What to look for when first buying?

[Junior slot car racer]

Hi.

We are wanting to purchase our first Scalextric slot car set, one that will durable and will last forever (when looked after well).  We would like to add accessories (eg different track parts) to continually make it exciting and challenging. 

I would rather not have one that links into any APPs and ideally one that plugs into power rather than continually using battery.

What things do I need to be aware of, what do I need to avoid?

Do I get a starter set and then build onto it or just start with piece by piece set?

Do the cars differ in their ability to be managed?

Thanks for any feedback.

V

 

 

 

 

 

[Andy P.]

 Hi There,

Scalextric is a great hobby, particularly if you can get the whole family involved.

There is a dedicated page explaining things.

All are durable when looked after: If you see the healthy second-hand market you can see that many of these things last for decades.

We would like to add accessories (eg different track parts) to continually make it exciting and challenging.

You will find there are innumerable accessories for the Sport (1/32 scale). This is by far the most common scale in Europe. 

The Sport line does not have "unrealistic" track like loop-the-loops but it does have a "flying leap" ramp.

Otherwise with it 4 curve radii, 5 different straight lengths plus special tracks for digital racing (up to 6 cars on 2 lanes) you will not find another system that offers more variety for track layouts.

I would rather not have one that links into any APPs and ideally one that plugs into power rather than continually using battery.

Regarding the battery: There was a Scalextric "Micro" (1/64 scale ) that way battery powered several year ago but all current sets require a constant (mains) power supply.

I am not quite sure why you would not want to use ARC and the ARC app. All ARC systems can be used either with or without the app. If you use them without the APP they act like any other Sport system. The addition of the app means that there are literally hundreds of things you can do with the layout at the touch of a button.

ARC adds pitstops, lap timing and lap counting (both critical to maintain interest in slot racing). ARC AIR and ARC PRO also allow you to modify the power output  and acceleration of the car making it easier to race two unequal cars  (or more in ARC PRO) that may be different in performance.

Personally I feel without at least lap counting you really can’t have fun with slot racing in the long term. At the end of the day it is all about racing and racing means there should be a winner.

 

“What things do I need to be aware of, what do I need to avoid?“

This really depends heavily on a few factors:

1. Who is racing?
2. Where they are racing?
3. What you are racing?

1. Who is racing? Is it just you and maybe a friend, or a family with children or will you have several friends over? Do you plan on organizing events?

If you are racing with small children or even youths you will likely need to control the power. As I said ARC does this via an APP but the newer sets often have power settings on the controller, either as a small screw on the side or as a slider that is set to 25%,50%, 75% and 100% power.

I would also recommend getting guardrails and barriers if racing with inexperienced drivers. There are some older guardrails that attach directly to the track that allow cars to “lean” on them in the corners, or the more common border+barrier that gives you a few centimeters of space before the guardrail comes in.

2. Where are they racing? Is it in a loft or garage as a semi-permanent setup or is it something you are more likely to build up and take down in the course of a day? Since you mentioned accessories I am guessing it is semi-permanent (or permanent). In that case there is not much to worry about.

If it is a temporary set up you will have to make sure all the track connections are good on a regular basis and likely the set up should not be too difficult to drive (or to learn) as it will cause frustration very soon.

3. What are you racing? The great thing about slot car racing is that there are literally hundreds of types of racing and thousands of cars to choose from. Even within the same car type you can choose to race with or without magnets. “Magless” i.e. racing without the magnatraction (magnet attraction) of a magnet in the chassis means that you have to have the car tuned well and drive more slowly. Racing with magnets means cars reach higher speeds and can be more difficult to control.

Like in the real world if you race trucks the handling (top heavy) and the setup are different than if you race formula cars (stuck like glue to the track)

A lot of racers do not like the tightest curve R1 as they must be taken very slowly.

 

Do I get a starter set and then build onto it or just start with piece by piece set?

 

There are some pieces that are only officially available in sets, for example the super long straight that is a little longer than a straight and a half and the 90° R2 curves. The super long straight also comes in 3 versions: With a power base integrated, with a lap counter and with a start finish line painted on it.

These straights and the 90° R2 curves help you get a track set up quick and running and reduces the number of connections which helps electric conductivity.

Getting a set is also the “best bang for the buck” as you will get enough track to create a number of simple layouts.

Most sets only include the aforementioned straights and curves as well as 45° R2 curves, full- and half length straights and some older set include lane crossing 90° R2 curves (always use them in pairs on an analog setup) as well as barriers and borders.

Once you have a set or two you will likely start to just “piecemeal” your layout together but getting shorter 78 and 87 mm straights, other radii curves as well as barriers and borders.

“Do the cars differ in their ability to be managed?”

As I mentioned above nearly every type of car differs much like in the real world. Some cars have different types of motors that make them handle, accelerate and brake differently. The ARC APP can help mitigate these differences.

Let us know how you get on!