181 replies to this topic

[Victor Poulin]

I saw that, too!! Whats Mick going to do? I hope he's putting in a new track, and this is not more bad news.

[MSwiss]

'Ron Hershman', on 28 Sept 2010 - 10:37 PM, said:

I read a lot where American made special tracks, I have even seen a couple longer than normal models, but nowhere did American mention this... so who knows what the real deal is??

I know of no American red set-up anywhere at this time. The last one I knew of was Les Wright's in the '90s.

Beuf's home track in Sacramento had a red with a round donut.

IIRC, it came that way from the factory but I wouldn't stake my life on it.

[DOCinCanton]

'Ron Hershman', on 28 Sept 2010 - 10:34 PM, said:

Al Gumbach...R.I.P What a guy or grouch... depending on if he liked ya or not. LOL.

By chance, I just saw Al's name in an old Car Model magazine. It's actually Gombach. Yeah and he was a grouch, but you gotta love him... RIP, Al.

[Guy Spaulding]

I talked to Mick. He told me the economy has forced him into a smaller location. Vegas is understandably hard hit by the economy, based on their predominate industry - "tourism." Fewer people have less disposable income.

He still has the 145' BOW Hillclimb, but must part with the King.

In my book, only Gerding builds a better track than Hasse. The asking price seems more than reasonable.

I noted one of Gerding's secrets when I visited Chick's last month. The Gerding straitaways are glassy smooth, while the braking zones and corners are pebble-grain for more traction.

[Rick]

'Ron Hershman', on 28 Sept 2010 - 10:37 PM, said:

The last one I knew of was Les Wright's in the '90s.

Joe Richards had one after that, Ron, in Johnstown, PA. Might still be up there along with the Olgivie orange???

[RomanK]

'tonyp', on 28 Sept 2010 - 6:46 PM, said:

I remember getting on the phone from Nutley Saturday nights and calling California to find out if they broke the "World Record" during the big race going on. That was part of the fun and a big deal at the time. It was cool to be the fastest man in the world when it meant something...

It still means something to those that want to participate in such stuff. just because it doesn't suit you or "P", doesn't make it any less fun and interesting.

Weren't you party to sending slot racing in the direction that it went? Now sit back and critique in a negative way that what you helped start.

It's all slot car racing, scale, Retro, wings, it's all good but perhaps not every form is for everybody.

[Rick]

Here, here, well-stated, Roman.

[Ron Hershman]

'DOCinCocoa', on 28 Sept 2010 - 11:40 PM, said:

By chance, I just saw Al's name in an old Car Model magazine. It's actually Gombach. Yeah and he was a grouch, but you gotta love him... RIP, Al.

Me and Al got along pretty good... he would come to Parma every Friday to visit us at the factory... I can still here him saying "Goooooddddddddddddd dammit, Kenny". LOL

'Guy Spaulding', on 28 Sept 2010 - 11:50 PM, said:

In my book, only Gerding builds a better track than Hasse. The asking price seems more than reasonable.

Dadds tracks were pretty well built, Tunkel was good, Ogilvie was good... most of the Hasse's were good, but seen quite a few questionable ones from him now and then.

'Rick', on 29 Sept 2010 - 12:03 AM, said:

Joe Richards had one after that, Ron, in Johnstown, PA. Might still be up there along with the Olgivie orange????

I forgot about Joe... never got there to visit or race.

'RomanK', on 29 Sept 2010 - 12:43 AM, said:

It still means something to those that want to participate in such stuff, just because it doesn't suit you or "P", doesn't make it any less fun and interesting.

Weren't you party to sending slot racing in the direction that it went? now sit back and critique in a negative way that what you helped start.

It's all slot car racing, scale, Retro, wings, it's all good but perhaps not every form is for everybody.

Once a "Speed Crazed Moron"... well, you know the rest. LOL.

[Phil Irvin]

And no one has said anything about the lane spacings. That closer lane spacing of the earlier "King" tracks made it harder to pass. Much more of a drivers track.

TonyP and I kinda like the "older" ones better... ramps and all .

OLPHRT
PHIL I.

[slotcarone]

The lane spacing was narrower but so were the cars back then.

[LindsayB]

While it will probably be disputed heavily, I think in 1990 Australia actually had the one of the fastest King tracks in the world. While it did not make the record book, Reggie Coram clocked 1.99 which was at the time the first sub 2 second lap.

