EMMRA Slot Racing

EMMRA Slot Racing .

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SLOT RACING
at
East Meadow Miniature Racing Association
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. I had the good fortune to meet both Colin Chapman and Jim Clark in 1966. . For the family vacation that year, my parents decided that we would visit some relatives who lived in Chicago.
(These relatives had stayed with us so that they could go to the Worlds Fair which was being held in New York in 1964.
It was at that time that my Uncle Arthur bought me my first slot car, a K&B Cobra Daytona Coupe and a Cox Hand Contol for it, at the Lee's Hobbies Raceway, on the East Meadow / Levittown, N.Y. border.) .

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K&B 1/24th Scale Cobra Daytona Coupe Slot Car Kit & Cox Hand Control
. I was fourteen years old, and was an avid slot-racer, so I brought my race kit along with me.
While in Chicago, I was able to get some time in at a track located in the suburb of Niles, Illinois.
The track had been well used by guys running Silicon Slicks, and I couldn't get any traction at all with my sponge rubber Graupners.
The guy who owned the track saw my plight, and gave me a small bottle of tire dressing to use, as I didn't want to pay the price for a pair of new silicon slicks that I would probably never ever use again.
The Tire Dressing worked like a charm, and I was able to put in some very impressive laps running with a couple of the locals.
When I got back home to my home track in East Meadow, (EMMRA), John Traut, (who owned Hobby Craft), became very interested in my story, and had a sample of the thick liquid in my unmarked bottle analyzed.
It turned out to be plain old STP Oil Additive.
He gave out samples of this 'NEW' slot-car secret weapon to some of the Pros, and when they told him that they liked the product, John marketed it under the name of 'Super- Goo'.
A can of STP cost less then $2.00, and John was able to get 15 bottles of 'Super- Goo' out of it, which he then sold for $1.50 each.
The cans of 'Cool- it' that he sold were purchased in bulk from an Auto Supplier.
They were actually the small cans of Freon used to recharge Automobile Air Conditioning units.
He paid something like $.20 each for them, and then sold them for $1.00.
I wonder if because so many kids used too much 'Cool- It' in slot racing, we were partly responsible for creating the Hole in the Ozone Layer that is now causing Global Warming.
Who knows ??? . Although I didn't want to buy Silicon Slicks, I did get an advance on my allowance so that I could buy a Pittman 6001BB Can for 10 dollars.
At the time this was a very rare motor to find, and the Plain Bushing version was much more common.
In fact, when Pittman released the motor, they only allowed TWO Ball Bearing Cans to each store, and they usually went to the Store Pros.
I became the envy of all the kids back at EMMRA when they saw my new aquisition.
(This motor, which was the Pittman answer to the 'Mabuchi Menace', was relatively slow with only 35,000 RPM's, but had great torque.
It was best suited for heavy cars on short tracks.
Being that the 'State Of The Art' was very light cars with rewound motors that spun at over 100,000 RPM's, the 6001 motor never became very popular and faded into obscurity after the initial interest in it waned.
I still have my Pittman Ball Bearing Can, and it is operational but needs a new set of Brushes.) .

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Pittman 6001BB Motor
. During the trip out from New York, we had experienced really bad traffic problems, so my father decided that we would make the return trip by going up to Canada, and taking the Trans-Canadian Highway back to New York.
The Trans-Canadian Highway was very beautiful, but also a bit scary because you could go for long distances without seeing another vehicle and you would be out of luck if you broke down.
We entered back into New York in the Finger Lakes Region, which is where Watkins Glen is located, and got a motel room for the night.
This area is also the home of Corning Glass, and the next morning, while my mother and younger brother and sister took the Corning Factory Tour, my father and I set out in search of the race track, which was about 30 miles away. . As luck would have it, the U.S. Grand Prix had just been run there the day before, and there were still plenty of Formula 1 cars to be seen on their transporters. .

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A period picture of the Pits at Watkins Glen
As you can see they were MUCH simpler back then,
and really show the Club Racing roots of the sport.-
They were easily accessible the day after the race.
The Pits were later completely rebuilt in 1973.
. After a pleasant morning of looking around, my father and I stopped at a small bar & grill at the Seneca Lodge to get some lunch.
Imagine my surprise when we ran into both Colin Chapman and Jim Clark of the Lotus team, who had just finished eating and were standing near the bar.
My father, being a very personable man, introduced us and bought a round of drinks to congratulate Jim and Colin on their victory with the Type 43.
When asked about my interests, (to engage me in conversation, as I was in awe and a bit tongue-tied), both of the Lotus men seemed genuinely interested in my explaination of slot-racing, and I went out to the car to get my race box.
(In fact, looking back on it, Colin Chapman probably got a big kick out of being lectured to by a 14 year old kid about the principals of electro-magnetic energy and scratch-built chassis design.) .

. I showed Colin and Jim my 1/24th scale Formula One car, which had a Lotus Type 25 body on it.
(I think that had suprised Colin, as I had hand-painted a Ferrari emblem on my box.
I was a big fan of the Ferrari Prototype Sports Cars at the time, but I was an even BIGGER fan of Lotus Formula One cars.)
I had scratch-built this car, hand-soldering the chassis for it from brass tubing and piano wire for strength and to save weight, and I even rewound the armature of the electric motor and replaced the magnets in it to get more revs and greater speed.
(Some guys specialized in Chassis building, while others only rewound Motors.
I did both well !!!
Looking back, the car was a miniature technical marvel, and I had learned quite a bit of science to build it.)
I was very proud of this car because I had won a number of races with it at EMMRA, where I raced.
Before we all left to go our seperate ways Jim Clark showed me his 1966 U.S. Grand Prix Victory Wreath which was hanging on the wall while Colin Chapman went out to the trunk of his rental car and removed a soiled Lotus mechanics shirt from it.
To say that my fourteen year old self was in racing heaven when he gave it to me would be an understatement.!
I have been a die-hard Lotus fan from that day on. .

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Unbeknownst to me at the time in 1966, Colin Chapman and Jim Clark were both big fans of Slot Racing, as the above picture of them competing against Jackie Stewart and John Whitmore at a Dealership Function shows.
They would get together at the homes of various other Lotus employees and have 'Slot Racing Parties'.
Great lengths of 1:32 Scale track from multiple Scalelectrix sets were laid out through the rooms of a Flat, and copious quantities of beer were consumed as the participants tried to keep theirs cars from flying off the course.
They were not aware of the level that Slot Racing had developed to here in the United States regarding the Scratch Building of Chassis and the Rewinding of Motors, which is why Colin had seemed so impressed with my cars.
I sometimes wonder if the sight of my Wedge-shaped Thingy that I made from a damaged 1966 Ferrari 312 F1 Body, in which Colin was VERY interested, had stayed in his subconsious and influenced the design of later Lotus Cars.
Cars such as the Type 56 Indy Turbine Racer of 1968, the Type 57 Formula 2 Car and the Type 58 Formula 1 Car of 1968 (which looked the most like my Thingy, especially if you cut away the Number Circle to clear the Guide Flag), the Type 61 Formula Ford Race car of 1969, the Type 64 Indy Car of 1969, the Type 69 Formula 2, 3, & Formula Ford Cars of 1970, the Type 70 Formula 5000 Car of 1970, the Type 72 F1 Car of 1970, the Type 56B Formula 1 of 1971, the Type 73 Formula 3 Car of 1972, the Type74 Formula 2 Car of 1973, the Type 76 formula 1 Car of 1974, etc..
Who knows what Pearls of Wisdom, (or Ideas), may come from the Mouths of Babes and 14 year old boys?
And after all, a Slot Car WAS a viable Scale Model of a full size car. .
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56	57	58	61

64	69	70	72

56B	73	74	76

JMM----.

