It's a sound that takes some getting used to. Little electric motors, racing down a track.
Combine that with the din of yelling. Taunting. "Dilly you gettin' out here...get on out there!"
It's night time at Hobbytown USA. But it's just getting started here.
"Kept me out of a lot of bars over the years."
Fred Hood is a pro at slot car racing. 69-years-old, and still lovin that sound.
"That's music, that's music to me. That means I'm alive, looking down at the dirt."
Slot cars are making a comeback. The list to race gets longer and longer.
"When the race starts...its a whole other matter."
Drivers come in with kits in hand. Some are already prepping. Motor tests, tire changes, you name it. Meticulous, most of them.
"Are all these people crazy people? Of course. It's an addiction. It's a great hobby though."
Whether it's the flat track or the hill climb, Fred will lap you.
He watches his car, like a hawk. Head swaying in figure 8s.
"It's total concentration."
His hand's are on a trigger. Controlling acceleration and breaking. Blink and you miss your breaking point.
Every time you crash, you lose half a lap. Maybe more. That's why these turn marshalls are hanging around. Always moving, "Ready to get you back on track."
"3 2 1 power!"
But this isn't just for well "codgers" as one man puts it. Dillion is 6-years-old, trying to make it up the leaderboard.
"Whats the best part about racing...I always win"
Here at the track...you will see young and old. That's how traditions stay tradition. Fred's given out a few pointers.
"He'll say it pretty brutally. Let me look at your lump. Haha."
"These races in Fresno went from once a week to three times a week."
While one race is going, another set of cars is waiting. And behind all the head bobbin, trigger happy, tight curve turnin, there's a driver with a need for speed.
TXT 24
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