Wednesday 10 November 2010

Scalextric - possibly the world's best track...

Now this is dedication, check our James Harlan's pride & joy:


An American Scalextric enthusiast has built what appears to be the most realistic slot car circuit ever constructed in the basement beneath his house.   But James Harlan of White Lake, Michigan, USA, didn't simply buy as much Scalextric clobber as he could get his hands on - he spent $5,950 (around £3,700) and took three years to customise an incredible 145ft racing track.  Mr. Harlan used a mixture of fibreboard, copper tape, electric wires and some paint to create the 1:32 scale circuit, which includes 19 corners.  It also features life-like pit lanes, a 19ft-long bridge and incredibly accurate scenery that includes skyscrapers, safety cars and television cameras.



Mr. Harlan has no shortage of friends queuing up to play. He often holds race nights with around 30 people, which include rigorous qualifying laps prior to a full-length race.
He has also recreated the famous Le Mans 24-Hour race, but shortened the length to 14 minutes. On track lighting was used for the night-time part of the race.
"I suppose I've taken it pretty far beyond what has already been done," said Mr. Harlan.
"Sometimes when I sit back and look at it, I realise I have created something quite extraordinary, but this isn't the end - I've only just begun."



It makes my figure-8 track with Michelin Tyre bridge look just a little bit sad... :0)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The best Scalextric track I've ever seen! Great post. Happy Racing!