[Mr Modifier]

Assuming you can find one near you the average club has at least six different classes so that means a minimum outlay of £300 even before you start spending on upgrades or extra cars. Digital compounds the expenditure.

But you don’t have to be average and digital doesn’t necessarily cost more.

Our club is digital.  Truspeed controllers cost £40 (way less than good analogue controllers).  We run 4 classes each year and roll 2 over to the following year.  This year a newbie has to buy a controller, a Racer Sideways, a Carrera 50’s or 60’s sports car, a classic Scalextric small wheeler (Datsun 260z, XR3i etc) and a Scalextric BTCC.  Total outlay with chips and controller about £210 if you shop carefully. Existing members with 2 cars from last season only have to spend about £90 on the BTCC and Carrera with chips (or recycle chips from the classes we dropped at the end of last season and save £30).

Compared to some analogue clubs we are very cheap.

Are less classes boring?  No, because digital allows you to vary the racing experience very easily with different race formats, duration, fuel simulation on and off etc.  And as a bonus we tend to find most race nights every racer gets between 45 and 60 minutes of track time which, in 2.5 hours is quite a lot.