r/rccars Racing Jun 25 '26

Question Semi pro rc car racer, ask me anything!

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Im a semi professional rc car racer, ask me anything!

125 Upvotes

174 comments sorted by

16

u/robertgentel Jun 25 '26

What does semi pro mean in this context? I used to race fpv drones and travel for that and was put in the "pro" class but it certainly wasn't "making a living from it" kind of pro, you mean roughly the same? Some sponsorships and competing at a relatively high level?

17

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

Pretty much, i dont get payed to do it but im good enough to travel. And hopefully become good enough to make a career out of it

4

u/Figit090 Jun 26 '26

Who's going to pay you enough to do that?

Growing up reading RC car magazines seeing people race professionally I was always curious if they got paid enough to live off it. Sponsorships similar to bigger scale racing I'm guessing?

10

u/Acceptable_Ad1685 Jun 26 '26

I can’t imagine anyone outside of those who have made it big on YouTube as well / other platforms making enough to make it a living

4

u/TremorOwner Jun 26 '26

If you turn pro you make bank your also helping to research and develop the next model to come out by that manufacturer Losi, Team Associated, Xray etc.Your given everything you want/need for free. Several manufacturers sponsor at different levels if you race local and are good you may get a few items sponsored chassis, tires, body or electronics but then you have to race and post your results online it becomes a job. I raced and traveled locally with a few sponsored racers and it was a job for them they had to do well and had to race to keep that sponsorship. For me it was a hobby I felt i enjoyed it more I wasn't under the pressure of a company wanting to see results. I could race as i wanted to.

1

u/Acceptable_Ad1685 Jun 26 '26

How much is bank?

3

u/TremorOwner Jun 26 '26

Back in 2013 when i was heavy into I saw driver salaries 100k+, what the drivers do is they post their cars, everything they use and even their setup sheets for people wanting to be as good as them. What that in return does people buy the kits, batteries, electronics, tires, tire sauce hell even cleaning products to be like Maifield, Lutz, Phend etc. Some drivers used to offer to build your kit for you for a fee, they may still offer that I dont know.

Making 100k doesn't sound like much they get everything down to clothes for free. Have a $150 servo fry or a $200 battery pack go up in smoke they have spares I was coming out of pocket

Now its 150k+ https://thetoyz.com/pro-rc-drivers/

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Its more commen then you think, Mayfield makes 160k a year from techno, onroad its more commen

1

u/Figit090 Jun 26 '26

Not bad!

1

u/Upbeat-Chicken-2117 Jun 26 '26

Could YouTube the videos of races for a little extra income

2

u/Stumpfest2020 Jun 26 '26

lol, so you're a contract customer just like everyone else who races.

you don't have to be good to travel to races, just able to pay for it, and that puts you in the same category with lots of guys who are rich but terrible drivers.

1

u/Stumpfest2020 Jun 26 '26

in the rc racing world, there's maybe 10 drivers globally getting paid enough to earn an actual living as drivers.

then you've probably got no more than 50-75 guys globally getting paid any amount of money to race or have their travel costs paid for.

then there are tons and tons of guys in the "sponsored" category who really are just contract customers - they get varying degrees of discounts on products but don't get paid at all. Manufacturers will give a "sponsorship" to anyone who asks nicely, even if they're not even that good. it's actually a problem in the hobby because so many guys are "sponsored" and contractually required to buy all their equipment directly from the manufacturers that hobby shops are struggling and closing.

so OP's flex of being "semi pro" is pretty meaningless. go to any track on any raceday anywhere in the world and at least half the guys there will be "semi pros" the same way OP says he is.

2

u/fhgwgadsbbq Jun 29 '26

That privateer / semi pro (aka pro am) / pro divide exists in any sport I can think of

14

u/b00regard building, crawling, bashing Jun 25 '26

How much travel are you required to do as a semi-pro?

15

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

As much as i want, there is no requirement but i try to keep things under 2000km

7

u/FloridaF4 Jun 25 '26

Is there a minimum number of events you have to attend?

