The need for speed
By Laura Stradiotto
THE SUDBURY STAR

Whatever you do, don't call slot-car racing a game. "It's a race," said Neil Runciman of Sudbury as he checked the track before one of the last competitions in the 2003-2004 Championship Race Series. "At this stage, it's beyond a toy." Some slot cars are designed to go 20 miles an hour, depending on their magnetic traction. Runciman is one of the founders of the Ontario HO Racing Association, along with two other men, Jody Romanovitch of London and Ed Pleadwell of Newmarket. Back in 2000, the three thought it was time to promote competitive slot car racing in the province. They created extensive rules and guidelines for five different car classes. If a car doesn't meet the requirements, it is disqualified from the race. An overview of the rules states: "Each driver will have his or her car pre-inspected for compliance to the rules. The cars are then impounded until the start of the race. The top three finishers in each class raced may have their cars fully inspected at the end of the final set." Runciman built a portable 70-foot long track to hold competitions, now called the Sudbury South Slot Car Raceway, which takes up most of his basement in his home on Cognac Court. "I like to keep it flat so you can see the whole track when you're racing," he said. The slot car racing season runs from September to May for five established slot car racing groups. Each week, the groups hold a recreational practice race and then once a month they race competitively in either Sudbury, Newmarket or Mis-sissauga. Last month, the Sudbury South Slot Car Raceway hosted the second-last race in the series. Drivers came from as far as southern Ontario to compete. Paul Trozzo jokes he came up from Concord, Ont. "to show them how to drive." He offered The Sudbury Star some pointers about beating your opponents: slow down at the corners. Sound advice for on the road as well. Although May 29 is the final race of the season, the slot car racers intend to continue practising through the summer. The 12-minute race is divided into four legs; each driver races once in each of the four lanes. How do you record the times? Don't worry about your math, the latest in computer software counts each lap. The software determines who's going to race, when and in what lane. Driver's ability But not just anyone can come in first place. The car must be tuned properly, and just as important is the driver's ability - which comes in time, said Runciman. "And you have to have a little luck," he said. Runciman admits they're "a group of guys who haven't grown up." When he was 10, the neighbourhood kids would come to his house and play slot cars. Then he entered his teens and the game was the "last thing on my mind and I sold it." He picked up the sport again in 1998. "People don't realize this still goes on," said Runciman. But what's so different about the game today? "Now we have money," said Gilles Rouleau, who calls himself a hobbyist. "I play with toys and this is just another one," he said dusting off the track. Any mechanical repair to a real car is possible on a slot car, said Runciman. Pleadwell holds a motor part in his hands - too tiny to tell what it is. Taking the sport seriously is an understatement for these men. Pleadwell is repairing his car in front of a massive tackle box filled with spare tires, motors, cars and parts you never knew existed. Runciman said you can get started in the sport for as little as $50. But Pleadwell said you can spend up to $500 - and he spoke from experience. So far, no stores in Sudbury carry the intricate pieces, but with the Internet, obtaining any part is possible. If you want to hop on the Sudbury South Slot Car Raceway, e-mail Neil Runciman at neil@unitz.on.ca or check out the website at http://www.geocities. com/neillise.

Thanks to Gilles for scanning the document into text for the webpage.