. The article below is dedicated to Al Pappas, and to the other friends of my childhood. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Reflecting on a Youth Misspent Slot-Racing?
(A Testimonial to a Good Man)
. As a kid, (I was twelve years old in 1964), I vigorously pursued the hobby sport of slot-racing, which at that time was equivalent to what video games are to the kids of today.
I raced at the East Meadow Miniature Racing Association, (EMMRA), track on Long Island, which was owned by Al and Stella Pappas.
(Al Pappas had been a U.S. Army Commando during World War II, and had owned a hobby shop in Astoria, Queens.)
EMMRA was known as "The Home of the Monster", because of the giant track in the basement. . My younger sister, Daria, was good friends with Al and Stella's daughters, Penny & Kathy, which is how I met the Pappas' in the first place.
They also had a very young son, (who was handicapped), whose nickname was John-John, and who I used to look after for them when they had errands to do.
I would also run across the street to a luncheonette to pick up fried egg sandwiches and hot coffee, (Al liked his Light & Sweet), or go up the block to the Tuttle's Burger stand to get the very first 1/4 pound burger, (an honest 1/4 pound AFTER cooking), which was called the "Big Steer" and cost 39 cents at the time.
That burger was HUGE, and predated both the McDonald's Quarter Pounder, and the Burger King Whopper.
When the Tuttle's chain closed down, the building was taken over by Burger King, who is still there. . When I first started going to EMMRA it had just opened and was being managed by Stella's brother 'Lucky', as Al still had his hobby shop in Astoria.
(Lucky later left EMMRA to start a Dry Cleaning business.)
They also had a young guy working behind the counter, whose name was Paul Eng.
Paul taught me the basics of how to rewind slot car motors.
I had seen a MURA White "A" Can motor that turned up to 110,000 RPM at a track at the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center, (they weren't called 'Malls' back then), that I was saving up to buy.
Paul said why not make my own much more cheaply, and then showed me how.
Thanks Paul. . Later on, a man by the name of John Traut would take space at EMMRA for his company, (named Hobby Craft), which distributed slot car products like 'Cool- It', (which was a small aerosol can of Automotive Freon), and 'Super- Goo', (which was a small 1 ounce bottle of STP Oil Additive), as well as the major name brands such as Cox, Pactra, Dynamic, Russkit, etc..
(I would help John to box up orders that were going to his various customers. . It would be Al and Stella who would be my connection to meeting Howie Ursaner, Sandy Gross, and Roy Wong, who became giants in the sport, (and who all encouraged me in my efforts at slot racing).
Howie would frequently eat with, or even stay at Al & Stella's house when he came out to Long Island from the city.
(Al thought of himself as sort of a surrogate father for Howie, who didn't have one, and always looked out for him.) . Other friends that I made included: . Big John Dillon, (who was a former Semi- Pro drag racer).
(He gave up Drag Racing after a clutch exploded , and schrapnel went through the scattershield and hit him.
Big John generally didn't like kids, but I got on well with him, after proving my worth.) . Willy Satnick, (who was John Dillon's friend).
(Willy owned a beer distributorship that sponsered the "Ramchargers" Drag Team, the "Brewmaster" Rail, and the "Miss Budweiser" hydro-plane racing boat.
He would come to the EMMRA Dragstrip with the most beautiful Rails.
The side-plates were machined out of aluminum and highly polished & engine turned.
Willy used big old-style RAM motors that he rewound using professional automotive winding equipment.
Willy also owned one of the first Honda 750 cc. Motorcycles, (the one that was styled like a California Chopper), that came into the country.), . Roy Wong, (who built the best chassis around, and was gracious enough to share some of his tips with me).
Thanks for taking the time to explain things to me, Roy.
You made me realize that even I could build a slot-car from scratch, and pointed me to the path of Pro Racing.
I could never be as precise with my soldering as you were, but that didn't prevent my cars from being just as quick. .

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Roy Wong
. Rob Strauber, (who was considered second only to Roy Wong when it came to chassis building, especially for Formula One cars.
Rob didn't like to share, so I had to buy one of his Formula cars in order to learn its secrets.)
I remember that Rob wore glasses when he raced, just as I did. .

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Rob Strauber
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My Strauber- chassised Ferrari 312 F1.
(Sorry about the blurry picture)
. Eddie Brunnhoezl Jr., (who never let us forget that his father raced REAL cars at the Freeport (N.Y.) Municipal Stadium). . and John Tinyes.
(Eddie and John were best friends and were Pros from a track in Lynbrook, N.Y..
I bought my first 'Pro- built' F1 car from John Tinyes when I was still in the EMMRA Novice League.) .

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Formula Car Chassis by John Tinyes
(It isn't pretty, but it handled real well.)
. At that time I also met Gian Polizzi, who was an Engineer at Grumman Aero- Space and was working on the Lunar Lander.
Gian competed in the Wednesday Night Adult League races at EMMRA.
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Gian purchased a new Lotus Europa S1A , (Ser.# 460453), from Lotus East, (in Salisbury, CT.), in the early Summer of 1967.
I remember the day at the end of July that Gian came to EMMRA with it, so that everybody could check it out.
Gian lived up the block from my girlfriend, (who I had met at the Prospect Avenue Pool at the end of June), and I was one of the few people that Gian gave a ride to in the car.
I had just left my girlfriend's house and was walking home, (which was about a mile away), when Gian came cruising down the block in his new acqusition.
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In 1971 I would buy that Lotus, (which I still own), from Gian, who remembered me from the EMMRA days. .

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EMMRA-RACING-SERIES
. The Pro Formula One and Sports & GT Car Races were run on the 'Monster' track downstairs, but Al also ran a number of 'Specialty' races for Midgets, Stock Cars, (at Big John Dillons request), and 'Thingys' for kids on the tracks upstairs. .

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MIDGET-RACING
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Monogram Midget
. Later on, when vacuum formed clear plastic bodies became available we Scratch-built Midgets out of brass tubing. .

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Midget Racer Chassis
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MINIATURE-NASCAR-STOCK-CAR.RACING
. My Stock Car was a 1965 Ford Galaxy, which was actually a 1/25th scale AMT model kit that I mounted on a modified Dynamic chassis.
Most of us used these type of hard plastic kits, as there weren't many Stock Car bodies being produced for slot racing at the time, and they were hard to find.
(While NASCAR Racing is VERY popular today, back in the mid-1960's it was totally overshadowed by Formula 1, and the Sports & GT Car Racing at Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, & Riverside.
It was fairly obscure, and was relegated to mostly the Southern States who were its biggest supporters.)
The series, (which was run on the EMMRA Oval track), wasn't very popular, and when Al decided to end it, we had a Demolition Derby Race, where 'Nerfing' was encouraged.
You were out of the race once you lost 50 per cent of your cars body. .

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A Dynamic Chassis that has been Modifiefd into a Drop Arm unit.
(I choose this type of chassis for the Stock Car because I knew that things would get rough with the 'Nerfing' that took place, and I didn't think that an all tube chassis would stand up to the abuse.)-----
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' THINGY ' RACES
. For the first 'Thingy' Race, (run on the small Road Course track upstairs), Al wanted us to be creative.
I ran an old Nike Missle model kit which I mounted on a Dynamic chassis, (like the one that I used for the Stock Car).
Russ Schult ran an old worn out sneaker.
For my next 'Thingy', (as scratch-built 'Thingys were also allowed), I built one based on a Formula Car chassis, with tiny front wheels and a 1966 Ferrari 312 Formula One body that I wasn't allowed to use in regular F1 races anymore because it had been damaged. .

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Thingy Chassis
(The chassis is NOT covered with solder, ala` John Tinyes style.
It is actually made from Chrome Plated brass tubing.)
. I cut the body down into a wedge so that it looked like a door-stop, and there was a hole in the front that the top of the guide flag poked through for clearance.
It pre-dated the Lotus Type 72 John Player Special Formula One race car by FOUR Years !!!
I had great success with that car.
Later 'Thingy' races, (which were run on the EMMRA Oval), were more for kids who ran the types like the Classic "Manta Ray", BZ "Banshee", and the Cox "La Cucaracha", and weren't as much fun. .

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Manta Ray
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----------Banshee------------------------------------La Cucharacha
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N.Y.M.R.A.
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. Slot-racing was organized into a league called the New York Miniature Racing Association, (NYMRA), which was run by Charlie Cressi.
NYMRA was also affiliated with the North American Miniature Racing Association, (NAMRA), and was sanctioned to organize the NAMRA events held in New York State.
My friend Russ didn't like Charlie at all because he reminded him of a Used Car Salesman.
He used to joke that the Mafia was in town whenever Charlie came into EMMRA.
(He wasn't that far off with his observations.)
He always said that if Charlie shook your hand you had better count your fingers when you got it back.
I don't think that Al cared much for Charlie either, because he would always be agitated with a bad Migraine Headache after Charlie came in to conduct NYMRA business.
Al really didn't need NYMRA, as he was able to organize races with other tracks on his own, but he remained a member to show solidarity with the other track owners.
Besides, Charlie probably would have tried to Black List him, (or worse), if he quit. .

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A 1:24th Scale Decal was produced by NYMRA
to be used on the cars of different Store Teams.
This one is for EMMRA cars.
. The various store teams would travel from track to track, scoring points according to their wins.
At the end of the season they would receive trophies and prizes for their accomplishments, just like in the world of real racing. . I once had owned an almost complete collection of the Newsletters that NYMRA had published to keep everyone advised of the race results and driver standings.
In 1973 I lent them to Blackie Karic, (who had owned Blackies Raceway), and never got them back.
His sons Lorin, Steven, and Andrew had gone to East Meadow High School with me and my younger brother Bob, and Andy was a friend of his, (along with Dave Goren, Jim Pepper, and Doug Miller).
Andy was a big fan of the Grateful Dead, while his brothers leaned more towards Jazz and Fusion.
In fact, it was because of Andy Karic that I later got a job at a Medical Supply Company after I had gotten married, as his mother Evelyn was well placed in the company.
(Andy had had a close relationshipship with my fiancee Nancy, and as a Wedding present had given her a white Formica coffee table that he had made in the Wood Shop at East Meadow High, after we got married in 1972.
That made Andy's girlfriend Denise Liff even more jealous of their relationship, as I think that she had wanted it.)
Andy is now a very successful Building Contractor in Tucson, Arizona. .

