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Auto World Xtraction Release 29 - Legends of the Quarter Mile HO slot cars. Plymouth Road Runner, Chevy Camaro & Dodge Challenger. RRP $31.99 each

Due to arrive this month, Auto World have added three new cars to their HO drag racing range. Auto World produce excellent HO drag strip sets (see here for a look at the latest) and have released nearly a hundred different HO drag cars - modern and classics - either individually or in sets. Most of these cars are mounted on the 4-Gear chassis, which is a updated version of the original Aurora 'Speciality' chassis used for Aurora's drag cars in the 1970s. There have been dozens of modern NHRA-licensed Funny Cars, Top Fuel Dragsters and Pro Stocks - plus classic Funny Cars from the 1970s which have the 'Legends of the Quarter Mile' branding. Two Thunderjet500 'Legends' releases have featured six classic Super Stock cars of the mid-1960s on an updated Aurora T-Jet 'Tuff Ones' chassis.

This new release features the first 'Legends of the Quarter Mile' cars on the Xtraction chassis (an update of the AFX Magnatraction) and these are models of production-based Super Stock cars that became the exciting new Pro Stock class in 1970. The models use existing Auto World body shells, so don't have the authentic huge hoods of the Pro Stocks. Instead, they represent the cars, liveries and drivers synonymous with the early 'four-speed' era of Pro Stock.

   

1971 Plymouth Road Runner - Sox & Martin

Ronny Sox and Buddy Martin are legends of the sport. Originally fierce rivals, they teamed up to become a dominant force in Super Stock and then Pro Stock, preparing and running Plymouths. Sox & Martin Road Runners were a regular sight in the late 60s, but a 1971 model in the iconic Sox & Martin colours is a rare beast. By then, the Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda was their weapon of choice. However, a search through the archives does throw up a '71 Road Runner prepared by Sox & Martin as a show car for dealerships and occasionally raced by Joe Fisher in Modified class competition. It carries the same livery as the Hemi 'Cuda Pro Stock cars that dominated the first two years of the new class.

   

1969 Chevrolet Camaro - Bill 'Grumpy' Jenkins

Another icon of late 60's Super Stock racing and the transition to Pro Stock, Bill Jenkins shifted from Chrysler to Chevy in 1966. Racing his white 'Grumpy's Toy' Chevy Camaro, Jenkins won the Super Stock title at the 1967 Nationals and the inaugural Pro Stock season championship in 1970 - despite the Sox & Martin cars dominating the second half of the year. The '67 Chevy evolved from the Super Stock car to Jenkins' Pro Stock car for 1970. Although the Auto World model is based on a 1969 Camaro shell, it looks pretty damn close to Jenkins' Super Stock car that ran from 1967 to 69 and not far off the 1970 car - minus the hood.

   

1970 Dodge Challenger - Dick Landy

'Dandy Dick' Landy's 1970 Hemi Challenger is one of the pioneers of Pro Stock and the Auto World model is a good representation - the hood scoop was relatively restrained and the livery is perfect. Landy had raced in the new AF/X class when it started in 1965 - soon turning into the Funny Car revolution that changed drag racing for ever. After two years in AF/X, he dropped back down to stock classes, winning the Street title at the 1968 Winternationals and Modified at the same event in 1969, both with Dodges. With the new Pro Stock class introduced in 1970, Landy took Dodge's brand new pony car and went up against the formidable opponents of the Sox & Martin 'Cudas and Bill Jenkins' Camaro. Despite being outclassed at most events, Landy and the Challenger picked up the 1970 Summernationals Pro Stock crown, becoming one of only four drivers to win Pro Stock titles in 1970 and 1971.

   

The Auto World Xtraction cars work out around 1/64 scale. Although fitted with the Xtraction chassis, the bodies will also fit on any of the standard 1.5-inch wheelbase Aurora AFX, Tomy AFX, BSRT G3 and Viper chassis. That makes these bodies particularly nice for HO drag racing groups that run some of the faster in-line chassis. The Xtraction chassis has the classic horizontal 'pancake' motor, with the Auto World magnets and armature giving a good turn of speed with a little tweaking. There is a single neodymium magnet at the back of the chassis to add some extra downforce, which is handy at the start of a run down the drag strip.

Auto World cars and sets are widely available in the US. All three cars are also available in the white chassis, white wheels & white tyres iWheels collectors' version (RRP $39.99). H0 Slot in Switzerland do import Auto World cars to Europe. Contact Stephan at H0 Slot here.