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Note: this article concerns slot car racing competition. For information on the general slot car hobby, including more detailed coverage of history, scales, track-types and mechanical functioning, see slot car. more...

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Slot car racing (also called slotcar racing or slot racing) is the competitive hobby of racing with powered miniature autos (or other vehicles) which are guided by grooves or slots in the track on which they run.

Slot cars are usually models of actual automobiles, though some have bodies purpose-designed for miniature racing. Most enthusiasts use commercially-available slot cars (often modified for better performance), others motorize static models, and some "scratch-build," creating their own mechanisms and bodies from basic parts and materials.

Slot car racing ranges from casual get-togethers at home tracks, using whatever cars the host makes available, to very serious competitions in which contestants painstakingly build or modify their own cars for maximum performance and compete in a series of races culminating in a national championship. Some hobbyists, much as in model railroading, build elaborate tracks, sculpted to have the appearance of a real-life racecourse, including miniature buildings, trees and people, while the more serious competitive racers often prefer a track unobstructed by scenery.

How it works

Drivers generally use a hand-held controller to regulate a low-voltage electric motor hidden within the car. Each car runs on a separate lane, with its own guide-slot, picking up power from metal strips in the track. The challenge in racing slot cars comes in taking curves and other obstacles at the highest speed that will not cause the car to lose its grip and spin sideways, or 'deslot' and leave the track altogether.

Today, in all scales, traction magnets are often used to provide downforce to help hold the car to the track at higher speeds, though some enthusiasts believe magnet-free racing provides greater challenge and enjoyment and allows the back of the car to slide or "drift" outward for visual realism.

Common slot car scales

There are three common slotcar scales (sizes) used for serious competition: 1:24 scale, 1:32 scale, and so-called HO (a generalized size, originally 1:76-1:87, now usually closer to 1:64 scale). These scales are also commonly written as 1/24, 1/32, 1/87 and 1/64. The scale designation indicates how many units of length (such as an inch or millimeter)on the actual car are represented by one unit on the model.

- 1:24 scale cars are the largest slot cars commonly raced. A typical 1:24 car might be 7 to 8 inches long (18-20 cm). 1:24 cars require a course so large as to be impractical for many home enthusiasts, so most serious 1:24 racing is done at commercial or club tracks.

Read more at Wikipedia.org