395 replies to this topic

[CruzinBob]

...After Circle T closed the tracks and fixtures were sold and moved to Santa Paula CA where the new owner operated a raceway for 3-4 years.

I don't know when Circle T closed but when I got back into slots in late '88, I went to Racemasters (Russ Miller) in Santa Paulicide (as Russ fondly calls it). He was in biz till about a year after we opened FlashTrax in Oxnard ('93).

Russ still has the tracks in storage and keeps ranting that he will open again We email infrequently and he just told me about his visit to PCH's SoCal USRA race last Sat.

Also - Don - Thank you for posting the article on Playland. While doing my mobile track thang around the SF Bay Area in late 90's, I randomly heard folks talk about it. Then several years ago while visiting my sis, who lives 40 miles into the Sierras from Sacto, I ran across a fella who had bought all the tracks when they closed. He said they opened but it was such a huge project and the book had busted, they didn't last long and went the way most do...forgotten and abandoned...

[Marty Stanley]

This Saturday was a very intersting one indeed.

As I stated earlier, I raced at Edison Raceways at both of their locations. The 'hired hand' at both of these locations was a fellow by the name of John Becker. John was a pretty cool guy, wore an "Abe Lincoln" style beard - no mustache, no goatee - and was there to help and also harrass all of us racers. John also liked to drive cool 1:1 cars as he drove an Austin Healey all the time.

Like I said, I last raced there in 1967 as Uncle Sam decided they wanted me, so I wound up in the U.S. Air Force and my duty stations were all outside of the continental United States.

When I returned from the Air Force, there were no slot car raceways remaining open at home, so I couldn't come and look up my old friends at the raceway. I had lost contact with everyone.

Earlier I stated that one of John Becker's 'duties' was harrassment of the racers and he did a fantastic job at that task. I remember one day when I showed up for an 'Indy Car' race that he took one look at my car, picked it up for all to see and made the comment, "Marty's car is setup to run 1/16 of an inch UNDER the tracks surface." Hey, I learned early on that you need to build your cars at the edge of the rules and it worked well.

Earlier this year I was up in Thomasville, Georgia at The Viper Pit. Aaron Scott, owner of The Viper Pit also does performance tuning on lots of high end cars - Dodge Vipers are his forte, hence the name. Aaron and I got to talking and he asked me where I started racing at. I told him Edison Raceways. Aaron said, "Hey, one of my customers used to work there." He found John Becker's phone number and we called him.

John Beckeer had moved to Florida, not too far from the new place to play in central Florida, ASR Indoormotorsports. On my way down to ASR, I gave John a call and he came over. After about 43 years, we got back together had a chance to talk about what, where, when, how and such of life in those 43 years. It was a great visit with a guy from my first slot car racing experience.

As I've heard over and over - it's a small, small world. Yes it is!

[Michael Rigsby]

In the early 60's, I found the local slot car track in Vero Beach, FL where I lived. This was the second location of the track and was close to the mall where my mom did her grocery shopping, so it was convenient to let me off to do my slot car thing. I raced at this track until it closed, and for the life of me don't remember what track layout it was. After this track closed, I found a track to the south in Fort Pierce, FL that was one of the early hillclimb tracks. They wouldn't let you run sponge rubber tires on the track, but rather you had to run a tire/wheel that looked more like a
skateboard wheel. I ran at this track for a year or so till it closed and found a track setup in Satellite Beach, FL that had three tracks in it. It had a Sebring look alike track, an oval, and a somewhat copy of a Daytona track. I ran at this place for a few years and travelled to some other race tracks around mid and south Florida doing some more serious racing, then went off to college and the military.

I didn't pick up the hobby again till I found Bill Pinch's facility that he had in Cocoa Beach, where I think he had a modified American Yellow and an American Black. I race at Bill's place there till he closed, and a year or so later he opened up another facility in Rockledge, FL where I lived. This new place was only about a mile from my house and he had a very nice Hasse custom built track. Bill was an excellent chassis fabricator and got me into wing racing which I focused on for a long time till family life called and I had to spend more time with the kids and their pursuits.

