– The Marlborough Express
By:Darrel Bate
Forget the slot car set that you have stored away at home – if you still have the bug but can’t be bothered setting it up, this is the pastime for you.
Blenheim Slot Car Club members Neil and Andrew Bidwell and Nigel Boyce took part in the National Slot Car Championship last month in Dunedin, returning with some top results.
Andrew, 12, was the knockout performer, collecting second in the open class, with father Neil settling for third.
The youngster also received the most improved driver award for the second consecutive year.
Nigel was eighth overall and all three enjoyed the experience of racing against the best.
“It is not your standard slot car setup that you have at home,” Nigel says.
“It is more like a proper motorsport where you have to think about gearing, tyre compounds and other influencing factors.
“I have been involved in motorsport over the years and you get just as big a buzz competing with these 1/32 and 1/24 scale cars as you do with the real thing . . . and it’s not as hard on the wallet either.”