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Motoring
Slot Car Racing Knows no Age Limits
Slot car racing is a type of racing hobby that is not seen as much these days. Kids want electronic gadgets such as phones and MP3 players. They want computers and high-speed Internet connections. Whatever happened to the simple toys? Slot car racing is making a comeback, and it doesn't take lots of cash or skill to have enormous amounts of fun.
The hobby of slot car racing is so named because each racing car has a small pin that projects beneath it. This pin sits in a slot that is continuous around the whole track. Most tracks have two slots so two cars can race.
The slot is electrified so that the tiny electric motor in the slot car can receive power around the whole track. Racers use pistol shaped hand held controllers to change the speed of their cars. The goal is to be the first to complete the required number of laps without the car leaving the track.
Even though the car seems to be anchored into its slot, it is possible for cars to deslot or leave the track especially around the curves. It takes much skill to master the curves in slot car racing.
Slot car racing is a hobby in which two or more racers can each control a scale model racing car on a scale model track. Common scales include 1 to 24, 1 to 32, and HO scale. Those numbers on the 1 to 24 scale mean that 24 inches on the full sized racing car are represented by 1 inch on the scale model. For instance, a real racing car that is 16 feet (192 inches) long would be only 8 inches long at 1 to 24 scale.
Beginner's slot car racing kits have everything needed to begin slot car racing within minutes. The track comes in short plastic sections that snap together so that the slots line up appropriately. Common track configurations are oval and figure eight. In the oval track, two sharp curved sections are joined by two long straight sections. Cars essentially race around an elongated circle.
In the figure eight track, the two long straight sections of the oval track are crossed in the middle, creating the appearance of the number eight. The figure eight is an exciting configuration because it has the potential for the cars to actually collide! Collisions are not possible on the oval track.
Slot car racing is gaining in popularity. Some specialty party businesses are offering slot car birthday parties for children. Up to 16 (or maybe more) children can race on a super large slot car track at the same time! These businesses also cater to adults, providing slot car parties to businesses and corporations.
Anyone can learn to slot car race simply by picking up the controller. It is a time-honored hobby that is making its way back into the hearts of those who first loved it decades ago.
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The seven ages of man and motor
From boy racer to slow lane pensioner. Which one are you?
Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man plotted humankind’s key life stages from cradle to grave. Now, there’s an alternative set of milestones based on men’s obsession with cars.
From affluent “pride and joy riders” to sedate “slomotoring swingers”, Yellow Pages’ Seven Ages of Man and Motor reveals the key phases a typical male motorist travels through during a lifetime of driving, and the type of cars most likely to be driven at each stage.
The profiles were developed by psychologist Geoff Beattie after analysing feedback from 900 male drivers on their choice of car, accessories and driving style. The study follows a typical male driver making his way from virgin L-plates to leather driving gloves.
Beattie says, “These insights allow us to build up a psychological profile of drivers, looking at what motivates them and how they feel about the whole driving experience.”
Age one: Young cruisers aged 18 to 24
Fresh from passing his test, a cruiser’s hatchback is his second home, as revealed by piles of fast food wrappers and essential in-car accessories such as iPods and hands-free mobiles. Likely to be found with the windows down and the bass cranked up, the car of choice at this age is a speedy hatchback such as a Citroen Saxo.
Age two: Pride and joy riders aged 25 to 34
By this stage in his lifetime’s journey, the single motoring man has money to spend and seeks a quality drive. Leather interiors, alloys and high end speaker systems are an essential part of the motoring experience in the preferred vehicular choice. Typically, these drivers own a sports or performance car such as a Mazda RX8 or Audi TT.
Age three: Tot gear
When a man settles down into a relationship, his motoring life is likely take a different road, characterised by kids rather than driving kicks. Leather interiors make way for sweet wrappers and sticky fingers in MPVs littered with baby paraphernalia.
Age four: Daddy cabs aged 35 to 44
Most likely to be found outside the local community centre waiting for the under-10s’ disco to finish, daddy cab drivers offer a free family taxi service in sensible saloons equipped with TVs and DVD players to satisfy their demanding customers. Characteristic wheels at this life stage are medium-sized saloon cars such as the Ford Mondeo.
Age five: Easy-does-it riders aged 45 to 54
Cautious motorists with a penchant for travel sweets, these older drivers treat their car purely as a means of getting from A to B and opt for practical, economical hatchbacks such as the Toyota Corolla or Ford Focus.
Age six: Last chance saloons aged 55 to 64
Empty nesters that have rediscovered the joys of motoring and have blown the kids’ inheritance on a leather-upholstered, walnut-clad executive saloon such as a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E Class.
Age seven: Slomotoring swingers aged 65+
Inside lane-hugging weekend drivers who’ve downsized to a small car with enough room for the golf clubs, despite dreaming of a Bentley. They are most likely to own leather driving gloves, a road atlas and a chamois leather cleaning kit. This group tends to drive a standard small car such as a Citroen C3.
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