The slot car revival in the Plymouth Meeting Mall

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – August 21, 2012 (WPVI) — Auto racing is among our most popular spectator sports, but if you wanted to be a participant, even a bad car at a local speedway would set you back thousands. But just about anyone can race a slot car, and the hobby is enjoying a real revival.

Born in the car-crazed 1960’s, slot cars came in sizes from the tiny under-the-Christmas-tree HO gauge to the 1/24th scale popular with model builders. Slightly-smaller 1/32nd scale caught on in Europe. But today, 1/32nd scale cars are the thing at Main Line Hobbies, a multi-track racing center in the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

Owner Les Kushner built the tracks himself, and is in demand making tracks for competitors and home enthusiasts. That can get pricey, but it only costs a few bucks to rent time on one of his tracks at the mall.