# Need some advice on starting a slot car business



## kartkid1

My dad and myself are getting our feet wet and thinking about opening up a slot car track. Back in the day my dad owned and operated a nice slot car track that had a hill climb and various other tracks. It was successful for awhile but was not run properly. Anyway, I know slot cars went out of style for a long time, and I believe they are coming back.We have talked for weeks about ideas and actually have the ball rolling.

We have a general idea, that seems great, and seems like it should work! So, here are our ideas...

-We want to have a 1/24 hill climb (which we found one race ready,with everything including lap counters and other electronics VERY cheap by the way!)
--We would hold races nightly, or weekly with some special events possibly eliminations races, endurance races (with a higher but reasonable cost) I think we would stay with cars that run about 20-30mph max. 

-If we have enough space later on we might try drag racing. Either 1/25 or ho scale. Unsure on this.

-We would let people rent cars or bring there own. (We might think about a 2nd track for rentals only) We would possibly rent out controllers or soldering irons. 

-Possibly talks of a 1/64 ho track

-Simulator racing featuring iRacing and possibly Nascar Racing 2003 season. We would feature hosted online events for customers, or offline races wit NR2003. I would show them how to drive on a simulator, and give them tips. For iRacing I have a nice cockpit setup and would let people test on that with my g27 wheel.

-We would sell parts in shop, and assist customers in a friendly way. Online sales will be a huge must, as we both have a ton of knowledge on eBay. 

-We would hold birthday parties, and special events.


We have more ideas but this is a general idea. 

Now, the harder stuff. Setup and such..
We live in a town that is pretty populated, and has a ton of places like banks, stores, and gas stations. There are very little places for entertainment. We have bars, 2 arcades (one of which is for little kids, both are very expensive) a movie theater, and a bowling alley. That is all we have for entertainment

We found a building, that is located on an area called the eisenhower strip, or golden mile. It has a LOT of traffic daily, and even at night. It is located almost dead center in the town, or at least the busy part. There are other places located in the same space, but there is a ton of parking. The rent is $1100 a month, and some added amount for snow removal, building maintenance etc. We were told we can have a couple of months rent free for starting up and getting settled, which is awesome! And we might not need to sign a lease either.

I applied for a rather large business loan and was told based on my current job, credit etc that it is highly likely I will get approved. I couldn't believe that. 

I might keep my job, at least part time as my dad will be in the store most days. Just curious on ideas, or anything really that any slot business owners have encountered, ideas etc. I have heard of slot stores being open for 20+ years. There has to be a "trick". I know we need to contact distributors for parts etc to sell. What are prices usually like (when buying in bulk to resale?) I was wondering what a profit margin might be.

I feel like with the simulator and slots, possibly video games as well that it will give everyone a little something to do. I loved slot racing when I was a child, and to possibly start a business around it seems so much fun!

I feel like there are things I have missed, and will add if I remember anything! But like I said, just wanting some feedback from owners, ideas and tips when getting into this.

Thank you all!


----------



## Milton Fox Racing

I am presuming you are in PA right?

Are there other tracks near you already?

Do/did you have a written business plan to go with the loan application?

Have you looked into forming a limited liability corporation to protect yours and yours fathers personal assests?


----------



## kartkid1

Milton Fox Racing said:


> I am presuming you are in PA right?
> 
> Are there other tracks near you already?
> 
> Do/did you have a written business plan to go with the loan application?
> 
> Have you looked into forming a limited liability corporation to protect yours and yours fathers personal assests?


*I am presuming you are in PA right?* Yes, we are in PA

*Are there other tracks near you already?* There are 0 tracks near us. The closest might be about 200-300 miles away. 

*Do/did you have a written business plan to go with the loan application?* No, we don't. However I had the last 3 months of my current jobs business pay stubs, which I plan on keeping for a while. I do have some papers that have amounts I would like to charge per 15 mins, 30 mins, hour etc. The guy we talked to is one of the guys that actually helps approve loans like this, and he had asked us about our plans/ideas which we could tell him off the top of our heads. He thinks it is a good idea and said we will probably be hearing from him soon.

*Have you looked into forming a limited liability corporation to protect yours and yours fathers personal assests?* No, not yet. But we do know we have to check into this. I just...don't know what it is exactly.


----------



## Rich Dumas

Since you have already operated a track you already know the pitfalls. I think you should run your numbers one more time. Add up all of your expenses including rent, utilities and the cost of your inventory if you need to borrow money to pay for that. Once you get a good grip on what your monthly expenses might be you will know what your profit margin will have to be just to keep the doors open. When a new slot track first opens in a location that has not had one for years it usually does well for a while, but after a while interest can taper off, in addition business is likely to drop off considerably during the warm months. Most of the rare places that have stayed open for a long time have had cheap rents.


----------



## alpink

longevity!
you need to reach out to all youth organizations to encourage their participation.
maybe get a scout unit to do something along the line of a merit badge for building a simple chassis.
when you get some adults interested, try to get them involved in a point series with a couple drops(races that don't count) in case some have other plans on those scheduled occasions.

drag racing brings a whole different set of parameters.
from my limited experience, guys that roundy don't usually drag race.

I do portable 1/64 quarter mile drag racing and I have an event in Skippack PA this Sat. you are invited to see a simple operation if you like.

you seem to have thought this out pretty well ....I will echo rich's sentiments some .....
slot racing is fickle and as Rich said, peters out in warm weather. consider also having RC stuff available and maybe an outdoor RC track for warm weather.

if you don't know too much about RC, ( I don't ) you will be able to find someone locally to help with that.

be diverse

and yes, develop those youth programs so that you can get exposure for those parties.

more to come as I think of it.


