1970 Hot Wheels Hazard Hill Race Set

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb  (a.k.a. The Race To The Clouds) is an annual hill climb event on Pikes Peak Mountain in Colorado.

Hill Climb logo. Courtesy Wikipedia.

The track is 12.42 miles (19.99 km) long, has 156 turns and climbs 4720 feet (1440 meters) on grades that average 7%.  The finish is at 14,110 feet (4,300 meters).  There are multiple competition classes for cars and motorcycles.

Racing on the Pikes Peak course. Courtesy Wikipedia.

In 1970 Mattel made their own mountain race set.  But for this track, the direction is down hill and 2 cars go head to head all the way to the bottom.  It’s the Hazard Hill Race Set.

Box art – front. Courtesy eBay.

In the box components include 1 mountain base, 1 dual-lane track with starting gate and 11 red trestles.

Box art – back. Courtesy eBay.

Adding your own orange track to the start and to the finish extends the set to a full mountain raceway.  A crossover section in the middle of the hill adds some extra suspense to each race.

Track contents. Courtesy eBay.

Track contents – second view. Courtesy eBay.

So there you have it.

The 1970 Hot Wheels Hazard Hill Race Set.

It’s still fast.  Still fun.

Box art – side. Courtesy eBay.

Box art – end. Courtesy eBay.

1970 Hot Wheels Dual-Lane Rod Runner Race Set: Oval Layout

NASCAR defines the race tracks they use as: road courses (a circuit with left and right hand turns), short tracks ( less than 1 mile, all left hand turns), intermediate tracks (between 1 and 2 miles, all left hand turns) and superspeedways (2 miles or longer, all left hand turns).

There are 6 superspeedways: Daytona Beach, Fontana, Indianapolis, Michigan, Pocono and Talladega.

The 1970 Dual-Lane Rod Runner Race Set can be set up as an oval.  Originally the set supplies 32 feet of orange track.  But, I am going to add 16 more feet (for a total of 48 feet) to produce my own version of a superspeedway.  I’ll also use 20 joiners, 2 – 180 degree dual-lane curves, 2 white trestles 1 dual-lane rod runner and 1 “fair start” T-bar.

Oval layout instructions look like this:

How to assemble 180 degree dual-lane curves. Copyright Mattel, Inc.

The Dual-Lane Rod Runner Race Set’s basic oval layout. Copyright Mattel, Inc.

Here’s the oval layout extended to superspeedway size.

In keeping with the NASCAR theme, I am going to race two 2010 Chevrolet Impala stock cars with Faster Than Ever wheels.

Time for a superspeedway lap.

Ready at the start.

“Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!  Let’s go racing boys!”1

Flying down the front straightaway.

Hitting the high banking of the first 180 degree dual-lane curve.

Thundering down the back stretch.

Into the second curve.

And back to the Rod Runner.

Here’s my YouTube video of a 60 lap superspeedway oval race – NASCAR style.

So there you have it.  The 1970 Hot Wheels Dual-Lane Rod Runner Race Set: Oval Layout.

It’s still fast.  Still fun.

A nice example of a complete Dual-Lane Rod Runner Race Set. Courtesy eBay.

A Custom Eldorado and a Custom Corvette included. Courtesy eBay.

Dual-Lane Rod Runner box art- front.

Dual-Lane Rod Runner box art – back.

Dual-Lane Rod Runner box art – end.

Dual-Lane Curve Pak. Courtesy eBay.

Dual-Lane Curve Pak box art – back. Courtesy eBay.

Footnote 1. Opening salvo by TV commentator Darrell Waltrip at the thrilling start of all Nascar races.  Apparently the catchphrase arose when Waltrip, as a race car driver, grew tired of hearing “Green, Green, Green” from his spotter or crew chief at the beginning of each race and wanted to hear something different.