The Adventures of MDG at the 21st Annual Collector’s Nationals
by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
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After a one-year hiatus thanks to the pandemic, the Annual Hot Wheels Collector’s Nationals convention was back in 2021 for its 21 st gathering. This year it was in Atlanta, Georgia over the weekend of April 7- 11. The convention tickets sold out, which clearly showed that collectors and racers alike were ready to get back into the action.
One racer in particular, Michael Mathis (known to the racing community as Michael’s Diecast Garage, or MDG for short) had big plans for the convention. He packed his bags (more on that in a minute) and boarded a Greyhound bus in Houston, Texas, carrying with him a special track that he hoped would bring special joy to the convention attendees. In a year when the convention’s traditional modified racing class was left off the official racing docket, MDG and the Brotherhood of Speed provided an unofficial way for long-time racers to still get their modified racing fix.
Bags full of race track pieces and tools to put it all together.
Diecast Racing Report caught up with MDG after the fact to see how everything turned out at the convention’s official and unofficial activities.
DRR:
I’m going to assume this isn’t your first time attending the Nationals. How many times have you gone before?
MDG:
Atlanta was my third show. My first time was Dallas in 2018, the 50 th anniversary of Hot Wheels. I had just started modified racing in 2018. I mainly went to race on the 40’ eight-lane track. It was only a three-hour drive from Houston. I met Don Boomershine and Jon Soffa that first Thursday night. In 2019, I drove to Chicago for my second event, which culminated in a little diecast tour that went through Indiana to Mr. Mom’s facility, down to Kansas to race at the Backroads raceway with Don Boomershine.
DRR:
What was different about this year?
MDG:
Other than the temperature checks and the face diapers, not a lot. Some friendly staff and people. Great vendors in rooms covering all 15 floors of the Crown Plaza Perimeter at Ravinia hotel. The hotel staff was gracious and accommodating as well.People seemed to be eager to be able to visit and shop for treasures or hard to find items. Everybody was happy it wasn’t canceled, of course.
DRR:
You set up a track of your own there. Was it one of your regular tracks from the Bayou City Diecast Raceplex, or something you built especially for the event?
MDG:
All of the tracks at the BCDR are permanent installations. That’s the main reason they run so well. I designed a portable track–Bayou City B21 Bomber–starting about two weeks from the event. All materials and construction tools were taken in my luggage, bought specifically to transport it.
AT THE TOP OF THE HILL: The starting gate of the Bayou City B21 Bomber
DRR:
Why take a track with you?
MDG:
Simple answer? To race modified diecast. The extended version goes something like this… The races held each year on the track at either the Collector’s Nationals or the Convention in Los Angeles are basically the same. Year after year, except for a Feature Race and (previously) a modified race, the categories always remain the same. With inside information and close connections, I found out that the modified races had been removed from the schedule by the organizers. Immediately plans started to transpire. When I was coaching Little League, we halways had a saying: ‘We dream, we believe, we achieve’. I think it holds true in most endeavors. Don’t get me wrong, the desire to race more than what is offered by the organization was not the only factor. The will to conceive and make a race happen like no one had apparently done before was something this Orange Track Outlaw* was born to do. An who better to sponsor and promote it than the Brotherhood of Speed**.
DRR:
So, what official racing did you take part in?
MDG:
On the official side, I participated in the Sizzlers Practice Session and Races on Friday morning. I hadn’t fully committed to acquiring Sizzlers until after I hung out with Romy (of Rivera Racing), and his crew… I learnedto be alap counter, how to recharge during a race, hot not to put the cars back on track, and how to do it right. High paced, awesome racing. I loved every minute of it. Then, John Soffa (Voxxer Racing) had a Downhill Racing Seminar. Next was a three hour Open Practice session of Friday afternoon. This was my first time seeing the 6-lane track owned by Jason Hayes. This is the track that was used previously, before the newer 8-lane was built.
DRR:
What about the unofficial racing?
GETTING SET UP: The skeleton of the Bayou City B21 Bomber track starts to take form in MDG's room at the 21st Annual Hot Wheels Collector's Nationals.
MDG:
Friday night the unoffical racing was scheduled to start at 9 p.m. The official Charity auction ran longer than expected, so we killed time showing off the B21 Bomber Track. People were crackin’ and trackin’ cars, testing them for Saturday and the official races. The compliments were flowing, and many people were impressed by the track. There was also a 2-lane Slingin’ Track set up in the room. Don Boomershine ( brought a fully digital launcher style drag track all the way from Kansas. Once the racers finally made it up to the 15 th floor, we got all the cars and trucks gathered for racing. We went until after midnight. We ran four separate races: a Feature race for Dodge Demons at 85 grams… Voxxer won.
DRR:
How many racers were there?
MDG:
Six racers: Voxxer, Romy, MDG (me), John Farmer, Alex K (Kentucky), and Don Boomershine (Kaboom Racing). The same six racers competed in the Zoom-In race with a 125 gram weight limit. Voxxer won that one, too. The third race had proxy racers competing. It was a truck race at 115-125 grams. BlueLine took the victory. The 100g Modified Car Race had sixteen racers including proxies. Voxxer won, giving him 3 of the four Modified class wins…Saturday was the official races.
DRR:
What was the best part of holding your own races?
MDG:
The best part was having the support of my diecast brethren who encouraged me and helped me pull it off. It was extremely gratifying seeing the track set up in the room in Atlanta. Testing it and getting it to run smoothly… Having my peers give it a thumbs up. And that they enjoyed building cars for the categories I came up with.
DRR:
What sort of activities did you take part in other than racing?
MDG:
Room-to-room shopping, like everyone else. I participated in the customs contest for the first time with a hydro-dipped Rodger Dodger 2.0 casting. I went to the opening ceremonies for the first time, and to the closing ceremonies. It was different without the Mattel preview and video. I love the Sunday morning toy show where vendors set up and you get to shop tables… that’s where I normally by most of my cars.
DRR:
Would you suggest that folks go to next year’s Nationals?
MDG:
First, I suggest getting a subscription to How Wheels Newsletter. Through that you will have a better chance of getting a ticket. Sill no guarantees. Then look ahead on your calendar and mark the dates in April for Charlotte, North Carolina.
DRR:
Was there anything that you learned by going to Atlanta this year?
MDG:
I learned how close this community is all the way from the product company down to the common collector. And even without Mattel’s presence, the Collector’s Event Unlimited staff and community had a great event.
In order to follow MDG’s advice, you’ll need to follow this link: https:/ /hwcollectorsnews.com/. Subscribers to the Newsletter can get info on the 35th Annual Convention in Los Angeles, too.
*Orange Track Outlaws is a Facebook group in which MDG hosts oneshot drag races that are open to all. Two of those races are listed in this issue’s Mail-In Calendar.
**Brotherhood of Speed is an invitation-only group of dedicated, long-time racers headed by David Currin, Brian Oldford, and MDG.