----------



## Milton Fox Racing

Google how to write a business plan and gather all of those elements before you decide to go forward.

Has anyone tried to open a shop in the area before, (recently), since your Dads shop?


----------



## Bubba 123

I do have some papers that have amounts I would like to charge per 15 mins, 30 mins, hour etc. 

Have you looked into forming a limited liability corporation to protect yours and yours fathers personal assests?[/B] No, not yet. But we do know we have to check into this. I just...don't know what it is exactly. [/QUOTE]

LLC, can be formed easily w/ a Lawyer's Guidance :grin2:


charge on 1/2 hr. & Hour intervals... 15min., is barely getting set-up :wink2:

"IF" Possible.. can you BUY a building that would suit your needs...
check local Zoning-Laws, maybe build on you present property (OWNING vs. Rent/Lease... is the MAJOR "Overhead" that can Kill a business..)

I have had several businesses, both had a Shop (Luckily, I own in Residential/Light-Commercial Neighborhood.. adjacent to; "Commercial-Industrial" Zoning.. 

My businesses "Fantasy Cutlery"; (Swords, Daggers, Custom-Costuming,
and leather-work Accessories (Plain & Fancy; Belts, Pouches, Sword Scabbards, Frogs, ect.. 

ALL but the Swords, Daggers, pocket knives (in Shop only..) I made myself & partner did some Leatherwork & is a Seamstress...

We traveled to "Renfaires" & the like.. all over central U.S. & East....

I had to "Throw-In The Towel", after 2nd. heart attack... :frown2:

But, My Partner is still going strong on Ebay & more Local (w/ in states surrounding Her's & has an adult Grand Daughter.. That "Grew-Up" in this Business .. :wink2: 

7+ years ago, I re-started a "Home & Ebay" business of Custom (TV/Movie Genre') slot cars.. Had several guys, Bruce Gavins & Greg (Alfaslot1 Here on H/T.. "Taillights_ faded" on Ebay) doing the resin castings for me...

Arthritis, Tendonitis, Diabetes 2, & a Triple-Bypass slowed Me up on "Production-Work". (Bubba's Slot Car Emporium)...

Bubba The Senile 123 :willy_nilly:


----------



## kartkid1

Rich Dumas said:


> Since you have already operated a track you already know the pitfalls. I think you should run your numbers one more time. Add up all of your expenses including rent, utilities and the cost of your inventory if you need to borrow money to pay for that. Once you get a good grip on what your monthly expenses might be you will know what your profit margin will have to be just to keep the doors open. When a new slot track first opens in a location that has not had one for years it usually does well for a while, but after a while interest can taper off, in addition business is likely to drop off considerably during the warm months. Most of the rare places that have stayed open for a long time have had cheap rents.





Milton Fox Racing said:


> Google how to write a business plan and gather all of those elements before you decide to go forward.
> 
> Has anyone tried to open a shop in the area before, (recently), since your Dads shop?





Bubba 123 said:


> I do have some papers that have amounts I would like to charge per 15 mins, 30 mins, hour etc.
> 
> Have you looked into forming a limited liability corporation to protect yours and yours fathers personal assests?[/B] No, not yet. But we do know we have to check into this. I just...don't know what it is exactly.





Thanks for the replies thus far everyone, I really appreciate it!! I have some more information for everyone, and some answers to questions asked recently. 


*Has anyone tried to open a shop in the area before, (recently), since your Dads shop?* My dad had a shop in Kansas a very long time ago (forgot to mention that  ) But in PA there was one about 6 or 7 years ago in the mall across the street. The guy wasn't the most social person, and they really didn't do anything to promote slot cars or help the general public get into it. He mostly sold diecast and sports mem. He now just sells sports stuff in a smaller building with no track. 


More info (and questions will follow after this!)

The building we are looking at is 27 feet wide, by 60-70 feet long. Rent is $1060 a month, but an additional $400 is added for snow removal services, grounds keeping, trash pickup, and any building repairs. Was hoping to see if maybe I can do some work for him and have him NOT charge that $400... 

We are also located about 15 miles from Gettysburg. So we are in a huge tourist zone. Not sure if people would be willing to drive from Gettysburg to our town, but maybe? Our town has a current population of 15,000, with out sister town having roughly 6,000 people. We live in York county, and an estimate of people living in the county is 400,000 people. 

I'm hoping we can include iRacing (as I have an awesome cockpit setup) and a couple of video games, the hillclimb track (which we found for $1500) a smaller track I just found for 1/32 cars. (8' by 12' long 4 lane track) and a large tv so we can play Nascar, Sprint Cars, and various other racing for people to enjoy. Thinking about a soda machine and vending machine. But again, space is kind of limited. 

The owner told us we could paint up a track out back for rc cars, or maybe use cones or something? Not sure how that would work.

The owner also is allowing us 2 months rent free. During this time we are HOPING to start selling inventory before the shop opens (online sales on Ebay) He also would like us to have a 3 year lease, but said if we fall through and couldn't pay the rest of the lease, he would not sue us? 


Now for the questions...

What are some of the populations in areas of tracks that failed/succeeded? Are smaller towns the ones that fail more?

During summer months, being so close to Gettysburg, do you think we would still be some what busy? (We are right beside a comic book store by the way!) 

