17 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

While adding the AFX Racing website to Slotblog's Links section, I spotted some terrific history pages on the site. I am told these stories were written by Jim Russell's son, Steve, who runs the Racemasters company that produces and markets the AFX line of HO racing cars and sets. They are well worth checking out, and some will be surprised at names of the noted slot racers and builders to be found in the texts.

History of Aurora/AFX

History of Russkit

History of Racemasters

[don.siegel]

Thanks Greg; just reading through these. The Aurora/AFX story is interesting (although there's already a complete book on the subject), but the Russkit story starts out with some arguable facts: 

• First production vacuum formed bodies for RTR cars – lighter weight, more durable than Injection molded
• First slot car application for "can" style Mabuchi motor – light weight variant became the famous "16D"
• First Drop Arm Guide – arguably the best ever made
• First hinged chassis – transferred weight in corners to improve handling

I think I actually already contacted these guys a couple of years ago, questioning these assertions, but don't think they ever answered. If this was indeed written by Jim Russell's son, then it may be another case of a son defending his father's legacy a little too strenuously... 
 
Hmm - I didn't see what he meant by the "first hinged chassis", but if he's referring to the Russkit Rattler, that may well be the first commercial chassis of this type... 
 
Don

[TSR]

• First production vacuum formed bodies for RTR cars – lighter weight, more durable than Injection molded: that would be MRRC in 1957 and in the HO scale, Lancer in 1969. Aurora-AFX had their first vac-formed body in 1972 on the Super II
  Russkit was not even the first to commercialize a kit or RTR model with a vac body inn the larger scale, Unique was. However Russkit did it better than most.
   
• First slot car application for "can" style Mabuchi motor – light weight variant became the famous "16D": that would be In the larger scale, again, Unique, before Russkit, using... Russkit motors! In the HO scale, Tyco in 1970. Aurora-AFX had theirs... never, because they still do not use one to this day.
   
• First Drop Arm Guide – arguably the best ever made: Whooo. That would be around 1962, a group of enthusiasts in SoCal, and in HO, Cobra with the Cobramite in 1970. Well before Russkit and their injected kits with those dreadful wire drop arms.
   
• First hinged chassis – transferred weight in corners to improve handling: Many can argue the when and where but Russkit in the larger scale never had one and Aurora-AFX were way behind applying any such technology.

In fact reading the website, that history needs a LOT of corrections...

[don.siegel]

Thanks, Philippe, for the back-up, but not sure why you're bringing HO into this - he seems to be talking strictly about the larger scale cars and Russkit's place in this history... 
 
For the vac-formed bodies, I was thinking of MRRC also, and in the US I'm sure Shark and other companies did this before Russkit, although don't know the exact dates. 
 
The 16D variant was Revell, quite simply first to offer this motor, in their 1/32 and 1/25 kits, late '63 or early '64. 
 
The Russkit drop arm was really far from the best, but when they introduced their kits in early 65, that would be roughly contemporary with the Cox F1 cars, and other early 1/24 or 1/25 scale kits (along with K& B) were probably the first commercial slot cars with drop arms. The Unique cars were earlier, but did they already have the optional drop arm in there? 
 
And, like I said, the Rattler from '69 may well have been the first commercially available car with this kind of chassis, although the principle was old hat for scratchbuilts... 
 
He also talks about the Russkit pistol controller as the first, but there again MRRC had an earlier one, although either it didn't go into production or was not widely distributed... 
 
Don

[Cheater]

I do remember I cringed a little when I read the multiple "first" claims, because in most fields of endeavor, such claims are almost impossible to prove.

[don.siegel]

Looks like they're confusing "history" with "publicity"...
 
Don

[Dennis David]

Another reason why we need the "book". Then only PdL's contribution will be exaggerated, which we have all grown used to. LOL.

[Steve Deiters]

I seem to remember when these G+ cars came out the list price was $10.00.  A large amount of money at the time, but these cars literally kicked the performmance of the standards at the time up several levels.  I worked in the wholesale end of the slot racing business at the time and I seem to remember that we had a hard time keeping them in stock and getting them from the manufacturer.
 
