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TCR (Total Control Racing)

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TCR was manufactured by ideal in the late 70's to early 80's.

TCR (Total Control Racing) was a slotless track system that gave you more control over your racing cars than ever before. Because there were no slots for the cars to fit into like Scalextric, the TCR cars could change lanes. This was done by flipping a switch on the Hand Controller. However when the cars came to a bend they would always default to the outside of the bend due to gravity and centrifugal force. This meant that you could not overtake on the inside of a bend, something that was perfected by Matchbox's Lanechanger racing system.

Most TCR sets that were sold came with the added bonus of a third vehicle, a Jam Car which travelled at a slightly slower speed than the two "racing" cars. This meant that in order to win a race you would have to negotiate this vehicle as well as your opponent.

Some sets also came with a articulated truck that you had to race in order to win.

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Do You Remember TCR (Total Control Racing)?

Do You Remember TCR (Total Control Racing)?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    This brings back some wonderful boyhood memories! I remember receiving a TCR Stock Car Racing Set after watching John Noakes playing with it on Blue Peter, I badgered my Mum and Dad for months before Xmas somImagine my excitement when I found a set at the end of my bed on xmas day!I dont recall there being a “Jam Car” all I do remember was both cars could run on either slot due to ther being a “crossover track” and each car had a button on the back that released a spring to send the vehicle flying if it was hit by the other car. Ive never seen it since I was a child of a out 10 or 11, Im now 68 and just remember the hours of fun and excitement!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Just bought a tcr set from ebay for my young son....well thats the story am sticking too, i will not accept computer simulated racing games r better than this....this is raw fun.....
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I have tried to get my Grandchildren interested but unless its on a PC screen they're not interested!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I still have my brother's old TCR set! I've no idea how or if it still works, or what's in it, but it's comforting to see the tattered old box which reminds me of the good times we had as kids...
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Got my set in '78 when most of my records were by Showaddywaddy! Besides my Raleigh Grifter, the best present Mum and Dad ever got me. TCR just looked and felt so much more advanced than the slot racing types of Scalextric, which I think has improved since then. This week (30 years later) I bought my 5 and 8 year old boys their first Scalextric - okay so Scales won the war over TCR... but there was a time... when nothing could beat the thrill of lighted cars zooming over the bridge and shooting down - with the room lights off! - and overtaking at will. And I was there. The drawback with TCR, in my case anyway, was that the metal wires embedded in the track would get pressed in somehow and so the car would stop. And the metal tabs underneath narf wore out quickly, didn't they?
  • Anonymous user
    on
    does any body know where i can buy pick ups and tyers for tcr in thye uk also im looking for 2 trucks help
  • Anonymous user
    on
    TCR !!! I used to assemble these in my student summer holidays at the Ideal Toys factory in Wokingham, I spent the 1st few weeks electronically timing the cars on a 40 foot length of track to ensure that an evenly matched pair of cars was put into each set. We also used to put the metal contacts into the tracks by hand - EVERY SINGLE RAIL - best fun I ever had for £52.10 a week at 16 !!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    man!!!now this takes me WAAAAAAAAY back!..i remember begging my mother for a set,i loved the comercials..you know the one where the cars glow in the dark!!!man i tell ya,these kids now-a-days dont know what they missed!!...say any body have clips of the old comercials??
  • Anonymous user
    on
    i had the lighted racing system and i remeber that you could get the cars to race in opposite directions. the skill then was to avoid hitting each other or the jam car!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I had two TCR sets. The first comprised of two stock cars with a jam car, the next one had two american style articulated lorries (gold and silver). I also had two trans-am pontiac firebirds (black and yellow). I used to spend hours playing 'smokey and the bandit' with the trucks and trans-ams. The other advantage of TCR was that you could have gaps in the track to create jumps and the lack of slots meant the cars could leap quite nicely and land in either lane before setting off again. I've still got my two sets, cars and trucks in the loft, but need replacement pick-ups and springs to get them going again. Happy days !!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I remember seeing this in a bin bag under my mum and dad's bed before xmas. My older brother got the set and I ended up being allowed to play too. I bought a ton of TCR from ebay a few years ago. Shame they never found a way of making the pick ups never ending. The trucks with the silver/gold trailers and the Ford vans were the best.

Do you remember these?