One of the greatest joys of being a slot racer

[Mayberryman]

I am a slot racer who has been into this hobby for the last 50+ years, some years more active than others. I have raced at tracks in seven states in scales from 1/64 to 1/24 and for the most part have enjoyed every minute of it.
One of the best parts to me is meeting and being invited into the homes and garages of many different people. Each person I have met has made contributions of one kind or another to the hobby and my enjoyment of the hobby. This past Wednesday 6-17 I had the pleasure and honor of being invited by our very own waaytoomuchintothis to come and share an afternoon with him, his track and his hobby. To be honest this is the first time I had ever met Rob and from the start our similar experiences, history and interest made it seem that I had met a brother. We spent about 4 1/2 hours together told some stories (some of them true), shared the ideas that we both knew a lot of the same people, played on his track and looked at his commercial 1/24th track. I know that I attempted to say goodbye a few times but more conversation and stories seemed to get between me and my car. When I did leave I was not allowed to go without a couple of bodies that I had looked at and even a car. Rob, to say I enjoyed out visit would be an absolute understatement and I hope I would be welcomed in the future.

Keep building those cars, enjoying the proxy racing and putting one foot in front of the other.
:text-thankyouyellow:
Spencer (Mayberryman) Wilkinson

[waaytoomuchintothis]

You betcha! Come by anytime, the building is always open. Come to think of it, I am a little infamous for always being in it, too. Next time, I cook!

[bobbyraz49]

[HomeRacingWorld]

Yes sir, good stuff.

It's always been about the people.

[Retro Racer 44]

About five years ago I moved to the Vancouver area after 20+ years of teaching in the same town where I knew everyone. It was hard for me, not knowing anyone except my kids who were already here. I joined Luf and the gang and added about two dozen new friends I meet on race nights.

Then I discovered slot car forums and added a bunch more people who I interact with on a regular basis.

Although I doubt if I will ever meet you guys in person, I consider you my friends, and am getting to know you better through your posts, and racing your proxy cars. My wife laughs at the amount of time I spend on HRW and other sites, but it is less time than she spends on her phone.

Sometimes I think we need a thread where we all post a picture of ourselves, sort of a rouge's gallery. It would be a good way to get to know each other even better.

Cheers,

Keith

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I thought about this last night and realised that I had failed to point out a few things...

"To be honest this is the first time I had ever met Rob and from the start our similar experiences, history and interest made it seem that I had met a brother. "

This was really amazing. We are roughly the same age, have magnificent white facial hair, the gracious body shape that represents the canvas upon which a great artist has made masterpieces, and bought the same unique cars when we were young and suffered for the love of them (MGA with Lucas Electrics, for example- he had two of them. I didn't ask, but I assume he burned his leg on the heater box door, too). It went on and on- life long connections to law enforcement, NASCAR drivers from the 50s and 60s that were our heroes, and get this- he ran slot cars on my antique American Model Racing Imperial Red track when it was in operation in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was host to national and eastern championships many times. We both were fortunate enough to be married for many decades longer than most folks (40 years plus), and still have our wives with us. We were still bumping into things we had in common when we had to agree to just stop to let him drive home.

All this happened with my shop in worse shape than it has ever been in. I was ill for weeks recently, and with several huge projects going on at once and halted, there are big clusters of unfinished dusty things to have to walk around. I stewed about that, but within seconds of Spencer's arrival, I knew everything would be all right. this was like a sign of how things will go in the future when things soon get back to normal around here, as they haven't been for over 7 years, with one thing and another. I'm looking forward to finishing up the scenery for the track, and with so much stuff put away at last in the shop, I will be able to host gatherings in there the way I used to... and that means lots of cooking up lots of masterpieces. I can't wait. This visit was the start of something good.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Eeh, go ahead and say it- everybody knows I have really, really big elbows. Its a medical condition.

You're good people, Dave. I have been daydreaming about a trip like that, or a huge gathering here. If it was at the right time of year, we could put up a big tent with a temporary track, several grills, and tubs and tubs of ice cold beverages. There's 8 acres here until I sell the property next door, and a lot of it isn't woods. Maybe we could rent a bus and driver and have ourselves a happening! I might even be persuaded to get out the old resonator guitar and do a live rendition of my one song, "She Took The Katy And Left Me A Mule to Ride".