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Andy Karic
(Now)
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EMMRA-NOVICE-LEAGUE
. The EMMRA Novice League Races were held on Saturday mornings.
They were run on the various EMMRA tracks according to age and appitude.
The very young kids and Amateurs were started on the Oval track.
When you reached the Intermediate stage you competed on the upstairs Roadcourse track, and when you got to the point that you could really handle a car you got to run on the Monster track downstairs. . Al also organized an Inter-Store Novice Series where the best Novice Racers of each Store competed against each other at various 'Away' races that were held on the tracks of the other stores.
I remember races being held at Hobbytrack, Mid-Island, Big Daddy's, and Vic's. . Lee's Raceway was invited to join the Novice League, but declined as the owner didn't like the competiton for Customers dollars from the Monster track located just down the road from him.
Mr. Lee owned the Hobby Shop on Front Street in East Meadow, and had opened his track first.
(In fact, that is where I got my first Slot Car and Hand control.)
He had spent a considerable amount of money on his 'Fancy" store, (which was located on the East Meadow / Levittown border next to the Howard Johnson's at the intersection of Hempstead Turnpike and Wantagh Parkway), and was jealous that Al was stealing his 'Thunder', as EMMRA had become known as 'THE' Slot Car track of East Meadow. .
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. I was classed as a Semi-Pro by NYMRA, having taken 1st Place in the Saturday morning EMMRA Novice League Championship for two years running, (1965 & 1966). .

.(Photo: Mr. Rosen)--------------

Jeff Rosen and me preparing our cars for a
Saturday morning EMMRA Novice League Event
(Thats me in the glasses, and Jeff's little sister is sitting behind me.)
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EMMRA Novice League
Inter-Store Series Medals
. My last Novice League race was a 6 hour Enduro Race for 4 man teams, that Al ran.
I was a Techno-Geek whizz- kid, (not unlike the video game players of today), as the above picture can atest to, and I built the car, a white & gold Porsche Carrera 6 with a double-wound motor.

My team mates were:

. Russ Schult, (who later ran a carpentry business in Upstate New York, which was called Scienceville Custom Woodworking). .

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Russ Schult
. Jeff Rosen, (who later became an Audio Recording Engineer, and worked at the Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland Studio in NYC). . and Scott Ruberl, (who later went to Cornell University for Automotive Engineering).
In 1972 I ran into Scott Ruberl, (my old teammate from the Novice League Enduro), and he had also bought a Lotus Europa S1A, (Ser.# 460323).
He had gotten it after a previous owner had damaged the front of the car when a telephone pole jumped in front of him, causing him to hit it.
Friends shouldn't let friends drive drunk !!! . Each man had to race for 45 mins., and then turn the car over to the next driver.
Three hours of the race was run in the pitch dark of the EMMRA basement, with only grain of wheat bulbs for illumination on the cars, and a small Red Light over the Drivers Station.
This was quite a feat on a 475 foot track !!!
(I like to think that developing the patience to master the giant EMMRA track prepared us all well for our later callings in life.) . My team won the race, and I was made a Semi-Pro so that I couldn't compete in the Novice League events anymore. .

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EMMRA
. At street level, EMMRA took up three entire storefronts of a building on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow, N.Y., (the Law Office of W. Timothy Darrah, who owned the building, was on the Second Floor above it).
Russ Schult and I later went to East Meadow High School with his son Tim, who was the Captain of the Football Team.
Tim remembered us from EMMRA, and we were the only 'Long Hairs' that he protected from the other jocks harrassment.
On the First Floor EMMRA had a big 80 Foot Indy-style oval track, and a large 170 foot road-course track, as well as a true 1/24th Scale Drag Strip.
Al knocked a hole in the rear wall of the building at the end of the Drag Strip, and built an enclosure into which he stuffed a surplus Parachute and Foam Rubber Blocks.
This acted as a trap to catch the cars at the end of their run.
He also installed Car Batteries and a Variable Power Supply from which up to 24 Volts and all the amperage that you could ever want was available.
A micro-switch activated Trigger Unit was used to Time the cars, some of which made the 55 foot scale run so fast that you could hardly even see them.
A miniature Christmas Tree would blink down to the Start.
When you punched the button to launch your car, it would also start the timer circuit.
At the end of the Strip was a small trestle with two arms that were attached to micro switches.
When the nose of your car touched the arm, it would trip the swich causing the timer to stop and also kill the power to the lane.
It was a simple and effective system.
I ran a 1/24th Scale Ford GT-40, with a Versitec-Globe SS-91 motor in a Dynamic inline chassis, on this Drag Strip.
The car was VERY quick, and tops in its Class.
The Globe was one of the few Stock motors that could be run at 24 volts, and it had a lot of torque.
It was a really nice motor, which had a Multi-pole armature and Ball Bearings at each end.
Advertising for the motor claimed that it had a connection to NASA, and it was impressive in the quality of its construction.
However, it was larger and heavier then the Mabuchi 16D can that we favored, and it was not well suited for the scratch-built cars that we were running in the sprint-type races. .

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Versitec-Globe SS- 81 & SS- 91 Motors
. The diagrams below will give you an idea as to how EMMRA was laid out.
(The diagrams are NOT to scale.) .

. EMMRA was the home of the LARGEST, (first at 475 feet and later 525 feet), slot-car track in the United States.
This track was located downstairs, and it took up the entire basement of the three storefronts above it. .

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THE-Track
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The 'Monster'
(475 foot version)
Thats Al Pappas with the Goatee` Beard who is barely visible in the Far Left Foreground.
Also barely visible is a car at the start of the longest Third Straight in the center of the picture.
The track was run COUNTER-Clockwise.
.

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The above picture of "The Monster" appeared in
the April, 1966 issue of "Car Model" Magazine.--
. It was claimed by some that the EMMRA track was the SECOND largest in the world.
This point was hotly debated at the time, as the EMMRA track was built as a commercial venture, and was open to the general public.
The only track that was longer was in South Africa, a FOUR lane behemoth that was a little over 600 ft. long, (some said 613 feet).
It was built in an aircraft hanger and owned by a private club, and was NOT open to the general public.

The 525 ft. EMMRA 'Monster' was actually a SIX LANE Track, although only the four center lanes were used for racing events.
If the length of the extra TWO Lanes are added in, the total length of the 'Monster' was 3150 Feet, making it the Worlds Largest Track !!!
(Even the 475 foot version equaled 2850 Feet.)
Without a doubt EMMRA was the LARGEST COMMERCIAL TRACK that was ever built, (and it could be enjoyed by EVERYONE, not just a privileged few), even if the South African track was longer.!

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South Africa: 613 Feet X 1 lane = 613 Feet
South Africa: 613 Feet X 4 lanes = 2452 Feet
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(A 1/24th scale roadcourse that is 613 Feet long would equal 2.78 scale miles.
A 1/32nd scale roadcourse would equal 3.71 scale miles.)
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EMMRA Monster 1: 475 Feet X 1 lane = 475 Feet
EMMRA Monster 1: 475 Feet X 4 lanes = 1900 Feet
EMMRA Monster 1: 475 Feet X 6 Lanes = 2850 Feet
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(A 1/24th scale roadcourse that is 475 Feet long works out to 2.16 scale miles .
A 1/32nd scale roadcourse would be 2.87 scale miles long.)
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EMMRA Monster 2: 525 Feet X 1 lane = 525 Feet
EMMRA Monster 2: 525 Feet X 4 lanes = 2100 Feet
*** EMMRA Monster 2: 525 Feet X 6 Lanes = 3150 Feet ***
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(A 1/24th scale roadcourse that is 525 Feet long would equal 2.38 scale miles.
a 1/32nd scale roadcourse would be 3.18 scale miles long.)
. The lanes were Color-Coded as Red - Orange - Yellow - Green - Blue - Violet, with Red being the outside lane of the track at the Start / Finish Line closest to the Drivers Station. . The finish of the surface on the 475 foot track was Flat Black paint, but when the track was extended to 525 feet it was given a Gray Epoxy paint finish.
That is the best way to tell what version of the track you may have raced on.
Lubri-Plate worked well as a tire dressing on both surfaces, but some guys liked to use Super-Goo, (which was really STP Oil Additive), on the Epoxy surface.
The use of silicon slicks and silicon based tire dressings was a No-No, as they ruined the surface for anything else. . My best friend, (Russ Schult), and I would go to EMMRA as soon as we got out of school, and spent about 3 hours there every day during the week.
Since we were competing in the Saturday morning Novice League, we would spend all day there on Saturday, which is how we became friendly with many of the Pros who would arrive early to practice for the various Races that were held on Saturday nights.
EMMRA was closed on Sunday, as the New York State Blue Laws were still in effect back then.
Russ and I became fixtures at EMMRA, eventually exchanging small labor duties, (like sweeping up and helping the Novices with their cars), for track time on "The Monster".
(Russ and I later had a small business building scratch-built Pro-quality cars, which we sold for $25.00, which was a nice piece of change for us back then.
I would rewind the motors and build the chassis and running gear.
Russ was the salesman, and would custom paint the bodies to order.
We called ourselves S & M Slot Racing, (Russ had a sardonic wit), and we even printed up business cards on the printing press in the trade shop at Woodland Junior High School.) . Russ and I helped Al Pappas and Don Haines with the expansion of the EMMRA track to 525 feet.
Don Haines was a Master carpenter by trade, and he measured and cut all the wood, and routed the slots in the sheets of 1 inch Marine-Grade Plywood, (which was special ordered and very expensive, but Al didn't scrimp on the quality of his track).
After Don cut the wood, Al would show us how it all went together, and Russ & I would nail or screw it into place.
(This was done on the sly, because of the Child Labor Laws.
Russ and I both had a good working knowledge of carpentry.
Russ had an uncle who owned a contracting busness, and Russ would help him build houses in Southhold out on Eastern Long Island during the summers.
My father was into wooden hull power boats, and I had to help with their maintainance.) . Russ and I laid most of the Stainless Steel contact braid on the lanes, a tedious chore that I will never forget as it involved soldering irons to heat the adhesive, and lots of burnt fingers.
The Stainless Braid was more expensive then the Copper Foil contact strips that were used on most other tracks, but it was much more durable and required less maintainance in the long run.
We also ran new heavier gauge parallel wires from the power packs to various points on the track, so that there wouldn't be any power drop-offs.
Power was fed by multiple Model Rectifier Corporation 12 volt Power Packs, and 12 volt car batteries were also wired in to keep the amperage up, so the rewinds really screamed.
(On other commercial tracks which didn't use the parallel lines and extra car batteries, the power would drop off the farther away from the power packs that you got, and it dropped even more if you had four hot rewinds on the track at the same time.
This would cause a power surge to the other cars if one deslotted during a race.
This could be unnerving, especially if you were on a high speed straight or banking, as it might cause you to lose control.)
For our efforts on the track, Russ and I became part of the EMMRA inner circle, and were rewarded with unlimited free track time on 'The Monster', (when no paid customers were using it), by Al.