Michael Rigsby

[endbelldrive]

I am now 56. I used to live in the Santa Ana Canyon Area of Anaheim (before there was a 91 frwy). Back in the 60's I rode my bike over 5 miles one way all the way to Knappers hobby hut on tustin ave just past katella. I still have my cox hand controller and my sidewinder car to this day and I remember not-so-smart kids hooking up their controllers wrong and frying the wires all the time. The track was 8 lanes, 4 turns, with a major back straight-away. I loved going there to get my racing fix. I was always jelous of the older kids who would have the bucks to buy and solder-up custom brass car frames that almost dragged on the ground. I wish knappers was still there. I also visited hobby city.

First of all...Welcome, Scott. Knapper's was mentioned awhile back in this thread: What & where were the SoCal raceways Where did you race back in the day?

[Gil Aubin]

Been too busy to post or even read lately, just getting back to what passes for reality. Durf, if there was a guy who won all the time it was not me. If there was a guy who was organized and meticulous, it was not me. If there was a guy who actually remember what winds and what pinions he had, it wasn't me. For years at the Berlin track my nickname was Avis, as I came in second place something like 8-9 straight weeks.

Mike, I think I visited the track in New London once, an Engleman (or maybe All-tech?) 220, correct?

[NSwanberg]

Apache Raceway in Wayne Michigan in two different locations first on Wayne Road and then on Michigan Avenue. Not sure what year it closed - 1968? In the basement location they had a huge C-track, you might call it an Engleman? They took four sections from a figure 8 track and extended it to 252 feet I believe. Wonder if anybody else would remember. I was just a kid then. I wonder what happened to Goldie?

Wayne Hobby Center on Michigan Avenue in Wayne Michigan is now the US-12 Bar. Not sure what year the tracks were all gone but 1975 might be right. The hobby shop stayed open for many years after the tracks were gone. They even sold slot cars though hey had no tracks.

Malibu Raceway on Inkster Road and Avondale in Inkster Michigan owned at the end by one Bruce Carver, Moose, who was influential in my becoming a stationary steam engineer. Closed in 1972??

The Groove Raceway in Royal Oak. What a hoot hearing the race director say "Boards out" which announced the end of practice and then hearing all the cars go thunk thunk thunk as they ran into the 2x4 laying across the track going on to the straight. I thought it was an American Red but Rick Davis recently informed me that it was a custom built track. It had tape instead of braid. I saw a guy roll the tape up into his car one night. Rich Adee, races at TSS and Slot Car Crossing, he posts here and now has most of that track in his basement. How cool is that?

Tiny Tim's in Royal Oak stayed open with a track into the late 70s.

White Circle Raceway home the famous White Circle silicon coated sponge rubber tire closed around 1974 I think.

These were places I spent my time. Anybody else remember them?

[The Groove]

Hey Nelson
I raced at all of those places except THE GROOVE and that is the track I now own. There is a picture of the track here under , america model raceway track design in this section of slot car history. So I have a picture of the groove full size (but not together) . So you need to find some people with pictures of those old tracks? You can do it your the only one I know that still has the old yearbook... good luck

Rich Attee

[K. L. VanAtta]

Nelson,

Don't forget racing up at Hobbies, Inc. in Flint. We weren't quite so young any more but, it served as the only racing in the mid '70s save for Tom McGary's basement track. Didn't you come up to Stapleton's from time to time? I remember "Moose"; he raced in a few HOPRA races that the Westland racers brought him to. I remember Jerry Matthews, Jerry Mathews' sister, and Nancy "Track" from Tiny Tim's. That was a long time ago!

