44 replies to this topic

[Robert Blaschke]

Here are some track layouts taken from a Revell Raceway Owners Binder that came with the Revell power supply I purchased on eBay a couple of years ago.

I use the power supply for my four-lane plastic track.

[Bill from NH]

Neat looking tracks Robert. I wonder if any of the Revell tracks were installed in New England? When I started commercial racing in 1967, Mr. Raceways out of Cambridge, MA. was the largest track supplier in the area.

[Ramcatlarry]

Anyone remember any locations of the Revell franchise stores?

I seem to remember "The Big Wheel" in Aurora, IL as being one in 1965, but cannot confirm anthing else. It was in the old Jewel Foods store in downtown on Rt 31 near rt 30 South Lake Street near Galena Ave.

Lighting was so poor in the store that I lost sight of my cars in the darkness on the big track. Got drafted soon after it opened and it was gone when I got back after two years.....

[Robert Blaschke]

Revell Control Console, Power Supply, and Timer and Driver's Control Panel.





Enjoy!

[Darkron9]

Thanks for the pictures! Revell Raceway in Westchester, CA, was just a short bicycle ride from my home.

I always thought that the track at Pop's Raceway in Compton, CA, was shaped like a 2/3 scale version of the Revell Grand Prix track. Your picture confirms this. I remember that Revell eventually removed the "traversers" on the track at Westchester, CA. Pop's track was similar in layout, but much shorter and had esses in one of the short straights just before the 180 leading onto the first of two banked turns. The cars ran in the opposite direction on Pop's track. We used to have to double punch the first bank or risk flying off the track.

The Laguna Seca track at Westchester also lost it's traversers after a while, too. I also remember many hours on the Monaco track and that dip under the bridge.

We didn't have the Monza oval at Revell Westchester, but there was a place called Jem's Raceway on Manchester in Inglewood, CA that had one of these. The first Jem's Raceway was just a couple of blocks from my high school, Inglewood High. I remember one year when Jem's held an Indy 500 race on Memorial Day on this track.

I just can't remember if Jem's raceway had a Le Mans track or not. Jem's seemed to have bought all of their tracks from Revell. I do remember one track that that seemed to give the owners problems and was down more that it was up. This may have been a Le Mans track.

Sure hope you have more pictures to share!

[Darkron9]

Hey, I just saw the picture of the Sebring track now.

Again, Jem's Raceway on Manchester Blvd in Inglewood, CA had one of these. When the raceway had to downsize and relocate, the only track to move to the new and last location for Jem's was one of these Sebring tracks.

Once again, the second Jem's Raceway held a Indy 500 race on this track. We ran seven timed heats, and for the last heat, we just ran until somebody hit the 500 lap first. LOL, there were only locals running at the track and I was fortunate enough to win this race with a slammed down Lancer Eagle body on a jaildoor F1. I still remember both the hump and the dip under the bridge. The second Jem's Raceway was further away and so I had to call my mom to pick me up after the race was over.

[Guy Spaulding]

Wow! The mystery is finally solved!

The Roadrunner Raceway of El Cajon, circa 1964 had four tracks. I believed three of them to be American. A black, an orange, and a small Engleman design. But the fourthth track has eluded me until now!

But the Revell Le Mans fits my memory perfectly! The hump bridge - the kinks leading to and from the straightaways, the gentle banked 180s. This is the first time I've ever seen this design again.

Thank you, Robert!

[Roger U]

Thank you for posting these track photos, Robert. In 1967 (or was it '68?) many of the SoCal racers stopped at a slot car track in Tucson, AZ, on the way home from the races in San Antonio, TX.

I'm not positive, but that Revell Monaco track sure looks like the track we raced on in Tucson. Anyone else remember this track?

[slotcarone]

Thanks for posting these pictures. While I don't specifically remember visiting any raceways using these tracks after looking at the power supply I see there was a pink lane indicated. I know I saw a pink lane somewhere just can't remember where it was.

[Darkron9]

Yes, pink lane! And back then, blue and white were the center most lanes, too! As kids, we used to fight over trying to get either the blue or white lane.

[slotcarone]

Ron,

I was in LA about '67 or '68 visiting relatives and I went to a few raceways there - probably where I remember it from. I remember rewinding an arm on my grandparents patio and driving to Pomona with my older cousin to go to Thorp for balancing but they were closed when we got there. Don't think I ever got to race - lack of ponies!!!

[TSR]

I always thought that the track at Pop's Raceway in Compton, CA, was shaped like a 2/3 scale version of the Revell Grand Prix track.

