Race the Clock

"Race the Clock" is an electro-mechanical pinball machine manufactured by Williams in March 1955, designed by Harry Williams with artwork by George Molentin. It holds a genuine claim to significance: it was Williams' first four-player game.

By 1955, flippers had already been standard on pinball machines for close to a decade, so Race the Clock is better understood as part of Williams' maturing four-player EM lineup than as an early flipper pioneer. Its layout includes two flippers, two pop bumpers, four passive bumpers, two slingshots, and three standup targets, along with a match feature for awarding replays; a maximum of 999 points can be displayed per player, and any tilt ends the ball in play.

Little else is documented about the specific theme or artwork beyond its title and general EM-era design. As Williams' first four-player release, Race the Clock is a notable stepping stone in the manufacturer's history, even if detailed records of its reception have not survived.