Be good,

Keith

[Pat McGee]

Hi, all. Let's add another S.E. Michigander to the thread. I got my first HO track as 7 year old, always seemed to have a home track on the bedroom floor. As a latch-key kid, my Dad and I discovered Stapleton's in Waterford around 1966, and I literally grew up in the shop, he paid dearly for their "baby-sitting". They had a couple of custom tracks and a drag strip early, put in a king, a figure 8, and an Aurora tubby in the late '60's. Tom McGarry used to run me home to White Lake after the Thursday night races. Around 1970, there was a falling out of racers as Chick and Wilma didn't want to adopt rules to allow open type cars, glue, etc (their classes and rules were kinda strange.....), I lost interest, and had just gotten my license and '63 Impala SS, so, slots got set aside. I don't even remember how I discovered HOPRA, but I wound up taking a Riggen I had to a race in Flint, got hooked up with Keith, AJ, Dave Pratt, Merill, all the Westland and Flint guys (Hi, Doug!), and the bug bit again. Went all over the midwest racing toy cars. Favorite track ever? Westland's Pipewrench. Always did well on Chauncey's little track in Saginaw, I remember most everyone hating it, scenery and all. Stapleton's burned down in the early '70's.

[marc]

Hi, all. Let's add another S.E. Michigander to the thread. I got my first HO track as 7 year old, always seemed to have a home track on the bedroom floor. As a latch-key kid, my Dad and I discovered Stapleton's in Waterford around 1966, and I literally grew up in the shop, he paid dearly for their "baby-sitting". They had a couple of custom tracks and a drag strip early, put in a king, a figure 8, and an Aurora tubby in the late '60's. Tom McGarry used to run me home to White Lake after the Thursday night races. Around 1970, there was a falling out of racers as Chick and Wilma didn't want to adopt rules to allow open type cars, glue, etc (their classes and rules were kinda strange.....), I lost interest, and had just gotten my license and '63 Impala SS, so, slots got set aside. I don't even remember how I discovered HOPRA, but I wound up taking a Riggen I had to a race in Flint, got hooked up with Keith, AJ, Dave Pratt, Merill, all the Westland and Flint guys (Hi, Doug!), and the bug bit again. Went all over the midwest racing toy cars. Favorite track ever? Westland's Pipewrench. Always did well on Chauncey's little track in Saginaw, I remember most everyone hating it, scenery and all. Stapleton's burned down in the early '70's.

[marc]

Wow were all clones in diffrent parts of the country ! for me it was the new england area a place in westboro ma i believe it was hobby town ? i think its still there [although i don't live in that area any more] there was a hot spot in north attleboro one track in warwick ri
don't remember the names then sam's in mansfield and tex barrys coney island in swanse ma.. man that was a long time ago
i mostly raced during the winter months summer held other interests for me. like every where else things changed mosty the vietnam war most of the gang got split up during the 67 thru 70 years and the tracks closed down.

anyways after millitary service things had change for me a new location moved to fla. ended up with 1:1 dragracing
for many years. Then while searching for hobby shops that carried 1/32 home race sets and cars last september 2009
i found there were accual commerical tracks around 4 of them with in driveing range well here i am back into my second childhood i've got womps, flexis and 1/24 scale cars to race and i'm haveing a ball..

[JimR]

Lee's on Hempstead Tpke in Levittown, LI.
Three American tracks: Black, Orange, and Red.
Never ran the Black because there weren't any banks.
Never ran the Red because the rental fee was a bit too much (like maybe a whole dollar? Can't remember)
Did all my car wrecking on the Orange.

[don.siegel]

Interesting story Jim!

If I remember right, the "standard" rental fee was a buck an hour, and a fancy one would have been $1.50 - that would be my guess for your American Red.

I worked in our local hobby shop after school for about a year, and for the life of me I can't remember how much track time was - but I do remmeber that I was paid $1.25 an hour.

Don

[team burrito]

My home track was Edda & Jerry's in the city, back around 1968 or 69. The bug didn't bite me until almost all the tracks in the Bay Area were gone. That's where I met Gene Fong, Hippo Krat, Keiji, Owl Chump, the Aguirre & Ng brothers & Spiderman. That's was also where "team burrito" was born. The only other tracks were Oakland Speedway, Family Hobby in San Leandro & Mission Speedway in Hayward. I quit racing slots in 1971; that was when the Zodiac killer was at large & I was riding the buses at night.

