This past week I visited a slot track that is probably under the radar. It is in Plainville, IN, pop. 50 on a good day. A friend's son has moved there for his job and told us about it. It is a little town in the middle of s/w Indiana 30 miles or so north of French Lick. The owner said the track is from Evansville and he also has a 1/8 mile dragstrip. Three of us visited and were the first guys to run on it in a couple weeks! It was dusty and glued which meant it took a few laps to get the braid clean enough for the cars to run ok.
George Baker is the owner/operator. This little shop is a combination motorcycle shop, guitar emporium, and slot track. The whole place is in the only building in this towns main/only crossroad that is occupied. He mainly does cycle repair work and the rest of the business is just a hobby. He said he makes no money, he repairs oil well pumps by day. His hours are like from 12-4 daily or call!
He has a small inventory of parts, really just some basic stuff to keep his cars running, which are all flexis I think.
The track appears to be a custom design that was probably built for certain space. It is no more than 10 foot wide and about 60 foot long. Big straight, flat curve into some "S" curves, up a donut that covers the main straight and to another flat turn that leads into the main straight.
Nice guy and we had a good time just playing guitars and him singing. We're both closet rock stars.
MB
Plainville, IN, slot car raceway
#1
-
- Full Member
-
- 3,561 posts Joined: 13-August 11
Posting Leader
- Gender:Male
- Location:IN
Posted 13 September 2015 - 02:52 PM
- Jencar17 and Big Durl like this
Matt Bishop
#2
-
- IRRA National Director
-
- 3,619 posts Joined: 16-October 07
Posting Leader
- Gender:Male
- Location:Planet Earth
Posted 13 September 2015 - 03:22 PM
Mike McMasters
Former home of the ORIGINAL American blue King
#3
-
- Subscriber
-
- 4,772 posts Joined: 18-January 12
Posting Leader
- Gender:Male
- Location:Long Island, NY
Posted 13 September 2015 - 04:34 PM
Motorcycles, guitars, and slot cars.
Sounds like a fun place.
- garyvmachines likes this
"If you have integrity, nothing else matters, and if you do not have integrity, nothing else matters."
Robert Mueller, special counsel (2013)
"... because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook."
Richard M .Nixon, Nov 17, 1973
"Fool me once, same on... shame on you. Fool me... you can't get fooled again."
George W. Bush
#4
-
- Subscriber
-
- 400 posts Joined: 23-May 13
On The Lead Lap
- Gender:Male
- Location:Smyrna, Tennessee
Posted 13 September 2015 - 05:41 PM
Small Indiana town with a really cool eclectic shop – what an awesome place just tucked outta sight!
I'm saving the address, too.
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
#5
-
- Full Member
-
- 14,763 posts Joined: 02-August 07
Age scrubs away speed!
- Gender:Male
- Location:New Boston, NH
Posted 13 September 2015 - 06:07 PM
What an interesting track layout! That'd be a great location to start a club. Thanks for the pictures, Matt.
I intend to live forever! So far, so good.
#6
-
- Full Member
-
- 3,561 posts Joined: 13-August 11
Posting Leader
- Gender:Male
- Location:IN
Posted 18 April 2018 - 03:42 PM
Matt Bishop
#7
-
- Subscriber
-
- 2,945 posts Joined: 08-March 06
Posting Leader
- Gender:Male
- Location:Barrington, IL 60010
Posted 18 April 2018 - 08:30 PM
Good pitstop between Chicago and Nashville?
Larry D. Kelley, MA
retired raceway owner... Raceworld/Ramcat Raceways
racing around Chicago-land
Diode/Omni repair specialist
USRA 2023 member # 2322
IRRA,/Sano/R4 veteran, Flat track racer/MFTS
Host 2006 Formula 2000 & ISRA/USA Nats
Great Lakes Slot Car Club (1/32) member
65+ year pin Racing rail/slot cars in America
#8
-
- Full Member
-
- 3,561 posts Joined: 13-August 11
Posting Leader
- Gender:Male
- Location:IN
Posted 19 April 2018 - 08:11 AM
Larry,
Plainville is off the beaten path in southwestern Indiana. You would probably travel I65 to go from Chicago to Nashville and Plainville is about 80 miles west on a two-lane highway. It is somewhat closer for guys traveling I64 from St Louis to Louisville. It is north of 64 maybe 30-40 miles north of Evansville.
It would be an enjoyable track to run without the "S" curves!
Matt Bishop
