Record Breakers: World of Speed
Encyclopedia
Record Breakers: World of Speed were a line of battery operated slot cars manufactured by Hasbro
in the late 1980s to 1990s, originally in Japan and then brought to the US. To promote the toys Hasbro created the "National Association of Record Breakers" and hosted races in shopping mall
s across the country. A syndicated live-action series entitled simply "Record Breakers" plugging the toyline
aired some of these events.
. Another version of the cars used a single motor that ran on two AA batteries
, though often a third battery could be added for additional power. The single motor cars could be manually switched between 2WD and 4WD. The scale is difficult to specify as they were frequently not based on any real-life vehicles, but it appears to be approximately 1:32
. Customization and upgrade kits with accessories such as different kinds of wheels and guide wheels were sold, as well as different kinds of tracks.
was co-hosted by Jesse Ventura
and Gary Apple, aired in syndication for four episodes in 1989, and is an example of televised slotcar racing
. Episodes were shot in shopping malls and featured a large, extravagant race track. Jesse Ventura's car, in particular was outfitted with a small camera and the show would frequently air video from his car's perspective as it raced through the track. Segments included kids interviewed for racing tips, "Jesse's Crash Bash", and the show would also feature stop-motion shorts of Ventura's car with his voiceover (in effect making the car a cartoon character.)
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
in the late 1980s to 1990s, originally in Japan and then brought to the US. To promote the toys Hasbro created the "National Association of Record Breakers" and hosted races in shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s across the country. A syndicated live-action series entitled simply "Record Breakers" plugging the toyline
Toyetic
Toyetic is the suitability of a media property, such as a movie, for merchandising spin-off lines of licensed toys, games and novelties. For example, Saturday morning cartoons in the early 1980s and 1990s were well known for this, in particular Pound Puppies; My Pet Monster; and Rude Dog and the...
aired some of these events.
The toys
Record Breakers were slot cars, but not in the conventional sense as they didn't have the pins or blades characteristic of most. They were battery operated and could run on a track with horizontal side-mounted guide wheels, but could just as well run independently of tracks, though if their guide wheels were removed, in-track performance would be greatly diminished if not impossible. The cars were known for their high performance, and on smooth surfaces were capable of 20 mph, translating into 500 to 640 scale miles per hour. A car outside of a track would inevitably crash into an obstacle if not otherwise stopped. Twin electric motors cars ran off two AA batteriesAA battery
An AA battery is a standard size of battery. Batteries of this size are the most commonly used type of in portable electronic devices. An AA battery is composed of a single electrochemical cell...
. Another version of the cars used a single motor that ran on two AA batteries
AA battery
An AA battery is a standard size of battery. Batteries of this size are the most commonly used type of in portable electronic devices. An AA battery is composed of a single electrochemical cell...
, though often a third battery could be added for additional power. The single motor cars could be manually switched between 2WD and 4WD. The scale is difficult to specify as they were frequently not based on any real-life vehicles, but it appears to be approximately 1:32
1:32 scale
1:32 scale is a traditional scale for models and miniatures, in which one unit on the model represents 32 units on the actual object. It is also known as "three-eighths scale", since 3/8-inch represents a foot...
. Customization and upgrade kits with accessories such as different kinds of wheels and guide wheels were sold, as well as different kinds of tracks.
TV series
A live-action TV series produced by DiC EntertainmentDiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
was co-hosted by Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
and Gary Apple, aired in syndication for four episodes in 1989, and is an example of televised slotcar racing
Slotcar racing
Note: this article concerns slot car racing competition. For information on the general slot car hobby, including more detailed coverage of history, scales, track-types and mechanical functioning, see slot car....
. Episodes were shot in shopping malls and featured a large, extravagant race track. Jesse Ventura's car, in particular was outfitted with a small camera and the show would frequently air video from his car's perspective as it raced through the track. Segments included kids interviewed for racing tips, "Jesse's Crash Bash", and the show would also feature stop-motion shorts of Ventura's car with his voiceover (in effect making the car a cartoon character.)
External links
- Virtual Toy Chest's Record Breakers Archive
- http://www.squidoo.com/record-breakers-world-of-speed Record Breakers: World of Speed at SquidooSquidooSquidoo is a community website that allows users to create pages for subjects of interest. Squidoo had 1.5 million hand-built lenses .-History:Development on Squidoo started in 2005, launching a beta testing period in October of that year...
] - Record Breakers box gallery