299 replies to this topic

[Dominator]

Peter,

I'm going to being working full time in Framingham starting next week. Will be OK if I stopped over some night after 5?

[Tex]

Tex,
If you cut your teeth on the American Red in Houston track owned by the Davidson's at the Bellaire Raceway, then yes it's the same track owned by Odessa and originally came from Playland.

!!!

The memories! I "played" on the Imperial (American red track) while at the location shown in the post card. Later, the Davidson's moved out of that building and into a much smaller place over in Windsor Plaza. It was at THAT location that I began competitive slot racing... on that red track, launch ramps and all.

Of course, I also "played" on that very Purple Sovereign when it was at the Bellaire location. As many, I remember it being a loooong way around to retrieve a deslotted car.

[Zippity]

Wow!!!

All I can do is dream and be very envious of you lucky buggas...

[Alchemist]

What gear ratio would you employ for the Sovereign - 2:1 perhaps?!! That is one long straightaway!!! Awesome!

Ernie

[MSwiss]

Looks like it'll be more fun than a slot racer can stand.

How did you get the great Purple pic? R/C blimp with a camera?

[Dan Myers]

That is very impressive. And to think you really only need eight bodies to marshal it. I wish one was closer.

But a trip to this place is on the short list for vacation destinations.

[Bill from NH]

What gear ratio would you employ for the Sovereign - 2:1 perhaps?!!

No. You'd gear for the back side. The track might be 220' but the length of the straight is less than a third of it.

[Jim Brown]

I raced at Bellaire family in Houston and we had a twelve-hour race on the purple track from Friday night at 8 PM until 8 AM Saturday. Richard Bennet, Ken Schroder, and I raced. We came in second place after the car crashed two hours before the end. The three of us had PSAT tests the next morning and CL Brooks took over and crashed the car, but we still came in second.

Robert Saunders' team won but he felt we really won the race.

[Guy Spaulding]

What gear ratio would you employ for the Sovereign - 2:1 perhaps?!!

You'd be best to gear so your motor peaks out about 2/3 of the way down the main straight. What you lose here is more than made up with better acceleration in all those short chutes.

[Mr. Frank]

But a trip to this place is on the short list for vacation destinations.

When it's up and running we will make a road trip... That's for sure... We'll fill the trucks and go... Know a couple of others that want to do the same... Can't wait for this!!!

Mr. Frank

[Cobbler]

Now there's a good bike trip. May have to grab the K12 and pack the Uni-go next summer.

[John Stezelecki]

Just got back from Ashland. Man this track is big. Peter has a ton of more pictures so hopefully he will be putting them online very soon. Peter has painters painting inside the building. They are using a motorized lift on four wheels to get up to the 25 ft ceilings in the building. That's how Peter is getting those sky shots.

The King was being run on today with Gerding and Silknitter running wing cars on it. When I left in the late afternoon, they were putting together the figure 8. The Purple is not expected to be done until maybe the middle of November. Gary has an obligation in Finland so he needs to cross the Atlantic get the track there done before he can come back and work on the Sovereign.

I would think that Mike Swiss could answer the gear issue. He won the '90 Championship on the Ferguson's American Sovereign. Too bad that track is gone.

[macman]

Since I ran on the Georgia Hobby Center Purple Mile for about 18 months, I agree that this must be the prototype for this type of track, because as I remember it, the Atlanta track did not have fingers that were THAT banked... Cheater, do you concur???

[Lenjet]

Hey Ben,

I just spoke to Tim who owned the raceway in Atlanta with the Sovereign; by the way he ran it from 1986-1994. He said that the banks in the fingers were identical to the ones on the prototype that I have. The deadman and the other turns are the same also.

His track did not have the groove in the bank to mount the plexiglas or the purple supports for it as pictured in the post card from Playland. They had started using the horizontal board to stop the cars from going above the bank like Tom Thumbs in Columbus (see picture). This was an afterthought.

His track was built in February 1966 and I would make it as number three or four. It is regretfully gone to the slot car track graveyard in the sky like so many others.

[spudboy]

Gary and Bill finished up the Figure 8 yesterday and cars made laps on it. It's beautiful. Lots of cleanup to be done as well as prep in the retail area. Closing in...

[Mr. Frank]

Could we see some pictures of the new 8....

Thanks,

Mr. Frank

[MSwiss]

I would think that Mike Swiss could answer the gear issue. He won the '90 Championship on Tim Ferguson's American Sovereign. Too bad that track is gone.

Just noticed this.

As Guy alluded to, you gear normally because you have a lot of infield to scoot through.

I might have been geared 8/38 instead of 8/39, but that was just as much because the power was fairly low than trying to get more straightaway speed.

I certainly didn't win the race by knocking the bank down.

[Dominator]

Nate,

I'm going to plan on stopping this Saturday late afternoon. Will you or anyone else be there?

I know Peter said on OWH that Retro would start up again in January but if there is room for a table no reason why we can't start some bench racing there so guys don't forget about the raceway. It's already been two months without Retro there!

[spudboy]

Dom,

Can't say who may be there Saturday afternoon. I certainly expect Richard will be there setting up the retail area or preparing workbenches. I will be racing 1/32 plastic cars in W. Newbury, MA, so I won't be visiting.

Richard and Peter aren't always on the same page. Richard is, I think, much more motivated to resume business than Peter is. I would be surprised if it were January before weekly racing started.

See you soon.

[John Stezelecki]

I was at the raceway most of Friday. The two tracks are working but additional wiring for the computers need to be completed. Gerding left for Finland on Wednesday morning and Silky left Thursday. They will be coming back to Ashland after Thanksgiving so no new work will be done on the Purple till then.

The sign for Mopdelville is not up yet so anyone visiting may not know that they are at the correct location. The entrance to the building is on the right side when looking at the building. It's just a plain metal door for now.

I'm assuming that Rich will be running regular race programs by November. Next week the Scorpion HO track will be rewired and the Champion track will probably be delivered Tuesday. Peter has ordered all new BSRT LED light bridges for the lap counting systems.

It's amazing how well everything is coming together. There were so many hurdles that Peter had to overcome with all the new building codes that MA has implemented. Most people would have given up but Peter kept plugging away, overcoming one hurdle after another. A lot of cash has been put into this building to make this all happen.

We should all be thankful that Peter came along when he did. He probably was very responsible for 1/24 scale racing to continue in MA. Now we have a long term commitment towards slot car racing. The future looks very bright here in MA.

[flem1959]

Could we see some pictures of the new 8...

I would like to see some pictures of that track, too.

[MantaRay]

Pics sure would be a plus... I can help with posting or maybe cheater can help.

[spudboy]

Richard mailed me pics (JPGs, twice) but I can't open them. I have tried MS Photo Editor and Adobe. I can view the thumbnails in Adobe but can't open them. The error suggests that they were damaged when mailed. It was the same both times. Suggestions?

[Mopar Rob]

Have you tried to load them into an internet photo site such as this. If that works, just re-save again from there? Good luck

[Lenjet]

Some photos of how we are coming along.

Rich wants get open in a limited way this coming weekend. We will be testing HO on the Scorpion and the Champion.

Welcome to one of the most well-equipped slot car raceways in the world, more to come. Pictures of the HO Champion later this week.