Model Car Club Looks For Premises

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 68, 31 August 1965, Page 11

Model Car Club Looks For Premises

A model car racing club was formed in Taupo on Thursday night and a oommittee set up to tackle the immediate problem of finding premises for the club. The club will be known as the Taupo Model Car Club. Club members will build the track themselves. The intention is to provide a track to take four cars for a start. The cars in slot car racing are driven by small electric motors. Each car has a guide pin in front of the vehicle which runs in one of the slots provided in the track. Each "driver" has a controller with which he can regulate the power to the

electric motor and thus, the speed of the car. If he allows too much power, he can "crash" the car on the bends. Correctly controlled, however, he can "slide" the car around the bends and keep it on the track. The slots which take the pins are one-eighth of an inch wide and three-six-teenths of an inch deep. In the more advanced models of racing cars there are electric brakes, headlights and stop lights. Slot car racing, which came to New Zealand only in recent years, had its origin in England before World War II. It spread to America where it has become a 351 million dollar business annually. There are about five magazines devoted to the pastime in the States and two in England. There is already a club in Rotorua. It is probable that the Taupo club will seek affiliation with the North Island Slot Car Association, but there is another association based on proprietary "off the shelf" cars and tracks. Clubs affiliated with the North Island Association use model cars one thirtysecond the size of ordinary vehicles. The first president elected is Mr I. Robertson. Mr B. Atkinson was elected as secretary. Committees set up on Thursday were: Premises,

Messrs P. Atwood, B. Atkinson and R. B. Dick. Finance — membership, Messrs G. and C. Haggett and B. Braaksma. Design, Messrs P. Edwards, L. Moyes, I. Redgrave and J. Clymie. Rules — Messrs I. Robertson, J. Bush, M. Hannan and B. Watt.