Video: 145 ft of slot car heaven

While most of us have dedicated an afternoon to building a standard figure of eight track at one time or another, the humble slot car has long been relegated to second class status by three decades of increasingly realistic racing video games.

But if there's anything liable to make you drop the Xbox controller and pull out that dusty old Scalextric box its the White Lake Formula 1 Ring. The 145 feet long track is the brainchild of James-Michael Gregory Harlan, who decided to construct a slot car circuit which would offer the same challenges as a modern F1 venue.

The White Lake Ring takes up 20 sq ft of floor space, has 19 turns and even features 2.5 feet of elevation change. Harlan, an exhibit designer, has spent years crafting the track's unique environment, which includes pit lanes, stands, lights for night racing and even a helipad. We'd trade in an early copy of Gran Turismo 5 for a go, and compliments don't come much bigger than that.

Click below to watch a video of the slot car masterpiece.