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My kids get to be the lucky first testers :)
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My original plan was just to create the best downhill |
2002 Hot Wheels Newsletter Nationals
Reston, Virginia
Please note that the Start Gate shown below
was made only for the Convention.
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Here is a shot of the setup that was used to debut the product at the 2002 Hot Wheels Newsletter Nationals in Reston, Virginia. This picture is a four lane, 12' long setup but we had a four lane, 18' setup in the room. |
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A drop-down type starting gate was used. This was the first design tested. It did the job for the Convention but a flip-up style start gate is being designed. You can see that washers were used to keep the track in place. |
| Actually, the track would cover the whole board and each lane would have a slot cut into them to allow the start pegs to hold the diecast at the starting line. We have a new fastening system in the works though. |
| Here is a peak at the underside of the start gate.
To help you get oriented, the cars would be facing to the left.
The pegs were lined up on a board that was attached to the underside with hinges. A rubberband provided spring tension. If you look at the bottom left edge of the board, on the opposite sides of the hinges, there is a latch. When this was triggered, the board would be pulled by the rubberband and the pegs would subsequently be pulled down too. |
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This is a pic of the washers that held the track in place underneath the electronic finish line timer. The timer is ready to be sold but I am devising a new method of keeping the track in place over the sensors. The finish line timer will take the human element out of deciding who won the race. |
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