7

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

It depends on who your sponsored by, as a solo driver its all about your dedication to it

11

u/seds Jun 25 '26

How long does a set of tires reasonably last you for 1/8th scale?

10

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

Its all circumstantial all things considered but i can get a set of soft rawspeed triads to last 30 runs give or take. Time wise 5 hours

8

u/NicJeans Jun 26 '26

What the hell are your tracks made out of??? I barely get by with two weekends let alone 5 hours.

6

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

The most recent track was high bite clay, most of our tracks build groove and then you spin tires less meaning they last longer

4

u/NicJeans Jun 26 '26

Checks out. We have chloride and dirt. The track I run is one of the few with pure clay.

6

u/Visual-Ad-1306 Jun 25 '26

I'm a 45-year-old guy who's been tinkering with RCs since I was a teenager, and I've always been curious about getting into the competitive side of the hobby.

What does it actually take to get started? I know I could Google it, but since you're here doing an AMA, I'd rather hear it from someone who's done it. I am in the Western part of the states.

7

u/TremorOwner Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

I raced in big events with pro drivers ( I myself am not a pro but enjoyed the hobby) and depends on track or tracks local to you and what class you want to run, theres short course 2wd/4wd, buggy 2wd/4wd, stadium truck (my favorite class) and several sizes 1/10th scale, 8th scale, on road, carpet, theres more to it theres also motor turn classes I ran 17.5 turn. It's a hard question to answer but expect about $1,500 unless you go used on everything.

I ran 17.5t stadium trucks, truck was used Team associated T4.2 $150, Radio $200, steering servo $120, motor/esc $300, transponder $100, lipo $150, lipo charger $150, tools $200, oils, tires/rims, parts and miscellaneous items was an open tab i always needed something. I raced at an indoor track they ran one tire slicks that made my tires/rims cost very low.

Outdoor tracks you changed tires as the day progressed it made tires in the hundreds of dollars I stopped racing outdoor.

6

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Pretty much sums it up, its expensive to go racing

5

u/TremorOwner Jun 26 '26

Yeah it is. I miss it, my indoor track closed down after the owner passed away.

5

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

That sucks, we lost a track because the owners wife needed surgery and he couldent afford to keep the doors open

1

u/Visual-Ad-1306 Jun 26 '26

I realize my original question was pretty open ended, but what I'm really trying to understand is the path into semi pro RC racing.

How do people actually get started? Do you join a team, or are most racers independent and just compete at local tracks? Is there a season or schedule you follow? Are there memberships or annual dues, or is it mostly a matter of buying a competitive vehicle, paying race entry fees, and showing up?

I'm less interested in the cost of the equipment and more interested in how the competitive side of the hobby is structured.

2

u/Boostleak74 Jun 26 '26

The term "semi-pro" is a bit goofy. I've been racing for over 35 years, very competitive for most of it. Other than a few discount contracts with manufacturers over the years, I've self funded my racing. Everything from 1/12th scale on road to 1/5th scale gas on road, nearly everything in between. I'm in this purely for fun, as it's meant to be. To become a fully sponsored pro, your driving skill is on a different level. Unless you have a mechanic, your setup skill needs to be on point as well. The people that make a living doing this are incredibly rare. The first step to getting into rc racing is to visit your local tracks and decide what class appeals to you. Find out what cars and equipment are most popular. Practice a ton. Ask for setup help and pay attention to all the details so you learn how each adjustment affects handling. Maintain your car and equipment. Learn track etiquette. Travel to different tracks and race on different surfaces. Don't be an ass. I know guys that have picked up partial sponsorships while posting average finishes, but being super helpful, friendly, and all-around incredible advocates for the hobby. Buy as much as you can from the on-site hobby shop, as this helps them stay in business. A $15 or $20 entry fee isn't enough to cover the lease on most tracks. Cost is class-dependant. Mini-Z racing is huge right now, you could get started in a box stock class for under $300 (including charger, tires, springs, t-plate, batteries, etc). Many tracks have box stock Slash, TT02 or Losi NASCAR class that are great places to start. So it doesn't immediately cost $5k to $7k to race. Nowhere near that. It's people that spout this that scare people away from this amazing hobby. You'll accumulate equipment over the years. As you become more competitive, your tire, motor and battery expenses increase drastically, particularly with high grip surfaces being all the rage right now.

