Slot Car Socks
Description: Mention a racetrack that operated in Brooklyn for more than 55 years, and people will think you're crazy, but they're clearly just not in the know. Buzz-a-Rama was a slot car racing venue that was opened in 1965 by Buzz and Dolores Perri that had multiple electrified racing tracks, vintage arcade games, and dusty glass displays selling slot-car racing parts. The hobby was extremely popular in the '60s, with dozens of similar raceways in the city, but Buzz-A-Rama was the last commercial slot-car track in operation in NYC. While other tracks had died out decades ago, Buzz kept his open, even though it made no money, saying that if he didn't own the building, it would have been long gone as well.
Description: Jim Russell was a California slot car enthusiast who decided that the cars of the day could be greatly improved, and took it upon himself to make that happen. Jim founded Russkit in 1963, launching with his first product, called Russ-Coat, a polyurethane varnish to protect a car's finish from impacts. Next came a line of bodies, first made of fiberglass, and then much lighter vacuum-formed white styrene, which were an immediate success. Simultaneously, Russkit was developing their own line of chassis and motors, including the infamous "Black Widow" four-wheel-drive, dual motor chassis. Jim would go on to produce a wide range of products from controllers and licensed bodies, to tires and wheels, all from a 6,000 square foot Los Angeles.
Description: The Aurora Plastics Corporation introduced the A/FX (Aurora Factory Experimentals, later simply "AFX") line of slot cars, track sets, and related accessories in 1971. Aurora designed the AFX cars with an interchangeable car body, allowing users to use a single chassis for multiple models. The original '71 A/FX chassis utilized an updated version of Aurora's "Thunderjet 500" line, popular in the '60s. AFX introduced the innovative "G-Plus" in-line motor chassis in 1976. This design allowed the use of narrow, open-wheel Formula 1 style bodies, something not previously possible with traditional slot car chassis designs. AFX continued production, releasing multiple innovative products until the company was forced into receivership in 1983.
Description: Are you a slot car superstar? For fans of racing scale electric slot cars. Features a classic controller like the type you would see around a figure eight track. Do you run HO slot cars? Collect 1/32 scale? Restore vintage slot cars? Then this throttle controller design is for you.
Description: A cool motif for model sports enthusiasts who love slot cars, mini cars and radio controlled cars and participate in any slot car racing. A creative surprise for family and friends who enjoy model racing and have a slot car display case. A fun design as slot car accessorie for any set or kit. Grab your controller, start the motor and head to the track to make the slot car track unsafe. Perfectly for any hobby slot car drag racing on which the wheels glow.
Description: Total Control Racing (TCR) was a toy brand from Ideal which debuted in the late '70s based around approximately HO scale cars (and smaller scale semi-trailer trucks) that operated on a slotless track. The plastic track contained lanes of three metal strips which made contact with a configuration of two brass pads on the underside of the cars, providing power. Cars could change lanes with the flick of a switch on the controller. For added racing action, TCR sets came with "jam cars," slow moving drones which both racers had to avoid crashing into.
Description: US-1 Electric Trucking was a series of slot car sets and accessories that were available in the '80s. Similar to HO-scale slot car racing sets, US-1 centered around heavy trucks and transporting cargo from point to point. In addition to the basic operation of driving the trucks around the track, US-1 featured an innovative turnout that the trucks could reverse into, backing them off the main track into various terminals where trucks could be loaded and unloaded. Many of the terminals were fully automated, either jumping into action when the truck clicked into position or requiring the truck to be further reversed into the action area to 'power' the accessory. In addition to the core sets, there was a complete catalog of US-1 accessories.
Description: Donna Hubbell opened the Slot Shop in Elyria, Ohio in 1964 with her husband, Paul, as a hobby shop specializing in slot car racing. The original store was located on Winkles Street, but before too long they moved to their longtime location on Cleveland Street, which featured an eight-lane, 100-foot long slot car racing track where customers could buy time to run their cars and many events were held. While primarily dedicated to slots, The Slot Shop also stocked a wide array of craft and hobby supplies that attracted locals and out-of-towners alike. The family-run business was sold in 2001 and closed just five years later in 2006 after an amazing 42-year run.
