Slot car racing was popularized in the 1960s although the hobby has been around a few decades earlier. The first commercial slot cars were made during 1912 by an American company called Lionel. From then on, it was only a matter of time until mass production of slot cars were fully realized.

Several decades after the first slot cars were produced, people are rediscovering the hobby.

Slot Car Scales Slot cars are basically miniature versions of actual models of car. The only difference these have with other commercially available miniature models is the fact that it is a specialized toy that requires specialized tracks.

While slot cars come in different scales, the most popular fall into the 1:24, 1:32, and HO scales. These designations indicate the number of units in length that is represented by a unit in the actual model. Say, the largest scale is the 1:24 scale. This indicates that for every 24 inches or millimeters on the actual model, there is 1 unit represented on the scaled down version. The same is true with other scales.

One should take note that the HO scale is a generic scale that covers from 1:64 to 1:87 scales. In this scale, slot cars would often measure anywhere from 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches, making them the most commonly raced slot cars in home racetracks. Larger scales are often impractical to race in home racetracks due to their size. Thus, they can be commonly seen in hobby clubs and shops as well as commercial tracks.

Slot Car Components Slot cars, just like real race cars, are composed of many different components.

The shell of the slot car represents the exterior of the car it was copied from. Most commercially available slot cars have decent detailing which somehow represent the details of the actual model. High-end slot cars, on the other hand, often have intricate details.

The motor of the car, although not exactly the component that gives it its power, is what it uses to process the power it receives from the rails on the track. This is often attached to the chassis to gain better control of the car's body.

The guide is that small plastic component that hinges to the rail or 'slot' on the track. This is partially what gives the slot car its name.

The gears, meanwhile, are the components of the car that dictate how the car would perform.

An optional component of the car is the magnet. This is attached anywhere on the car, giving it the downforce to keep it stable.

Slot Car Track As was mentioned previously, slot cars run on special racetracks called slot car tracks. These are usually made of plastic, cardboard or wood and have layouts that can resemble actual racetracks used in popular racing tournaments. Such layouts are specially designed by the builder.

Although looking somewhat like other miniature racetracks, slot car tracks are different from common racetracks as these have parallel rails that run throughout the entire track. The parallel rails have two different purposes – one keeps the car attached to the ground while the other gives it the power to run.

Individual components of the track can be bought in various slot car shops. However, these can also be made from scratch using common materials used for creating slot car racetracks.

Slot cars have been around for decades and children of all ages have, in one way or another, experienced the thrill of racing miniature models of their favorite cars, whether by watching adults race slot cars or by growing up racing the cars themselves. But not everyone is very familiar with the hobby because as far as gaming and sports goes, children nowadays are more computer-game-oriented.

So what is slot car racing? Slot car racing is a hobby or a sport, depending on which side of the coin you are looking. Nowadays, it is largely considered a hobby among those who were born during the earlier decades. In the sixties, however, it is widely considered as a sport, somewhat in the league of baseball, bowling, and basketball. During the earlier decades, both young and old are involved in the sports. Huge commercial raceways dot nearly all cities, just as they do now with bowling facilities. Unfortunately, as with most fad sports, this one died its natural death. But it was never really forgotten as evidenced by the fact that slot racing these days is experiencing revival in popularity.

The New and The Old When it was first introduced to the public, slot racing was the sports of the sons of the filthy rich. The raceways as well as the model cars are very very expensive, thus it started slow. But the general public soon picked up the habit when less expensive model cars and raceways became available. Its Golden Age began and ended during the sixties to seventies. It is only now that people are rediscovering slot car racing.

The classic style of slot racing comprises of model cars made of wood or plastic that are powered by electricity. This is considered the conventional slot cars.

In this type of slot racing, cars race in a single line. The number of cars that are raced during a single 'competition' depends on the number of lanes available. Say when the raceway only has 2 lines, only 2 cars are allowed to compete. Whenever there are 4 lanes, 4 cars are allowed for completion, and so on. Because variations in the general speed of the slot car are affected by the position of the lanes, most races are divided into heats wherein drivers switch lanes to equalize any limitations imposed by each lane. Being the conventional or classic mode of slot racing, this is the more popular method used among race sets all over the world.

The newer form of racing is the digital slot car racing. This allows for 2 to 8 drivers to compete in 2-lane tracks. Unlike with the conventional mode of racing, this one allows for better control of the lane as well as the car. Any or all of the drivers can race in one lane simultaneously, thus allowing for better competition and real race-like appeal.