[marc]

just a question ???? can any of you still drive these things realy fast ??? i've already destroyed two cars
an a round 30 bodys ! last time out my car was on the floor and i was still racing to bad i wasn't racing "that" white car because i was kicking butt.. --- but i'm getting better i still have a track champion trophy from 1966 but it can't drive
the cars either..

[BackAgain]

Hey Stoo....called in a Hornsby on my last visit to Oz...that is quite a set-up there....love the track.
My first slot car experience was at a commercial raceway in the Piccadilly Arcade in Merrylands. I think it may have been an old Monarch....that was back in the 60's
Heading your way in a week or so....unfortunately, not going to be there long enough to do any racing....although I am going to try and catch-up with Steve out at Luddenham and hopefully visit the park he is involved with out there....

Nesta....Stoo is short for Stewart....Stoo will have to explain the 23 part.....shortening people's names is like a tradition in Australia....and if it can't be shortened...like Fred, then often their initials are used.....

[team burrito]

I didn't move to SF until 1978 and it was long gone by then (Playland)...

I've lived in the City all my life & NEVER went to Playland Raceway once!
I caught the bug way too late & Playland was demolished in 1972.

[Jeff Bechtel]

I've lived in the City all my life & NEVER went to Playland Raceway once!
I caught the bug way too late & Playland was demolished in 1972.

St. Louis , Mo. Airport Raceway ( actually worked there as a 13 yr old kid). Grand Prix Raceway in St. Ann. Bonneville Raceway in Florissant. Mid America Model Raceway also in St. Ann

[48 Pitch]

I was about 9 or 10 years old (I think) and lived in Vista California (North San Diego County) and I cought my dad working on this little car in the equipment rental shop he and my mom owned, I think he wanted to have some fun playing with the new Slot Car thing himself before getting the kid involved, but of course the qwestions started flying and he had to take me over to the track and show me what is was all about.
I'm sure it was the first commercial 1/24th track in Vista and it was Bud's (something) Bud's Racing, or Bud's Slot Racing, or Bud's Raceway. As you can see I don't remember exactly, but Bud (the owner) was a retired school bus driver. The track was on Citrus and Broadway as I remember and was basically a Blue King layout but I din't remember it having any banked turns, I think maybe even the big left hander at the end of the main streight was flat, but I could be wrong. I had a Cox Chaparral 1/24th scale with the mag chassis and big sidewinder motor (wish I still had it) and a Revell 1/32 scale Sting Ray with the SP-500 motor (I think).
An interesting thing was when you got some track time Bud would hand you a pool ball with a 1/4" RCA phone plug (like a mono head phone plug) sticking out of it and the color of the ball matched your lane color so you would go stick this in a receptical in your lane and that would activate the power to that lane, Pretty cool.

So that track lasted a little while, I don't remember how long but not long and another 2 tracks opened and closed in Vista and it was over for Vista anyway, till Gary opened a track (Lamans Raceway) in the late 80's early 90's.

Those were the days,

Jeff

[48 Pitch]

RoadRunner, El Cajon; & Le Mans, La Mesa - California

Guy Spaulding! I remember you, I bought one of your brass & wire Aggressor chassis in 1984 at Mini Motorsports in Escondido, CA. They hosted the USRA winter series that year. I got 8th place novice.
I remember Cbreeze Manufacturing had some drivers running there copper clad circuit board chassis and doing verry well with them. I may still have some pictures I took from that race and I think I got a shot of you and some other racers sitting outside during a break.
Hope your still getting in some racing.
I'm racing at Downforce Hobbies in Arizona now, we have fun, I even have a dragester now.

Jeff

[Paul Stafford]

Wow, so many places to remember just in michigan. Tiny Tim's in Royal Oak was my first commercial track, then to S.R.S hobbies in chesterfield, mi. I still have my first trophy from there! Then to Family hobbies in westland, larry's place up in flint, Fantom raceway out in saugetuck, Trackside in roseville and madison heights. Thats about all the locals.... many more out of state...... What great memories....

