SAN DIEGO, CA. - The Guinness Book of Records was first produced to assist in resolving arguments that might take place on matters of fact by Sir Hugh Beaver (1890-1967) in 1955.  Its purpose has been to turn the heat of argument into the light of knowledge, and has been a mainstay of the British best seller's list ever since.

On page 313 of the 1994 paperback edition, one would find that a team of eight had set a new distance record of 168.56 miles for the H.O. [1/64] Scale 24-hour Le Mans Slot Car Race driving a Mercedes at the Welfare Sports Centre, Derby [England] June 21-22, 1992.

In the spirit of international competitiveness, a team of eight All American Boys conducted a sanctioned attempt to take their rightful place in world history along side the heaviest jelly doughnut, the largest soap bubble, and the first manned space flight.

The patriotic American theme of the world record attempt included its staging over the National Labor Day Holiday weekend.

Using America's original sports car the Corvette (draped in Old Glory with Minuteman precision by Johnston Designs), the "No Substitute for Cubic Inches" Neo strategy was employed courtesy of Legends Products with technical expertise by John "Still The Jet" Cukras.  And the Total Package was "Made In The USA" by Doug Shepard of 21^st Century Sites.

The revolution's battle ground was H.O. Racing & Hobbies in San Diego, Ca. (So Cal's premier H.O. racing facility to the general public and Wally World to the rest of us).  The 61' Riverside road course is patterned after its namesake in Riverside, Ca. and features state of the art continuous rail, routed slot design.

Team U.S.A. featured John Antonio of Carlsbad, Ca., Gary Cleverley of Del Mar, Ca., John Cukras of Long Beach, Ca., Garry Haworth of Simi Valley, Ca., Francis McEntee of San Diego, Ca., Doug Shepard of Cypress, Ca., Chris Wiley of Torrance, Ca., and Dale Yamashita of Lake Forest, Ca. (guess who is who!!).

Since slot cars are the world's fastest motor sport and 1/64 Scale are the world's fastest slot cars, a crowded house of racers, spectators, relatives and media were on hand to see if the performance would live up to its billing (a.k.a. the thrill of agony and the victory of defeat).

Shortly before noon the contending vehicle was taken from its display stand to the starting line, and amid the glare of flash bulbs and klieg lights, Wally himself hooked up to the driver's panel for a once in a lifetime, one shot collective quest for slot racing immortality.

With Wally tantalizing the crowd by inching the car off the starting line and slowly working its way up to the sub-2.0 second lap range, the crowd gasped in awe at the sheer blinding speed of this miniature product of "Yankee Ingenuity".

Just as the Yankee Doodle Dandies started primping for the cameras however, impending disaster struck.  The car suddenly slipped out of gear forcing an unscheduled pit stop, only three minutes into the record run!!

With wrenches flying and new cogs installed, Dr. Cukras and crew furtively rushed the stricken racer back into action.  The patient was no sooner proclaimed in good health when the engine's main bearings went sour from implosion.   After an emergency engine rebuild, it was back on and back off the track yet again from a chassis member interfering with the drive shaft.  The early extrapolations were not favorable.

Since the "Business of America" is Business and with the clock ticking, the eight man Stars and Stripes Brigade rolled up their sleeves and got down to business.

Throughout the afternoon and into the evening the car's performance steadily improved as mechanical problems were systematically eliminated and its durability/performance quotient was optimized.  The accumulated mileage began to increase.

Meanwhile, the assembled multitude were working their calculators overtime trying to establish the revised pace.  The excitement level increased noticeably during the shank of the evening as side bets were being taken as to not whether, but when the Guinness World Record would be broken.

At 11:23:58 (PST) on September 4, 1994 history was made as champagne corks went flying onto the track !!  With over 12 hours remaining in the attempt, new side bets were taken as to total mileage for the new record.

Throughout the dark of night, the drivers let neither rain nor snow nor sleet keep them from their regularly appointed rounds as the new record only increased with every mile.  While the drivers ran their scheduled shifts, they also gathered whatever rest they could in between.

Not so the spectators.  During the quiet hours, Milt Surratt of Apple Valley, Ca. and John "Animal" Tipps of El Cajon, Ca. maintained an ever present vigil as independent witnesses to the attempt.

With early dawn beckoning over the Pacific Ocean on Labor Day morning, Wally became so enraptured that H.O. Racing & Hobbies donated a 1/64 Scale Race Set to the 24th visitor to the site of the Guinness World Record attempt. Ms. Pam Crane (Crane Cams!) of Escondido, Ca. claimed the prize within the hour.

The team of eight Patriots continued to explore New Frontiers as the hours rolled on, marching the invigorated race car through its paces.   Proud of their achievement and honored to represent America on this most momentous of occasions, these Working Class Heroes toiled by the sweat of their brow so that others could sleep more securely at night.

In true holiday spirit, H.O. Racing & Hobbies again filled to capacity on Labor Day morning as well wishers and new found enthusiasts alike created a far greater din than the race car itself could ever make.

Hugs and high-fives were the order of this New Day in Slot Racing as the countdown began to the 24th Hour of the attempt.  At the checkered flag, the new Guinness World Record stood at 375.079 miles!!

As a gesture of appreciation for all his efforts, Wally received the Guinness World Record breaking car's identical twin for permanent display a t H.O. Racing & Hobbies.  Should the new record ever be seriously challenged, America's Team stands ready, willing, and able to defend America's honor in the arena of international competition.

If not, we just might do it again anyway!!

Entire Contents Copyright © 1994-2018 21st Century Sites - All Rights Reserved