107 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

I'd like to ask every Slotblog member to assist us with the Slotblog Raceway List in just one small way.

Please check the raceway list to see if the raceway you patronize is shown in the listing.

If it is not, it would be very much appreciated if you would PM me with the following info for the missing facility:

Raceway name, address, and telephone number

I also need to give a shout-out to those members who have entered listings. While I can't mention everyone, I really have to single out M. G. Brown, who has continued to work tirelessly to add raceways to our list. Thanks, M. G.!

[Cheater]

Just received the following info from a West Coast member:

Another raceway has bitten the bullet...

Harley has closed Harbo's Haven in Stockton. The Blue king now resides in Bakersfield, the drag strip is in Fresno, and the road course (black track) was recently sold. Not sure what happened to the Kingleman.

It's always a bit depressing when a raceway shuts down and I figured I'd go delete the Harbo's listing from the Slotblog Raceway List and found to my chagrin that there wasn't a listing for Harbo's, though that raceway has been mentioned many times in posts here.

[crabby]Everyone reading this almost certainly is aware of the perilous state of the commercial raceways and many also have made references to "growing the industry", often during discussions about some bit of rules minutiae or another. There also seems to be near-universal agreement about slot racing being the unknown or invisible hobby.

There has never been an accurate and comprehensive commercial raceway listing to help make customers aware of where commercial raceways can be found, at least to the best of my knowledge. Here at Slotblog, we've tried to enlist the help of racers themselves to address this problem, by asking simply for the information about the raceways they patronize.

The disappointing results so far suggest that the vast majority of racers are unwilling or uninterested in helping their raceways even in this small manner. This mirrors what we've seen from the raceway owner community itself, which seemingly won't take advantage of what is free advertising for their businesses (some do, but most don't). And, as has been mentioned elsewhere, the slot car distributors have traditionally declined to contribute to maintaining a decent public raceway listing, citing the proprietary nature of their customer lists.

As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

While it would be silly to suggest that a lack of a listing for Harbo's in Slotblog's Raceway List contributed to that track's closure, if the clock could be turned back one wonders whether someone who raced there would now feel it worthwhile to add a Harbo's Haven listing.

To those of you who have contributed to Slotblog's Raceway List, or who have taken a few seconds to confirm that your local facility is already listed, many thanks![/crabby]

[Bill from NH]

I've verified Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

[Cheater]

Thanks, Bill.

I know my post above is a rant, and I apologize to anyone I offended.

But it sure makes me wonder what the future of commercial 1/24 slot racing will be when the very people who most stand to benefit (the racers themselves!) seem to have little or no interest in supporting the Slotblog's Raceway Listing initiative.

[Richie]

I believe the Wilmington, NC, track has shut its doors recently (maybe a month ago), at least that is what I've been told.

[gascarnut]

I know my post above is a rant, and I apologize to anyone I offended.

But it sure makes me wonder what the future of commercial 1/24 slot racing will be when the very people who most stand to benefit (the racers themselves!) seem to have little or no interest in supporting the Slotblog's Raceway Listing initiative.

Not that I was offended, but I did think it was a "glass half empty" sentiment.

We already have in excess of 80 raceways on the list, that's a pretty decent total, especially considering how many people are always bemoaning the impending demise of slot racing.

I can add a few to the list:

Stamford Raceway in CT, part of the Elmsford group, details on the same website as Elmsford.

Rebel Raceway, on Mt Vernon St in Wichita, KS - no website that I know of, I guess they are still there, I raced there in 2006.

Slots of Fun, Fremont NE - can't remember the address and I last ran there in early 2006, so I don't know if they are still open. Gary Gerding would know.

Shafer's in Grand Island, NE - again Gary would know if they are still operating.

Colorado Custom Hobbies in Colorado Springs CO - Bob Campbell will know more about them, I see their website is down so I don't know if they are still open.

[Cheater]

Thanks, Dennis and Richie. I'll work on your info as soon as I can.

Dennis, the reason I am so insistent about the raceway listing is simply this: for most other leisure-time activities, there are places where I can find locations where I can pursue those activties.

If I want to play disc golf, I can easily locate a disc golf course in the US here.