In spite of what one may think, the track wasn't expanded in order to try to make it bigger than the South African track, (since technically it was already bigger).
As much as Al might have liked to have made it even longer, there just wasn't enough room in the basement.
In reality, the track was renovated in order to make it easier to drive on !!!
It was hoped that it would become more attractive to customers.
.
Being a commercial venture, Al had to take into account all of the complaints that people gave him about the track.
The biggest one was that you spent more time walking around the track in order to retrieve an errant car than you did actually driving on it.
This was especially true for the many kids who used their allowance money to book time on it during the weekdays after school, and on who Al depended for his daily bread.
(Even after the renovation, although the track was easier to drive on, it was not as popular as would have been hoped for.
The lights to the basement were kept off as a cost cutting measure, unless there were drivers actually running on the track.)

. The expansion involved: . Removing the first few rows from the Spectator Gallery, so that the the first two straights could be moved closer to the right side wall.
This allowed more room to reconfigure the small road course in the middle of the track, which you entered into when you went under the bridge.
(This was the section where Al added a series of three small elevation 'Humps', which you went through before returning to the Start / Finish line.). . Making the first two straights longer, pushing the Dead Mans (Cemetary) Turn to within 24 inches from the far wall, (which didn't sit well with the Fire Marshall's inspection, as that was the absolute bare minimum that the law allowed for a Fire Exit passage). . Increasing the length of the Third Diagonal Straight to over 100 Feet long, and increasing the radius of the Hill / Bank turn at its end, (which changed it into a flatter and more sweeping Monza-style bank). . These changes looked so subtle that many people would probably never have known the difference, unless they were regular users of the track. . (Visible in the above picture is the one BIG design flaw of the original track.
The Hill / Bank turn at the end of the third straight was hard up against the enclosure which housed the buildings heating unit.
There was a 'Hole' that a turn marshall had to stand in during a race, which could only be reached by climbing over the track.
Obviously that was not possible to do during a race, so the marshall was stuck in the small 'hole' for the duration.
This was a dangerous situation, because cars coming down that long Third Straight were launched like missles at the turn marshall, who had to duck for cover.
When Al renovated the track, he was able to fix the problem.
He tore down the old enclosure, and built a smaller one around the furnace.
The Fire Marshall also raised his eyebrows at that, but Al had followed the letter of the law, allowing heat to escape by leaving the top of the enclosure open.
The smaller enclosure allowed Al to change the angle of the third straight just enough that he could rebuild the Hill / Bank turn at the end.
There was even enough room for a small person to squeeze through the opening, (which was just over 12 inches wide), that he was able to leave between the track and enclosure, so the turn marshall was no longer trapped in the 'Hole' there.
The marshall was now able to stand in front of the furnace enclosure, having to only enter the 'Hole' when he had to retrieve a car.
Since I was one of the smaller people at the races, I usually got assigned to marshall that turn.
With the changes that were made to the turn, not as many cars were launched off the end of the straight anymore.
It took 19 marshalls to cover the entire track for a race !!!) . Al decided to change the color of the tracks surface to differentiate the new version from the old.
(If a Black Epoxy finish had been used, nobody probably would have noticed any difference in the track at all.) . To celebrate the Re-Opening of the track, Al held an Invitational Sports & GT Car Race.
Howie Ursner won the race, with Sandy Gross coming in Second.
This was my first Pro Race, and not only did I qualify in the Heats, I placed Seventh in the Semi- Final.
This was a fine showing for a recent Novice like me considering that I was running against the BEST of the local Pros who attended, and it portended a bright future in slot- racing for me. .

.
My first Trophy running against the Pros
.

.
TEAM-EMMRA
. I was proud to be asked to represent the track as a member of the EMMRA Racing Team. .

.
Me
(Then & Now)
. The EMMRA Racing Team had included: . Howie Ursaner, (who was considered to be the best racer around.
I remember that Howie won a 24 hour Enduro Race at Hobby Track Raceways on June 18 - 19, 1966, which was held on the same day and time as the real 24 Hours of Lemans.
It started at the exact time on Saturday that the real race started in France at 4:00 PM GMT.
The race was classed as a Private Event, and the track was closed to the General Public.
That way the end of the race was not affected by the Blue Laws restricting business on Sunday.)
The Entry Fee for that race was $100.00, so only the Best of the Best could compete in it.
Howie won a real car for his efforts, (a new Corvette, I think), but he didn't have a license to drive it, or a place to put it, so he had to sell it.!!!
A few years later the Hobby Track storefront on Hempstead Turnpike would become a New Age boutique' / headshop called Pysche-Delight.
Howie went on to become a collector and dealer of classic Corvettes. .

.
Howie Ursaner
(Then & Now)
. Sandy Gross, (who was Howie's best friend and 'Wing-Man').
Sandy was the Technical brains of the outfit, and stayed on top of the newest innovations in slot racing.
Howie may have been one of the best Drivers, but he couldn't build a competitive slot car himself, and depended on others to do that for him.
Collectively, Howie and Sandy were known as the 'Gold-Dust Twins'.
Always the true Technician, Sandy later went on to design Speakers for Polk Audio, which are still highly prized by audiophiles to this day.
He now owns his own company, Definative Audio Technology, which make VERY high end home theater systems. .

.
Sandy Gross
(Then & Now)
. Both Howie and Sandy had raced for Polks Hobbies, before joining the EMMRA team.
After a trip out to the West Coast, the 'Gold-Dust Twins' became Team Russkit East, receiving sponsership from Jim Russell and his company, and quit the EMMRA Team, (which they were contractually required to do having to devote all of their effort to being Team Russkit East), and this greatly disappointed Al.
(One of the first things that Howie and Sandy had to do for Russell was to promote his Pistol-grip Hand Control.
Prior to defecting to the Russkit control, Howie and Sandy had both used the Tower-Stat unit, (which was made by a local company which was located in Valley Stream), as did the rest of us, (and which most of us remained true to).
They spouted the company line: "The thumb is strong, but the finger is quick.", which was used in the advertising.
We all thought that it was a crock, and opted to give the formerly invincible 'Gold-Dust Twins' the bird instead, by winning some races from them before they had really gotten the hang of using their new controllers.
The finger may be quick, but the thumb is STABLE and does not fatigue as fast, especially on a track as large as 'The Monster'.
In fact, some Pros who did switch to the Russkit unit did not use it as it was designed.
Instead of gripping it like a Pistol, they turned it at a right-angle and worked the trigger with their thumb.
This had the added advantage of moving the heat of the resistor farther away from their hand.) .

