| Slot car racing has been around
for over 40 years. It consists of
racing model cars
with electric motors around a slotted track. Slot car tracks
can be almost any design, but long ovals with a handful of
switchbacks are the most popular.
Along
the center of each lane
is a groove called a slot. The slot car’s engine
gets power from
electric contacts on either side of the slot.
The
slot cars are
made of a body, engine, gears, tires, shocks, and often magnets. The
magnets apply a downward pressure to help in cornering, but if you use
too strong of a magnet, you can sacrifice performance or burn out your
motor.
Slot
cars are only held in the slot by gravity (and maybe a light magnet),
so if you go too fast your car can “de-slot,” which
means you’ll lose
power. And that’s the secret to slot car racing: go as fast
as possible
without “de-slotting.”
The
strategy in slot car racing is to go
as fast as possible on the straight-aways, but then slow down in the
corners to keep yourself from de-slotting. It is legal to
“bump” the
car in the next lane when cornering in hopes of de-slotting your
opponent. Many beginners try this tactic, and while it works
occasionally, most experts think focusing on your own race and getting
into a rhythm are much more successful long-term tactics.
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