If I like to bowl, I can find places to go bowling here.

Etc., etc., etc.

It astonishes me that in slot racing, from top to bottom, almost no one seems to feel this is important.

The original request was for every Slotblog member to check the listing section to see if the raceway where he races is on our list. Yet, seemingly, that was too much to ask for many...

[Roger U]

Occasionally I've heard mention of a track in Hesperia, CA. From what I hear it's owned, or at least operated, by the city of Hesperia. I heard it mentioned again within the last month so it's possibly still open. Hopefully somebody in SoCal knows more about it and will post further info.

[Michael Rigsby]

Cheater,

I have tried to post an update to the Florida tracks regarding the new location for Slotcar Speedway and Hobbies here in Jacksonville. I think the main forum says all posts have to be approved, so I'm not sure if the information took or not. If you like, I can send the information via PM.

Michael Rigsby

[Mopar Rob]

Greg:

I can sense your pain. I don't see anything listed for Texas so this is what I know. Last month (July 9) when I was down there, some of the guys from River Oaks Speedway in Ft. Worth invited me to race so it was open then. Dallas Slot Cars is in process of moving so we don't have a new address and lastly we have Slot Cars of Katy home of the Nats

Texas slot car tracks

[NJ Racer]

Greg

As we discussed some raceways that I am familiar with in my area:

Port Jefferson Raceway
1075 Portion Road, Suite 20
Farmingville, NY 11738

(631)696-7721

Also check out the Port Jeff Raceway website at www.portjeffraceway.com
__________________
World Famous Port Jefferson Raceway

Rapid Raceway
Grandstand
161 Woodford Ave.
Plainville, CT 06062
(860)793-1888
rraducha@sbcglobal.net

Slot Car Emporium
King Track
704 East Avenue
Warwick, Rhode Island 02886
(401)822-4114

Family Raceway
20 East Main Street
Rockville, CT
860 896-5333
http://www.familyrac...comcastbiz.net/

Niagara Scale Speedway in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Just 20 minutes from Buffalo across the Peace Bridge.
Track is located in the basement of the Linwell Plaza at 486-500 Grantham Avenue.
905-658-1994 for more info

Paradise Road
1780 S. Main St.
Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505
Contact Brian Czeiner
610-473-2883
www.paradiseroad.bravehost.com

[MG Brown]

Dennis, the reason I am so insistent about the raceway listing is simply this: for most other leisure-time activities, there are places where I can find locations where I can pursue those activities.

Up until recently, I feel the best such listing was John Ford's World Wide Waceway listing... and I have tried to work with John to assure raceways that I know are open were represented on the list.

In recent months, John has been short of time with some personal issues (noted elsewhere) and has focused his remaining free time on the magazine.

Other lists are maintained by Slotcartalk, DRS (drag strips), Scalextric USA (Scalextric Dealers) etc.

There are several problems with creating a useful Commercial Slot Racing facility listing, not the least of which is that there appears to be no unified organization that represents the interests of slot car racers that as part of its duties could administer such a list. There is no "go to" organization that the public associates with Slot Car Racing.

A further issue is these lists don't appear to be that popular or well known to the "new racer" or those who are just curious; there seem to be a significant number of people who still come on public forums such as this one and ask what tracks are located in such and such a specific area (usually when given the answer are disappointed that they have to drive further than they had anticipated to find a shop).

So, although I feel that making a list such as Greg has been doing is certainly laudable, I am not sure if it will help many people who aren't regulars on this forum, since the Slotblog! list appears to not have a searchable "presence" on search engines such as Google. Not that I am trying to give people more work to do, but it would certainly help to have a "front end" to the list that is searchable on web search engines much like the examples given by Greg for other pastime/sports.

[Cheater]

I have tried to post an update to the Florida tracks regarding the new location for Slotcar Speedway and Hobbies here in Jacksonville. I think the main forum says all posts have to be approved, so I'm not sure if the information took or not.

Michael,

This is correct and I am sorry there's no way to let posters to the raceway list know their post "took." Best is to wait a few days to see if it appears and then if not, perhaps PM me.

