Before the advent of radio control, miniature automobile races were accomplished by suspending the model car with a cable (tether) from the center of a 100-foot circular track. The speed of the car could be accurately calculated since the time to complete a lap was recorded and the distance was known. In the late 1930’s the Dooling Brothers made a .60 cubic inch powered aluminum car called the “Frog,” which made history as it spun around the track at about 80 miles per hour. Ted Maciag’s miniature Frog, dubbed “Tadpole,” is powered by a Cox .01 cubic inch engine with a 2:1 gear ratio driving the rear wheels. It runs on alcohol and 25% nitromethane for fuel and will achieve speeds of about 30 miles per hour. Finished in 2006, the Tadpole is 8″-long, 4″-wide, and 2″-high.
1/3 Scale Tadpole Mini-Tether Car
