How to - Origami

2006 Scalextric Le Mans

Scalextric slot car racing is a popular hobby that continues to grow in popularity. Like any racing hobby, enthusiasts soon start to think about ways to enhance the performance of their vehicles. Here are just a few simple tweaks that will help make your cars fly around the track.

The principles that apply to slot cars are the same as those that apply to real life F1 racing cars and rally cars. To increase speed you might install a more powerful engine, lower the weight and fit better tires. Optimising Scalextric cars can be very educational.

Let’s first think about the Scalextric cars engine. Your Scalextric cars don’t use petrol engines, they use little electric motors that are very easy to swap out. There are some high performance Scalextric motors that will give you some significant speed enhancements. Upgrading your cars motor will give you an immediate improvement in speed.

Increasing your speed means that it is more likely that your car will fly off the track when it gets to a bend. Your car is kept on the track by means of a magnet. Many modern cars come fitted with these magnets but you might like to upgrade to a stronger magnet to help your car stick to the track.

A further enhancement is to fit a new set of tires. Better grip with the track will help your car to fly around the track.

So now you have a pimped up Scalextric car capable of incredible speeds. The next thing to consider is the track itself? There are a few simple enhancement that can make all the difference. I recommend that you try this on just one of your two tracks so that you can make a comparison.

Start by cleaning the Scalextric track. Any dirt, dust or grease on the track will lower friction and result in poor performance. Next, clean out the slot. The slots in your track will inevitabley gather dust and dirt. This will obviously slow the progress of your car. Ensuring your slots are free from dust and debris will bring significant performance improvements.

Don’t overlook your electrical system as ensuring all your connections are as good as they can be will bring performance enhancements. Clean all the electrical connectors, the slotted track and the contacts on your car.

By now your car should be literally flying around your Scalextric track. Now’s the time to find a challenger for a race.

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