Canberra Downhill Diecast Dragracers - Round One

After constructing a Hot Wheels racing track - you need somewhere to race it. As a member of the Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club, I decided to take it along to the March meeting and set it up and have at it. Two other people had expressed interest - and I had two cars mailed to me by 'Model40fan' at the Redline Racing Forums. Four people is enough for a competition!

The track laid out and all components joined together.  If you look, you can actually see two little cars that have just exited the starting gate.

 There were a few kinks - such as this MAJOR one - and of course, I didn't have a stanley knife to trim it.

The towel is to catch cars that have exited the track after going through the finish line. You can see here where the vintage track meets the contemporary Hot Wheels track (the pieces on the blue painted plank).

Because of the kinks, including some sections where track joined, a few cars tumbled off the track - such as the Hot Wheels Volkswagen Type 181. It was a fast car - but the track needs some improvements.

Half Packid (US Import) vs Matchbox 'Tyre Fryer'

One solution on the night was to lower the track a little. I had the track elevated about a metre to start with, but too many cars came off the track, as gravity, a bumpy track etc caused them to exit the tracks... so we lowered the starting gate to chair seat level. This helped considerably. 

After watching us race, Sam decided to get involved - he had bought along some cars to swap/sell - and came over with this Matchbox Viper. It was pretty quick.

 Viper vs Half Packid (US import)

 Hot Wheels Corvette vs Majorette Morgan

 McDonalds Hot Wheels 32 Roadster vs Matchbox Dodge Monaco

 Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti vs Matchbox Holden Ute

 Hot Wheels Corvette vs 'Blue Spruce' (US import)

Blue Spruce vs Matchbox Holden Ute

 McDonalds Hot Wheels Go Kart vs Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti. 

This is the original configuration of the track, with the starting gate raised just over a metre. The starting angle also seems too steep. The other problem is that although there is one button to start races, some cars seem to 'hang' at the gate and not race away. Advice is sought. 

 Matchbox Holden Ute vs Matchbox Ferrari Testarossa. Cars are 'staging' off to the right. 

Lowering the starting gate and the angle of the track, was a partial solution to the problem with cars tumbling off the track. It still didn't stop some cars flying off when they encountered that large bump in the track. 

This is where the two main parts of the track - two 1.8 metre planks - are joined by a hinge, and the four lengths of plastic track join. If I'd had a Stanley knife I could have fixed this kink, but alas I didn't... The wooden guides are not decorative - there are holes drilled through them, into the plank at the front and pins hold the plank on the right in place. You can see some construction photos here.

Racing results (winners Bolded)

Half Packid (US Import) vs Matchbox 'Tyre Fryer'

Matchbox Viper vs Half Packid (US import)

Hot Wheels Corvette vs Majorette Morgan

Hot Wheels Corvette vs Matchbox Holden Ute

Hot Wheels Volkswagen Type 181 vs Matchbox Holden Ute

McDonalds Hot Wheels 32 Roadster vs Matchbox Dodge Monaco (both DNF)

Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti vs Matchbox Holden Ute

Hot Wheels Corvette vs 'Blue Spruce' (US import)

Blue Spruce vs Matchbox Holden Ute

McDonalds Hot Wheels Go Kart vs Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti (both DNF)

Matchbox Holden Ute vs Matchbox Ferrari Testarossa

Blue Spruce vs Half Packid

Matchbox Ferrari Testarossa vs Blue Spruce 

And the winner: 

Congrats to Model40fan and the visiting 3 inch sized American contingent!

(the car has a very cool resealable blister and its own printed card!)

Conclusions

1. I need to fine tune the track - remove the kinks, straighten the left hand track in one place.
2. The starting gate needs work
3. I need to experiment with a height to start the cars from
4. Narrow cars do not race well (Avanti, Monaco)
5. Cars with weight at the back do race well

Between now and the next race (probably the April meeting of the Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club ) I will work on improving the track. If anyone has advice - please post it in the comments section. 

Oh - Big thanks to Sue who raced around collecting cars that tumbled off the track and also returned cars back to the starting gate... even after her Corvette exited the comp! It was also her idea to lower the starting gate height!

And if you want to race - let me know! 

Diecast downhill drag racing track construction

In a previous post I asked if anyone was interested in racing Hot Wheels or other three inch diecast cars in Canberra. The response was underwhelming - but I forged ahead nevertheless! To begin racing you need a track. I thought about my options and experimented with new and old hot wheels and superfast track, and decided to build a dedicated track. 

I started by buying a 20 foot roll of vintage Redline era Hot Wheels track from ebay. I also used a vintage Hot Wheels starting gate and a contemporary Hot Wheels finishing gate. I then went down to the hardware store and bought four pieces of 10cm x 1.8 meter pine. 

You have to start somewhere, so i mocked up the best way to mount the starting gate - while also making it removable. I carved up a piece from a Hot Wheels criss cross crash set and screwed it down near the end of a 1.8 meter length of pine. 

 It slides neatly onto the connector sized tongue. 

I used standard Hot Wheels track connectors - which still fit the vintage redline track - and screwed them into the pine using countersunk head wood screws. I placed them at various places along the pine planks, and then slid the track onto the connectors. This holds the track in place pretty well.

A door hinge connects two 1.8 metre lengths of pine. The connectors allow the track on each plank to join. 

This starting gate is from a contemporary Hot Wheels racing set, which i picked up at a garage sale. I had to lever it off the ends of the flimsy track it rolls out from. Then carve away on the interior so that two pieces of track would fit and allow cars to go through it. Its not perfect, but importantly - it indicates who actually won. The first car through triggers a tiny chequered flag. 

I painted a length of pine blue and screwed down some connectors and track. The actual gate itself comes off for travel. 

The starting gate. Underneath is another hinged piece of pine which goes to a stand. This didn't work too well so its also resting on the top of a chair back. Needs a bit of fine tuning...

Ready for travel. Two 1.8 metre planks, with track, hinges and starting gate. There is also a third 1.8 metre length which connects and a separate piece with the finish line.  All up its just short of 20 feet. 

Here it is fully extended with everything slotted together. I need to work on the supports and the track is a little wonky.

Hot Wheels racing in Canberra ?

photo from this post on the Austin Diecast Drags

Is anyone in Canberra interested in racing their Hot Wheels cars ? 


See this site Redline Derby Racing for info and ideas on racing tiny cars down a plastic track at low to moderate speeds. 


I would like to form a Canberra based league - meeting semi-regularly, to race Hot Wheels and other small diecast cars down plastic tracks. 


I'm thinking several different classes:

• standard and modified Hot Wheels cars
• Matchbox cars
• vintage Superfast/Majorette/Corgi 

Cars would be raced Round Robin style. I might even throw in some prizes for winners. This would be a good way to get kids involved in diecast collecting as well as having fun. 




Email me or leave a comment here with contact details and I will organise a competition.