Ron, that was a 220" Engleman...

There was a huge raceway in Paris, France, that had 4 Revell tracks, including the Grand Prix and a Monaco.
We ran yearly 1000kms races on the Grand Prix...

That was my "home" raceway in 1967/69.

[tonyp]

The raceway in Jersey City had the Sebring track. What a horrible design. Cars would launch going under and over the bridge. Impossible to marshal under the bridge...

[TSR]

The Monaco had the same problem plus the downhill under the bridge... what a mess that was on the opening lap of each race!

[Ramcatlarry]

Quality "engineering" without R & D...

[Darkron9]

Ron, that was a 220" Engleman...

There was a huge raceway in Paris, France, that had 4 Revell tracks, including the Grand Prix and a Monaco.
We ran yearly 1000kms races on the Grand Prix...
That was my "home" raceway in 1967/69.

Sorry PdL, but you are wrong unless you are thinking of another Pop's Raceway from a different place or a different point in time.

I was a weekly racer at Pop's raceway in Compton, CA, from 1985 to 1987. It was definitely *NOT* a 220 foot Engleman. Mike Boemker, John Skeels, and J.B. Burnett will tell you the same thing.

[TSR]

Sorry Ron,

I was talking about Pop's Raceway in the early 1970s. The track at that time was an Engleman 220' as it can be seen in the race reports in MAR and MCR as well as Car Model magazine. Now I do not know anything of what happened after 1973, because... I was MIA. So of course anything is possible, but I was under the impression that Pop Pearson closed shop in 1973.

The raceway was in Compton on Rosecrans, and it was called "Rosecrans Raceway".

Is that the same place?

[S.O. Watt]

Pop's track can be seen at this LINK.

The R&C Road race for F1s was the same track that Pop set up on Roscrans after J&Js closed December 1968.

As far as I know it was a custom track. The drawing done by Tom Daniel for that R&C article is a little off. The deadman was a tighter radius as can be seen in the picture. The article said it was 173 feet and I'd call that Dead Ball's Accurate.

[Daytonaman]

Here is a picture of one of the legs on my 230 ft track originally from Sacramento, CA. Compare this to the legs on the tracks in the catalog. A Revell track, maybe?

[Gus Kelley]

Hey John! You keep posting those pictures. I want my track returned.

Gus in Sacto

[Gus Kelley]

Hey John! Any chance of this track being assembled? I'll come visit when I go to Nashville and see my daughter and three grandkids. Gus in Sacto

[Daytonaman]

Does anyone remember unique identifying characteristics of the Revell tracks, such as construction etc? How many were made, and what year were they last produced? Are any left? PDL mentioned locations in Europe, could some have survived there? Since Revell is still in business in models, maybe some history is still obtainable.

John

[Robert Blaschke]

I have a Revell Raceways Operator"s Handbook with LA FOLLETTE RACEWAY on the front cover.
Any idea where this raceway was located?
RB

[Phil Hackett]

Of the 6 tracks at the Revell Raceway in Westchester (La Tijera Blvd) the racing was mainly done on the American Red, the Revell Monaco and the American Orange (in that order). The American Black had a few races scheduled but very rarely were the Revell Grand Prix or Laguna Seca used for any racing.

The Grand Prix track had the traverses removed (as Ron posted earlier) and had chicanes added at each end of the "back straight."

The Revell location was used as a sales center and training site for future track owners.

I recall the hottest wind that could be reasonably run on any of the tracks was a 27 single (or even better a double 30).

It was also a strict no-glue track and they wanted nothing to do with the CMRA (see how old I am!) but they strongly promoted the NCC classes.

I have always suspected that the Revell tracks and the American tracks were made by the same people: the construction was identical and the lumpy, bumpy features were present in both manufacturer's designs.

[sub006]

Per my post in the "Where did you race as a kid?" thread, Revell bought International Raceways in Orange, California apparently to get the expertise of the young man who built a fabulous custom commercial track for his Tustin Avenue hobby shop, which he sold with track to the better-remembered Mr. Knapper.  Plus International already had a production shop up and running.

 

Note that although the Handbook lists a La Tijera Blvd. address, that was likely just for the offices plus the showroom/demonstrator/owner training track facility.  That location was convenient to Revell headquarters in nearby Venice, and just minutes from LAX for commercial track purchase prospects who would fly in from other states and foreign countries for test drives before purchase.

 

But note that the F.O.B. point is Orange, California, where production Revell track modules apparently were routed, painted, braided, wired and assembled IMO.