Scaling new heights...
Reporter: Martyn Torr
Date published: 24 January 2012
BOYS’ toys they might be but they are on a truly grand scale — and they’re in Lees.
Stonerig Raceway is tucked away in a 3,000 sq ft unit alongside the other business of owner Gary Stone, a 23-year-old Scalextric enthusiast from Shaw.
He has taken his childhood hobby to new heights by investing in five tracks — Ricky, Snow, City, Nascar and the monster 119ft speedrace Protrack on the mezzanine, the last one open to specialist and club racers who hire it and race their own cars.
“They build the cars themselves - and can spend anything up to £7,000 on one,” explained Gary.
Club nights are every Monday and Gary, who has owned Scalextric race tracks for as long as he can remember, has modelled his Protrack on a renowned 360ft circuit in Inverness, which specialist cars can lap in a staggering 4.2 seconds.
Many of Gary’s customers - the majority are children’s parties or corporate events - just enjoy the fun of racing the cars on the challenging, twisty tracks with their rises and falls, bridge and scenic routes.
Two of the tracks — Rocky and Snow — have an electric train ploughing a furrow through tunnels and meadows as the races unfold.
A labour of love, Stonerig Raceway is a viable business for Gary, open five evenings a week and at weekends.
All the tracks are computerised, so racers know their fastest speeds, fastest laps and even how much fuel they would have consumed.
“The idea is to a give real race feel while having some fun,” said Gary, who bought his son Oliver his first Scalextric when he was just two.
“The wife knew the truth: that it was really for me!”
