The cars are bumper-to-bumper into the final lap. It's too close to call ... and the Dodge Charger Daytona takes the checkered flag just ahead of the Plymouth Superbird! No, that wasn't the call from the latest televised race. It's the kind of heart-pounding racing thrills that you and your friends could be enjoying with motorsports for the home. Slot car racing has been around since the mid-50s, when enthusiasts "drove" their cars on model train tracks. In the 1960s, slot car racing events were featured on television shows such as "Mike Douglas," "Johnny Carson" and "Steve Allen." And Elvis loved slot cars so much that he had an entire room at Graceland devoted to the hobby. Elvis, however, never had anything like the latest slot cars from Carrera. The sport has come a long way since the days of The King of Rock 'n' Roll. Today, Carrera's "Evolution Pro-X" sets another high tech benchmark with a state-of-the-art digital system in 1:32 scale. Unlike analog systems, by fitting a micro-processor to each car and including the special digital power control unit and track sections within the layout, the new digital system lets you run multiple cars on the same track for a more realistic racing experience than Elvis ever could have imagined. The wide lane-changing sections let you pass at top speed with bumper-to-bumper thrills down the back stretch, plus raw lane change section activation as you maneuver for position, just like professional race car drivers. The Pro-X system features the latest models from Ferrari and Mercedes as well as classics like the Dodge Charger Daytona. Carrera also offers the "Exclusiv" line with cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette C6R and 1:24 scale tracks, as well as "Carrera Go!!!" in 1:43 scale featuring Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four sets for younger slot car enthusiasts. Long popular in Europe, slot car racing is gaining momentum in the U.S. as Americans - from car aficionados to hobbyists to collectors and "kids" of all ages - rediscover the thrill of this challenging and adrenaline-pumping hobby that's fun for the entire family.
