29 replies to this topic

[SpeedyNH]

thanks Howie. 

i remember you guys coming to Hobby Headquarters in Red Bank, New Jersey and quickly realized that the finger was faster than the thumb! 

[tonyp]

I bought my first russkit after seeing Howie ( my idol) and Sandy at a demo race at Tom Thumb hobbies in Union NJ.


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[Uncle Fred]

thanks Howie. 

i remember you guys coming to Hobby Headquarters in Red Bank, New Jersey and quickly realized that the finger was faster than the thumb! 

Hobby Headquarters had a track!?

[Phil Smith]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone drive like that.

[SpeedyNH]

HH originally had one track (along the lefthand wall) when i first found them in the early-middle 60's, then another free-standing road course with chicanes, both in the hobby shop itself. pretty sure that both were six lanes. 

Then they took over the store area to the left, put in a door, moved the second track in there and eventually built two more 8-laners, one a big bank (because Big Time had taken over the Sears down the street and had huge ones) and the other a larger road course.  Our club raced on Friday nights.  i think that team Russkit visited right before the second track moved out of the main room into the addition. 

Shop owner Bob Peru designed and built all of them. my favorite was the original smaller road course, which i continue to copy the general plan of to this day.  while i was away at college, etc., that track was taken down, stored, and suffered water damage. my racing buddy's Dad saved it, we set it up in their cellar and got it running again.  

i traveled to that area a decade or so ago and had a chance to visit the store, which to my surprise was still in existence. different owners had opened up the second floor over the main room to get more space, sold some plastic 1/32 cars and knew that there used to be tracks in there, but didn't know any more than that.