I'll defer to our HO racing brethren on this point, but it looks to me this car was the genesis point from which the modern HO racer (inline style) evolved.

[Steve Deiters]

Anyone have a copy of the "Russkit Records" that could be posted on YouTube?  I had never heard of this before.

[TSR]

OK, let's go back one step:

 

First, the G-Plus and even the Magna-Traction cars by Aurora are far from being the first "magnet traction" cars. The Cox SuperScale 1/40 scale cars are, effectively 1 year before the Magna-Traction pancake cars and nearly 2 years before the G-Plus.

Second, the magnetic traction in slot cars was invented by two individuals unaware of each other, pretty much at the same time, in... 1970. This is well documented, and the first production item from these inventions was offered by Auto World in the form of a kit to add to your existing HO cars.

Aurora was a caboose in this story.

Now to address the larger scales:

• First production vacuum formed bodies for RTR cars – lighter weight, more durable than Injection molded

No, MRRC was first by almost ten years.

• First slot car application for "can" style Mabuchi motor – lightweight variant became the famous "16D"

No, Revell was first. By one full year.

• First Drop Arm Guide – arguably the best ever made

No, even if you take actual production in consideration, the Unique Jaguar D-Type was not only first in the larger scale, but it had a better system.

• First hinged chassis – transferred weight in corners to improve handling

If this describes the Rattler chassis, it is not exactly what I would call a "hinge" because it it was, the doors would fall off your houses. And if one is taking a motion to isolate the body from the chassis vibrations, then Pactra would have been the first PRODUCTION slot car to feature such a device, created by the floating of small tubing holding the body inside larger diameter tubing.

• Unique "Pit-Kit" packaging – Box became carry pack, kids would carry them to the slot car tracks

Strombecker did that first, sorry, and almost by a full year.

• Adjust-O-Jig – Made it easier for anyone to make their own hand-built chassis

I give Russkit that one.

• First Trigger-Finger controller – Original patented design still in use over 40 years later

Not only was the MRRC the first design (but apparently never actually in production for unknown reason) but there were several trigger controllers before the Russkit, albeit rather obscure, issued at pretty much the same time as the Russkit. However the Russkit was by far the best and the only one surviving to this day in its original form.

• First professional "Factory" race team – Toured the country competing and giving demonstrations

First, the Russkit boys were not really "professionals" but a group of selected teens on their vacation time. Second, there were other similar teams in the day at the very same time, most factories had their own teams. However Russkit had the best presentation and the most publicity, so they emerged as "the first" when in fact they were simply "the best" and this for a very short time.
 

Another reason why we need the "book". Then only PdL's contribution will be exaggerated, which we have all grown used to. LOL.

 
Dennis, I am hardly mentioned in that book other than as an author.
 

I do remember I cringed a little when I read the multiple "first" claims, because in most fields of endeavor, such claims are almost impossible to prove.

 
Greg, true, but in slot racing history, many such claims are, because the documentation is actually quite good,

[don.siegel]

Thanks Philippe, 

 

Can't believe I forgot the first Unique D-Jag with the drop arm... 

 

Couple questions: which Strombecker car are you thinking of with a "pit pack"? 

 

- which Pactra had the tube in a tube? Must be one of the later, rarer ones... still think Russkit has a pretty good claim to this - a "Flexi", 20 years ahead of the Parma one... 

 

- From what I've read, I also think Russkit was the first "pro" racing team, and by pro meaning their racing was sponsored by a manufacturer, just like about all the other teams of this type... I'm sure there were already some local teams "sponsored" by a hobby shop, but Russkit would be the first "factory team" in the traditional sense of the word in slot racing. 

 

Again, thanks for coming up with the facts on this. (do you know offhand the dates of the first SoCal vac-form bodies? seems I've seen that mentioned here but can't find it offhand). 

 

Don 

[TSR]

Can't believe I forgot the first Unique D-Jag with the drop arm... 

 

World's first RTR in the 1/24 scale...

 

 

Couple questions: which Strombecker car are you thinking of with a "pit pack"? 

