Tether cars (also commonly known as spindizzies)[1] are model racing cars powered by miniature internal combustion engines and tethered to a central post. Unlike radio control cars, the driver has no remote control over the model's speed or steering.
Basics
Tether cars are often small (less than 1 meter in length), powered by a non-radio controlled model aeroplane engine (two stroke, glow plug, piston liner, etc.), and run on fuel supplied by a fuel tank within the car. Since 2015, electric motor driven cars, powered by batteries, have also emerged.[2]
History
Tether cars were developed beginning in the 1920s–1930s and still are built, raced and collected today. First made by hobby craftsmen, tether cars were later produced in small numbers by commercial manufacturers such as Dooling Brothers (California), Dick McCoy (Duro-Matic Products), Garold Frymire (Fryco Engineering) BB Korn, and many others. Original examples of the early cars, made from 1930s to the 1960s, are avidly collected today and command prices in the thousands of dollars.
Locations and speed records
There are tracks in Australia (Brisbane and Sydney), New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and other countries. World Championship races are held every 3 years, the 2013 World Championships was held in Basel, Switzerland.
World records
| Class | Date | Driver | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| km/h | mph | |||
| WMCR I (1.5 cm³) | December 9, 2006 |  Jan-Erik Falk | 268.697 | 166.961 |
| WMCR II (2.5 cm³) | August 20, 2016 |  Torbjorn Johannessen | 285.711 | 177.533 |
| WMCR III (3.5 cm³) | March 4, 2017 |  Andrii Yakymiv | 300.953 | 187.004 |
| WMCR IV (5 cm³) | April 5, 2014 |  Tonu Sepp | 317.124 | 197.057 |
| WMCR V (10 cm³) | October 18, 2019 | Ando Rohtmets | 347.490[3][4] | 215.920 |
See also
- Cox Models, a former manufacturer of ready to run tether cars
- Control line flying model
References
- ↑ Yeager, Robert C. (2010-09-24). "Fast and Finely Crafted, Spindizzies Still Dazzle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ↑ Neiger, Christopher (2010-02-08). "How Tether Car Racing Works". Howstuffworks.com.
- ↑ "Eesti koondis domineeris Austraalias toimunud MM-i: 15 võimalikust medalist võideti seitse!". Sport.delfi.ee.
- ↑ "2019 Brisbane World Championships : Final Reseults" (PDF). Trcaa.org. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
External links
- Speed model car official webiste
- Vintage Miniature Gas Powered Race Cars, Buys cars, private website covering the early history of tether cars
- AMRCA - American Miniature Racing Car Association
- WMCR - World Organisation for Model Car Racing
- GMBK - Gävle ModellBil Klubb