What is a cheap rent for people? 

What are the prices like from distributors like parma and other companies? When they sell lets say a motor, how much would they sell it to a track? And how much would they sell it on there site? Hoping to be competitive in prices online, but as we all know they will not tell us price details unless we show proof of an actual track/business. 

Right now, it could very well be $2000-$2500 a month for every single bill, utility etc. What should we be around number wise?


----------



## Bubba 123

In about 1 yr. just rent/utilities = about $27,000 (according to My math in My Senile 'ol head..)
Let That sink-in for awhile 1st.... 3yrs. = about $ 75,000 ... 
You can BUY or BUILD, for not much more.. OWN it... 

"IF" it falls through... "RENT" it out, OR $$ SELL $$ ;-)

I started w/ Renting in a small shop that was part of a Comics-Shop (16' & 20' est.)
It had a room of it's own, with an outside Front-Entrance...

When the Owner passed away (R.I.P. :-( ) His Ultra-Religious Daughter (Tenn., Heart of "The Bible Belt") Terminated our leases (We were; "The Work of Satan" yup, no joke..)

I got a city & County Business Lic. Along with a TN. Tax Deferral Lic. (MOST Important to "Impress" Companies to take you "Seriously". for getting on Their "Dealer-Discount Programs" or; "Wholesale-Price-Tier#1", I will explain this later..) 

"Last" I Knew; AW MINIMUM Dealer/Distributer Tier, was about $ 175,000.00 start-up 
(@ wholesale $$) 
AND You HAD to Maintain a Yearly MINIMUM Purchase of $ 125,000.00 of Their products (anything, Slot cars, Models, Diecast, ect.. Anything they carry on; AW or Round 2 Web-Sites)

Otherwise, you were Only making "$$ Chump-Change $$"..
Buying from an "Authorized-Distributer" of Theirs....

Now, "THIS" was about 1 1/2 YEARS... 
B4 the 4Gear Batmobiles, Actually "Hit the Shelves", when I Inquired...

Time & That; EX-Employee $$ Embezzlement $$ Saga...
"May" have "Softened" Their out-look for More "Potential-Clients"...

I've noticed, in Our Local Walmarts.. the past 2-Months.. 
That AW & Johnny Lightning Diecasts.
Are NO-Longer being Stocked.. 

What few They have left, are in the "Clearance" Isle just past Bicycles, & B4 Sport Dept.

"That", has to be a BIG $$$ Blow $$$ to AW as well (Just an Observational FYI..)

I'll get back to; "Basic-Business 101" later... This is looking like the "UN-Abridged" version of; "War & Peace" (ROFLOL!!)

If anyone wishes to "PM" Me about any questions, or to just "Shut-Up".. Please feel free to do so.. I have nothing to prove, & almost Impossible to "Insult" ;-)

Best to ALL !!

Bubba (The Senile) 123 ;-)


----------



## aurora fan

Good stuff Bubba. I always thought to turn slot car as a retro classic hobby into a business idea sounded like a fun path to pursue but can't figure how you can make it selling springs, pickup shoes and silicone tires. Maybe combine it with a train store and RC airplanes (trains, planes and automobiles) but that really dilutes the hobby and requires more expertise. I look forward to more personal experiences and ideas in this thread. A person can dream.


----------



## kartkid1

aurora fan said:


> Good stuff Bubba. I always thought to turn slot car as a retro classic hobby into a business idea sounded like a fun path to pursue but can't figure how you can make it selling springs, pickup shoes and silicone tires. Maybe combine it with a train store and RC airplanes (trains, planes and automobiles) but that really dilutes the hobby and requires more expertise. I look forward to more personal experiences and ideas in this thread. A person can dream.



Don't quote me on this, but in my head I imagine one would be able to sell parts and such online to make some money. I just got in touch with a slot car track earlier that said they have a 40% markup. So if they buy something for $30, I think they could sell it for $45-$50 and make a smallish profit. Post stuff like crazy and hopefully sell it. But a lot of the locals I am talking to said they want rc cars, and slot cars and some newer things like virtual reality. Iracing has a VR headset that makes it seem like you are actually in the car driving it. This could be something cool to implement in a shop, however you would need to keep the account active, and if having multiple pc's, means multiple accounts and more money you have to spend of course.

I don't know. There is a way for sure though, certain places have been open for so many years. We are currently back to the drawing board, still waiting to see if we get approved for a loan, and trying to find a cheaper building that is still big.


----------



## Bubba 123

aurora fan said:


> Good stuff Bubba. I always thought to turn slot car as a retro classic hobby into a business idea sounded like a fun path to pursue but can't figure how you can make it selling springs, pickup shoes and silicone tires. Maybe combine it with a train store and RC airplanes (trains, planes and automobiles) but that really dilutes the hobby and requires more expertise. I look forward to more personal experiences and ideas in this thread. A person can dream.


I Visited the Slot/Hobby/RC/Gaming Shop I go to in Memphis yesterday...
Yup, to stay in business, you have to have your "Foot" in every Venue (even sells; Slot, Train, Modeling, Gaming Magazines.. 
(Carries large assortment of military, aviation, & Auto Truck Models.. hardly any sci-Fi ((Halo & other related Gaming Sci-Fi Models +a few "Anime" ))..

Same with My Businesses, I had to start "Carrying" items, I wasn't "Into".
"Kicking & Screaming" (all the way to the Bank) but NOT getting $$ Rich $$
Just staying alive with enough profit to live on (Barely)....

