14 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

Commercial raceways are pretty rare outside of the US, but here's one in Yokohama, Japan, with three interesting six-lane tracks. I don't have a lot of info, as the raceway's WEBSITE is only in Japanese, but I'd sure like to pay a visit to this facility if ever I end up across the Pacific.

 

The website does give English names for each of the tracks.

 

This track is named "Black Twister" and is noted as being for 1/24 scale cars.

 

 

This track is called "Laguna Seca" and is labled as being for both 1/24 and 1/32 cars.

 

 

This track is named "Rev-Limit", and is noted as being an "American-track." This is 1/24 and seems to be set up for two voltages, 12.0v and 13.8v.

 

 

The raceway might be in Japan, but the racers there certainly know their US and European racing history, as shown by this selection of cars from their website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tim Neja]

Looks like a very nice facility!!

Any information on this one, Haruki-san?? Do you know of it?

[Tony A.]

Very nice tracks and an impressive facility.

One of the guys that is heavily involved in scale racing and who I have raced against for a number of years recently raced in Japan and they treated him like a royal.

He was very impressed with the tracks and the racing and the wide variety of adjustable chassis available in Japan for scale model car racing.

[Peter Horvath]

Wow. Those are some cool tracks.

[JimF]

Very cool tracks indeed (esp. the first two) and why not six-laners?
 
That's a pretty good idea. Obviously, smaller footprints, but also it takes fewer racers to fill the field and have a good race, easier to reach the corners for marshaling, and bit more freedom in track design. I like it.

[SlotStox#53]

Very nice looking facility and really love  the "Rev Limit" track with the banking.  

Also those racing Minis are too cool!

[usadar]

The raceway is located in Yokohama, very close to Tokyo.

They race Plafit adjustable chassis with plastic model bodies, very different what we race at Retro Tokyo.
 
A couple of Plafit racers race Retro with us but I have had no chance to visit that raceway.
 
Haruki

[Mbloes]

Haruki,

 

It looks like they have a lot of rubber laid down, at least on the "Laguna Seca" blue track. So they must use sponge tires (and glue, presumably) as urethane or silicone tires don't leave that kind of rubber on the track.

[usadar]

They seem to use sponge tires but I am not quite sure they are spraying glue on the tracks.

Until recently, or still, most Plafit raceways have been banning American style slot cars with clear bodies, so I haven't been there for a long time.

Very recently, Plafit introduced their "Retro chassis" with screws and nuts, on which American clear retro bodies are put on.
Some of our Retro Tokyo racers told me a couple of Plafit raceways now allow us to race our Retro cars.
 
Haruki

[Dennis David]

Most people that run Plafit type cars run sponge tires but not spray glue.

[Tim Neja]

Retro cars would be a lot of fun on those tracks!!! But I DO like the plastic cars too--set up properly they handle very well and are a lot of fun!!

[Tex]

Great tracks! Regarding the cars, there's no wrong way to play with toy cars!

[Dennis David]

Just the bodies have to be plastic. The chassis can be whatever you want

[Tony A.]

Most people that run Plafit type cars run sponge tires but not spray glue.

I disagree with that statement as the centre that I race at all three tracks are spray glue and we race plastic RTR cars, Plafit, Scaleauto, flexis, and wing cars, all with either rubber or foam tyres.

[Dennis David]

There are always exceptions but what I meant by Plafit type cars I meant plastic bodies with metal chassis from Germany, Denmark and they do not use spray glue that last time I heard in Europe where most of these are run.