A new craze is growing in popularity and appearing not only in the form of clubs, teams, and leagues; it’s becoming a regular addition to many guys’ garages. It’s slot car racing. 

Grown men racing intricate, expensive devices in secret clubs in Tacoma.  Secret locales.  Secret waiting lists.  There’s no talking outside slot club.

You may remember the old game that came in a 2-foot-by-2-foot box from the toy store and included two tiny cars, a couple tiny feet of track, and two tiny hand controllers. The cars ran on a guided track with a groove where the cars connected and were controllable only by speed with the gunlike hand controller.  In these secret clubs it’s railroad train sets meet NASCAR. It’s all the funny details of little model people and scenery with all the infatuation and rowdiness of testosterone.

The tracks can be more than five lanes wide with the option of changing lanes or hitting the pit for repairs. Digital gadgets attached to the track record lap times and car speeds. The most elaborate tracks have complete pit crews with pit babes, spectator stands and announcer boxes, camera men, garages, mountains, trees, graveyards and anything else whacky enough to be added to a miniature racing world.

The slot cars have been modified for speed, too.  Some have spent more than $350 on a single car and its customizing. There are replicas of nearly every automobile ever made, including semitrucks and motorcycles.

“The sport’s been around for a while, but only us hard-core racers are taking it to the next level,” says local slot car enthusiast C.K. “It’s starting to catch more attention, and we’re not all too sure we want it to. We like keeping it among the originals and the dedicated.”

The spot I visited was all business, race and win. There were competitions in fastest lap, endurance, and longest time without crashing. You’re not just holding the trigger down full throttle the whole time; you have to be careful to brake appropriately around the corners or you’re toast.

The fellas at this joint were not too open to newcomers. They limit themselves only to seasoned competitors who are as serious about slot cars. If you want to race with them you’re going to have to drop half a month’s paycheck at a hobby shop for your own track and car, get a few months practice under your belt, learn the lingo, spend a couple hundred bucks more, and then, maybe you’ll be ready to be on their members waiting list.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to get slot speedin’, you can hit up Fantasy Toy & Hobby on South Hosmer for some of the necessities or take your chances at Buddy B’s Slot Car Raceway on 70th Avenue West.