Bubba :willy_nilly:


----------



## Bubba 123

kartkid1 said:


> Don't quote me on this, but in my head I imagine one would be able to sell parts and such online to make some money. I just got in touch with a slot car track earlier that said they have a 40% markup. So if they buy something for $30, I think they could sell it for $45-$50 and make a smallish profit. Post stuff like crazy and hopefully sell it. But a lot of the locals I am talking to said they want rc cars, and slot cars and some newer things like virtual reality. Iracing has a VR headset that makes it seem like you are actually in the car driving it. This could be something cool to implement in a shop, however you would need to keep the account active, and if having multiple pc's, means multiple accounts and more money you have to spend of course.
> 
> I don't know. There is a way for sure though, certain places have been open for so many years. We are currently back to the drawing board, still waiting to see if we get approved for a loan, and trying to find a cheaper building that is still big.


A "40% Mark-Up" is close to "MSRP".. Unless you get a better Tier on Wholesale-Buying.. (Average wholesale is; 20% - 50% discount from MRSP)

Sometimes $60%, IF You get on the "$$$ Right $$$ Tier" :wink2:

Bubba :willy_nilly:

IDEA; Check-Out Hobby-Shop "Franchises" (Hobby-World, Ect.)


----------



## FullyLoaded

I haven't been to the other tracks in the area of PA for the longest time but there was slot car tracks open for awhile there such as Myerstown, I think one in Hershey, Lebanon, Harrisburg, etc. Not sure what the state of 1/24 slot car racing is at the moment.


I would look into r/c as others noted especially carrying Traxxas R/C electric products as a foothold. You might want to consider some model car kits and other items. I don't want you to go overboard on inventory but you need a base to keep people coming back there. I am up north more so wouldn't be able to visit the track that often. 


An online and social media presence is also needed. Good luck with your venture but you have to work at it to make any money or to get afloat. Like others said, you'll get new customers in at first but you need that returning customer to keep going. Just my opinion on the whole venture as hobby shops and tracks come and go, etc.


----------



## kartkid1

Bubba 123 said:


> A "40% Mark-Up" is close to "MSRP".. Unless you get a better Tier on Wholesale-Buying.. (Average wholesale is; 20% - 50% discount from MRSP)
> 
> Sometimes $60%, IF You get on the "$$$ Right $$$ Tier" :wink2:
> 
> Bubba :willy_nilly:
> 
> IDEA; Check-Out Hobby-Shop "Franchises" (Hobby-World, Ect.)


You have been giving some good info, so thank you! Oh, and I guess I need to find that "right tier"  I might call more shops here soon and get an idea of who they get there products from and such. 



FullyLoaded said:


> I haven't been to the other tracks in the area of PA for the longest time but there was slot car tracks open for awhile there such as Myerstown, I think one in Hershey, Lebanon, Harrisburg, etc. Not sure what the state of 1/24 slot car racing is at the moment.
> 
> 
> I would look into r/c as others noted especially carrying Traxxas R/C electric products as a foothold. You might want to consider some model car kits and other items. I don't want you to go overboard on inventory but you need a base to keep people coming back there. I am up north more so wouldn't be able to visit the track that often.
> 
> 
> An online and social media presence is also needed. Good luck with your venture but you have to work at it to make any money or to get afloat. Like others said, you'll get new customers in at first but you need that returning customer to keep going. Just my opinion on the whole venture as hobby shops and tracks come and go, etc.


If the one I went to as a kid was in Lebanon (had a tri-oval and I think a hill climb) then it has been gone for a long time  
I'm not really sure on the state of it, but I know the digital stuff like Carerra seems to be hot at the moment, as well as rc cars. I guess if it is fun enough that customer would return, hopefully! We are kinda nervous about that whole come and go thing. Obviously we don't want to open it knowing it will fail. But one bit of hope is that the one slot track located in the mall several years ago failed because the guy had 0 online sales, or even a website! And he didn't really do anything with the track. You literally either bought a car and raced, or watched people. And the rc track in town 20 years ago was booming until the owner got involved with drugs and it then spiraled out of control and they went bankrupt. 



**WELL** tomorrow is the big day (hopefully) that we find out if we got the loan or not!


----------



## alpink

good luck on the loan.

and good attitude about the suggestions and war stories.
no one is trying to disuade you from starting a hobby shop/race track.
we, absolutley, encourage more possibilities for direct usage and retail sales.
we also do not want to see you invest a great deal of time/money only to be disappointed.

of course no one can predict the future, so the only way to really know is GO FOR IT!

if it hasn't been said, be sure to include an easy to run track, with each lane hooked to timers, variable power supply for rental cars.

I have also seen the same owners do really well in one location and not so well in another.
places that already have family oriented and/or children oriented business very close help bring in the "walk ins"
one guy had a track in a flea market, only open Fri Night, Sat and Sunday, and he did very good. when he moved to a strip mall that had a used office furniture store and fabric store as his neighbors, his business nose dived.
another was in a strip mall right next to a multiplex movie theater. he was nearly always mobbed with "walk ins" and had parties booked forever it would seem.
unfortunately for us hobbiests, he was cooking the books and not paying any bills, eventually filing bankruptcy, defaulting on all the bills and leaving the business empty over night.
I happened to stop in one day and he was having a 70% off sale without saying why. I heard he had the tracks taken out at midnight, sold to someone at a tremendous discount, and the store was empty next morning.
found out that was his MO and he had done it at least three times.

anyway, enough doom & gloom. .....

