Scalextric model company started in Nottingham pub now building layouts for F1 Grand Prix

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A replica of Abu Dhabi's F1 Yas Marina circuit

By Callum Wright

A Nottingham Scalextric model company which started in a pub storage room is now making layouts for Formula One events worldwide.

The Racing Room has been designing and building bespoke tracks of Scalextric, the famous toy slot car racing brand, for 13 years.

Its first public track model was the recreation of Nottingham which still draws visitors to a converted storage room at the Dragon pub, on Long Row.

Since the track’s creators decided to turn their skills into a business in 2019, they have taken their services worldwide.

Tracks they have built from the world of Formula One and beyond are now being hired and commissioned in places as far away as the Middle East.

Speaking about the wide reach the company now has, owner Thomas Hall said: “The last couple of years we’ve built a turn for turn interpretation of Silverstone which is at the Silverstone museum as a permanent exhibition.

Thomas Hall, director and founder of the Racing Room.

“We’ve also had some commissions from Amazon and Red Bull, we’re constantly making new tracks in our workshop for different clients or making model dioramas.

“In terms of hires, the furthest we’ve gone is Abu Dhabi for the Grand Prix.”

The Racing Room has had exhibitions displayed across the country and now has more than ten replica tracks available for hire, with some soon due to travel to Poland, Dubai and Bremen.

Cars lining up on the Racing Room’s Silverstone replica track.

The track in the Dragon was first built 12 years ago and has since grown and evolved into a fully dedicated Nottingham-themed layout.

The pub hosts a race night on the first Tuesday of every month on the track and has it available to hire for parties.

Landlady Aunit Sandhu revealed she needed some persuading before the layout became a permanent tenant.

The Nottingham themed track at the Dragon.

“On the third time of asking I said ‘ok go on, do what you do’, so they built this beautiful Nottingham track,” she said.

“It’s so much fun-we get people coming a few times a week, you get girl guides, people on a work do, just for an hour or two having so much fun.”

With people travelling from as far as Canada to have a race on the tracks, Mr Hall says being able to create them for a living has been like a dream.

The Nottingham themed track in the Dragon features replica figures of real life people – and model of the pub.

“If you’d asked a 12-year-old me if I could play Scalextric for a career, I wouldn’t have believed it at all,” he said.

“I come from an arts background-myself and a couple of friends used to hook up and watch the F1 every Sunday and then it’s just a logical progression and turned out to be a career.”

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