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We’ll Do It Live! Nightly Races & Daily GIFs In America’s Rust Belt
A man with a great big bushy beard and a mohawk descends the stairs into his basement. His image fills the screen as he makes a bit of small talk to cover the moments before the aim of his camera can be reset upon the two-lane racetrack known as The Sky Drop, one of the multiple tracks at Rust Belt Raceway Park just outside Buffalo, New York.
used to build LEGO towns and drive them around. I also built some course by running orange track down the couch cushions and across the living room floor.” Now, he has taken out the orange track as an adult and invites others to play along with him, or at least to follow along as he plays. An active group of race fans have taken Paufler up on the invitation.
The man is Josh Paufler, the commissioner/founder of Rust Belt Diecast Racing, and he does this just about every night. What makes Rust Belt Diecast Racing unique is the league’s focus on nightly live-streamed racing.
“My goal was to build a community around diecast racing,” Paufler notes. “The live races give people an opportunity to chat in the comments [on Facebook], and interact with the host.”
As of this writing, there are 199 members of Paufler’s Facebook group, the location of every Rust Belt race. What attracted those group members/viewers? Paufler posits that it is “the action and the nostalgia of it all. I think it takes them back to their childhood. Plus, it’s a lot of fun with low stakes.”
Generally, the atmosphere created by Paufler is casual, and he converses directly with the audience, answering their questions in real time. But, sometimes the banter stays between the viewers. It is always friendly, but sometimes a little feisty. As Paufler points out, “Who doesn’t love some good trash talk?”
“I loved my Hot Wheels, growing up,” he continues. “I
The people talking trash with each other have become
6 | Diecast Racing Report