I think you can make a real go of this with the diversity you are planning and with being in the Phi region, I am looking forward to visiting when you are up and running.


----------



## kartkid1

alpink said:


> good luck on the loan.
> 
> and good attitude about the suggestions and war stories.
> no one is trying to disuade you from starting a hobby shop/race track.
> we, absolutley, encourage more possibilities for direct usage and retail sales.
> we also do not want to see you invest a great deal of time/money only to be disappointed.
> 
> of course no one can predict the future, so the only way to really know is GO FOR IT!
> 
> if it hasn't been said, be sure to include an easy to run track, with each lane hooked to timers, variable power supply for rental cars.
> 
> I have also seen the same owners do really well in one location and not so well in another.
> places that already have family oriented and/or children oriented business very close help bring in the "walk ins"
> one guy had a track in a flea market, only open Fri Night, Sat and Sunday, and he did very good. when he moved to a strip mall that had a used office furniture store and fabric store as his neighbors, his business nose dived.
> another was in a strip mall right next to a multiplex movie theater. he was nearly always mobbed with "walk ins" and had parties booked forever it would seem.
> unfortunately for us hobbiests, he was cooking the books and not paying any bills, eventually filing bankruptcy, defaulting on all the bills and leaving the business empty over night.
> I happened to stop in one day and he was having a 70% off sale without saying why. I heard he had the tracks taken out at midnight, sold to someone at a tremendous discount, and the store was empty next morning.
> found out that was his MO and he had done it at least three times.
> 
> anyway, enough doom & gloom. .....
> 
> I think you can make a real go of this with the diversity you are planning and with being in the Phi region, I am looking forward to visiting when you are up and running.




Well, I woke up this morning and the bank called. We are approved!! No collateral or anything! So now..the busy hard stuff starts lol

Thanks for the insight! I know location is key for sure! I think we have a good location, if we go with the building. Here's a pic of the town below. The owner of the building we want said out back we could make a little rc track up. However, I am unaware of this space. I'm not sure how big our rc enthusiasts would want a track. 

So with this map...

The mall - This mall died out years ago, there really is not much activity in it.
*Track* - Would be in a little strip area, beside us is a comic book store, and a mexican store.
Walmart Etc - About a quarter of a mile down the race is a very busy area, with so many restaurants, and shopping. On one side walmart sits with a gas station and about 15 stores. On the other side is Lowe's, Home Depot and a movie theater which is always busy. 

Target - About a half mile away at most is Target, you have to take carlise street to get there but that has about 5 restaurants and about 10 stores.

Arcade - Is located downtown, with 3 bars and various small shops. I wanted a location down here (or even under the arcade) but there is already a store there, and the parking seems limited. Everyone basically does good here and in the upper part of town

There are a ton of other places along carlise street that go from the arcade all the way to the mall. Although traffic is a little hectic there, and since it is a main road there is no parking. The road that walmart, lowes and such are on (including possibly us) is ALWAYS busy. I mean thousands of cars travel that road a day. This is why we think the road would be a good place to be. What do you guys think?


----------



## alpink

yep, looks like a good location.
maybe you could get permission to put flyers on cars at the movie place and so on.
if you do flyers, print 4 to a page so you get more for your monet and include a "coupon" for free time on the rental or a small discount on something.
you need to get the word out.
also, if you have any of those "free" advertising publications 'Penny Saver etc' use them often. again a small discount or coupon in those ads goes a long way.
get the word out to slot car shows.
there is one in Morgantown PA Dec10 that I expect to attend and I would be happy to take some flyers there for you. 

PM me and we will exchange contact info.


----------



## kartkid1

alpink said:


> yep, looks like a good location.
> maybe you could get permission to put flyers on cars at the movie place and so on.
> if you do flyers, print 4 to a page so you get more for your monet and include a "coupon" for free time on the rental or a small discount on something.
> you need to get the word out.
> also, if you have any of those "free" advertising publications 'Penny Saver etc' use them often. again a small discount or coupon in those ads goes a long way.
> get the word out to slot car shows.
> there is one in Morgantown PA Dec10 that I expect to attend and I would be happy to take some flyers there for you.
> 
> PM me and we will exchange contact info.




Awesome, thanks for the advice!! I will be making flyers and putting some discounts on a few of them. Others might have free track time for a limited time (15 minutes-30 minutes) etc. But I plan on making a lot...like a few hundred or so lol. (Not all with discounts, some regular flyers promoting the business and spreading the word!)

I looked up that slot car show. Looks pretty cool! We saw a video from the 2013 show I believe. Looked fun! If we can, we will try and make it but we might be to busy at that time. I will pm you though!


**Pics will be coming if anyone wants to see progress?**


----------



## Rich Dumas

Back in the '90s a new commercial raceway opened up in my area. It was the first one that had opened for many years and the only other track was at least 25 miles away. It was in a good location in a small strip mall right on US-1 in Branford, CT, however you could have driven right past it without even knowing it was there. This was just before the Internet and Google searches. Fortunately a local TV station did a spot on the place during their evening news, that combined with it being Spring Break brought in a lot of people.


----------



## MSwaterlogged

Following up on what Rich said, you might want to look into joining the local Chamber of Commerce or other such organization. That can get you publicity in the paper in many places. Also contact local media when you open up to try and get them to cover your grand opening. Radio station broadcasting onsite during opening? As has been mentioned, get the word out. Would you be able to put one of those portable flashing signs by the road to get folks attention? Hopefully you will a sign with the name of the business visible from the road.

