[Jim Norton]

I'd say the last notable 4 lane set to be released was/is AFX's Super International. I keep hoping Auto World will come out with a 4 lane set of their own. Especially in light of what they have done with their 2 lane set concepts.

If you could design a new 4 lane set what would it be and include?

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL

 

[Harold Sage]

Okay the first one would be a banked oval with a red clay dirt look and some realistic dirt oval cars (Sprint Cars, Late Models and some EDM's as well)
Next one would be same colored track but with hills and jumps and with ewer off-road trucks( like the new short course trucks that are so popular now)

 

[Bill Hall]

I'd do period sets...

Dirt Track/Saturday Night Warriors...limitless styling potential

Bootlegger and Sheriff cars...chase action with period rods

Cobras vs Stingrays...no explanation necessary

Mustang vs Camaro etc... bad ass Trans Am groupings

Inaugural Iroc 911 RSR's...cuz I'm a Porsche geek

Vintage SCCA groupings...sky's the limit there also

Vintage Nascar...with rockem sockem driver action figures

Can Am big boys properly revisited

Vintage and modern F-1 rivals/battles

Vintage and modern Lemans rivals/battles

....the last three because they can now be slung down on Mega G technology and finally styled correctly

Need I go on?

 

[tjd241]

No Swiss Fudge Cookies?

 

[Jim Norton]

I'd try and get some tie in with a nationwide company like Auto World did with the Drag Strips (i.e. Big 10 Tires, etc..). Maybe Chevrolet or Sears or something like that. You buy a new Camaro or a Die Hard Battery and you get a race set or you can buy a version of the set at Sears or the local car dealer. And of course the set would be widely available at hobby stores and mail order.

This would generate enough sales to finance new items to go in the set. Mainly big radius curves and bank turns, racing inspired squeezes and or elevation changing track pieces. And include instructions on how to have races.

Then it would be a themed set of some famous race:

1) 1979 Daytona 500. 30 foot 4 lane tri-oval with big sweeping banks and Richard Pettys STP car, Darrell Waltrips Gatorade car, Cale Yarboroughs Busch Beer car and Donnie Allison's Hawaian Tropic car.

2) 4 Camaros in an IROC inspired set. Call it American Race of Champions with wide sweeping turns, elevation change pieces and curve borders.

3) The STP Turbine's debut at the Indy 500. Have a big 4 lane oval like Indy with wide sweeping curves. This set would be a 5 car set: The top 4 finishing cars plus the Turbine. (The turbine failed to finish)

The scenarios are endless!

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL

 

[NTxSlotCars]

I agree with Bill, continuing the theme tracks sure makes sense.
Looks like they would mostly be two lane sets.

Hmmmm... four lane sets.
A bootlegger being chased by sheriffs from three different counties,
the only bootlegger that good would have to be Junior Johnson.

How about a Beatles set? No? The Monkees? The Munsters?
How about a set where the Batmobile races the Scooby van, Monkees hot rod, and a Munster mobile?
The Banana Splits? Super Friends? How about Rat Fink? Or Looney Tunes? No?
How about Presidents of the United States?

I wanna see George Washington driving a Hemi Challenger.

 

[TexMexSu]

Okay the first one would be a banked oval with a red clay dirt look and some realistic dirt oval cars (Sprint Cars, Late Models and some EDM's as well)
Next one would be same colored track but with hills and jumps and with ewer off-road trucks( like the new short course trucks that are so popular now)

You reading my mind here or what????

 

[TK Solver]

Double Up the Long Beach Set

Convert the Long Beach set to a four lane set by doubling the number of straights and turns but eliminate most of the 6" radius turns and make them 9"/12" instead. That set came with 24 of the 6" radius turns -- way too many. Imagine that Long Beach set with 4 lanes... What a blast! Contents: 2 terminals, 48 15" straights, 12 9" straights, 2 6" straights, 2 3" straights, 16 9" turns, 16 12" turns, 16 15" turns, 16 18" turns. For those of you who actually like the unrealistic 6" turns, I guess they could include 8 of those and take away 8 of the 18" turns. This would be exactly twice the number of track pieces included in the Long Beach set and would make for incredible four-lane layouts.

 

[hefer]

Four lane track pieces please.

