Cars race side-by-side up high-banked turns. View larger.

Players recharge their car at the pit stop to continue racing. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good:NASCAR replicas offer fast paced entertainment The Bad:Setting up the flexible track is a bit tricky In a Nutshell:The NASCAR Deluxe Speedway Track Set provides a fun head-to-head racing experience At a Glance Ages:5 and up Requires:2 or 4 D cell batteries

Getting Ready for the Races
Before the race cars can get rolling, you'll need to assemble the track. The instructions recommend shaping each piece by rolling it and pushing the walls so they stand straight up, and it's worth taking the time to do this because it helps keep cars on track as you start racing.

Snapping the pieces together to make the 180 degree curves is pretty simple. The tricky part of setup is getting the flexible straightaways to connect evenly, but you'll want to be patient and do it well, since having a smooth surface to compete on makes races a lot more fun.

The pit stop recharger is a fun, unique way to keep cars charged. You can put either two or four D cell batteries in it. Using four batteries lets each race car run longer on a single charge. To get your car ready, simply insert the recharger's nozzle into the intake pipe on your car and press down on the top of the charger.

Start Your Engines!
Once the track is set and the cars are charged, all it takes is the flick of switch to start the action. Each car has a convenient on-off switch on the bottom, just behind the rear wheels. Just like real NASCAR racers, once these cars are moving, they don't want to stop. This means that if a bump sends them off the track they're likely to end up flying across your floor or spinning their wheels in the carpet. Since assembling the track smoothly was a bit tricky, we often had to chase down a few renegade cars. However, we also discovered that these durable little cars are incredibly fun to play with on their own without the track.

The Real NASCAR Speedway Experience
The detail on these race cars is sure to impress serious NASCAR enthusiasts, down to the Goodyear logos on the tires. Young racers will pit the popular drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon against each other again and again in an ultimate championship series. Even the hum the cars make when running mimics a real race. But don't worry -- they're not too loud.

With quick little motors and durable bodies, these cars zoom around the track and easily survive crashes. The big track offers super sized fun, even though keeping the connections smooth occasionally gets tricky, and it's easy to keep the racers charged. Overall, these toy cars do a good job of bringing home the action packed competition that makes NASCAR the top spectator sport in the U. S.

Henry is a long, fast engine with a streamlined look. Based on theThomas the Tank Engine&FriendsTV show, The Thomas Wooden Railway System sparks children's creativity while teaching problem solving, developing fine motor skills, and promoting social interaction. Exceptionally well made, each piece of the Thomas Wooden Railway System is handmade from New England Hard Maple and other renewable hardwoods and elaborately detailed.