TCR - Total Control Racing
This was so much more superior to Scalectrix.

Not stuck in a slot and being able to change lanes whenever you liked and a 3rd car called the 'Jam Car' which went around slightly slower and acted like a back marker (a bit like Virgin Racing or Lotus in F1).

Another version had the back marker randomly changing lanes to add to the unpredictability of the racing.

It was awesome and shouldn't have failed. Deffo the betamax to Scalectrix VHS.
(ParaSitius is an Optimistic Pessimist, Mon 8 Nov 2010, 16:05, 10 replies)

I had one of those
as far as I could work out, the jam car was supposed to move from lane to lane, but mine always stayed in one lane.

But otherwise, it was fucking brilliant. Once you got the hang of lane changes, it was way better than Scaletrix.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Mon 8 Nov 2010, 16:09, closed)

YES YES YES YES THIS
All the idiots at school would not listen no Sir - they're the same people that now do whatever they're told by fashion and music magazines - sheeple the lot of them - I NEVER understood why people preferred Scalectrix. Stuck in the same groove? What's the point of that? On mine I can overtake whenever I like - which is ace to do too fast on downhill corners and watch your car go whizzing off the side and into the sleeping dog's belly.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 8 Nov 2010, 16:13, closed)

In fact
causing the car to fly halfway across the room out of Turn 2 was the entire *point*.
(The 2-Belo OH SHI--[Sound of impact][End of recording], Tue 9 Nov 2010, 8:12, closed)

Fourthed!
We had Dukes of Hazzard with the General Lee and a police car... had a ramp to jump the cars as well! Still have two car chassis but nothing else unfortunately!
(AndyC4m Eject Eject [><], Mon 8 Nov 2010, 16:16, closed)

yay
I had this too - probably still have it in the loft somewhere. waaay much better than Scalectrix. it might have to have an airing at xmas ...
(weaselinajetengine, Mon 8 Nov 2010, 17:54, closed)

Matchbox Race & Chase
Never had TCR (too expensive) so ended up with Matchbox's slot racing set, the gimmick being that you could reverse the track polarity to make the cars do J-turns.

Supplied with a police car and, in my case, a Le Mans Porsche (I bought a Corvette Stingray for it after Christmas so it'd be like the game in the ads)

The figure-of-eight track also had a tilting bridge that the first car could tip to prevent the following car from catching it.
The trick was to get in front with the police car and pull the reverse polarity trick to get it to slew sideways and form a roadblock.

Unfortunately, the police car was by far the slowest of the 3 and, due to a higher centre of gravity, more prone to falling off the track. The lights on it also topped working on Christmas day when, under the crossover, the Porsche rammed it at speed to break the roadblock.
( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Mon 8 Nov 2010, 22:28, closed)

TCR had a raised side on the track.
You had to severely welly it into a corner to get the car to fly off.

It's one of Scaletrix's annoyances for me - constantly having to put the car back on the track.

Of course, I don't actually have a big box of Scaletrix stuff that I play with several times a year. Well, I do, but I only do it for my daughters benefit. Same as the 6 toolboxes full of Lego.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 9:18, closed)

OMG someone remembers this!
I even remember the TV commercials. They talked up the lane-change technology as if it were nuclear physics.
(The 2-Belo OH SHI--[Sound of impact][End of recording], Tue 9 Nov 2010, 8:10, closed)

ahem . . .
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxXTEMSC_w0
( Not Pineapple anymore, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 9:20, closed)

THANK you.
I can sleep now.
(The 2-Belo OH SHI--[Sound of impact][End of recording], Tue 9 Nov 2010, 13:54, closed)