 

[ncdslots]

4 lane track pieces for sure. This day and age, most times, more than two want to battle it out.

Borders. Like Carerra or Scaley or whatever, that snap on. Inner and outer.

Scenic items. Crash walls/tire walls. Faux concrete retaining walls at pit lane. A simulated "pit lane" would be nice.

----

As for the short course trucks, I couldn't agree more. A nice short course set with modern short course trucks, brown 4 lane track, some bumps/hills/terrain, I'm certain would be a solid seller.

I been working on a SC slot truck off and on for a while. Just can't get it how I want it.

 

[jobobvideo]

All the stuff stated before and a four lane timing system...

 

[Jim Norton]

I agree with TK Solver. The 2 lane AFX Long Beach set is great track to race on. 4 lanes and 3 other opponents would be superb. And, theres enough Mega-G Champ cars available to keep it interesting!

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL

 

[ggnagy]

Movie tie in

Either the aforementioned Long Beach as as 4 lane, or a Watkins Glen set with special blue guardrails. The cars would be a Ferrari 312T for Lauda, and a McLaren for Hunt, tying it into the upcoming Ron Howard movie, "Rush". The third and fourth cars would be an Elf Tyrell P34 6 wheeler (made of better plastic) and of course for the US market, a JP Lotus for Mario.

Pull out the long course loop, and you have a totally different set you can sell with Nascar cars, or even a set of DW12 Indy cars.

 

[Chop1965]

This would generate enough sales to finance new items to go in the set.

That is quite an assumption. It might do that, but equally it could be a disaster.

And include instructions on how to have races.

What do you mean?

 

[NTxSlotCars]

Either the aforementioned Long Beach as as 4 lane, or a Watkins Glen set with special blue guardrails. The cars would be a Ferrari 312T for Lauda, and a McLaren for Hunt, tying it into the upcoming Ron Howard movie, "Rush". The third and fourth cars would be an Elf Tyrell P34 6 wheeler (made of better plastic) and of course for the US market, a JP Lotus for Mario.

This would be a great set.
Although, these days, I don't know if they could even use the same paint schemes on the Marlboro and JPS cars.
It would literally take an act of congress to do it.

 

[Jim Norton]

Chop1965:

Slot car sets are the only toy in which you open the box and have nothing that tells you how to use it. Instructions for putting it together - yes. How to have any type of structured racing - no.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL

 

[gomanvongo]

Chop1965:

Slot car sets are the only toy in which you open the box and have nothing that tells you how to use it. Instructions for putting it together - yes. How to have any type of structured racing - no.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL

I always thought it was first car across the finish line...


have I been doing it wrong all these years?

john

 

[Chop1965]

I don't think people need much guidance on that score.

If the set has a lap counter they will use that, if not they will work something else. I suppose if the manufacturer made a timing system advertising that would be a smart move, but for the most part using a slot car set is pretty intuitive.

 

[slotcarman12078]

Imagine having it like it was in the 60's... Structured racing like Aurora did starting with local races and progressing to a national event, with the final race televised for the world to see. Win a new car... Special promo cars to the local and regional winners. It's nice to dream...

As far as a track set, if AFX would make the oddball sized track that's missing from their arsenal, the Clubman would be the bomb.

As an add on, throwing a functioning pit road into the mix ( X 4 for a 4 lane) would be cool. The inside lanes could access the pits via a cross over, or better yet the pits could be on both sides of the track to maintain the lane positions. The pits for lanes 1-2 can be staggered from lanes 3-4 with a 3" gap between and have both inside lanes nestle together. Make the pit stops a required part of the race, automate the switches to make the turnoffs part of the pit requirement, and maybe put a flashing light at the entrance to let the driver's know they have to pit.

The technology is available for a timing system, with pit stops included in the mix. I would imagine the cost would be a factor, but as an available option this might be a fun, cool accessory to put out there. If it is a professional grade timing system with automated pits, I think it would be worth the added expense for guys looking for a ready to roll set up.

 

[slotking]

Slot car sets are the only toy in which you open the box and have nothing that tells you how to use it. Instructions for putting it together - yes. How to have any type of structured racing - no.

some parts of the HOPRA rule may help!
you have to read the whole thing, but section 6 plus is what is more generic to marshaled races:

http://hopra.net/files/2012RulebookWebFinal.pdf