It’s official my and Mark’s slot car tracks are crap

When I worked with Mark at Kalmbach Publishing he and a couple of other guys there got me into slot car racing. They gave me one crappy car and I was hooked. What car guy wouldn’t be? I was sucked in and started buying more cars off eBay. Most of the other guys I raced with had tracks and of course I had to build one. Mine is a much smaller replica of Road America, a track Mark and I both love and have driven on multiple times. I was happy with it until I saw this track pictured on the left.

And I started having track envy

This is no ordinary track. It’s over the top. Built by Slot Mods USA, a Detroit-based company that builds exquisitely detailed, handcrafted slot-car racing tracks. Sure is and not cheap. Slot Mods USA tracks start at $75,000 (plus shipping and installation). For that you could have a detailed replica of legendary racetracks such as Le Mans, Monaco, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, Riverside, Road America and Watkins Glen. Measuring 12- by 20-to-30-foot tracks come complete with elevation changes, banked corners, real aluminum Armco guard rails, signage, bridges, iconic buildings, foliage, and other unique elements. Included are period-correct slot cars, pit crews and grandstands, along with integrated in-track cameras that display the action on mini-screens immersing slot-car enthusiasts into the on-track action. You think?

What guy wouldn’t want this for Christmas?

You can find it in the 2014 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book known for high-end gifts. This fits right in. Titled the Slot Mods USA Ultimate Slot Car Raceway and priced at $300,000, it includes a re-creation of the buyer’s fantasy track (Mine would be Road America) along with an inaugural race night party co-hosted by racing legends such as Vic Elford and David Hobbs. Hobbs has a Honda dealership here in the Milwaukee area. I’ve met him a couple of times and he is super nice. Neiman Marcus is donating $3,500 to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation, which supports youth arts education, for every Slot Mods USA Ultimate Slot Car Raceway purchased. Crap I need to win a big Powerball! The pictures are great but check out the video. Prepare for track envy and a lot of drooling. Keep some napkins nearby.