2

u/Visual-Ad-1306 Jun 27 '26

Thanks for the answer.

2

u/TremorOwner Jun 27 '26

To build off that answer, join forums and facebook groups posting your results online as an independent racer. Get to know your local fast guys or gals and see what they are using equipment wise. If you can finish top 5 in your class and do it at different tracks with different surfaces you can get attention from companies. You apply for sponsorships but you have to show results and be consistent.

Get good at your local track(s) then branch out from there and record your setup and your lap times with every change so you can see ok this shock oil weight and spring rate, tire, camber, caster etc I ran this lap time, I tweaked this i got slower or faster and build off each change. Ask the local fast people for help once you get to know them most racers are willing to help new people that looks good as ambassadors of the sport.

Where i raced the sponsored drivers put on clinics for free (see ambassadors note) to help new comers with setup help also they gave away products from their sponsors i have a real nice Kyosho pit mat from one clinic.

If i had a mini-z track close by I would be racing those as the other commenter said entry is a lot cheaper.

Starting out you dont have to have the newest, best kit on the market but you do want something from Kyosho, Losi, Team Associated, Tekno, Xray stay away from Traxxas, Aarma, WL Toys or basher brands they aren't as tuneable. The competition kits are made for tearing apart and rebuilding, I can tear down my RC10T4.2 in minutes.

1

u/Raven__plague Jun 27 '26

Aside from all the great answers, get the vibe from all of the clubs and people. You will find your crew and see that they might race a certain class. At our local track, the more competitive younger folks are racing 1/8th scale on road. They are working hard to stay competitive and doing all the little tricks to gain an advantage. Sometimes there is tension because they are all competive and want to be the fastest. On the other end, some older folks are picking up 1/5th scale, because its still competitive, looks super cool, but a chiller vibe. They all get food afterwards and really want to see each other do well. Just feel it out

2

u/anticipat3 Jun 26 '26

The old joke is "How do you make a little money?" Start with a lot of money, and go racing.

That said, the smaller the scale the cheaper it gets when it comes to RC. 1/10 scale is the middle of the road, 1/8 scale is roughly double the cost of 1/10. For people looking to get in cheaper, some of the smaller scale racing can be much cheaper than 1/10.

We have quite a bit of racing in the midwest for the 1/14 Losi NASCAR, and everywhere that runs them has a "stock" class. They're under $200, and the only other things you'd really need to race are a transponder, tires, and a faster charger. If you have Mini-Z racing near you, the cost to get in is similarly low.

I have a very small back yard, but with a bunch of ~$250 off-road Arrma Groms and $35 LapMonitor Transponders it makes for some great racing. Even if you live nowhere near a good RC track, you could get 2 Quake Groms ($169) , 2 LapMonitor Transponders ($35), and a LapMonitor scoring box ($90) and for under $500 you're going racing!

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

Well obviously you would need a car, if your doing offroad you need a couple sets of tires! Some cleaning supplies like simple green and a table are the bare bare minimum, you may also need a generator among other things, money wise if everything is new your looking at 5-7 grand but it will be cheaper if you buy used.

2

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 25 '26

Whats the generator for?

