Excitement of Diecast Racing and Modding for Kids
Hey guys, I've shared this with a few of you, but just wanted to remind everyone how awesome and fun this hobby really is. This is me and the kids watching one of the semi-final races from the Super Cars at Boogleg Run. We had a car in both semi-finals, and they absolutely exploded during the first semi-final, so I'm like "Oh I've got to get this on video!"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKJCyzxoh7E
Anyway, if you've got kids and they're not racing with you, what are you waiting for? Get them involved. I recently posted an article about diecast car modding for kids. You can check it out here if you want https://www.racehotwheels.com/2020/03/modifying-hot-wheels-cars-for-kids-and.html
One of the best things for me about this hobby is that I can share it with my kids. My kids love Hot Wheels! And of course we love racing. My kids aren’t really collectors. They don’t have a lot of cars still in the package. Actually, they don’t have ANY cars still in the package. They love to play with them. Racing gives us a chance to play together. I have 4 kids, one 7 years old, one 5 years old, one 3 years old and one 5 months old. My 7 and 5 year old are pretty serious racers. They have some pretty fast stock cars and they have also been modifying cars for a while. To get them started modifying cars we usually find stuff that’s easy to add weight to like trucks. They load up the back with weight and stick it in with clay. They also love to paint their cars, so I’ll drill their cars apart for them and then they get to paint them.
I have a plastic tub with a bunch cars that have potential to be good modified cars. A while back the two older kids were each picking out a car from the tub and we were going to spend the afternoon modifying them. My then 2 year old was over on the other side of the room playing but when she heard we were going to be modifying cars she came running over and said she wanted to as well. I told her to go pick one out of the tub. She came back with a Gov'ner and said she wanted to paint it. Haha, proud dad moment, my then youngest was going to be building her first modified car with us. Their paint jobs aren’t always the best, but they are always super proud of them. I had them stuff the insides full of clay and weight and then I JB Kwiked them back together. The kids love it and are always so proud of their cars. Sometimes they come out fast, sometimes not, but the thing is, they love it. And that’s what’s so cool about this hobby. It’s a hobby that people of all ages can participate in. Whether you’re a top customizer or a kid building your first mod. Whether you’re a high end collector or just buy what you like. There’s something in this hobby for everyone. I love it! My kids love it!
Another thing that is pretty cool about this hobby is this racing community. So many have been so great to my kids, even though you've never even met them. From sending them cars to friendly trash talking before races ;) What a fantastic experience we've had.
When you’re on the track, age doesn’t matter. Sure, the kids’ cars may not do as well because they don’t have the skill set to mod cars like those that are older. But they love being there and talking trash and just having fun like the rest of us. And that’s what it’s all about, it’s about having fun! That’s why this is such a great hobby for individuals and families, young and old, no matter if you’re 1 or 100, everybody can have fun!
So thank you everybody!
Discussion
Love hearing stories and history out of the different racing camps...and it's definitely a family affair around our household. It was my first race on Bootleg Run in September of 2017 and DVB had just lost a race to me and then had to race the Lady of Speed later and he lost that one to...then it happened..."tuff draws for me...I've been taking out by the Legion of Speed!"...and, the Legion of Speed was born. It takes a special Wife to let you setup a Bootleg Run or Tail of the Dragon in the living room for basically a week when we host on one of those tracks...and I've been demoted to just string puller moving forward as the Lady of Speed does a much better job as videographer for League of Speed Productions...our girls are 19 and 17 aka Speedzilla and Speed Force, and they still love the hobby/sport of Diecast Racing....Speedzilla is a freshman in college this year, but she's had her suit mates and boyfriend all piled in her dorm room to watch the races go down...get Facetime and such from NC State of them watching and cheering...Speed Force is homeschooled and working on her HS diploma and Associate's Degree at the same time...but she'll take a box of FTE's from the Wheel Farm and spin the wheels and get the good/maybe/ trash sets of axels/wheels separated which saves me time on the final check when Farming for Speed...she also designed all our logos and has done a few for other teams as well. Also, as mentioned...most people I've never met but are still considered extended family...the Southern Utah Crew...Canada Gang and Red Pill Nation...and individuals like MDG, TE, DVB, NDR...and many more as the hobby/sport continues to grow...love the friendly and family rivalries..."I'm coming for You G-Force" is now woven into Diecast Racing lore as me and Robby's son have had a lot of fun calling each other out over the years.
So, yes...it's so much more fun for me with my family involved and I know the League of Speed Racing Grounds and all that happens here in NC wouldn't if my family weren't involved and supportive of my efforts...and in closing...I truly don't try and make the Lady of Speed's cars faster than mine...it just intangubly happens...over and over again.
Peace and Speed-the Legion of Speed
- Thanks for considering me a part of the family. And yes, not only do you have a "Special" wife, you have great kids. Thanks for all you guys do here for our hobby! — Dadvball
- For sure my Brother...a race is never complete without DVB...Southern Drift Champion...AM3 Stock Division Champion — LeagueofSpeed
While I got a late start in racing and my kids were already grown up and out of here, my 4 year old grandaughter loves it. She's here on weekends and if I'm in the basement she'll hunt me down. Papa, can I have a car? One is never enough though so she gets two. We always have to run them down the track a few times and she loves it.
We can get 15-20 or more kids at the LJLRC meetings and they get amped up picking their cars and watching the races. It's fantastic to see the smiles and excitement on their faces, especially when one of them wins the trophy for the first time. They are on cloud 9.
It's fun and cheap entertainment for family and it's great to hear the stories everyone has.
You know it... we also do it as a family. Grandpa to Nephews and nieces and friends.
And cars in packages is a disease that must be cured. Thats not collecting, thats using your wall as a department store warehouse for my future benefit. When I can pick up 25 year old hot wheels, still in packages for $1 to $2 you have to wonder about the person who held onto them all these years. If everyone keeps them in packages, they are not rare.. and you never see the cheers and smiles from the young ones as their hot wheels go blasting around, or the creativity that they use in building tracks. There is more value in that then in having it sit. I enjoy every video where a racer cracks open a card.
And for modding, I picked up alot of beaters.. All the tricks , I have read here or found links from here.
and if the young modders experiment and it fails, so what, and if there paint jobs stink, so what, the are actually pretty cool.
A few of my favourite stories, is I brought out some very prestine matchbox cars, did a 12 car race and my great nephew grab the car at the end... shouting.. THE WINNER, as he threw it into the air... and it came crashing down on the garage floor. well, erm, that car landed on its wheels, but was no longer fast... infact, it was toast....
My risk, my lesson, and then we took it apart, got some .030 wire and rebuilt it to speed...
And I have a memory of my vintage matchbox flying in the air landing on the concrete embedded, but a happy young lad, who was fascinated that we could get it fast again...
that car came 2nd in one of our feature races this year..
Loved the video, even if it was at my disposal LOL. Fun part is it was my Wife and Sons team you beat and we were watching and having just as much fun. I too wish I could film Luke's reaction to it all and might try sometime soon. He crawls in my lap and asks if we can watch racing every day now and I try to find something to watch with him. Hes gets SUPER excited when I approach him with a race tho and enjoys cheering our cars on. Hes getting more and more into the modding aspect and actually inspired my latest entries to the Redline Rumble and RLDRL March races. With the recent BS going on I work at home and watch him so he plays on my test track all day and I take breaks to "tune up" vintage POS junkets and he loves to see them go faster than before. Tomorrow I have a large pile of 80's and early 90's cars to shake down and see if any are legit as well as a couple quick mods to work over with him. Cant wait!
Matt