Our Slot Car Circuit
Circuit Map
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​Track features are named after the eleven British Formula One World Champions​​​​​​​. eg Jim Clark Straight, Button Bend.​​
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​​​​​The track is designed for 1:32 scale electric slot racing cars.
4 lanes:
Lane 1 (inside) green
Lane 2 blue
Lane 3 yellow
Lane 4 (outer) red
Construction
Base Material: 23mm birch ply, Overall board dimensions: width 242cm/96”, length 427cm/168”
Approx. 8’ x 14’, comprising four track boards
Paint: track surface – Armstead Trade (oil-based) Undercoat, dark grey
surrounding areas – Allcoat Exterior Satin (water-based) green (NCS S 3060-G30Y)
(Source: Brewers Decorating Centre, Roker Avenue, Sunderland SR6 0BA)
Track running width: 34.5cm with 5mm wide self-adhesive copper tape
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Electrical connections between track boards: 108
Nominal Voltage: 13.7 volts
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RACE DATES
Usually 1st Wednesday, 2nd Wednesday and 4th Thursday of each month.
Please check North East Restoration Club Facebook page for updated events schedule.
Subject to change in line with main NERC activities and Bad weather (snow, ice, fog etc)
Please check Facebook in case that evening’s racing is cancelled.
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Some months may have an additional race evening.
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Timing: Racing to commence 7pm prompt, concluding around 9pm.
Suggest you arrive about 6.30pm.
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CONTACTS
Jim Scott (Sunderland) 07948 389989 jimscott@live.co.uk
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Geoff White (Washington) 07410 405635 geoff.white6@btopenworld.com
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North East Restoration Club (Slot car section)
The Old Brickworks
Wilden Road
Pattinson Industrial Estate South
WASHINGTON
Tyne & Wear
NE38 8QB
(registered charity number 1181786)
Attending​
On race nights, please ‘sign in’ on the NERCS sheet (Clubroom).
Please respect NERC/NERCS property, and leave the Clubroom clean & tidy (that applies to the Clubroom as well).
Non-members to be accompanied by a NERC member in the Club workshops.
Children are to be supervised at all times. No children are allowed in the kitchen area at any time.
Participants are expected to use their own slot cars. A few “club” cars will be available for first-timers or casual visitors.
Regular racers will be expected to join the North East Restoration Club as an Associate or Full member.
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Marshalling
When not racing, participants are expected to actively marshal others’ races by promptly removing/replacing (depending on race format) crashed cars. In the event of collisions, the “innocent” car should be replaced first.
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Parking
Use the NERC car park, which is situated downhill to the right of the main entrance. Please avoid obstructing the main Club entrance or parking on the roadway, and respect disabled parking bays.
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Brief History
The North East Restoration Club was founded in 1971 to encourage and facilitate the appreciation, restoration and enjoyment of old motor vehicles.
As the Club flourished, the social side expanded and in the early 1990s the NERC Slot Car Club was formed.
Initially, we used standard Scalextric track, a two-lane then a four-lane circuit that was laboriously assembled/dismantled for the monthly race night. In the interest of fair racing and affordable fun, slot cars were mainly standard commercially available makes (with the additional “roadholding magnets removed) and competitions run to a simple knock-out format.
The group progressed to a more convenient routed wood track, then, about twenty years ago, the current professionally-prepared birch ply track that is more stable under the variable temperature and humidity conditions experienced in the NERC workshops. The NERC Slot car section operates in the NERC Clubroom. Four separate boards form the 14’ x 8’ track, which is dismantled/reassembled each month to accommodate regular Club events such as the Monthly Members Meeting.
A few years ago, sophisticated lap timing (to a thousandth of a second)/data recording was adopted but this led to the use of much faster, increasingly specialised and expensive slot cars. The racing became more serious and much less fun with the performance gap between regular cars and the ‘elite’ cars growing ever wider.
The NERCS track has recently received a make-over, and the NERC Slot car section has been relaunched in the spirit of the original club………affordable, fun racing, with (almost) everyone welcome.
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GUIDE RULES & INFORMATION
CLASSES
Class 1: historic saloon cars* vehicles produced up to 1995
Class 2: modern saloon cars* vehicles produced 1995 onwards
Class 3: historic sports/GT vehicles produced up to 1995
Class 4: modern sports/GT vehicles produced 1995 onwards
Class 5: historic Grand Prix F1, Indianapolis and other open-wheel racing cars constructed without aerodynamic wings, effectively pre-1968
Class 6: modern Grand Prix F1, Indianapolis and other open-wheel racing cars constructed with aerodynamic wings, effectively 1968 onwards
Class 7: Formula Libre any specification including motor rating, wheels, tyres etc, but must be a model of a specific car. Glazing & driver figure required as per design
*saloon cars or saloon-derived coupes
The same car may not be used in more than one class, except for Formula Libre.
ELIGIBLE CARS
All cars must run smoothly on standard Scalextric Sport/Classic track.
Basically, standard specification 1:32 scale slot cars from manufacturers:
Scalextric SCX/EXIN NINCO Revell-Monogram
Carrera FLY Airfix/MRRC
No “high performance” range models from any of the above brands.
Guide Blades:
As standard specification, maximum depth 6.0mm and length 20.0mm.
Tyres:
No sponge or silicon tyres, otherwise free choice of tyre makes, but diameter/width to be in keeping with original fitment & style of model car.
Tyres may not be glued to wheels.
Tyres may be cleaned with WD40, 3-in-1 oil or lighter fuel, but no special “sticky” preparations.
Motors:
Generally as manufacturers’ original equipment.
Maximum 20,000rpm at 12 volts.
Wheels:
Classes 2,4,6: as manufacturers’ original equipment, ie plastic wheels.
Historic classes 1,3,5 may use metal wheels but wheel/tyre dimensions to be similar to original and in keeping with style of model.
Ballast:
May be added internally to improve handling. Must be securely installed and not visible when viewing the car when placed on the track.
Body:
Must have glazing and driver figure (unless regular impact-resistant model with “blacked-out windows”.
Kit-built or Scratch-built models: to encourage modelling skills, these are welcome in historic classes 1, 3, 5, provided that they are faithful reproductions of specific vehicles. Metal chassis from “Penelope Pitlane” or RS Slot Racing are acceptable, as are the plastic or resin chassis supplied with the kit. Body shells may be plastic, resin, wood or metal. No vacuum-formed body shells.
General rules as above apply.
RACING
Dates: Provisionally & depending upon NERC activities
1st Wednesday, 2nd Wednesday*, 4th Thursday** each month
(* track dismantled, ** track assembled in advance)
Times: Racing to commence 7.00pm prompt, concluding about 9.00pm
Fees: Adults £2.50, under 16s £1 per evening session
Format: Usually “Crash & Burn”, ie if your car de-slots for whatever reason, that is the end of your race
Duration: Usually, races will be 2 minutes
Lap counting/ Timing etc: system etc to be decided
Club Championship 2026:
Over six selected meetings and using Classes 1 to 6 in order, simple knock-out competition to decide final 4 places in each round.
Points awarded: 1st 10 points, 2nd 7 points, 3rd 4 points, 4th 1 point.
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