.
Russkit Pistol-Grip Hand Control
. Don Haines, (who had been the Manager and Store Pro at Hobby Track Raceways in Levittown, N.Y., before he defected to EMMRA). . Jack Friedmann, (who usually always won the Concours de' Elegance prize with his beautiful cars).
(Jack's only real competition in the Concours was Jose Rodriguez Jr., and Mike Roth.
It was required that the Concours entrants compete in the race.
Jack actually raced his cars.
Jose and Mike would each make one slow lap, and then 'retire', so that their cars wouldn't get damaged.) . and little Vinny Evangalista, (who was only 12 years old, and had been a Pro at a track in Plainview).
Vinny and I had been asked to join the EMMRA Team when Howie Ursner and Sandy Gross quit.
I built a number of cars for Vinny, which he did very well with.
He had a serious illness that no one wanted to talk about, but he was always cheerful.
His father was very indulgent to him, buying him the best equipment and driving him to races far and wide. . These guys were all classed as NYMRA Pros and traveled around competing for prizes, money, and glory.
.
I only mention the above facts to establish my credibility as a competent competitor, and historian of the time period. .

.
ANECDOTE
. A memory that you may enjoy and relate to involves the first time that I met and raced against Steve Vogel, Bob Emmot, and Rob Strauber, who were all classed as NYMRA Pros.
It was at a Inter-Store Race that Al Pappas had set up between EMMRA and Vic's Raceway in Cambria Heights, N.Y., which was held on a Friday night, (on October 28, 1966).
(I bought a Ferrari 312 F1 car from Rob Strauber at this race.)
It was my first race on the EMMRA Racing Team, and I placed in the Semi-Final, which was a good showing for my first time out. . Steve Vogel had a gorgeous girlfriend (wife?) with him, who had long blond hair.
I thought she looked good enough to be in Playboy.
(I hope that I am not being out of line or 'Politically Incorrect' by saying that.
I only use it as a reference because of the standard of beauty that the magazine has come to represent.)
I had worn a faded denim 'Poor-boy' cap, (which was in fashion at the time), to the race.
Steve's lady commandeered my cap for the night, and she made me sing the chorus of the Hollie's song "Stop, Stop, Stop", (which had just been released and was a big hit), with her every time that it was played on the portable radio that she had brought along.
She even made me sing it while I was trying to race !!! .
"Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, give me time to breathe.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, or I'll have to leave."------
. (Maybe SHE was Steve's secret weapon for winning, because it certainly wasn't easy to concentrate with her around.) .
**********************************************
"Stop, Stop, Stop"
Clarke - Hicks - Nash
1966
.
"See the girl with cymbals on her fingers, entering through the door.
Ruby glistening from her navel, shimmering around the floor.
..
Bells on feet go ting-a ling-a linging, going through my head.
Sweat is falling just-a like-a tear drops, running from her head.
.
Now she's dancing, going through the movements, swaying to and fro,
Body moving, bringing back a memory, thoughts of long ago.
.
Blood is rushing, temperature is rising, sweating from my brow.
Like a snake, her body fascinates me, I can't look away now.
.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, give me time to breathe,
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, or I'll have to leave.
.
Now she's moving all around the tables, luring all in sight.
But I know that she cannot see me, hidden by the light.
.
Closer, closer, she is getting nearer, soon she'll be in reach.
As I enter into a spotlight, she stands lost for speech.
.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, give me time to breathe.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, or I'll have to leave.
.
[Break]
.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, give me time to breathe.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, or I'll have to leave.
.
Now I hold her, people are staring, don't know what to think.
As we struggle knocking over tables, spilling all the drinks.
..
Can't they understand that I want her, happens every week.
Heavy hand upon my collar, throws me in the street.
.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, give me time to breathe.
Stop, stop, stop all the dancing, or I'll have to leave."
.
********************************************** When she returned the cap at the end of the night Steve's lady gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me that I was cute, which made me blush.
(The other guys ribbed me about it during the whole ride home that night !!!)
That was quite a moment for me as I was turning 15 on the following Sunday, (October 30), and I was just first getting out into the world of adults.
I really had a lot of fun that night, and it's sad that I can't remember her name now.
(I still have the cap, as it proved to be popular with a great many of my later girlfriends who all took a turn in wearing it).
To this day, I think about that race every time that I hear that Hollies song on the radio. .

.
SOME-ACCOMPLISHMENTS
.

. Al ran a multi-race series at EMMRA in 1966, which was called the "Tournament Of Champions", in which the local Pros competed, and in which I placed Fourth Overall. .

.
EMMRA-INDY-500
.

.
My 1st Place EMMRA Indy 500 Trophy
I also received a set of 2 Cut Glass Whiskey Decanters as a Prize,
just what every 15 year old kid needs.---------------------------------------------
I still have them !!!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
. I also won the 1967 EMMRA Indy 500 race in May, which was held on the Oval track upstairs.
I won that race with a 27 lap lead !!!
I would have won by more, but I had to stop and repair my drop arm, (within 5 minutes, or be disqualified), after I got 'nerfed' and was sent sailing into the plate glass window at the front of the building.
(I ran a 28 gauge single-wound sprint motor in my car, while the other drivers ran 31 or 32 gauge double-wound enduro motors.
Everyone thought that I would burn up, but I didn't, thanks to a couple of cans of Cool-It.) .

.
"Simplify, and add lightness" - Colin Chapman
.

.
My Indy 500 Chassis
(Which of course wore a Green & Yellow Lotus Type 38 body.)
. I would be 'HOT' going into the NAMRA LeMans race, (which was being run on the 'Monster' one week later). .

.
MY-LAST-CAR
.

. The last car that I ever built was a Lola T-70 Coupe with a very special motor in it, which I still have.
(The body was vacumn- formed by Pactra.)
The NAMRA Rules stated that you could only use the body of a real car which was actually qualified to race at Le Mans.
The Lola T70 Coupe was eligible, but the Lola T70 Sports Car was not.
As I mentioned before, it took a fairly good knowledge of technology and science to build a competitive slot car. .

.
1967 NAMRA Le Mans GT Car Chassis
(Notice the Cox Quick Change Contact Guide Flag)
. The chassis was based on a Roy Wong design.
(I learned about scratch-built chassis design from both Roy and Rob Strauber, who built them for the other Pros.)
The front wheels rotated independently on a hand-made 1/16th dia. piano-wire axle, and the rear axle ran in 1/8th ID. tubes, and was lubricated with Lubri-Plate.
The chassis was built to NAMRA standards, for the 1967 NAMRA LeMans race that was being held at EMMRA.
NAMRA mandated that the wheelbase and the front & rear track had to be to the exact scale of the real car that was being represented, and that the rear tires couldn't be more than 1/2 inch wide.
Minimum chassis ground clearance was a strict 1/16th inch.
All NAMRA cars had to pass a rigid Tech Inspection, (after which they were impounded), before they were allowed to compete.
My car passed the NAMRA Tech Inspection with flying colors.
Notice the Russkit Chassis Jig base in the pictures.
A knowledgable eye will also detect the use of Gray Grauper Model Airplane Tires in the rear, which have been glued to the tire rims and then cut down to the 1/2 inch maxmum width that was dictated by NAMRA.
They were then painted black. .

.
This Russkit tool had adjustable fixtures that held the axles, which were set by using a scale ruler.) .

. I rewound the motor with 26 gauge STERLING SILVER wire, (visible in the picture below), which had a lower resistence than copper wire did.
It gave a resistance which was equivilent to using 24 gauge copper wire.
I had gotten a spool of this magic wire from my grandfather, (who was a whizz with electronics), as it wasn't commercially available at any of the tracks at that time.
I reinforced the commutator, (by epoxying the fiber insulating washer to its top and wrapping it with sewing thread which became inbedded in the epoxy), and I replaced the magnets in the can with Arco 33's. . Champion recommended the use of an armature wound with 45 to 50 turns of 28 gauge wire with these magnets.
All of the local Pros were using 27 gauge rewinds with them, and I was really pushing the envelope with 26 gauge Silver wire.
It is interesting to note that the current 'Hot' Parma motors have 60 turns of 28 gauge wire in them.
I guess the power supplies that most modern tracks now use can only handle that, but back in the 'Golden Age' that would have been considered a slow Enduro motor !!!
Other favorite Enduro winds were 80 turns of 30 gauge wire or 100 turns of 31 gauge, which could also be Double Wound as 40 over 40 x 30 gauge or 50 over 50 x 31 gauge. .

.
Packaging for Champion "Arco 33" Magnets
.

.
16 Series Mabuchi "A/B" Can Installed in Chassis
(The Sterling Silver wire can be more clearly seen in this picture.)
.

