It seems like I was the final hold out, the last of a dying breed of dedicated HO racers in the Fresno area. Trying to hold onto what was “the” hobby from the 1980’s and continue to make a go of it even when everyone else was heading over to the dark side (1/32nd scale). I raised two daughters and a son on HO racing, just as I had starting some 40 plus years ago.

Two years ago I built a great 6’ X 6’ 2-lane version of the old Laguna Seca layout (1965), and it lasted about 3 months before it was torn down because I mis-estimated the dimensions to get it through my second bedroom door (oops). With more than a foot of elevation change and faithfulness to the course it was a track to behold. Still, it saw 9 races and crowned a champion before being broken up in March of 2008. That track is still talked about within the clubs meetings and may someday may be reproduced, but in a much grander way.

Immediately after Laguna Seca was taken down I started work on a 3’ X 6’ 4 lane oval that Mike King helped name Sequoia Speedway. It was semi banked, the flat turns were heated with a hair dryer and intentionally warped into a 10 degree banking. It took a month to finish the track in May of 2008, and a nearly total renovation took place between October and November of 2008 after I was hit by a car. This track saw races at birthday parties, community centers and even on Pismo Beach during a camping trip. But in May of this year I had to put the track in storage for a month while my apartment went condo and I renovated rooms, and that spelled it’s doom.

May was one of the hottest months earlier this year, and several days of 100 plus heat outside meant it was nearly 150 degrees inside my storage unit. The track warped, even the base wood warped in the heat. Things started coming apart and even though it was taken to a cooler area the damage had pretty much already been done. We tried to race a few more times on it but all of the work heating and bending those turns was undone by Mother Nature, and the track was no longer race-able. In it’s time it saw 41 scheduled events with 5 classes of cars, had 26 competitors turn laps, and more than 10,000 laps of racing. It could have had a lot more time had I known how hot it was going to get and stored it elsewhere, maybe this was a sign that it was time to move on.

This week I have been removing all of the hand built buildings and other fixtures, all of the people, vehicles and trees. They have a new owner, and he will be receiving them shortly. The remaining hulk is dumpster bound, much like it’s predecessor a year and a half ago. I always said that Sequoia was my last HO track, and it was. I have decided due to my health not to build another track. My son-in-law has a nice modular oval we will race on when the need arises, and is building a complimenting road course along side of it. But very few will actually race on those tracks, HO is essentially dead in my area, and I don’t have the stamina to try to revive it. I'm keeping my HO stuff, I sold out once and I won't do it again. I still vacuform bodies but I'm not going to make any new molds or even finish the ones I have started (sorry Deane). There's just no market for those kinds of bodies now to make it worth the time to produce a mold. Before I was making maybe 50-60 bodies a month both for retail and regualr customer orders through my website, since the end of May I've made a total of 6 bodies, all of them for my son-in-law.

We are doing a lot with 1/32nd scale rally within the club that once was HO based. This type of racing (rally) is a bit more to my liking, I had tried it a while ago and went back to HO, thinking it was cheaper. With basic Auto Art cars for $20, and really good WRC cars going for less than $50, it’s all about the same. We use temporary tracks, set up and taken down the same day. There’s no need to add scenery, the racing itself is the star now, not the layout background. Our dedicated Rally forum has 10 members, we have probably another 4 that aren’t online. Most have their cars already, others are ordering and we have a few loaners in the mean time.

Our first organized rally is 2 weeks away and we’re jazzed again about slot car racing. There are 3 1/32nd scale slot car organizations in my area, we’re the only one doing dedicated rally racing, and everyone is looking at us now with grins on their faces. I’m going to miss the heydays of HO for sure, but right now there are some guys I need to beat on the track, even if it is a bit bigger than it used to be.

Pete, Glad to hear you are active & well since your accident. Best wishes for your venture into 1/32nd scale racing. It was a scale that has been in the shadows of HO & 1/24th in the USA for many years. Currently, with wide spread availability, detail & unique features, the mid scale seems to have become the most dominant slot preference worldwide.
Be well & enjoy! :)

Pete, although I never meant you I feel a real loss. It's a shame when somebody as knowledgeable as you leaves a hobby that he and I both love. I wish I would've grown up in your neighborhood so I could' ve picked your brain and learned how to set up better cars and learned how to rewind armatures and other alike. I that knowledge is power seems that you have a ton of both . Sorry to see you go.. enjoy!

