John Ford has been a leading
authority on slot car racing since 1965.John Ford has been a leading
authority on slot car racing since 1965.
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Line loss - Power robbing , line loss is caused by bad connections. Wire too small. Not enough power taps. Worn or dirty braid, etc.
Lane sticker - A colored sticker applied to the car that correspondes with the lane color the car is racing on. By looking at the lane sticker, the marshall can tell what lane to put it on when it becomes deslotted. See color dot.
Legs - On a slot track, there used to be many ways to create legs. From wood, to metal, to simply concrete blocks. This all changed when the triangle legs were designed by Csaba (chubba) Zeklihidi of Chicago. Hasse Nilsson was building his first king track for Jerry Kulich's JK Raceway, when Chubba came up with the idea. It was never copywrited, and now all track builders have adopted the triangle leg as the industry standard. Material used and size of triangle varies.
Leg extensions - This is any peice of wood between two triangles that allow the triangles to be placed further apart, allowing for the track to be higher off the floor. Most commonly used in tracks with high banks, and the upper straights of hillclimbs.
Laminations - This term is most commonly used in reference to the many little pieces of metal that are stacked togeather to make up the poles of the armature. This is the part of the arm that the wires are wrapped around. They are also called simply "stacks", and when energized by the current flowing throught the wires, becomes a magnet that is attracted to the permanent magnet inside the motor.
Lane Changes - At the end of each heat each driver should first move his or her hand control to the next appropriate control panel, then place their lane change card in the slot where his or her car has stopped. Only then is the racer allowed to pick up the car, change the colored lane sticker and service the car for the next heat. There are two accepted ways to change lanes. See staggered. See straight.
Lane Change Card - An approximately file-card sized laminated marker that is put in the slot where a slot car stops at the end of a segment. The lane card helps the racer or pit man remember where the car should be placed for the beginning of the next segment.
Lane Master - The brand name of a computer lap counting system.
Lap - In all forms of racing, a car's performance is based on how many laps is gotten in a race, and how fast one lap can be made. On all race tracks, one lap consists of the car travelling from the start line, around the track back to the start line again.
Lap Counter - Used to count laps in slot car racing. In the 60's mechanical counters were used made from older style pinball wheels. Today, computers do all the work, both of lap counting, and race directing. With the old style mechanical lap counters, it was not uncommon to hand count one or more lanes when the pinball wheels would burn out. Most lap counters are activated when the car crosses over a "dead strip".
Lap time - Referres to the time needed to make one lap. The quickest lap time gets the pole position. See pole position.
Laser cut - A method of cutting out modern day slot car chassis. A good way to do a large quantity of chassis at the same time.
Late entry - Any racer that arrives too late for sign up and tech in must be approved by the race director before being allowed to compete. Any racer that arrives too late to qualify must be approved by all racers entered prior to race. If the late entry comes in after qualifying, he must run scratch, and not be allowed to qualify.
Latex paint - Commonly used to paint the surface of slot tracks. An outdoor quality latex emamil paint is strong enough to hold up to the punishment of slot racing. Since latex or rubber tires are used on slot cars, it is logical to use a latex or rubber fortified paint to run the tires on. Traction is exceptional and all the cleaning fluids commonly used in slot racing, such as lighter fluid has no effect on the latex paints.
Launch - Term that is used when your car flies off the track.
Layout - Generally referring to the design of a track, or the whole raceway.
Lead - This is one of those words that drives me nuts. It could be lead such as "I am in first place, therefore I am in the lead." Pronounced leed. In this case, you would be leading the race. In this same context, it could be short for your motor's lead wire. However, if it is pronounced "led", it would be referring to a soft heavy metal used to add weight to your slot car. Go ask your english teacher why they are both spelled the same and pronounced differently.
Lead-on - The turn on a slot track that "leads on" to the main straight.
Lead wire - Usually made of silicone coated finely stranded wire that connects from the motor and guide on a slot car.
Leagues - A form of racing used since the 60's to create a more even platform for slot racing. It allows through a complicated curve system a racing program where all classes of cars can compete evenly over a series of races.
Lexan - Slot car bodies are made of this material. Lexan is unbreakable, and is the copywrited name given to G.E. 's brand of polycarbonate. The copywrite should keep the name lexan from being used so much, but it is just so much easier to say than "polycarbonate".
Lift - To purposely slow down on the drag strip to keep from "breaking out" and losing the race. Only applies in bracket racing.
Lights - In drag racing, the "lights" are specific points on the track that have specific meanings. Break the lights on the starting line before the green light and you lose. When your car goes through the finish line, it is said to have gone through the lights.
Locked down - This condition occurrs in motors which have blown up. See grenade. Could also be used to describe a car that is handelling quite well.
Lock nut - See Jam nut.
Lone railer - A shuttle type of chassis developed by Ernie Mossetti. See shuttle.
Loop tracks - Only a handfull in existance. Hasse Nilsson is credited with building the first loop track with one large loop on a standard oval track. John Ford designed and American Tracks built the first double loop track, using two loops with four lanes each located on the back side of a standard oval track. In Austrailia, an enormous two lane drag loop actually goes across the floor, up the wall, across the ceiling, connecting back to itself creating the largest loop in the world. It is reported that a wing car will actually run across the ceiling without falling off.
Lubrication - Oil. Everyone has their own favorite oil to lubricate their slot car. Some racers use a different type of oil for motors, ball bearings, and oilites. Experimentation will tell you which type of lubrication is best for your car.
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