 

Before Russkit issued their first Pit Pak in mid 1966, Strombecker had issued several in a plastic pouch, a Chaparral 2 with two different controller models, earlier in 1966. Also it is likely the the Sears pit pack by Marx was issued before the Russkit Lola T70 and Lotus 38 Pit Paks, also in 1966.

 

- which Pactra had the tube in a tube? Must be one of the later, rarer ones... still think Russkit has a pretty good claim to this - a "Flexi", 20 years ahead of the Parma one... 

 

Virtually all Pactra and Competition cars of the second series (with the ISO chassis) had their bodies mounted with "floating" tubes, a 1/16" tubing captures by a telescopic one of two sizes larger. This includes their last three models issued in 1967 (prior to the Rattler) of the Ford MKIV, Lotus 40 and BRP-Ford Indy car, as well as their "series 2" chassis kits, both the open-wheel type and the sports-car type. However the Rattler was the first commercially produced 1/32 scale chassis to have a floating body mount. It had a very brief life since by that time, Russkit was broke and Russell sold what was left of the company's assets (basically, the controller tooling for 1/32 scale) to Aurora. Aurora converted the controller for use on HO cars.

 

- From what I've read, I also think Russkit was the first "pro" racing team, and by pro meaning their racing was sponsored by a manufacturer, just like about all the other teams of this type... I'm sure there were already some local teams "sponsored" by a hobby shop, but Russkit would be the first "factory team" in the traditional sense of the word in slot racing.

 

One could argue that Dynamic, Cox, BZ and Strombecker could have had their own factory teams prior to that of Russkit... since they were involved as was Russkit in the first organized racing series, the 1966-1967 Rod & Custom series. The first record of a factory team I could find was of the Strombecker team in 1964, before Russkit was even truly in business. Stu Schaller was invited to join the team in late 1964 at his local raceway in Skokie, IL. Phil Barchetta was Strombecker's PR man and created the factory team in 1964. Quoting from Stu Schaller:

 

As a team, we raced 2 or 3 times a week at local raceways in the greater Chicagoland area during the period of late 1964 to mid 1968. It was mostly on the north side and in the northern suburbs, such as Highland Park, Evanston, Highwood and Morton Grove.

 

This plus literature from the period appears to show that Strombecker had the first team out there, and it makes perfect sense in the large context, since they had in 1963, purchased the Model Road and Raceway business and were actively getting in the manufacturing of complete raceways.

The Strombecker factory team racers were getting the same deal as the original members of the Team Russkit: expenses paid and free parts, no actual paychecks.
The only slot car racers I know of, who actually got real paycheks to race slot cars and who did not work for the companies that had those teams are John Cukras when consulting for Mura, Howie Ursaner and Sandy Gross under contract with Cobra, and Jerry Brady under contract with Dyna-Rewind.

[Dennis David]

Philippe,

 

Of course I say that in jest. You are the Laurence Pomeroy / L.J.K. Setright of the slot car world.

[ravajack]

Anyone have a copy of the "Russkit Records" that could be posted on YouTube?  I had never heard of this before.

 

Try here: http://slotblog.net/...guna-seca-1966-

 

(PS to Cheater: Why are only the last movies in the thread showing correctly?)

[don.siegel]

Philippe, 

 

A couple more details to add to yours: 

 

- Russkit issued the "Pit-Pak" with their first two kits in early 65 (first mentions, ads in March/April 65), so this may well have been before the Strombecker packs. 

 

- Just found the Pro Profile of Mike Morrissey by Lynn Fletcher in the November 1969 issue of Model Car Science. According to this article, and we assume Lynn interviewed Mike, he and Ron Quintana were childhood racing friends from about 62; in early 64 they met Rick Durkee and formed an informal team. Mike met Jim Russell in April 64 and Jim broached the idea of a factory racing team, "the first of its kind in slot racing". They were first reluctant, then finally agreed. In the beginning, not much happened, according to Mike, except product designing and testing. In the meantime, Len Vucci was added...The first of their famous trips began in 1965... 