Why you should race? Slot car racing is many different things to different people. Some people race for fun, others as a hobby and still others for money prizes. For starters, slot car racing is purely for the satisfaction of one's innate sense for racing.

The types of slot cars available in the market these days are basically divided into the limitations that technology imposes on the make of the car. One is the good old system of conventional slot cars and the other is the new form of racing presented by digital slot cars.

Conventional Slot Cars Conventional slot cars are actually fashioned from the traditional system racing slot cars – racing electric-powered cars on wooden or plastic tracks. This type of cars has a motor that is directly connected to the guide that is attached to the chassis of the model. This guide is then hinged to one of the parallel rails on the racetrack which acts to keep the cars in place no matter the speed. The car gets its speed from the hand-held controller which determines the amount of power that is supplied to the model.

Each conventional car races only in one lane and is not capable of changing lanes during the race. Thus, if there are only 4 lanes in a track, there can only be 4 cars that will race. To compensate for the limitations and disadvantages of racing in just one lane, races are divided into heats which allow the drivers to switch between lanes to equalize any factor that could make one lane disadvantageous for racing.

Digital Slot Cars Digital slot cars are the newer car models in the market. These basically pick up from where the traditional slot cars left off. Unlike its older counterpart, digital slot cars allow for simultaneous racing on as few as two lanes per race – much like as you would see with other types of car racing. Newer technologies have allowed this new form of slot cars to be less dependent on the guide that keep the old cars hinged to one side of the racetrack. The electronic circuitry of the digital models allow for drivers to have full control over the speed and movements of the car.

Generally, digital slot cars are more expensive than their older counterpart and are arguably harder to drive than the conventional models. This is because drivers of digital slot cars have to learn how to control the speed of the car as well as learn how to switch lanes without falling off of the racetrack.

On Slot Cars In General Slot cars, as you would know by now, are actually scaled-down models of actual cars. Some are just tiny mock-up models that are purposely built for miniature racing while others are made to copy all aspects of the actual models, including the actual car's capacity in terms of performance.

Most racers race with commercially available slot cars that are mass produced by such manufacturers as Scalextri, Johnny Lightning and Carrera. Most of these are modification-ready models to enhance performance. Some enthusiasts by motorize static models while hobbyists create 'scratch-build' cars that run on their own mechanism and bodies. These are often created from store-brought spare parts built to create true models of the original cars being copied.

If you love cars and get off on speed as much as I do, you would do well to try slot car racing. In my opinion, Tyco Slot cars are the most fun, but slot cars have been popular since the late 1950s, and despite the proliferation of many other hobbies ever since, slot car racing is still very much in the mainstream. The fun factor and the customization possibilities involved in slot car racing simply give the sport an immediate appeal to many car and toy enthusiasts.

Slot car racing is an exciting prospect, sure, but being successful with it also involves a meticulous eye for detail and a propensity to mechanics. And in this article, we'll discuss the fundamentals of how slot cars work in order to steer you in the right direction.

First, what is a slot car? Quite simply, it is a miniature car that can run on a fixed track. These tracks are not different from real racetracks, except that they are in miniature form. As the term "slot" implies, a shallow groove is laid out on the full length of a track to guide the slot car as it does its rounds. This groove is formed between two metal rails that are in close proximity with each other and is responsible for keeping the slot cars in place.

Of course, speed for speed's sake is not enough to win a race. Each participant uses his own controller to administer the amount of speed needed to move past opponents and keep his car on the tracks. Anticipating sharp turns, inclines, and dives come into play here; hence, the slightest mistake can send your slot car tumbling off the tracks and cause you to lose the race.

Most slot cars have magnets installed to the front and the back since the downward force they provide can help in keeping them glued on the metal rungs. This, however, doesn't guarantee that the cars won't tumble into oblivion due to sharp turns. Most modern cars, on the other hand, use a sort of microchip to allow them to operate the same way as another car and make it possible to switch lanes at pre-determined points on the track.

Almost all components of a car can be upgraded and modified according to the owner's preferences. Before heading out on a competition, one has to investigate the particular tracks involved in order to make the necessary adjustments. For example, the speed gauge of the controller has to be toned down when the track doesn't have many sharp turns.

Lastly, a slot car track is made up of plastic segments. Each lane has two steel rails, with one of them producing the power needed to move the car and the other providing the ground. The tracks absorb power from a power supply that plugs into a wall outlet. This power sends the electric current to enable the car to move.

There's no sign that slot cars are going to lose their popularity any time soon. Slot car racing is definitely worth trying, and it's not a bad idea to go out and buy a slot car as soon as you can.