. In this picture a bright piece of metal can be seen on the bottom of the motor.
This is a Shim that is used to bring the magnets closer to the armature, thereby increasing their efficiency.
The Shim also prevents lost Set Screws and other Road debris from being picked up on the track and entering the motor.
The Set Screw on the Gear appears to be too long.
That is because I would use TWO short set screws to lock the gear in place.
I would insert one that would butt up against the flat on the axle, and then would use another one to lock the first one in place. . Notice the use of an "A" armature in a "B" can with the large bearing housing on its end.
The engine bracket for the "A" type can had more meat to it in the center, and was therefore stiffer, especially once it started to absorb heat from the motor.
This prevented chassis flex that could bind up the rear axle.
An added benefit was that the close proximity of the bracket to the motors brush springs made it act like a heat sink, and helped draw heat away.
I put double springs on the brushes to prevent 'float', with Chrome-plated brass sleeves on the mounting posts to better reflect the heat to the end bracket .
I used standard endbell caps, and never had a problem with them melting, like the guys who ran "B" cans did. . The large brass bearing housing, (which held a self-aligning rotatable bronze bearing), on the "B" can end, also acted as a heat sink, helping to draw heat away from the armature and magnets.
When magnets get hot, they lose some of their strength.
That is why the Arco Magnets made from Alnico material, (which is an alloy of Aluminum, Nickel, Iron, Copper, and sometimes Titanium), were more desirable to use as they have a Field Strength of 1500 Gauss up to a temperature of 760 to 890 degrees Celsius.
Since they were twice as strong to start with then the stock Mabuchi ceramic magnets, (which are a nonmetallic compound of pure grades of iron oxide and strontium carbonate, and small quantities of other metal oxides suspended in a ceramic matrix with a Field Strength of 700 to 750 Gauss up to a temperature of 450 degrees Celsius), even if the Arco magnets got excessively hot during a race they would still be stronger in the end.
Even 40 years later, there is a strong 'snap' to the magnetic field when you manually rotate the armature.
The magnets are that good. . Another advantage of using the "B" can was that the gimbal mounted rotatable bearing acted like a Ball Bearing when it was lubricated with sewing machine oil.
The "A" type cans used a small fixed bushing. .

.
------"B" Can--------------------------"A" Can
.
(Compare the larger size of the Massive Bearing in the "B" can to the Bushing in the "A" can.)
. The fact that the can is Blue is coincidental, as they were sold by Champion in that color as a Spare Part.
The tabs that closed the motor would easily break off, so Champion offered cans, (with or without Arco magnets installed), that were pre-drilled so that they could be screwed to the endbell.
Mabuchi Cans actually came in a rainbow of colors.
Revell originally used cans that were painted Gray, and later they used a Silver color.
Monogram used Red.
Russkit had a Golden Bronze color, and MPC-Classic cans used Orange.
Cox cans were Chromed, and Mura cans were White.
I even have some dark Green ones, but I forget their origin. .
**********************************************

My hand controller of choice was a 5 ohm Tower-Stat (with the Orange thumb button), and a can of 'Cool-It'.
I had been using a 15 Ohm Cox Hand Control prior to this, but made the switch to the Tower-Stat unit after Howie Ursaner let me try his out during a practice session that we had on the 'Monster' before an evening race.
The Ohmage of the Tower-Stat resistors was indicated by the color of the thumb button on the Controller, ie: Red for 3 Ohms, Orange for 5 Ohms, Yellow for 7.5 Ohms, Green for 10 Ohms, Blue for 15 Ohms, and Violet for 25 Ohms.
Tower-Stat also made a controller for HO Racing which had a Black button.
The lower resistence Tower-Stat controllers were notorious for burning out their resistor boards, which were flat pieces of bakelite with wire wrapped around them.
Even using Cool-It to keep the heat bearable, I would sometimes still get blisters on my hand during a long race, and some guys wore cut-off gloves when using them.

.
Tower-Stat 5 Ohm Hand Control
. I also had a 10 Ohm large square ceramic ballast resistor wired into the Brake circuit.
The car would actually creep backwards a little when you first put it on the Start Line if you didn't keep the controller plunger minutely depressed.
(Being that the plunger exited at the bottom of the Tower-Stat control, I positioned it to maintain equilibrium between the Polarities, and glued a rubber 'O'-ring on it to keep it at that position.)
This Back Creep would cause you to have to regroom the Pick Up contact wires on the Guide Flag.
We would take standard Pick Up Contact Braids and unbraid them with a Straight Pin. ..

. We then used a small wire brush to groom the unbraided wire straight.
The contacts would wear much faster and were usually shot by the end of a race, but using contacts with individual instead of braided wire allowed the Guide Post Flag to ride deeper in the slots of a track.
Eventually, a manufacturer offered Soft Copper Wire Pick Up Contacts made this way, for the use of the 'Professional Driver'.

The principle of an electric brake is used today on modern professional power tools like Miter Chop Saws.
When the power trigger is released, a reverse polarity charge is applied to the motor, stopping the rotating saw blade almost instantly.

. The whole Control package was so sensitive it was almost an 'On-Off' switch, which required very quick reflexes to operate. . As I said earlier, you had to learn quite a bit of science in order to build a competitive slot car !!! .

.
MY-LAST-RACE
June 10, 1967
. My last race was the 1967 NAMRA LeMans race, which was run on Saturday, June 10, 1967, when the real LeMans race was held.
All of the local Pros, (including Howie Ursaner and Sandy Gross), were at another Le Mans race in New Jersey which was offering large Prizes, so Al Pappas asked me to represent EMMRA on the home track.
In order to be allowed to compete, I had to join NAMRA.
That cost me $25.00, including the Race and Tech fees, which was a pretty steep price for a fifteen year old kid to pay.
(Most races usually only cost between $3.00 to $5.00 per driver to enter.
I found out later that the 'Membership Fee' that I had paid had been inflated ONLY FOR ME, in the hopes that it would disuade me from competing in the race.
I borrowed the money from Al Pappas so that I could !!!
After paying my dues, I thought that I was recognized as a NAMRA member in good standing, and was supposed to receive a membership package.
That didn't last very long.) . I was the youngest driver at the meet, but had the most experience on the track, based on my YEARS of practice and competition.
(I used to pace Howie Ursaner, as he practiced on the track testing out new cars.
I learned quite a bit from Howie and Sandy Gross, and I was able to refine and hone my driving style by running with them.)
Most of the other drivers had never even seen the track before, (in fact, since NAMRA was a national organization, many of the drivers were from out of the area), and 'The Monster' was a track that required many, many hours of practice to learn.
(As can be confirmed by reading the statements of Pros like Howie Ursaner and Sandy Gross, who were very familiar with the track, on any of the Slot Car Forums concerning the subject of EMMRA.)
The other drivers were all pretty lame trying to get around it, and some couldn't finish even a single lap.
(You must also remember that because all of the Pros were at another race, the drivers that I was competing against were second class or worse.)
We all advanced through the heats, and I made Pole Position for the main, (which meant that I was in one of the center lanes).
I had many friends in the Spectators Gallery, (including Al Pappas who came downstairs to watch the Main and cheer me on), who counted out my laps out loud each time that I passed the Start / Finish line.
(Al was especially proud of me, because I was the first TRUE EMMRA Store Pro, as all of the other guys on the Racing Team had made Pro on other tracks and then joined the EMMRA Team.
Russ Schult had started this chant, sort of like a heckler at a baseball game.
I suppose that this may have been just more fuel on the fire of the other drivers dislike for me, but it was a spontaneous action, and I didn't have anything to do with it.) . It was a 25 lap Final, and I finished 32 laps before the next driver finished his 25, in spite of some mighty poor turn marshalling.
(Some of the marshalls were knocking my car OFF the track when they went to return someone else's car to it.
REAL NICE, gentlemen !!!)
I had assumed that the race would end when the power would be cut with the first driver to reach 25 laps.
(The rest of the awards would then go to the drivers with the most laps and track sections, in descending order.
At the time, this was how all other races had ended.)
I had stopped when I crossed the Finish Line as the crowd counted out my 25th lap, and then someone yelled to keep going.
I had no idea as to what was going on, so I just kept racing, and the crowd kept calling out my laps each time I passed the Start / Finish line.
I had made another 7 laps before the power was finally cut, officially ending the race. . Technically, I had won what was to be one of the last NAMRA races ever held on the EMMRA track, but after much hemming and hawing by the other drivers, (who wanted to disqualify me), it didn't work out that way.
My car had passed the NAMRA Tech Inspection, (at which point all of the cars are impounded until the Race so that they can't be tampered with), so the only thing that I can think of that they could of protested against was the use of the Silver Wire in my motor.
However, as far as I knew, there were NO rules that stated that a motor HAD to be rewound only with copper wire, (in fact, Silver-wound armatures were offered commercially later on, but I had used the very first one ever run in a National Race).
Everybody watched my practice laps in awe, but no one spoke to me.
Nobody even asked me for any advice about gearing for running on the track, which I would have freely given.
(I was running a 7 Tooth Pinion and a 31 Tooth Crown Gear for a Gear Ratio of 4.42:1.)
I was a friendly kid, and I had wanted a competitive race.
It was not intended that I be a 'Ringer' in any way, but running against those guys was like shooting fish in a barrel. .

