Inside the thriving world of miniature motorsport

Last Christmas, Autosport afforded this writer an opportunity to write about a much-loved hobby: Scalextric. Little did I know it would lead to a year spent racing 1/32 scale slot cars competitively…

Following the publication of last year’s double issue, an email from reader Callum Norris landed suggesting that Autosport should take our hobby to the next level by joining him at the Larkfield Slotcar Club in Kent. Challenge accepted.

It was a decision that opened the door to a world that few probably realise exists. We’ve all probably set up a Scalextric set and raced at home for fun, dodging coffee tables or armchairs in the living room, but racing on a giant six-lane track that fills a village hall is a completely different concept. This is the world of competitive slot car racing and there are clubs all over the country that do this every week.

“It’s like bringing your PlayStation to life,” says Larkfield Slotcar Club chairman Nick O’Gorman. “You can sit at home playing computer games, but if you want to go out and race people in real life, it is a relatively inexpensive way of doing it.”

This is low-budget motorsport, albeit on a 1/32 scale, such is the level of detail and competitiveness involved that Autosport has found out from attending the club every Friday night outside of work commitments. It’s no longer simply a case of setting up a track, plopping a car into the slot and holding down the trigger on the controller.

Let’s start with the track. Larkfield Slot Car Club, now into its 26th year of competition, runs a wooden, six-lane track that is wired into a PC that operates the live timing system to a thousandth of a second. Depending on the class of car being raced, lap times range from between four to seven seconds, which for a track that fills a village hall offers some idea as to how fast these cars are travelling.

Racing on a six-lane Scalextric track is rather more ambitious than the sets you used to have as a child

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

Drivers compete in six three-minute heats, driving a race in each lane for fairness. The total amount of laps accumulated from the six heats are compiled to determine the overall results. On average the winner usually completes 180-200 laps. The club also competes in what is called an Interclub Series, acting as quasi-Kent county championships pitching the best racers from the region against each other.

In addition to the six-lane track, the club also has a bespoke rally stage it uses for rally nights to test racers’ abilities in tackling a tight and twisty course against the clock, driving a Ford Escort Mk2, the latest Ford Puma Rally1 or whatever takes your fancy.

“It is completely different to anything you can do at home,” O’Gorman adds. “The tracks are massive compared to anything you can build at home with four lanes or six lanes. You could never dream of racing on something that size as a kid. Adding some competition to it brings a different element.”

In one evening you can go from racing an Eric Bernard Larrousse F1 car to a 1995 Manuel Reuter Opel Calibra DTM touring car

The cars themselves are highly strung bits of kit designed with serious racing in mind. Scalextric is often not the brand of choice when it comes to this level of racing, with manufacturers such as NSR, Racer Sideways and Slot.it the preferred weapons of choice that cost in the region of £70-£80 each.

Racers spend hours meticulously setting up their cars, which are fully customisable. Motors can be tuned and tweaked, gear ratios and axles can be replaced and there are even different compounds of tyres that can be selected to find that extra thousandth of a second. For example, a simple ride height adjustment made on a 1977 Group 5 Porsche 935 that Autosport has been racing delivered a gain of roughly three tenths of a second per lap. It really comes down to fine margins.

The club rotates through six classes: Formula 1, GT3, Group 5, Classic Sportscars, Touring Cars and Open GT, with two held each evening. For example, in one evening you can go from racing an Eric Bernard Larrousse F1 car to a 1995 Manuel Reuter Opel Calibra DTM touring car.

“Compared to things I bought as a kid you would never dream you could change the motors, the wheels, the axles and everything you can do now,” says O’Gorman. “They are like mini radio-controlled cars – you can have different gearing, tyres and wheels. It is quite technical for a little model.”

Scalextric cars can be and are modified in various ways to improve performance

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

Perhaps one of the variables that is most striking to a newbie is that, just like in real-world motorsport, every car drives differently and has to be driven differently to achieve the best results.

A lot of this comes down to the controllers, which are far more advanced than the point-and-squirt controllers that come with your standard set. Controllers can cost up to £300 but there is a reason for such a high price tag. They are incredibly technical, featuring adjustable throttle sensitivity, braking and traction control. Yes, you’ve read that correctly…

Managing the brakes and ensuring the throttle sensitivity is set just right is crucial for achieving lap times. As soon as your finger lifts off the throttle the car will brake. Cars can roll into corners off throttle or stop sharply depending on the driver’s set-up choice and the class of car.

At first glance the initial thought is, ‘How hard can it be?’ But as it turns out, very hard. All of these variables take time to master and it requires an incredible amount of skill to be successful. It took this writer seven months to win a race and, as it stands, Autosport has clocked up a handful of podium finishes.

The racing is ridiculously close, with races often decided by fractions of seconds, which adds to the adrenalin rush and excitement. There are, of course, the inevitable crashes; certainly this writer was often the red-faced culprit in the first handful of races. Slowly but surely the pace is coming with every night of racing completed.

“There is a bit of excitement and there is a bit of skill as well, and a bit of luck,” reckons O‘Gorman. “You get a little buzz out of beating people. There are accidents and there are the little arguments between people as to who took each other out. But when you do get it together and win a race it’s quite an achievement.”

Racing aside, this has become an activity to genuinely look forward to every Friday night. It’s not just about the racing, it’s an opportunity to mix with a group of like-minded individuals from all walks of life, young and old, to share a passion for slot cars and motorsport. It also offers that rare chance to switch off from the real world for a couple of hours and focus the mind.

For those taking it seriously, controllers are also not standard-issue

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

“Definitely [there is a positive mental health aspect to this] and running it on a Friday night helps as you have done your week of work and then you chill out with some mates and have a few laughs, and it sets you up for the weekend really,” says O’Gorman.

“Everyone gets on with each other and we chat about motorsport because we are all interested in it. We have members from the ages of 17-70 and there aren’t really many hobbies that embrace those ages.”

So, if real-world motorsport is out of your price range and unachievable, we highly recommend taking up slot car racing to scratch that competitive itch.