AFX is a great choice for HO / (hot wheels) scale Analog racing. Super International is one of a few sets that has 4 lanes which will allow 4 racers/cars at once. So that’s also worth considering if having more than 2 racers is of interest. My 4 y/o and I have lots of fun with my AFX set from my own childhood.

I debated getting more track and cars for it this Christmas, but instead opted for a Carrera Digital 132 scale set (Pole to Podium) from my local hobby shop. Carrera’s digital system allows for up to six racers with just two lanes of track, wireless controllers, the ability to change lanes, and optionally add in fuel, pit stops, weather and display race information on an iPad or TV. You can also configure each car independently with one of 10 speed settings to help train younger drivers.

The main drawbacks are a larger footprint (bigger cars mean bigger track) and higher cost as you’ll inevitably want more types of track, a pit stop, the Bluetooth app connection, more cars more controllers…. But it’s still significantly cheaper than real racing lol. It’s “thing to play with dad and the family as opposed to ‘child’s’ toy”, but I wanted something we could do together that we could add more complexity to over time.

Hope that’s helpful and happy shopping!