We have not had new king tracks built since mid '90s and lap times have moved from 1.7 something in 1996 to 1.59 in 2007.

The main issue holding up qualifying is getting enough competitors to get track condition for a super fast time.

[spudboy]

'Kehlo', on 28 Sept 2010 - 8:01 PM, said:

There's a nice recent "King" collection here. Be aware of German language . Horst's home track may be on top.

Yowza, Christian! Great site. I knew many European slot racing clubs enjoyed alcoholic beverages at their raceways but after looking at the BlueKingClub and Slotracing Mettmenstetten clubhouses. I wonder if they are really drinking clubs that have slot tracks?!

Cheers!

[Kehlo]

Hi Nate,

Last Saturday we had a very nice 27 spray glue race at Peter Frobel's Bluekingclub with 17 starters at the track - and at the bar. It's really a nice place to have fun.

[Mr. Frank]

Sounds like a cool place.

Mr. Frank

[spudboy]

'Kehlo', on 29 Sept 2010 - 05:30 AM, said:

It's really a nice place to have fun.

I bet it is, Christian! Very civilized!

[TSR]

Quote

The lane spacing was narrower but so were the cars back then.

3-1/8"

Nerfing was "king" of the King.

[Steve Deiters]

I think the Parma King was built by locals and Al Gombach was probably one of the prime movers on it for turning Ken's idea into reality. I believe a local cabinet maker/carpenter was involved with the high skill level cutting and routing steps.

Al Gombach was a tool and die maker by trade, who despite his gruff exterior was a prince of a guy when it came to helping young racers who were short on funds, but long on talent. They always called him "Mr. Gombach" and still refer to him that way to this day all these decades latter.

The finger on the Parma King was more of a switchback and more parallel to the straightaway coming out of the bank. The track was also 160' and not 155' - five feet longer. As I recall Ken told me he wanted it to be a little longer than the regular King so that it was something different meaning bigger than the standard - something he could promote around.

The times were slightly higher than regular Kings, but it was an extremely fast track because it was so smooth and there was mucho, plenty of power there for the Group 7 winds of the day.

Unfortunately it went the way that so many tracks have gone over the years when Ken closed the retail store, but it would be a track everyone would want to run on today and drive hundreds of miles to do it.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

I had thought that the red in Vegas had come from Denver where it had been up and running in '81 or so next to Colpar Hobbies.

The blue Kings of today are very different from the original Kings. The last fully original King that I remember was in San Antonio up until '83 or so when it closed.

Because I kept things running, it amuses me to run Kings and compare times to the old days with the same cars. For a while Hasse was doing all sorts of banking and mods for speed. I remember how odd his "home" track in Vegas looked under the freeway with the chute actually coming up with the bank OVER the main straight.

In any case, the BP king is flatter than most and smooth and about 20% faster with non-wing cars than the originals were.

Fate

[Phil Irvin]

NOPE.

The last one was Sanford, FL, and it closed in '98. It was my home track for four years.

OLPHRT
PHIL I.

[tonyp]

Phil, what happened to it?

[willy wonka]

I think Rt.93 raceways in Akron has an original King but not 100% positive.

[Phil Irvin]

Tony,

It was sold to someone over in Cocoa or someone around that area. It was never set up. I think it was posted for sale here about three-four years ago. Don't know from there on.

I do know the old owner and know how to get hold of him if you want.

OLPHRT
PHIL I.

[tonyp]

I'd love to have it and set it up but can't afford to now. I still one day want to do a track like John's that does not need to be open every day. It would be the ultimate man cave. That's why I buy those lottery tickets. Problem is, I'll never win because I don't have a front lawn to store a broken-down car with no tires on it to increase my odds.

Maybe someday...

[YetiSRP]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Blue King that was in the old Slot Shop's basement in Elyria, Ohio - long gone by the time Chuck Holt took over when he had it. I think that was an original King.

I think it was sold to someone in Cleveland who never set it up (nor should they've) and then it supposedly went to Michigan somewhere.

I know some of you were at the 73' Nats there. (And I know who your are...)

Quaintly enough, I was just going through my basement and came across some of the original fliers the Hubbels had printed for the race WITH the King pictured on it. Got them from Chuck when he was forced to close down.

[TSR]

Jim,

Was that a bad track? I remember it to be quite good. We were so used to worn-out tracks in SoCal that wherever we went, the tracks were superb in comparison. I especially remember the Nutley King as being a billiard, so easy to go fast on that one!