Have you stayed away from the RC track or organized RC races simply because you don't know what to expect? Here, a first time visitor describes his day at an RC race put on by a local hobby store.
My friend Mike took me and his son to see the RC races at Hobby Town North in Austin, TX. It was free, and that was really cool. We were only there for an hour or so, but it was worth it. The weather was breezy but hot, and the wind gusts threw the little RCs off the mark a little when they were going at high speeds over the jumps. Due to the wind and the heat, they had to wet the dirt track down between races due to the amount of dust being produced.
A little known fact, wetting down the track also helps the off-road RCs get better traction as well.
The first series of races were for beginners using 1:16 and 1:18 scale electric mini Rcs. They seemed to have a little trouble controlling those little guys due to all of the tight turns. The most exciting times were when the RC car would lose control and go flying over the guard rails. I was very surprised at the height those little RCs could reach going over those jumps. One of the spotters almost got hit in the chest by one of them while trying to flip over another RC that was lying on its back after losing control going over the jump.
I couldn't help thinking that it would really hurt to be hit with one of those small RCs going at top speed, which could reach from 20 to 30 mph (with a brushless setup, Mike tells me). The track they were racing though was pretty tight, so even a 10mph hit could be quite painful.
The second series of races was on the larger track using 1:10, 1:12, and 1:8 scale electric and nitro-powered RCs. Now, if I thought that being hit with the smaller RCs was painful, I would hate to experience being hit by a larger 1:8 scale nitro RC going at top speeds reaching 45 to 70 mph (my rough estimate from the sidelines).
The wind's effect on the larger RCs was interesting to say the least. It caused them to perform stunts in the air unintentionally -- wobbling from side to side or rocking the nose of the RC up and down making it look like it could take off and fly.
First Impressions of My First RC Track Experience
The food that was being sold there was very good, but a little over priced for my taste. But I guess you get that at a lot of public gatherings.About the races themselves, this was a very satisfying experience. I would recommend looking for an event like this in your area. Whether it is free or if there is a slight cover charge, the experience is well worth it even as a spectator -- especially for children who are learning about the RC hobby. It can be a little loud so if you have children with sensitive ears, I would suggest giving them ear plugs or ear muffs to protect their hearing.
See you at the track!
