22 replies to this topic

[MG Brown]

This discussion originated in another forum.

 

Thesis: "A majority of slot car racers smoke cigarettes or have smoked them in the past"

 

I am curious what your thoughts are on the above. Is it in your opinion true or false, and if true why do so many racers smoke?

 

With the number of potentially hazardous chemicals and metals that we are frequently exposed to, I would wonder why we would smoke tobacco also?

 

I ask this without intent to judge as I feel people should make their own decisions about smoking or not, and how often.

 

Let's try to stay on topic as best as we can. M'kay?

[MG Brown]

A champion slot car racer that is no longer with us told me that he was an ex-smoker (I had never seen him smoke and had known him for many years) and that he substitutes chocolate when he has a craving for a cig.

 

I know from being in a relationship with an addictions counselor that many ex-tobacco users (as well as other addictions) substitute soda or coffee for tobacco.

 

Any comments???

[Pablo]

My comment is, it originated in another forum, so leave it there.

My sentiment is the same for many subjects here on Slotblog - if you found it on another forum, leave it there.

 

No anger towards the OP at all

[gotboostedvr6]

Never smoked.

[Ecurie Martini]

1.  When I started slot racing (1958), I think most people smoked.

2. I still do but smoking is very rare today in my circles (slotters & non-slotters) of friends

3. Hazardous chemicals?  In my "pre-slot" model railroad days, we would clean the rails with carbon tetrachloride rags held in bare hands!  I don;t worry about it.

 

EM

[gc4895]

Never smoked. However, Im wondering if there is something addictive about building and racing slotcars. I keep coming back, even after loooong layoffs. Nothing keeps me up later than a hot iron and a chassis to complete. I wake up thinking about rail combinations I want to try. Wheelbase length. Guide lead. So many options, so little time. My wife thinks Im, uh, addicted. I just reach for another spool of solder...

[idare2bdul]

Never a smoker. What SoCal Racers were smoking when I started was mostly not tobacco. I think tobacco smokers were a tiny minority by the late 70's. 

[Tex]

I smoked, quitting in 1976.

[MG Brown]

My comment is, it originated in another forum, so leave it there.

 

I've found there is a different group of people in both places with different feelings. I like considering the opinions of as many racers as possible.

[old & gray]

Smoking is a generational thing. When I started racing most adults in my life smoked (1960’s). As I understand it the army gave my father free cigarettes when he was walking across Europe. It was only because of parental pressure that I didn’t keep smoking once I started.

As society turned away from smoking I feel I have seen a reduction of racers who smoke. It would be interesting to compare the number of racers who smoke with their age group.

[Jesse Gonzales]

Some of the SoCal guys that I ran into back in the glory days smoked pot or hash but not cigarettes, go figure. Two of my AZ buddies decided they wanted to look like "The Greatest" and have a cig hanging off their lips and wearing dark sunglasses while racing, both are now dead. If I needed to get nuts there was always Bud or Mickeys Bigmouth, no cigarettes or other smoking as the acid flux had me messed up.

 

Jesse Gonzales

[Phil Hackett]

I was never smoker but I definely inhaled enough smoking motors during the races to be one. The Crash & Burn race where 50+ (total among all racers not just mine) motors were destroyed was probably worth 5 years of tobacco, not even including the Stick-It and lighter fluid mist after 12 hours of racing.

[Phil Smith]

I quit in 1986. I quickly got over the cravings, but I did chew gum constantly for several years. That was my replacement. That and black tar heroin.  

[NSwanberg]

                   ------

[Dave Crevie]

I smoked in high school because, to be "cool", you had to. But that came to an end in the summer of 1968. One of my auto

shop friend's father ran an AA/FD, and several of us shop kids volunteered as pit gophers for him. At the end of the season

at our local tracks, he still had time on the engine and gave a few of us the chance to take a run. I really wanted to make it

into the 200 MPH club, and took the opportunity. Didn't quite make it, (199.80) but at the end I was out of breath. The car

owner told me that was because of the smoking. Never touched another cigarette. 

[Bryan Warmack]

   I only smoked for a few years and quit in 1982

[MSwiss]

Thesis: "A majority of slot car racers smoke cigarettes or have smoked them in the past"

I don't think that's true, other than, while I never have (at all), most people have smoked, whether it be for a few weeks, months or years.

 

Looking at the lineup of the recent MFTS #3 Sunset, 240 Enduro, assuming both South Bend racers smoke, only 5 of the 16 entries were smokers.

 

And only 1 of the 11 non-smokers, is someone that I know of, who was a recent smoker.

 

That said, the pizza business must cultivate smokers.

 

It's seem whenever I arrive at the raceway, or am back and forth, going to lunch, or the post office, at least one of the Pizza Hut employees is on the side of the building , where I park my car, smoking.

[MattD]

Do a survey of all people 60-75 years old and I bet the % of smokers/ex-smokers  that slot race is no higher than the % that play cards, go to bars or are  still alive.   It's a generational thing.   I'd rather talk about guide wobble! 

[Bryan Warmack]

      In general, I don't think slot car racers are more inclined to smoke any more than any other group of hobbyists. Did you ever go in a bowling alley 40 years ago........everyone smoked!

[Pappy]

I never smoked but I must have been "smoking hot" when I was in high school because all the girls use to call me Doctor Dunaway. They said it was because I made them feel so good, or something like that. 

[MattD]

Maybe they knew you "wanted" to play Doctor!

[raisin27]

I don't smoke, never have,  but if slot racing really does have a higher percentage of smokers than what's considered normal I believe it would be because most slot racers are from an older generation (like me) and grew up in a time when smoking was a far more wide spread and accepted habit.

[Dave Crevie]

I think it is more an environmental thing than generational. The U. S. Dept of Statistics show there are actually more 

smokers aged 16-20, but I believe it is because smoking and vaping have become "cool" again. When I was in high

school, everybody smoked, greasers and nerds alike. Once in college, those kids that I had been hanging around with 

started to back off smoking. In the 70's, there were far fewer smokers at York high, than there were when I was there.

At least that is what District 205 (188 at that time) claimed in their annual report. (oddly I still had that until I tossed it

last year) Granted, some of that was because wacky-backy was becoming more accepted, and records on that would

be pretty inaccurate. Now that I am a member of the alumni association, I find that no one from my graduating year

still smokes.