A few months ago I announced on this very forum the addition of a slot car class at the Greater Salt Lake Model Car Championship. The contest has been held yearly from 1979 to the late 1990's and then changed to every other year from then on. I have attended many times since 1987 and even mailed in entries in 1985, '86, '88, 89 and 90.
It is the only international model car contest of it's kind and people come from all over to re-new old friendships and make new ones during the 4 days the show is held.
I wanted to support the GSL staff this year so I traveled to Salt Lake City with my publisher Gregg Hutchings April 27th through the 30th. My plan was to help the judges and to that end I took three examples of the craft to put on display, but not compete. Unfortunately only two entries showed up! Which was very disappointing to me and the GSL staff. In fact, the founder of the contest was worried about a continuation of the classification in the future and asked that I enter one of my display cars in order to round out the class, which I did.
Here they are in the order of class win: 1st place was a Drag racer by Don Strong; 2nd place a 1961 Ranchero by Steve Roullier; and 3rd place a Cox GT40 MkII by Jairus Watson.
Don Strongs car was amazing and really deserved the win!
Not only was it a fully scratch-built car, but it was a replica of a real early 1960's drag race car!
Near as I could tell, the chassis was a K&B kit for the DC65 pad lock motor. With the body off it looked like any other slot car, but once the panels were placed back on the frame it really looked like a model car. Excellent details, photo etched front spoke wheels, fully detailed engine and vacuum formed body panels.
Don made the body by carving wood blocks and doing his own vacuum forming!
The Driver and interior are built up from a Champion or Cox driver and evergreen sheet plastic.
The interesting drive unit on the side replicates the original chain guard very well and covers up the fact that this is actually a gear drive car. 
Second place car by Steve Roullier .
This car is fairly simple being a 1/32 scale 1961 Falcon Ranchero body placed on a Revell chassis. The chassis has the front motor and the wheel base matched the Ranchero, which is why Steve says he built it in the first place. In the back are two grocery bags filled with stuff. Looks strikingly realistic and I was afraid it would win... ;-)
My car will be shown in the 6th issue of Slot Cars Mag which should go to the printers this or next week. So I won't go into it here. It is obviously a Cox GT 40 which I converted to an MkII and painted as Carroll Shelby's 1966 Dayton winning car. The chassis is a bone stock Team Racing, long tongue, 16d powered adjustable Mag chassis.
Additional pictures of GSL-XXVI 2017 can be found here on my Fotki. The pics are raw and not color corrected. And of the 250 cars present, I only shot a few.
