Slot car derby fast, fun for families
CENTER TWP — Jake Klingensmith, owner of Electric Wheel Raceway & Hobby, estimates that in the 1960s and ‘70s, there were more than 3,000 slot car racing tracks in basements, hobby shops and recreation rooms across America.
While there are now less than 200, Klingensmith is pushing to make the activity more known. On Saturday, April 18, Electric Wheel Raceway & Hobby, located along North Main Street Extension, hosted The Electric Wheel American Womp Racing Association Northeast Spring National.
Classes and competitions are welcome to people of all ages.
“Slot car racing is truly a multi-generational activity,” Klingensmith said. “Kids love the thrill of speed and friendly competition, while parents and grandparents appreciate the craftsmanship, camaraderie, and strategy involved.”
The cars are guided by grooves in the track and controlled by the drivers with hand-held controllers. The cars are often modeled after real-life automobiles, while some drivers spend great amounts of time tweaking their cars to make them faster. Over the course of several two-minute races, the driver with the most laps is named the winner.
At Electric Wheel Raceway & Hobby, speed is the name of the game. Using a 55-foot long track, the remote control cars were reaching close to 20 miles per hour. However, on a 155-foot long track the shop has, specially designed cars can get around in several seconds.
“We heard about it on the radio one day and decided to come over and try it out. We’ve been doing it for over a year now,” Michael Richardson said.
Richardson enjoys the hobby with his brother, Alex, and their father. They were one of several father-and-son groups present at the event Saturday.
“For me, the big thing was that it’s fact-paced and it’s competitive, and I always liked things like that growing up. The guys here are real fun to hang out with while we’re doing it. We’ve formed a lot of friendships.”
While the activity has formed a community at Electric Wheel, the competitiveness is also palpable. Drivers spend time fixing the engines, working to make their cars more aerodynamic and making other tweaks.
“Whenever you get into it, it’s a lot,” Richardson said. “We’ve gotten to the point where it’s a little easier doing everything, putting the car together, and everybody helps you to learn at first.”
Previously in Butler, the “B&Z Raceway” was a place in the late 1960’s and 1970’s located beneath the old Majestic Theatre with a track, Klingensmith said. There was also a track at RGEO, located on Main Street in the 1980s.
“It’s really competitive, people are really into it. It takes a long time, it takes a lot of hours of preparation before you race them,” said Rick Bernardo, Sr., a racer at the track Saturday with his son.
