Miniatures news, May 1979

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SOME information, perhaps more for younger readers, this month. Hornby Hobbies 20th “Scalextric Model Motor Racing Catalogue” has been issued. It not only describes this system of electric slot-race track but contains details of a proposal to institute a National system of officially grading Scalextric racers, organised clubs being invited to contact the Marketing Department at Westwood, Margate, Kent. There is also information about free membership of the new Scalextric Formula One Club for those who have attained a certain degree of efficient driving on these model tracks.

The 36-page colour catalogue describes a range of 15 different Scalextric cars, five track sets, and a wide range of accessories. We note that layouts approximating to Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Monza are shown and that sections of banked Scalextric track are now available. On the former note, members of the new Scalextric F1 Club can get a handbook which, among other things, enables them to equate their lap-speeds, on scale, with those set up round the real circuits. On the latter, we wondered for a moment whether a scale Brooklands would be possible. We think the Scalextric cars are quick enough to keep high up the bankings but that the banked sections would not build the bankings steeply enough, apart from which, if the track were made to an accurate scale, it would have to be wide enough to accommodate some 12-14 cars, which would make its scale size very large indeed (normally these tracks are two-car, with cross-overs) when you are next on a three-lane Motorway, think of how wide Brooklands was, to be able to line-up more than a dozen cars on the startingline! W.B.