[woodcote]

The 1/64 scale Auto World Dragstrip system is a fabulous introduction to slot car drag racing. I've used it at home with friends, at our club and at public events - it is a simple set-up, but an enormous amount of fun!

This is how it works....



Featured in the video is a new set for 2020...


SRS330 Auto World Hot Wheels Legends of the Quarter Mile 'Snake vs Mongoose' Dragstrip Race Set

   

The massive on-track rivalry and close friendship between West Coast superstars Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme and Tom 'The Mongoose' McEwen is a thing of legend in the drag racing world. The Hot Wheels Funny Cars - in the liveries included in this set - became best-sellers in 1969 and helped to revolutionise sports marketing. They are two of the most iconic drag racing cars of all time...

   

Although pretty neat, the Auto World Funny Cars aren't quite as low-slung and stretched as the real cars. The highly-detailed bodyshells are fitted on top of the Auto World '4-Gear' chassis, which is a copy of the old Aurora 'Speciality' chassis. The new version has two traction magnets at the rear, which help settle down a pretty fast armature in the pancake motor.

The range of classic and modern Funny Cars, Pro Stocks and Top Fuel dragsters produced by Auto World over the past eight years must be heading towards three figures. There is also a smaller range of Legend of the Quarter Mile cars on the Thunderjet 500 chassis, focusing mainly on early to mid 1960s Super Stock cars.

In addition to the two Plymouth Funny Cars, the latest set includes...

• Electronic Start Gate/ Power Track
- Featuring fully-functional LED christmas tree
- In-Track sensors with red foul lights
- Pro and Sportsman racing modes

• Electronic Finish Line / End Gate
- Featuring win light indicators

• 2 x Variable Speed Thumb Controllers
• US Power Pack - 18 volts DC output
• 9 x 15” Track sections
• 1 x 3” Dead track section
• 2 x Track end caps
• Instruction sheet, Track assembly guide & Sticker sheet

That's thirteen feet of racing track, which can be expanded using Auto World or Aurora / Tomy AFX track pieces. A 1/64 scale Quarter Mile is 21 feet, 7 inches. The US power pack can be replaced with a UK / European Tomy AFX pack or the Auto World connector can be grafted onto a 18 volt laptop power supply (that's my preferred option).

The set is due to be released in March 2020 and will retail in the US for $169.99. Shipping to Europe can be expensive, but H0 Slot in Switzerland do import Auto World cars and might be able to help. Contact Stephan at H0 Slot here.