# James May's Toy Stories 3 mile Scalextric Track



## joeslotcar (Mar 12, 2003)

For those of you that get BBC AMERICA, they are running a show about James May's (of Top Gear) world record 3 mile slot car track around the old Brooklands Race track layout. Brooklands closed over 70 years ago and the area is now developed with neighborhoods, stores factories and a hospital. James and many volunteers built a Scalextric layout on the footprint of the old track circuit and actually held a race! Here's a link to the BBCA website page.

http://bbcamerica.com/content/400/toy-stories-episode-guide.jsp

You Tube video:








Here's another video:





It's episode #2, which is running at various times this week. It must be pretty cool to have a job like that. Way to go James.


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## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

How in the world do you drive this track? Short of having the world's longest controller cord and the ability to run quickly I am clueless!

Jim Norton
Huntsville, AL


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

When you're the star of a big TV show, you can have cameras set up to cover the whole track. Then you can drive it like a video game switching between 2 TV screens so there's no lag time when switching camera positions. I can't see anyone running the 3 miles of track trying to keep up with their car to run the whole thing!!


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## joeslotcar (Mar 12, 2003)

Sections of about 200 ft or so were powered separately with car batteries and each section controlled by separate controllers. Cars moved from section to section and team members raced their respective car on their section. There was a small dead section at the joint of two sections. It really wasn't difficult to race your team's car on your little section. It was like a tag team event with hundreds of racers. Race the car for 200 ft, hand off to the next racer on the next section and so on down the line. The two teams were made up of Brooklands area locals and factory sponsored Team Scalextric Racers. You have to watch the show to see who won...


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Even more fun than my guess!!! :lol: Well, if could have sort of worked my way... :tongue:


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

Bloody good fun but totally not a proper world record.


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Montoya1 said:


> Bloody good fun but totally not a proper world record.


OK, Deane, you have me intrigued. Why is it not a proper world record?


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

The cars had to be pushed almost as much as they drove around. The editing of the show makes many other things appear very different to reality.

My beef is not with anyone involved in the event, the fact is Guiness gave up on doing a proper job with the GBOR decades ago because the verification would cost tens of millions every year. A lot of the book is glorified bog paper, and the more esoteric the subject matter and record attached to it, the more true that is.

Cracking program though. I really like Top Gear and everything their presenters touch, but people forget it is all edited to within a thou of it's life...


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