 

Dates aren't more specific than this, but sounds like they were roughly contemporary with Strombecker, although Strombecker may well have been first if they were indeed formed in mid-64, before Stuart Schaller joined the team. Sounds like Strombecker was strictly local too, whereas Russkit formed the team to get some international publicity - besides winning races in SoCal. 

 

Don 

[TSR]

Hi Don,

Reality sometimes does not match personal recollections...

 

The first Russkit "Trak-Pak" are simply the two injected kits of the Cooper and Ferrari F1 kits, marketed inside a little cardboard suitcase, kits # 1100 and 1101. They were indeed issued in 1965, but cannot be considered a "Pit Pack" as there was no controller with them. The Russkit controller was issued in mid-1964 before the F1 kits and at the same time as the "22" motor, stock # 800 with three different resistances for regular customers and # 801 "heavy duty" as a rental controller fitted with a special black button on their back for a resistor quick-change system.

The controllers were blue or red and had large crossed engraving on their lower housing. In 1967, Russkit issued a new controller with new black handles, the Formula 1 with 10-ohm resistor. These handles were different in their engraving and are the ones now used by Parma.

Russkit also issued in 1967 the smaller controller called "Formula 2", the very one Aurora will later purchase, and still used today by Racemasters.

 

Now returning to the Track Packs: the first Russkit "Trak-Pak" (their spelling) came in 1966, well after Strombecker's own models already seen since the middle of the previous year, and there were three available:

-Lotus 38 w/controller, # 1601

-Lola T70 w/controller, # 1602

And two different ISO Grifos, the # 1614 at $14.00, and another at #19.00. Not sure of the diff to this day, but I believe that it has to do with the motors used. I think that the cheaper ones had the "22" motors while "23"s were in the more expensive ones.

In any case, Russkit were not "first", merely and possibly second.

 

For the team, indeed Lynn Fletcher says it right except that the first Team Russkit  "trips" by the new team members were in the summer of 1966, not 1965... and it can clearly be seen in the old mags when one checks the chassis used by Russkit, that clearly were mid-1966 designs...

Another took place nearly a year later, just before the team was eventually disbanded.

 

The team was indeed created in 1965 after Russell asked Morrissey to form it, and there were only originally 4 members. The first Russkit "team" chassis were rather simple brass tubing affairs using flat brass-plate motor mounts, and once built the motor could not come out!

 

When Jim Russell created the world’s first professional slot car racing team in 1965, he trusted Mike Morrissey to find the “right stuff” within the So-Cal racers. Mike selected Len Vucci, Ron Quintana and Rick Durkee as the original team members. Fred “Kenny” Larimer was later added as well as several other top racers.

The aim was of course to showcase the Russkit products, and that, they did for a while. But the competition began using evolved home-built brass tubing and wire frames and rewound motors based on the Russkit “23”. So the team members began building evolutions of the original Russkit “scratch-build” chassis kits, now using a new motor mount more suited to the needs of the day. Quickly, the Russkit boys set new standards and kept winning races. By early 1966, they were the team to beat anywhere they raced.

 

But by that time, Strombecker already had a factory team that was racing in Illinois at different raceways around their Chicago base, but their technology would have never competed against that of Team Russkit's.
The Russkit boys were also the first to get out of their own state to "race" (a big word since they were on a demonstration run) in other states.
Thing is, few remember Team Strombecker while everyone remembers Team Russkit because they were publicised a lot more by the mags with national distribution, most of them based in California... hence the urban legends! 

[don.siegel]

Yes, except the first report on Team Russkit's first trip was in the Feb 66 issue of Car Model, so the first trip had to have been in 65...

Don

[TSR]

Don, you are correct, the first trip was late 1965 and the second in 1966. I should read my own book time to time:

 

 

The Rise of the Factory Teams

While there already were other  "factory teams" as employees of Cox, Dynamic and Strombecker had formed their own to race at their local level, Russkit Jim Russell effectively invented "professional" slot car racing. In 1965 Jim Russell hired four local hot shoes from Southern California and in December, the newly created Team Russkit, one of the first professional slot car racing teams, went on a 30-day nationwide tour that had a tremendous effect on the development of professional slot car racing in America.