Best of luck on your endeavor.

Charlie


----------



## kartkid1

MSwaterlogged said:


> Following up on what Rich said, you might want to look into joining the local Chamber of Commerce or other such organization. That can get you publicity in the paper in many places. Also contact local media when you open up to try and get them to cover your grand opening. Radio station broadcasting onsite during opening? As has been mentioned, get the word out. Would you be able to put one of those portable flashing signs by the road to get folks attention? Hopefully you will a sign with the name of the business visible from the road.
> 
> Best of luck on your endeavor.
> 
> Charlie



Not sure how to get a hold of someone from the Chamber of Commerce, but then again 1 month ago I had no idea how to even go about starting a business. lol. I will have to check in on that.

The radio/media coverage is a very good idea that we will be doing for sure! 
Unfortunately we can't get a flashing sign, but we are allowed a sign on the roadside along with the other stores in the strip mall area. We will be located 2nd from the bottom. But it is visible to the road!


----------



## kartkid1

Well, we are STILL hard at work. Just got the track last night. (or morning) It arrived 8 hours later than expected...and it was 4am when they got to the shop :|:surprise: We got it unloaded in an hour. UGH... So we found out the track has been in a storage for at least 5 years. Damage to the walls, and the track was SO dirty!

We were a bit discouraged, but we did get a very very old pc with track mate, 2 lap counters, battery supplies, and so many extras.

The track did clean up nicely. We had used mineral spirits to remove most of the grime, about 36 rags later we got it looking decent (and yes, 36 rags were black from dirt, grease etc. HOWEVER, we did try using floor stripper... And it actually worked wonders! Beware, it does remove paint, and we figured since the lane lines were already chipped and in need of repainting we wouldn't have anything to lose. Oh my, did this stuff work...I mean this track went from looking like a 30 year old barn find to an almost brand new looking commercial track. So if any one needs to clean a very dirty track, this could help ya! We still need to get the walls fixed, and put it together... But here are some pics of it thus far. 

OH! If anyone wants to check out the facebook page here it is as well: https://www.facebook.com/slotsoffunspeedway/

I wanted to see if anyone could help me out with the color of this track surface... It looks gray, but an odd shade of gray. Not sure. There are gonna be some spots that need touched up with paint...


(!st pic is the track a long time ago when it was set up, the next pic was after unloading, and the last one is after using the floor stripper)


----------



## MSwaterlogged

Looking good, wishing you all the best to get this adventure going.

Charlie


----------



## alpink

I have used epoxy paint (mostly used on concrete garage floors) on 1/24 drag strips.
the color is similar and the paint is chemical resistant.
it also gives great traction for foam tires.

in answer to a PM, I have only been 1/64 (HO) scale racing for quite awhile now and, although I have lots of 1/24 scale stuff left, I don't know what is currently popular.
I would guess tat 16-D or super 16-D motors are still in fashion.


----------



## Rich Dumas

Parma 16Ds have not been in stock for some time.


----------



## Bubba 123

Looking GREAT!! :thumbsup:
Keep the Faith, it's going to be/take a LOT of work to get ready for your 1st. "Opening".
but it's worth it !!! :wink2:

forgot to tell you, "IF", you put the business in your; Mother's, Sister's, Wife's, ect trustworthy Female in Family.. She can get Gov. Grants/Loans as a "Minority".. >

Also, "IF" you have any "Verifiable" Minority, Family ( Native American, African American, Hispanic, Asian, or about "ANYTHING-BUT" Just; European Descent... 
Another Case for a "Double-Minority" to Gov. Perks... >
check out w/ IRS & "They" should be able to Point You in right direction to the Gov. Agencies... :wink2:

Bubba The Senile 123 :willy_nilly:


----------



## kartkid1

alpink said:


> I have used epoxy paint (mostly used on concrete garage floors) on 1/24 drag strips.
> the color is similar and the paint is chemical resistant.
> it also gives great traction for foam tires.
> 
> in answer to a PM, I have only been 1/64 (HO) scale racing for quite awhile now and, although I have lots of 1/24 scale stuff left, I don't know what is currently popular.
> I would guess tat 16-D or super 16-D motors are still in fashion.


Is there any epoxy paint fairly cheap? Last I had used it, the bottles it came in were about $7 and were so tiny! 
Do you have any 1/24 stuff you would part with? I'm looking for a car/cars to run myself lol.



Rich Dumas said:


> Parma 16Ds have not been in stock for some time.


Just found that out unfortunately  My dad got a hold of the Parma owner, and he said they have some 2,000 16D motors left, but they can't sell them because of the "new format"? He said people can take them apart to easy and cheat, so in sanctioned races they are not allowed.We were thinking that people in our area would run whatever as most will be new to it, and the ones that aren't new to it, will be happy to race...hopefully. The guy from Parma said he would throw us 20 or so car kits together (with controllers and all) with the 16D motors, and maybe even sell us more of those unused motors. I feel like that might be a good idea... 



