Another
year is almost in the books and that means it is time for our Annual
HRW Slot Car Of The Year Awards! It's our way of highlighting
all
the coolest toys that have came our way this past year. Not only the large
manufacturer, but also the cottage industry enthusiasts that create those outstanding
after-market products that truly make our hobby what it is today.
So without further
delay...let the awards banquet begin!
To
win this award it must be a new mold and something that really
delivers it all. Quality, performance, price, and appeal. Well this
little bug has done that and more. Given the performance alone is
enough to make it a contender, but combine it with a great price and
the fact it is just too cool to look at earns
this year's award easily. We sometimes see manufacturers literally copy
one another by
releasing the same models. Not here. Truly original thinking brought
this car to life and we can't thank the Carrera team enough for it.
Honorable Mentions
Scalextric
released some new classic F-1 models that caught the eye of collectors
as well as a few of us home racers. Not
very tuning-friendly and a steeper price tag takes them out of the
normal release category, but they were still highly anticipated models
and deserve recognition. Racer
and Slot.it also
sneaked in a couple new items that the advanced racer embraced. With
decent pricing and high quality parts, these two brands continue to
lead the way in this category.
There
were not a lot of new molds this year by other brands, but sometimes
those older molds in fresh paint are just as new and beginner and
veteran enthusiasts alike grab them up fast. The popular Scalextric
Trans-Am Series had several new models come our way including the
ever-popular Camaro and Cougar.
Even
NINCO had a bright spot thanks to new distribution and a new price
point. With the previous pricing through the roof and lackluster model
selection, the brand had virtually vanished from the mainstream. A few
of us die hard fans still grabbed occasional model, but we waited until
a good sale came along.
It was fun seeing these models return and we look forward to more from
this brand.
Manufacturer Of The
Year
Year
after year Carrera wins this award and as long as they keep doing what
they do, they will keep on winning. Not
only are they the leader in 1/32nd scale, but the efforts in digital
racing in both 1/32 and 1/24 scale as well as the 1/43rd offerings make
them clear winners. And
we cannot forget to mention that the track system is still the most
recommended plastic track in our hobby.
They also release new versions of older models
that are our favorites and we enjoy seeing these models continue.
Because what might be old
for us, is brand new for the newcomer.
Product lines that range from young to old, beginner to veteran. Analog
or digital, Carrera has it covered and with a price that is
easy on most any budget.
New Product Of The Year/Best Silicone Tire
The
announcement of this new line of tires was a big one. Finally a tire
made by the true enthusiasts in our hobby who know what
the competitive racer wants in a silicone based tire. Not only is the
quality & performance king of the road, but so is the price and
service.
Best After-Market Tire
(Urethane)
The
Paul Gage line of tires is tops for my personal fleet as well as many
other enthusiasts. The incredibly wide selection, low price point, and
stellar on-track performance continue to earn these tires this award
year after year. Our hat is off to the long hours of hard work Paul
puts
into providing us this great resource.
Racer's Choice Award
Every
year we like to honor a new product that is aimed directly at the
competition level enthusiasts as well as the countless slot car garage
mechanics in our hobby. This new motor delivers the value and
performance both are looking for. Perfect for those seeking
higher
speeds as well as the discerning driver who wants precise control. In a
big sea of after-market motors that have price tags nearing the absurd,
this little fish easily wins when you check the rock-bottom price.
Racer's Choice
Honorable Mention
The
name Difalco is synonymous with slot racing. This year saw the
selection grow even more with models targeted to the home/club racer at
a much nicer price. It might look wild, but it can tame just about any
home racing motor. After
testing it I just wanted to replace all my controllers with it, almost
having me wish I never did....almost.
Best Motors
Sometimes
there is no clear winner. Motor choices are vast and the types you
choose are based on your own personal taste. But from our budget-minded
point of view, these two brands deserve the top billing. H&R
has motors than range from mild to wild. MT focuses on the mild side
but with slimline and larger can styles.
Each one gives a lot to choose from and at prices that won't bankrupt
your racing team.
Best Wheels
For
the 4th year in a row this brand once again reigns supreme. It
earns all the accolades you hear about by delivering everything an
enthusiast could ask for:
Precision, Quality, Selection, Price, and Customer Service. Not only do
they have all of that, but they are not sitting still either. New sizes
arrived this year along with more anodized versions that just gave us
all more to choose from.
Best In Resin
This
year we must give this award to two outstanding
sources: RMS Resins & MT Racing Resins. Both of these master
casters make truly unique offerings and they combine it with excellent
customer service. RMS has been the modeler's choice for Trans-Am racing
enthusiasts for many years and has expanded to include several classics
no old school racer should be without. MT has cranked out some truly
inspiring oval racing models as well as those hard to find wheel
inserts to really finish them off.
Best Tool
Nothing
can make your stock slot cars run better than getting those wheels and
tires as round as they can be. This outfit does that easily and at the
best price in our hobby. Made right here in the good old USA and backed
by excellent service, this machine is still the most valuable tool on
our bench.
This year we have had another handy little item
appear that has made quite an impact on many scratch builders.
The infamous "Honeycomb"
Soldering board!
Leave
it to a slot racer to take an innocent item designed for another hobby
and use it to make great running cars. Shown in our forums, this little
block took the sting out of those high priced setup jigs and had us
swarming over them. (Ahem). Anyway, we like them a lot and you will too
if you try one. Search the web for them or go straight to that famous
auction site and just type it in!
Tops In Timing
The Trackmate interface has long been
the industry standard in our hobby. This year they updated the
product to include the ever popular plug and play USB.
Dollar for dollar this is still the system of choice.
CONGRATULATIONS
WINNERS!
Many thanks go to this year's
award winners. The people behind the product are the real heroes and
rarely do they get the credit they deserve. In our own small way, these
awards at HRW are our way of thanking them. Because without the efforts
of the people behind the scenes our hobby would not be near the fun it
is.