By mucking around, I found that if I placed a drop of alcohol in the motor case, the speed dramatically increased. I added a reservoir for alcohol between the rear axle and the motor housing, cut a slot between the two and filled the space with alcohol between races.
I haven't had anything to do with slot cars for a long time, not since I was a kid and then I was just a hanger on. We have two tracks where I live now, one in my city and one in the larger city that shares the metro area. I've only seen them from outside.I guess it's still thing, though—if COVID didn't kill it.
I grew up just a mile or so from Englishtown Raceway Park where the NHRA Summer Nationals were held (at the time; Raceway Park still exists but is appears there is no more drag strip).
I am not surprised they dropped the drags, it was loud. Every Sunday even though we were a mile away the noise was incredible. The area that used to be a wooded buffer between our neighborhood and the track was developed. RP probably had to adapt. Now they are doing MX and drifting it looks like.
I did go see some of the famous 1970s drivers. I remember the top fuel dragsters and the funny cars. I particularly remember Jungle Jim Harrison who was a big personality at the time.