. After Al took Charlie Cressi and the other race organizers aside, and went to bat for me with the powers that be, it was decided that I would receive the trophy for Third Place.
(I had felt mad and embarrassed about this at the time, because the protest that was raised was 'Sour Grapes' by a clique' of incompetent & jealous drivers who thought that they would finally be able to get the glory of winning a National race because none of the Pros were there.
Well ONE was, even if I was not reclassified yet as such by NYMRA !!!
Maybe if I had been classified as a 'Pro' by NYMRA it wouldn't have stung those guys as bad.
It wouldn't have been quite the same as being disgraced by being beaten by a kid who was only a 'Semi-Pro'.
I didn't find out the real truth about this race until many years later.) . I guess that a bunch of grown men didn't want to admit that they were beaten by a fifteen year old kid, (unless it was by Howie Ursaner, who was considered a whizz-kid at the age of 14), even if I had been the EMMRA Novice League Champion, (TWICE), and the race had been run on MY home track.
(And lets not forget that I-could-even-run-the-track-IN-THE-DARK by listening to the sound of my cars motor, which I had done for 45 minutes straight during the EMMRA Novice League Enduro !!!
If you can imagine, after running on a track for so long you start to realize that there is a repetitive sound to it, a 'Screaming Motor Song' or 'Morse Code of the Track', so to speak.)
Al Pappas threatened that he would ban NAMRA from the further use of his track after this race, because he didn't like their 'Politics'. .. (My qualms are not with NAMRA as an organization as a whole, but are rather with the small group of drivers that competed against me on that day.
I should clarify the point at this time that I had many friends who were in NAMRA, including Howie Ursaner, Sandy Gross, and Jose Rodriguez Jr., (who had founded the organization).
I especially liked Jose, and as a technician I appreciated the craftsmanship of his cars, and his view to striving for authenticity, which is why he started NAMRA.
(I always tried to make my cars as authentic looking as possible because of Jose's influence.)
By and large I feel that most of the membership of NAMRA were honorable people.
It is unfortunate that by that point in time, slot racing had become a national phenomenon, and had started to attract a less scrupulous class of driver.
The camaraderie and friendship that we had previously enjoyed in the sport was being replaced by more cut-throat tactics.
I had never seen any of these drivers before this race, so they were definitely not 'locals'.
It could very well be that the drivers that I competed against that day were NAMRA 'Newbies', just like me.
Whereas I had entered the race at the request of Al Pappas so that I could represent EMMRA, these guys may have entered with the sole thought of gaining instant notoriety by winning a National Race without interference from the local Pros, as it was common knowledge that they would be off at another race that was being run in New Jersey on the same day.
My feelings about the race are that the NAMRA authorities who were in charge that day had lost control of the event, and had let things get out of hand.
They had been told of the cheating that was going on by many spectators who had witnessed it, and they had chosen to do nothing about it !!!) . At any rate, the biggest result of the race was a loss of innocence for me, and it was a wake up call as to the ways of the adult world.
It broke my heart, and since I felt that I would be Persona Non Grata at future races, I turned in my blue & white Team EMMRA Racing shirt and I never raced again. .

.
LIFE-GOES-ON
. Russ Schult and I were totally done with slot racing by the end of the Summer of 1967, as we then had steady girlfriends. . Russ's girlfriend was Margaret Paolucci.
Margaret was artistic in nature, and EXTREMELY smart.
I spent many hours rapping about Philosophy, Theology, and Politics with her, (which were subjects that seemed to be beyond the comprehension of my girlfriend Nancy).
After graduating from High School, Margaret went to college in California, where she become a Teacher and she decided to remain and live there.
I hope that life has been good to her, because she is one of the best people that I have ever met. .

.
Margaret Paolucci
.

.
Nancy & Me
. My girlfriend was Nancy Butera (now known as Yonda Ashley), who I met at the Veterans Memorial Park Community Pool on Prospect Avenue in East Meadow in June of 1967. .

. This was shortly after the NAMRA race, and getting involved with Nancy was just what I needed to help me to forget about it.
Between my girlfriend, school, (I was preparing for a career in medicine at the time), and my music I didn't have much time for anything else. . With these two beautiful girls by our side, Russ and I entered into High School and our adulthood.
We were growing up, and had no regrets about leaving the rest of the 'Kids' , (no matter what their ages), behind to play with their little Slot Cars. .
**********************************************
. .Nancy Butera is now known as Yonda Ashley.
She is credited as being a psychic in the "Montauk Project" books written by Peter Moon, (whose real name is Vince Barbarick).
Yonda Ashley frequently travels out to Montauk, N.Y. with Peter Moon to perform Vibrational Healings on the area to try to repair the damage caused by the Neo-Nazi / Krupp / ITT funded Space-Time and Mind Control Experiments which were conducted there in clandestine collaboration with the U.S. Government.
She has also traveled to the World Trade Center site with hopes of trying to do some good there with her efforts at cleansing the site with Vibrational Healing. .

.
Nancy Butera Dr. Yonda Ashley, PhD.
1969 2007----
.

.
THE-END-OF-EMMRA
. As many of my friends had witnessed the happenings at the NAMRA race, it didn't take long for the news to get around town to all of the other kids.
Fewer and fewer of the kids who were coming up the ranks of slot racing behind me, (who were Al's bread and butter, as the adults certainly weren't paying his bills), were going to EMMRA anymore, opting to go into other hobbies and sports that they felt they could excel in.
They didn't see the point of participating in a sport that they didn't have an equal footing in, or that they had a chance to win on a level playing field. . Al and Stella Pappas eventually finally closed EMMRA in 1969.
(I remember driving past EMMRA one day, and seeing the remains of the 'Monster' laying piled up in the alleyway, waiting to be hauled off as Rubbish.
It was a very sad day for me, and I was flooded with a great sense of loss which left a big lump in my throat.)
They opened a Soda Shop type of hang out for pre-teens and young teens, which they called the East Meadow Sweet Shop.
(Al always did have strong family values, and he wanted to make a safe place for kids to gather.)
It was located in what was an old IGA Supermarket building on Newbridge Avenue in East Meadow, just up the block from their house.
(Al could have built a track TWICE the size of the 'Monster' in that building, but as I said before, the popularity of Slot Racing had passed.) .

.
THE-REVELATION
. The last time that I saw Al Pappas was in 1983, just before I moved away from East Meadow.
He had opened a hobby shop in the Pathmark Shopping Center around the corner from his house, and I went in to see the man who had made such an impact on my childhood.
Al had aged considerably in the15 years since I had last seen him, and he didn't look well at all.
His face was drawn and gaunt, and he had lost a considerable amount of weight.
He seemed like a ghost of his former self.
.
We talked about the old EMMRA days, and it was then that Al told me that some of the NAMRA guys were betting on the race, and that if I had gotten the first place win it would have disrupted the standings for the pool.
THAT was the reason why Al had wanted to ban them from the track.
He didn't want that kind of corruption in his establishment.
He felt that Slot-Racing was a sport that was supposed to be for the KIDS !!!
It was the kids who first embraced it, and it was the kids who spent their allowance money on it and turned it into the big business that it became.
.
Al was a man of the world, and may have turned a blind eye on some of the things that were going on at the Wednesday Night Adult League Races, but he drew the line when it affected kids.
Al said that it wasn't right for the adults to usurp the positon of the kids in slot-racing now that there was commercial sponsership money involved.
If adults wanted a place to hang out, they could do it at a pool hall or local bowling alley, where they could wager on the results of the contests to their hearts content.
(Whatever the manner of a contest may be, there will always be some guys that will bet on its outcome.
That is a sad fact of the negative side of human nature.)
Al didn't need or want that kind of behavior at EMMRA where it would have an impact on the kids.
Although Al had played a BIG part in helping many of the 'Pros' to reach the level of stardom that they still enjoy to this day, he did not like the way that things turned out at all.
When the kids lost interest in Slot-Racing, (because they could no longer compete because of their limited budgets), which left only the adult 'Pros' in the sport, Al had no problem with closing the doors on his Monster track forever. . This was an epiphany for me.
"OF COURSE !!!!", (I thought to myself).
"NOW it all made sense !!!!".
I felt vindicated by this revelation.
I had played by all of the NAMRA rules, and I HAD won the race fair and square, but I had then been taken advantage of by the adults.
I did not know at the time of the race that slot-racing had existed on a different level for those adults, than it did for us kids.
Could it really be that the group of guys at the NAMRA race were intinerent 'Slot-Jocks' who were in it for the money, vieing for National Recognition & Sponsership Contracts, and winning prizes for competing, (as well as also betting on the races on the side to help support their life-style), while we kids did it for the sheer love of the sport?
It certainly now seemed to be the case. . (Years later, after I had moved to Upstate New York near Hunter Mountain, I saw the same thing happening with guys who were showing up to compete in commercially sponsered Ski and Snowboard events.
Some of those guys would sleep in their cars in below freezing temperatures, and would shop-lift food from the local markets to save money, just so that they could be part of the 'scene'.
This type of 'Ski-bum' and 'Snowboard- Jock' were the bain of the community, and even if they were as talanted as they thought they were, they certainly did not do anything for the reputation of their sport.) . Those drivers at the NAMRA race had totally underestimated my competitive spirit and abilities because of my age.
They thought that I would fold under their pressure, and crumble in the qualifying heats.
THAT was why they were knocking my car off the track, (trying to force me out of contention, or at least into a lower placing), and then they finally ignored my total number of laps in the Main after I made up, (through sheer determination), the time that was lost because of their cheating.
Their attempt to disqualify me had been their last chance. . (I had always raced against local drivers who I knew and respected, and who knew and respected me in turn.
It would NEVER have occured to us to knock a competitors car off the track during a race to benefit someone else.
These guys were a small and tightly knit group, and they had no such moral conpunctions.
They were happy to take my money, but didn't expect me to cause them so much trouble.
They had run the race by THEIR rules of sportsmanship as if was just for them, and they had acted like I wasn't even in the race.) . If so many people hadn't been witnesses, they would probably have tried to cover everything up by saying that I didn't even qualify for the race.
(Thanks to Al Pappas, I at least have a 3rd Place Trophy in the Main Race to prove that I did !!!)
The last thing that those guys wanted was for another talented kid to be coming up the ranks to upstage them.
One Howie Ursaner was enough.
I guess it really isn't really that strange, but I had been told that when the results of this NAMRA race were published in one of the national slot racing magazines of the day, the winning of the Third Place trophy was credited to 'Unknown'.
(I never did receive my NAMRA membership package either !!!)
I didn't even attempt to buy a copy, for obvious reasons. .