Pete, good luck with your venture into 1:32. You've been an inspiration to modelers and racers in the HO community for a long time. As a sportsman and ambassador for the slot car hobby there are few of your caliber. The 1:32 scale guys and gals are getting a real winner and the slot car hobby in general is keeping a much needed prime resource. Whether its HO, 1:43, 1:32, or 1:24, we all share a common bond that keeps us playing with these little motorized marvels that inspire and intrigue us in so many ways.

Pete,

For me, you and I met (virtually) through 1/32 when you tried it briefly before heading back to HO. You actually inspired me to get over into HO again and I still have my gear to this day. But I never did let go of 1/32 since that was where I started in my most recent hobby ventures.

To me, slot car racing is slot car racing, regardless of scale. Today I own HO, 1/43, and 1/32 cars and tracks and enjoy them all (when I have the opportunity to, now a days....which is hardly ever). Regardless of scale and regardless of active or inactive, I know you will always be around this hobby because you just can't stay away! LOL!

Hope you have lots of fun with the 1/32 guys and the Rally racing! Be sure to snap some pics and post up!

PD2:thumbsup:

Thanks guys.

Paul, that's the way I feel about it too, racing is racing. 25 years ago there was two scales in my area; 1/24th and HO. I have a nice hand built 1/24th scale dragster and a huge HO empire, but enjoyed both. The 1/24th scale track shut down and HO enjoyed a long dominance. But we all got married, had kids and went our seperate ways. I still talk to the principals from those days that are still alive, we lost James but Scott, Joe and Rich are still living although scattered all over the west coast.

My wife and I went to target yesterday, and I spent a lot of time looking at 1/43rd scale cars. That's really a nice scale and a track that would fit on the same size as Sequoia would be nice to have. There are some good military figures in 1/48th scale that could be adopted into scenery. But I don't have room for a track of that sort just yet.

Yoshi and I set up a short Rally track last night and ran some stages. It was fun, being alone on the track was less stressful than trying to hold off someone, or relaxing because you've gotten so far ahead they can't catch you. In the Rally you're giving 100% because you don't know until you're done where you place. I ran an SCX Citreon against Yoshi's Carrera Subaru and Chip Gregroy's AutoArt Lancer, and we all placed within half of a second of each other on a the pre-run, and within a few seconds over the course of a 10 lap stage that was just over 3km scale in length. We're developing a small community and have a forum (http://ygames.forumotion.net/index.htm) and are developing a program that the local closed course guys are very interested in. For the first time in over a year I'm enjoying slot cars again.

First, let me say that it is awesome to hear that you are enjoying and having fun with the slot cars Pete. I think that has to be top priority for you right now and I'm definitely glad to hear it bro!

Second, don't go out and buy a 1/43 track. Seriously, if you have a 1/32 track, the 1/43 cars will run just fine on the 1/32 track. Great thing is that they have plenty of room to get some sliding in and what not. Let Yoshi know that they do have Tuners and that he can get some nice drifting on the 1/32 track. I don't own a 1/43 track, but instead, run my 1/43 cars on the 1/32 track. Oh! And if you like kit building slot cars, there's a guy who sells these great little metal chassis 1/43 kits that have some GREAT flexibility for different setups - check out Ranch Design - www.ranch-design.com.

Have fun, my friend!
PD2:thumbsup:

We may do that, get some 1/43rd cars. I'm supposed to get some money closer to the end of the year myself, on the order of about a grand, and I've been really considering a digital layout for racing NASCAR stockers on. My problem has always been space and now with my only real space being used by my daughter while she finishes college I have to consider temporary layouts. But I'm already imagining 6 car fields on a flat, short track in the near future.

At $10 a car, its almost hard not to pass up. LOL! Before you know it, $40 gets you 4 cars to field on a 1/32 analog track. :p

I've heard the digital racing and cars are fun because of the race program that can be run from the native track. Pit stops, refueling, etc. bring it a little closer to real racing. And then of course you have the whole complexity of lane changing that REALLY get's it that much closer to real racing. That would be my biggest draw to it. Outside of that, I hear it is a bit expensive and you need to make sure you go with a manufacturer like SCX that has local representation to back their track. Brian Young and Dave Kennedy are great guys and are always ready to help and support SCX customers.

PD2:thumbsup:

I tried to get into 1/32 racing.With Scalextric being
the most popular,I found politics raised it's ugly head
as soon as I brought a different brand to the track.
With all the brands available in 1/32,it should be fun.
I hope you have better luck than I did.