy would have to let me in the basement first. LOL.

[Joe Mig]

If I help do I get to go into the dungeon?

[leftyslots]

Good luck with that, Mig. I have been helping out there for years and I'm not allowed down there.

[John Stezelecki]

I've taken a good look at the photos of the tracks. I have noticed that several tracks have number lane markings on the surface. All the tracks that have these lane markings also have a very unusual color burnt orange carpet. Are all those photos taken from the same raceway?

[Martin]

John,

I always believed these photos were taken at Playland. On San Francisco's Great highway beach front.
It was said they had one of every track they made. A real slot car mecca.

I have a post card of Playland with these same shots. The numbers would be sections of the track to mark fractions of a lap count in competition.

I am sorry I never got to visit that place.

[John Stezelecki]

Martin,

I think you absolutely correct in stating that the photos were all probably taken at Playland in SF. Their American tracks were the only ones so far that I've seen that has the same identical type section markings on them.

Playland didn't have the complete line up of American tracks. They had five tracks. Never made it their myself. Does anyone know when they closed their doors? It's kinda interesting that back in that era when you sold a slot car business, everything went along with the tracks including the carpeting and what was on the walls.

[John Stezelecki]

Martin,

Do you think you could email the post cards of Playland that you have? Stez1970@yahoo.com.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

In the mid '60s, most tracks didn't have lap timing equipment. So, qualifying was done on time, laps, and sections rather than fast time.

Fate

[MrWeiler]

Wow, does this thread bring back some memories! Growing up in Kansas City, I raced mainly at King Louie East (bowling alley) and they had a Regal, Monarch, and Imperial in the basement. I occasionally raced at a shop at the Antioch Shopping Center which had a huge track... it was so big it dwarfed the American Imperial that was also there. Since it is not pictured in this thread I don't think that track was an American. It was metallic blue and had two really, really long straights.

If it had three banks it might have been an Indy 300. I raced on one in NJ and you were punched for a LONG time on those straights... real fast track. Likely would be about a 2 second track with modern G7 cars in glue with maybe two lifts per lap.

[John Stezelecki]

I stand corrected. Playland I believe had six tracks.

[Martin]

I will scan the postcard this week at work.

I would also like to find the article I have in one of the mags of the day. Would be a great addition to this topic. I remember reading that Playland in its heyday was said to have 5,000 visitors a day. Hard to believe. Must find article to confirm.

Playland was part of an extensive boardwalk amusement arcade, similar to the one in Santa Cruz or like Coney island. Fun for the whole
family.

"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot" may be in the late '60s? All I know it was not there when I arrived in S.F. in 1972.

[don.siegel]

I scanned an article on Playland and posted it somewhere on Slotblog - you should be able to find it with the search function! (At least, if you're better than I am - I can never find anything with the furschluginer search function!)

Don

[John Stezelecki]

I will scan the post card this week at work. I would also like to find the article I have in one of the mags of the day. Would be a great addition to this topic. I remember reading that Playland in its heyday was said to have 5,000 visitors a day.Hard to believe. Must find article to confirm.

Martin, That would be great!

I'm going to see if I can find the Playland article.

[don.siegel]

I spoke too soon - it was actually pretty easy to find!

Playland thread

Don

[John Stezelecki]

I found it. Some great photos. That's the first photo that I have seen of the wall behind the drivers station of the purple.

Anyone else have anything out there?

Thanks,

Stez