.
.EPILOGE
.

. Al Pappas was a class act, and a true asset to the community.
I am proud that he was my friend, and I miss him everytime that I think about EMMRA.
Looking back, I had an awful lot of good clean fun there.
Traveling around in Al's little red '60 Ford Falcon station wagon* with the EMMRA Racing Team, I got out into a world that was still safe for a kid, and I met many interesting people. . Although forty years have now passed, if I think about it I can still hear the sound of a hot car winding out down a long straight, and I can almost smell the Lubri-Plate that we used to grease the gears and dress the tires.
It makes me feel young again.
It was a much better time then, than today, (where the kids just sit around in front of a cathode-ray tube, hang out at a mall, or get into even worse trouble), and I have no regrets for having lived it.
It made me a better person. .

.JMM----

.
FOR-THE-RECORD
. *: Just to keep the record straight for those of you that may have read that Al Pappas owned a Saab in a Slot Car Forum on the Web.
That is TOTALLY untrue, and the person who has made the statement obviously didn't know Al Pappas very well at all.
As I stated at the beginning of this article, Al had a son named John, (who was called John-John by the family and close friends).
The birth of his son was the reason that Al moved the family from Astoria to a house in East Meadow, as they needed more room. . John Pappas was a great little kid who unfortunately was handicapped by severe Cerebral Palsey.
(Although I was just a kid myself, I felt honored that Al and Stella trusted me enough to look after their son when they became overwhelmed with errands to do, and I was glad to do whatever I could to help them as they had always treated me kindly.)
The fact that John had this condition was a great financial burdon on the family, and necessitated that Al have a practical and reliable American-made car, (for which cheap replacement parts were readily available), that was large enough to carry the Wheel-chair necessary for John, and the other supplies and equipment that Al needed for his family and business.
THAT is why Al drove an economy compact Ford Falcon STATION WAGON, and would have never even considered owning a SAAB !!!
Anyone who doubts this information can confirm it with Howie Ursner and Sandy Gross, who witnessed John's condition first hand, and also rode in Al's Falcon. . On another point that needs clarification: . After John was born Al commuted daily from East Meadow to his Hobby Shop in Queens, and he built EMMRA when the rental property became available for him to create his Masterpiece so that he would no longer have to travel so far to work.
Al was still working in his Hobby Shop in Astoria during the day so that he could pay the bills for his family AND the construction of EMMRA.
In fact, he kept the Hobby Shop in Astoria open after he opened EMMRA because he wanted to make sure that EMMRA would be a viable business before he gave the Hobby Shop up.
Stella's brother, 'Lucky', managed EMMRA for him during that period.
When the success of EMMRA was assured, Al closed the shop in Astoria, and 'Lucky' left to open his own Dry Cleaning business. . People were awed when they saw the 'Monster' for the first time because of its imposing physical presence, but they have NO idea at all at what it actually took for Al to make his vision come true !!!
Structural Supports in the Basement and First Floor of the building had to be reinforced before they were gutted.
The walls on the First Floor and Basement Levels of the THREE Store Fronts had to be demolished and permanently removed to make room for the tracks, and other walls had to be built for the Rest Rooms and Al's Office and Stock Room.
All of the work had to be up to to the standards of the Town of Hempstead Building Inspector, who also had to sign off on each step taken regarding the Heating, Sanitation, & Plumbing Systems, and the Electrical Service for the building.
Only when the preparation of the main building itself was complete, was Al able to start construction of the FOUR hand-made tracks that were to be housed in it.
Al did most of the work himself, with the aid of 'Lucky' and a few other adult friends, because he couldn't afford to pay professional contractors to do it.
(Some people were put off by the home-made look of EMMRA when they first walked in, because they had gotten used to the fancy Commercial Raceways that had popped up.
I personally heard it referred to as a 'DUMP' by some Adult racers who had driven a long distance to try out the 'Monster'.
They tried to say that the track was undrivable because of its home-made construction so that they could justify their poor performance on it.
Russ Schult and I took pleasure in nonchalantly ripping off a few blistering laps to prove them wrong and put them in their place.)
All the work was totally exhausting for Al, (who also suffered from bad Migraine Headaches), but he persevered. . I doubt very much that Al would have taken the responsibility, (or the risk of violating the NYS Child Labor Laws), of having any kids from Astoria help him work on building EMMRA, as the construction of it went on LATE into the night.
None of this demolition and construction work was able to be done during the day because the Landlord, (W. Timothy Darrah), was conducting his Law Practice upstairs on the Second Floor during normal business hours, and he would not have tolerated the noise and disruption.
Al would NOT have had the time to then have to drive back to Astoria to bring the kids home before he could return back home to East Meadow again for some much needed SLEEP.
That would have been a lot of extra running around, and there just wasn't enough hours in the day for Al to physically be able to do it, as the initial construction of EMMRA took a few MONTHS to complete. . Some may be reminded of the movie "Field Of Dreams", but where that was a complete FANTASY, Al turned HIS dream into a REALITY, and the Slot-Car Drivers DID come from far and wide to try their skill on 'The Monster'.
Kevin Costner's clearing of a corn field pales when it is compared to the efforts of Al Pappas in the creation of EMMRA. . Those problems didn't exist when Al expanded the 'Monster', which only required a Renovation Permit from the Town, (instead of a Demolition Permit), since he was not changing the floor plan.
Each night Al and Don Haines would work on disassembling another part of the 'Monster' and 'horse' it along it with Steel Pikes and Crow Bars to move it.
Moving certain sections of the track was as bad as trying to move a house, but somehow the two of them did it.
They would also measure and precut all the wood needed by Russ Schult and me for the next days construction.
It only took a few weeks to complete the reconstruction work on the 'Monster', and another few days to repaint everything in the entire shop to spiff it up for EMMRA's Grand Re-Opening.
By now you must realize that the EMMRA tracks were not built in modular sections like the other commercial tracks of the time, and were instead Stick-Framed on site by the same construction method used in building a HOUSE.
That is why the tracks could not be salvaged and moved to another location when Al closed the doors on EMMRA, and had to be destroyed instead. .

. Disclaimer:

It is not my intention to do harm in any way !!!
I have truthfully written only of events that personally happened to me.
Please remember that while Slot Racing was alot of fun for Kids, it was also a BIG Business for Adults, and that with money comes corruption.

. I have written the above article because I feel that I had a very privileged position in the EMMRA organization.
I wanted to put down the definitive history of EMMRA from a first hand perspective, so that the memory of the track and the people involved with it could be kept alive for posterity.
To prove my credibility, I have included many details that people who are familiar with EMMRA, and the time period in which it existed, will recognize. . As I mentioned before, Al Pappas had been a Army Commando in WWII.
He had a courageous spirit and always tried to do the right thing.
He never courted favor in order to curry monetary gain, (which other track owners did), as doing that was totally against his nature.
If you tried to pressure him into doing something that he didn't like, he would tell you to go and kiss his butt.
That is probably the biggest reason that no one remembers his name now, and that the memory of the BIGGEST TRACK EVER BUILT is fast becoming the stuff of rumour and legend.
To leave Al Pappas and his EMMRA 'Monster' out of the history of Slot Racing would be a shame, and if it it done it may be to try to hide some of the facts that I have brought forth in this webpage.
Guys like Charlie Cressi and Jose Rodriguez Jr. will be seen through Rose Colored Glasses in Slot- Racing History for starting NYMRA and NAMRA, and Howie Ursaner & Sandy Gross will be remembered as being shining lights.
Al Pappas really did have the Lions Heart of a WINNER.
If there is ANY justice at all, Al Pappas should be remembered for being the HEART, SOUL, and CONSCIENCE of New York Slot-Racing !!! . If I am remembered at all, I hope it will be as the historian of this amazing Track, and the great man who built it. .
********************************************** I would be very happy to hear from anyone who remembers EMMRA, and would like to add anything to this page.
Please contact me at: alicat1@netzero.net ..

John Mammarella

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