[Guy Spaulding]

Guy Spaulding! I remember you, I bought one of your brass & wire Aggressor chassis in 1984 at Mini Motorsports in Escondido, CA. They hosted the USRA winter series that year. I got 8th place novice.
I remember Cbreeze Manufacturing had some drivers running there copper clad circuit board chassis and doing verry well with them. I may still have some pictures I took from that race and I think I got a shot of you and some other racers sitting outside during a break.
Hope your still getting in some racing.
I'm racing at Downforce Hobbies in Arizona now, we have fun, I even have a dragester now.

Jeff

Gr8 to hear from you, Jeff!
The Cbreeze chassis was banned at some tracks, unless they owned a vacuum cleaner to vacuum up the fragments that remained if one was T-Boned in the straight. The guy who ran Cbreeze made a living as a graphics designer. They made graphics that were applied to high-end and custom rack-mounted scientific equipment, AV and communication equipment. He and I were working on possibly producing a paint-less body, by applying his color graphics on clear Poly, then vacuum forming. But, the idea never left the drawing board. Coincidentally, I volunteered to enter a Cbreeze chassis (instead of my own) in the 84 Nats. Made the main.


Mini Motorsports was a very different, but fun track to drive. As I recall, it had no significant straightaway to speak of. But it had a very long, gradual sweeper that we lined up on to drive the track. Very smooth, and very on-of-a-kind. Oh, and they only alowed spray glue for the entire event. Might as well run a G27 in the G7 class.

I'm racing USRA in North Carolina. Again, gr8 to hear from you!

[Fast Freddie]

Charleroi, Pa.during the late 1960's. I believe we had an American Red or Orange (it's been along time), a Figure-8 and a small Oval. Had alot of fun racing my Cox hardbody Chappy that I quickly converted to a light body Cheetah. I then did a home dewind, balance and epoxy on that massive Cox 250. I then added some Mille Miglia tires and went racing. Wone 4 in a row before the motor expired and I got drafted. So much for slot cars untill I retired in 86. It's still fun and I'm 63.

[fxgeorge]

Scott's Family Raceway, Fremont, California, 1962 to 1964. Located in an old warehouse next to the Fiberfab kit-car company, and down the street from a pickle factory, with huge open-topped vats that added to the smell of burnt end-bells and 3-in-1 oil. Other racers there were John Chotia and Todd Radke.

Was Scott's the place next to the railroad tracks in the Irvington District? My Dad and I visited a few times, and I know Mike Stahl came from that raceway. I think it had a mega-oval that went all the way around the walls above the floor, had nets to catch cars WHEN they fell off.

My home track was not too far away, A Street Raceway in Hayward, Calif. Still have box plaques. I couldn't make it to weekday racing because of being a school night, so my main race program was enduros on the weekend. A Street did 4 and 6 hour enduros with two man teams. I was 12-14 years old during those years, and my enduro partner was Ellis Jones who lived nearby in Richmond. I was the builder, usually a Russkit FT16 with the brass plates that came with it, brass tube inline chassis with .032" piano wire inside for stiffness. Generally we ran Choti bodies because we were at the raceway which raced SLOTCARS, not MODEL CARS. This was probably the birthplace of wing car racing. Towards the end of my early slot car career in 1968, the anglewinders started and spoilers and side dams were sprouting from the Choti bodies. I would dye my bodies in Rit clothing dye, usually red. It was nearly opaque, but you could kinda see through it.

My favorite memory from racing at A Street, I can still remember Russ Aguirre's racing style. Hand in pocket, other hand gently leaning on the track, almost looked like somebody should poke him to make sure he was awake....but of course, like his brother he was incredibly fast!

[Gus Kelley]

Hey George! I remember that place with the huge oval. That track as I remember was over three-hundred maybe four hundred feet per lap. Also wasn't there a like sized road course? As a ten year old kid, I remember being able to walk under it. I also kinda remember the choti - thingie cars with side-dams running there. Also I've to A-Street numerous times. My mom had friends there in Fremont and we visited them every month or two. The one gentle-man whose name escapes me owned two liquor stores and a pool-hall. And yes Russ did drive in a position like you state. Gus in Sacto.