FIXING

THE NASCARS/ASCARS

by

Daniel J. Dyke

If you have a Scalextric inline NASCAR or ASCAR (the British series) car and it runs like a pogo stick (i.e. the front end bounces) then here is a fix.  I have done it to five NASCARS with varying degrees of success.  These are the three things that helped my car which is 100% stock. They also worked on the four cars Fastlane Hobbies rents out.

1)    Sand the rear tires carefully to get them round.  The wheels on the five cars I worked on did not need truing!

2)    Hot glue the motor in place. Click here for an article on how to do this.

3)    Revise the braid layout. According to Alan Smith, that transplanted Brit who runs SCI, the braids are doubled up on Scalextric cars not to enhance the cars speed, but to cut down on radio frequency interference. My neighbors are on cable and so I have never had a complaint about their reception. To fix this you take the braid off and reinsert the rear part so that it is as short as possible and the front so that it is as long as possible.  The braid should now look like that on a Fly or Ninco car. Is it a better layout?  I got better times on my skidpad.  The blade rides deeper in the slot. If you don't like it then change it back to the older configuration.

The car works on the skidpad and on the long course (118') at Fastlane Hobbies. Which fix does the most good?  I don't know.  Building a slotcar is a cumulative effect.  If something helps a little or a lot then do it!