Bubba 123 said:


> Looking GREAT!! :thumbsup:
> Keep the Faith, it's going to be/take a LOT of work to get ready for your 1st. "Opening".
> but it's worth it !!! :wink2:
> 
> forgot to tell you, "IF", you put the business in your; Mother's, Sister's, Wife's, ect trustworthy Female in Family.. She can get Gov. Grants/Loans as a "Minority".. >
> 
> Also, "IF" you have any "Verifiable" Minority, Family ( Native American, African American, Hispanic, Asian, or about "ANYTHING-BUT" Just; European Descent...
> Another Case for a "Double-Minority" to Gov. Perks... >
> check out w/ IRS & "They" should be able to Point You in right direction to the Gov. Agencies... :wink2:
> 
> Bubba The Senile 123 :willy_nilly:


Thank you Bubba! We are working very hard. Day and night lol. 

We just put the 2 long straights up, and my god was that a mess. The top has to be supported by the wall, and it actually fell once, and almost fell when we were under both pieces of the track bolting them together. LOL. But I think we have it figured out. A good bit of wall maintenance and some track detailing and then a ton of wiring to do and we should be set!!

Does anyone know with the track mate program, can you run that one program with 2 tracks? Or do you need 2 seperate PC's? We have 2 lap counters (from 1989!) and then 1 PC with the program.


----------



## MSwaterlogged

Kartkid1,
Don't know if this will work for you, but the big box stores (home depot/lowes) have garage floor paint that is a two part epoxy. Enough to do a 2 car garage is about $100 ( I think). You can even spice up your track by adding the colored flakes to it that come in the package <g>.

Good Luck,
Charlie


----------



## Rich Dumas

You can install two copies of the Trackmate software on a single computer and assign each one to a different track. After installing the second copy you would have to go into the setup menu and tell the computer which port to look for. I have never heard of anyone running two programs at the same time, but it might work. With only a single monitor if people were practicing on two tracks at the same time some people would not be able to see their lap times. It does not take much of a computer to run the software, so you might be better off in the long run if you got a second computer.


----------



## alpink

kartkid, beg Parma to sell you those motors. explain that you are not running any nationally sanctioned events, so those would be perfect for you.

MS waterlogged has hit the nail on the head. that combo is what I was thinking.

as far as my stuff, I'll do an inventory for you and PM you after the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving


----------



## Rich Dumas

I did try opening two copies of Trackmate at the same time and I was able to do that if I either ran one of them in Demo mode or assigned it to a different port. Since I don't have another track and interface board I could not see if both programs would work properly if they were running at the same time.


----------



## kartkid1

Hey guys its me again! I feel like we haven't made much ground in the last week lol. But we really have I guess.
The big track just needs the braid tied, track painted/touched up a bit, and all of the wiring done...
We haven't went to actually look at Lowes or Home Depot for the epoxy paint, trying to be as cheap as we can with it still being an attractive track. We were thinking about painting each seam a certain shade of gray or white, we tested it on one of the seams and it looks pretty cool. (All of the seams needed sanded and needed a lot of work.) We have a friend who can do the wiring..So for now this track is on a waiting list. 

And a new addition...


We did just pick up a 1/24 1/32 Carrera Digital track. Its 3 complete sets with some cars and 4 controllers, and confusing as ever. I have never used Carrera before, so this is brand new to me. Is there anyone here that has experience with the digital sets? I have a huge list of issues and questions already...

-First off, I have looked just a tiny bit for info online, but so far I have found nothing. Or nothing that makes sense. haha. 

-The tracks we have, come with a bridge, and the banked curve. (2 of them I believe..) The bridge took me a while, but I did manage to get it standing. The high banked turn...is still confusing. I have 6 curves and some of the little riser things holding it up, and locked in place where they should be. But at certain places the track looks uneven. And we can't add any more risers to lift it up a bit to even it out. 

-The controller system. We have wireless controllers, 4 of them, and what is I believe a wireless adapter (just 1) I plugged it in to the tower 1 section and put all of the controllers on the charging port. After a while I picked the 2nd one up and started pushing random buttons, in hope something would work. One of the cars eventually started to move. Then stopped. I heard that certain lighting can affect the adapter, so I turned the lights off and tried to connect again and it worked. The 1/24 cars get stuck in the turn. The 1/32 cars have no issues at all! One thing that confused me, I had put 2 of the 1/32 cars on each lane, picked up a controller and pushed the black button (after pushing a button on the adapter) I pushed the trigger and both 1/32 cars flew down the straight into the turn. Why was this?? I was thinking maybe because I had both on the track when I set the controller up? 

-Is there a guide on how to set the controllers up by chance? 

-I put a 1/24 Parma slot car on the track, and without any controllers it flew full speed in reverse. I had to share this with you guys. lol

Oh, here's some pics of the carrera situation...
**Sorry the pics uploaded sideways...**


----------



## Rich Dumas

With digital systems the track rails are at full voltage all of the time. When you squeeze the trigger that sends a voltage to the control unit which in turn sends a digital signal to the chip in the car via the track rails. The rails carry both the DC voltage needed to run the car's motor and a low level digital signal. The chip in the car uses the digital signal to control the voltage to the car's motor. There are a number of possible problems with using a digital track in a commercial raceway setting. Digital systems can be finicky, you may find that you will often have to troubleshoot the cars or the track. Each brand uses a unique system and those are not interchangeable. If you have Carrera and someone walks in with Scalextric cars they will not be able to run them without changing the chips in the cars. The system is designed for regular set type cars and those have low powered motors. If you were to try to run several cars with more powerful motors the control unit might shut down and have to be reset.