I can sense your pain.

Rob,

'Pain' is not the best word, but "greatly disappointed' fits the bill.

The request made was for racers to inform us if their 'home' or 'local' raceway was NOT listed in the Slotblog raceway listing and if not, to provide just the business name, address, and phone. We thought this was the softest, least labor-intensive request we could make.

The disappointment was in finding out how few would expend even this minimal effort for the benefit of their own local raceway, and for the good of the hobby at large. This more than anything else is what resulted in my little explosion. I guess many of today's racers haven't suffered in having as many raceways close on them as I have...

There are several problems with creating a useful Commercial Slot Racing facility listing, not the least of which is that there appears to be no unified organization that represents the interests of slot car racers that as part of its duties could administer such a list. There is no "go to" organization that the public associates with Slot Car Racing.

Spot-on, MG. I've felt for many years that the lack of effective organization in 1/24 slot racing (on both the end-user and industry sides) has hurt the hobby and the industry. We're making some progress but there's still a long way to go.

The Slotblog raceway list is an attempt to put the onus on the racers, based on the assumption that above all others they have a vested interest in helping to make it easier for potential customers to find places to race. We all know that most raceways have little-to-no advertising budget and in general, struggle day to day to run their businesses and to pay their bills. We know that the distributor community has never been willing to cooperate to support such a raceway listing. And since, as you point out, there is no well-supported "slot car advocacy organization" to collate and maintain a raceway list, about all that remains is the racers themselves. Thus the approach that is being tried here. We knew it was a toss-up as to whether there would be sufficient support to make it work. And when it seemed we were losing momentum, I decided to make some noise to see if it could be recovered.

So, although I feel that making a list such as Greg has been doing is certainly laudable, I am not sure if it will help many people who aren't regulars on this forum, since the Slotblog! list appears to not have a searchable "presence" on search engines such as Google. Not that I am trying to give people more work to do, but t would certainly help to have a "front end" to the list that is searchable on web search engines much like the examples given by Greg for other pastime/sports.

You are correct, but we gotta walk before we can run. And right now, I feel like we have perhaps a third to a quarter of the commercial raceways in the US in our little database. When we have a higher percentage, them we'll start thinking about how better to make the info available to a larger audience.

The raceway list is limited by the features inherent in the IP.Board software and as such, simply represents the best way we could make this happen with the tools available to us at the present time.

(And, MG, thank you for your efforts in support of the Slotblog Raceway List. You have contributed more listings that everyone else combined, or so it seems. Very much appreciated.)

FWIW, I spend a fair amount of time checking to see what people are viewing at Slotblog. Patterns are hard to quantify but two things stand out. At any given time, 20-30% of the visitors to Slotblog (members and guests) are looking at posts more than six months old. And that virtually every time I check what's being viewed, at least one viewer is in the Raceway List.

BTW, thanks to all who have posted to the raceway list and to this thread, and who have PM'd and emailed me with listings to be added. The volume is such that it will take me a few days to get them all inserted in our format. If after a week or so, the info you supplied has not appeared, please poke me again.

[Bob Campbell]

Colorado Custom Hobbies in Colorado Springs CO - Bob Campbell will know more about them, I see their website is down so I don't know if they are still open.

Dennis (and all),

Colorado Custom Hobbies in Colorado Springs, CO, has just closed. Mark Misagadis is looking for a new site and Tony Armstrong is still too lazy to get off of his *** and get things done. Tony was (in my opinion) the main problem with this track!

[gascarnut]

That's a pity, but probably not unexpected.

[Mopar Rob]

To me the issue isn't creating a list, but maintaining it. The minute something is posted it's literally out of date as evidenced by posts of "that track is now closed". My two examples are that I was going to a family funeral in a different state and referenced John and Paul's slot car track directories and noticed they had a listing 20 miles from where I was going. I checked the track website and it wasn't up, checked switchboard.com and concluded that there wasn't a raceway by that name in Springfield MO anymore. Don't know if it just blew away or if someone reopened under a different name?

[Cheater]

Rob,

Yes, now you do feel my pain. LOL!!

There are web sites that depend on members to update gas prices in as near real time as possible.

