[woodcote]

I think those basic building blocks add up to just about the best Scalextric Digital system money can buy. Of course, there are other manufacturers' digital systems available - to suit all requirements and bank balances. There is track to add - including digital lane-changers and pit lanes - plus cars, digital chips, scenics, big-screen monitors etc. I've quoted the recommended retail price for everything in this article. Although you might be able to find things cheaper, I would always be a little cautious buying digital components second hand.

The total for the APB + add-ons for the WHO/digital kit described here is £842.97 - not including track, computer, monitors, cars etc. An equivalent six-car ARC Pro set-up with the ARC wireless controllers would cost £274.94.

   

In developing our WHO/digital racing there's one important ingredient that money can't buy - imagination. Every time I watch motorsport, I end up asking myself "how could I do that with RCS64 or ARC Pro?". When new slot car models are released, I find myself on YouTube watching footage of them racing and research the formats of all the series the cars have raced in. Whatever the car and the series, can I replicate it in 1/32 scale using Scalextric digital? I have begun to write up some of these formats here on SlotRacer Online to introduce the Scalextric ARC app (slotracer.online/arc-pro-guide). However, it is much more fun to use your own imagination and develop your own formats for your favourite motorsport series.

If digital racing with simulations is something you want to try, then ARC Pro is an excellent introduction and good value, despite being rather limited in terms of the depth of the simulations. At some point, Hornby may release the protocol for a computer link-up which might excite developers like the RCS64 team. Until then, the APB and all the add-ons are still available to give that added depth and complexity - and they come highly recommended. Scalextric have said that no more APBs will be manufactured, so what is in stock at the Hornby warehouse and at your favourite retailer is all there is. I have it on good authority that - at the time of writing - the supply will last for "some years", so there is no need to panic buy just yet.

If you're interested, there's loads more about our RCS64 racing with the APB, Pit Pro and Truspeed controllers here: www.whoracing.org.uk/who_digital

And here's a video of the system in action...