----------



## kartkid1

Rich Dumas said:


> With digital systems the track rails are at full voltage all of the time. When you squeeze the trigger that sends a voltage to the control unit which in turn sends a digital signal to the chip in the car via the track rails. The rails carry both the DC voltage needed to run the car's motor and a low level digital signal. The chip in the car uses the digital signal to control the voltage to the car's motor. There are a number of possible problems with using a digital track in a commercial raceway setting. Digital systems can be finicky, you may find that you will often have to troubleshoot the cars or the track. Each brand uses a unique system and those are not interchangeable. If you have Carrera and someone walks in with Scalextric cars they will not be able to run them without changing the chips in the cars. The system is designed for regular set type cars and those have low powered motors. If you were to try to run several cars with more powerful motors the control unit might shut down and have to be reset.



Hmm very interesting. Carrera is new to me but I am getting the hang of a few things. Today It took me 5 hours....yeah... to set the track up. lol. But it does work well now! There are 3 lane changing pieces that work, and 2 that are iffy. I just changed the track pieces a bit but my testing car needs new braid so I haven't tried it out yet. Now, if someone would have a scalextric car and needed a different chip, is that like a generic chip that all scalextric cars can use to run on the carrera track? Or does each car have a specific chip?

I think most of my questions I had earlier were answered. There is still a lingering question I do have...

The track I put together has some spots where the pieces are secure but there is a gap between some pieces. Some of the gaps are rather noticeable, however there is no power loss with the cars, and they don't get stuck. Everything has run smoothly. Is this an issue or is this ok to leave it? I could not, for the life of me get the track to come together any other way. I tried for what seemed like an hour or more just trying to piece the track sections different ways in hopes they would lineup, but no success. 


I tried a few things out, I will list them in case someone stumbles upon this thread needing answers.

Originally my lane changing sections did not work at all. I found out: *That you need to have atleast a straight before the side with the little dots. I found out that a car that hits the changing section sideways, will not be able to change lanes. But we all know this I think. lol/B]

NEVER...and I repeat never have 2 cars on the track when setting a controller to 1 car. My god I made this mistake and 1 of my 1/32 cars flew to the other table and the spoiler broke off...

I also found out tube lighting can affect the sensors... I was having some issues until I hid the sensor a bit.

Well, I will post some pics soon of the finished track (track layout is done, possibly decorating it...

Also, if anyone wants to join the slot car facebook page its right here: https://www.facebook.com/slotsoffunspeedway/

^^^If that isn't allowed, I will remove that part of this reply...*


----------



## Rich Dumas

If you want to run a Scalexreic car on a Carrera digital track you have to install a Carrera chip or a Slot.it type C chip which works with both Carrera and Scalextric systems.


----------



## kartkid1

Rich Dumas said:


> If you want to run a Scalexreic car on a Carrera digital track you have to install a Carrera chip or a Slot.it type C chip which works with both Carrera and Scalextric systems.



Hmm interesting. Ok. Thanks for the heads up!


----------



## kartkid1

Well guys, it's been a LONG time since I posted to this thread. 


We opened up "Slots Of Fun Speedway" in January. The first week was a bit rough, but ever since then it has been pretty steady! I was told the first few months would be the hardest in a new business, but we have made enough to cover every single bill and rent. Although we haven't made money for our pockets, we are keeping this place alive  I'm hoping it doesn't die down in the summer...

Within 2 weeks of opening we started our first race night, and we get some pretty big names in racing with us. Some guys from DC come up every few weeks as well! Oddly enough Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights are our race nights, We now have 2 races in sunday, and 1 on each of the other days mentioned. 

There was a few issues with power on the track, after 3 or 4 racers would be on the track the power dropped slower than what a 16D would run. Then when a car would fall off everyone else gained like 10 mph. And of course some braid issues rise here and there, but that is expected. 

We are still trying to come up with some ideas as far as races, where else to sell (we sell some things on ebay) and basically how else to get some more money generated. We have taken the Carrera track down, and put an HO dragstrip, and HO oval in its place. They aren't set up yet but hopefully soon! 

Here is our FB page if anyone would like to check things out and support another hobby shop 

https://www.facebook.com/slotsoffunspeedway/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel


----------



## Milton Fox Racing

Good to hear things are workng out. Hope it keeps getting better. :thumbsup:


----------



## Dyno Dom

Very nice, looks bright, clean and a lot of fun. Best wishes for Good Success! :thumbsup:


----------



## Bubba 123

CONGRADS !!!
"Remember, We are ALL in This together.. And I'm Pull'n for Ya's !!!".. (Red-Green)


----------



## VirgMart

It is a good idea to start a car business. Good luck to you.


----------



## aussiemuscle308

i'd suggest buying lots of cameras and some video editing software and start putting race series on youtube. like what 3DBotMaker does with his Diecast Racing League. This would both garner a small viewship income and gain some publicity for your business.


----------



## Milton Fox Racing

Has it really been 6 years? The thread itself is just barely 3 years old....


----------



## Milton Fox Racing

Not upset, just diligent. That type of post is typical of how spammers test the waters so to speak. Aside from being an administrator here. I am also a Super Moderator and an actively involved member.

Welcome to HobbyTalk! 🤙

How is the weather in Chicago, Иллинойс, США today?


----------



## alpink

Milton Fox Racing said:


> Not upset, just diligent. That type of post is typical of how spammers test the waters so to speak. Aside from being an administrator here. I am also a Super Moderator and an actively involved member.
> 
> Welcome to HobbyTalk! 🤙
> 
> How is the weather in Chicago, Иллинойс, США today?


 ruh roh


----------