Since we have no industry organization, since the distributors feel parochial, since the raceway owners are too stressed and busy, what are we left with?

The racers, that's who. And, as I've said, they certainly a group with a vested interest in maintaining such a list, though the two parties mentioned above should share such feelings.

Slotblog's Raceway List is an attempt to see if the slot racing community can do the job, carry the load, etc. And yeah, over time would be nice, too.

Truth be known, I'm not too sanguine, but what's it cost to try?

[GotToRace]

Greg,

How 'bout updating the list to add Dallas and Acworth, GA. After all they're in your stomping grounds, right? I heard that Dallas is installing a Purple Mile. I'd love to hear details on that. I hope to get over that way soon to see what's going on. Thanks.

[Cheater]

Touché, Steve...

This is one of those "do as I say, not do as I do" things, you know.

I do have an excuse: I've never raced at either raceway and wasn't too certain of my info. I've put listings up for both raceways after your well-deserved poke, but hopefully we have some of their racers here who will confirm the info is accurate.

Thanks for ragging on me, Steve.

[Marty Stanley]

Greg,

I've verified the list for Florida. Did so by attending at least one race at each of them over the past year.

Unfortunately one of my favorite raceways, Killer X over in Homosassa closed this past year. They are missed greatly. However I am hearing rumors that it might, like the Phoenix, "arise from the ashes" and be in Ocala, FL. Just a rumor of course. When it does happen, I will put some postings here.

In an effort to perhaps help all the raceways to survive, do you think we could post weekly results of race programs here, even though they do not have a single iota to do with Retro Racing? This way folks on vacation, might want to pack a little something extra for a long night without the family?

Just a suggestion.

[MG Brown]

Hey Marty -

Thanks for your PMs and to encourage others, I am replying to your idea about weekly and series race result postings here.

Greg has instructed me that the raceway listings are to be used as an index of raceways rather than a "blog" of happenings at the individual raceways.

That of course does not mean that raceways cannot post their results and notices of upcoming events under other topics.

Not sure if we should add a general "Race Results" heading for local results... perhaps broken down by region?

[Marty Stanley]

MG,

Whatever would work, let's just "Do It!"

How about if we took the "General Slot Car Racing" section, modified to like the "General Retro Racing" section to include links to all the geographical areas and post them there?

Works for me if will work for you!

[Cheater]

Marty,

Let me think on your suggestion for a couple of days. I do think it has some merit but I want to consider the ramifications for a bit.

In any case, as MG replied, any raceway is welcome to post results, etc., in the Race Announcements forum, regardless of the class or style of racing.

MG is also correct that we want the Slotblog Raceway List to be simply a reference, as opposed to a place where discussion takes place. That's the way it is with most of the other raceway lists and I think it is best to do it that way. Allowing discussion in that forum would IMO tend to diminish its usefulness.

What Slotblog is doing a bit differently than the other raceway listings is posting pics of the tracks, when we can get them.

BTW, I wish I could impart to everyone just how frequently folks are using our Raceway List. Just about every time I check what those logged in are looking at, someone is checking out one of the listings. So I know it is being used.

Thanks to all who have contributed info to the Raceway List.

And again, if the raceway where you race is not listed, please PM me the basic info so I can add it.

[airhead]

I'd like to ask every Slotblog member to assist us with the Slotblog raceway list in just one small way.

Please check the raceway list to see if the raceway you patronize is shown in the listing.

If it is not, it would be very much appreciated if you would PM me with the following info for the missing facility:

Raceway name, address, and telephone number

I also need to give a shout-out to those members who have entered listings. While I can't mention everyone, I really have to single out M. G. Brown, who has continued to work tirelessly to add raceways to our list. Thanks, M. G.!

I am new to Slotblog, I have a 150' routed wood club track. I would like to list but I don't know how.

[Cheater]

Billy,

Please list your club track in THIS FORUM.

Make a new topic and provide info on when and what you race, how you wish to be contacted, etc. Give such information as you are comfortable publicizing. (We are aware that many club tracks are in private homes.)

Then send me a PM to let me know you posted, so I can pin your thread to the top of that forum.