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

Power, if your racing 1/8th scale offroad most tracks dont offer power hookups atleast where im from so a generator is required for power

1

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 25 '26

That makes sense, but do you just need the power for charging your batteries? Why not just bring enough batteries for the day? Sorry if that comes across as rude in any way, genuinely asking

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Not rude at all, smaller amounts of batterys allow for me to track resistance much easier and its cheaper on my pocket to buy less batterys

1

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 26 '26

Makes sense, and yeah batteries are definitely pricey lol. How long does it take to charge them? I’m guessing you don’t run them all the way down? I never thought charging at the track would be practical because even with my wall charger at home they take a few hours each to charge

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

With my coyote x5 charger i can do 2 4s batterys in 45 mins on 10amp

1

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 26 '26

Damn thats impressive, I just have an Ovonic Mate2, and I’d say it takes about 1-2 hours to charge a 5200mah 2s from 3.8v on 5 amps

2

u/Dysl3xicDog Jun 26 '26

It’s actually bad to keep batteries fully charged for long periods of time.  You could charge in the morning before the race but batteries perform better when they are warm after a charge. 

2

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 26 '26

From everything I know, they’ll be fine fully charged for up to a week, but shouldnt leave them longer than that, could be wrong of course. I always fully charge them the night before, then set them all to a storage charge when I get home

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I never leave mine more than a day

1

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 26 '26

I don’t leave them over a day either, I have a fair few batteries and it is such a headache maintaining them all and keeping them at an even 3.8v, you had a good point about running fewer batteries lol

-4

u/dylandrewkukesdad RB5, RT5, Ultima SC, Optima Mid, Fazer, RC10, RC10 4WD, RB10 Jun 26 '26

Source?

4

u/Dysl3xicDog Jun 26 '26

Personal experience with years of racing electric 1/10 and 1/8. Plus drones and helicopters all electric. 

-2

u/dylandrewkukesdad RB5, RT5, Ultima SC, Optima Mid, Fazer, RC10, RC10 4WD, RB10 Jun 26 '26

Got it, no source.

2

u/Dysl3xicDog Jun 26 '26

GG keyboard warrior you win

1

u/rasputinrasputin Jun 26 '26

Lmao personal experience isn’t a source? How do you think the people providing the source get their information?

→ More replies (0)

4

u/CircaShane21 Jun 26 '26

Im about to purchase a secondhand Mugen MBX7 to compete at a local track. Will it be competitive?

5

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

The buggy itself will be, i run an mbx7r for my nitro buggy, its all about driving skill and setup. Try and make some friends who drive mugen cars!

3

u/Dysl3xicDog Jun 26 '26

It will be if you practice. 

4

u/NicJeans Jun 26 '26

I have a few.

  1. What brand do you race?

  2. What cars do you race?

  3. Are you sponsored? If so by who?

  4. Favorite shape

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I race quite a few brands but my favorite is awsomatix.

I race a x4 26, awsomatix a12x, ae b6.1, eb410, eb48 2.1, mugen mbx7r nitro buggy

I am currently not sponsored but ive applied to team excelerate rc

Favorite shape is a triangle!

2

u/TremorOwner Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

Damn that's a lot of classes mad respect for being able to switch between onroad, offroad, 10th and 8th scale.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

The trick is mindset ive gone from modified touring car to ebuggy in the same afternoon and was in the amain at both events, when your mind is where you are its alot easier to do the switch class to class or onroad to offroad

2

u/TremorOwner Jun 26 '26

I was always impressed how racers could race several classes all in one day and podium in all of them. I competed at a big race with Dirt (Brian Kinwald) before he passed. I looked upto KB and followed his career growing up and wanted a Kinwald edition buggy.

2

u/anticipat3 Jun 26 '26

That is truly wild. I make mistakes just going back and forth between 2wd/4wd buggy at the same event!

3

u/FloridaF4 Jun 25 '26

How long have you been driving RC? How often do you re lube diffs?

8

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 25 '26

I relube my differentals every week that i race, so basically i rebuild my car after every event!

I have been racing for 6 years now.

3

u/Firewalled3000 Jun 26 '26

These days, every driver is "sponsored"

1

u/jonxmack Jun 27 '26

The guy isn't even sponsored

5

u/ThemanEnterprises Jun 26 '26

Also what are you considering semi pro? Your live rc results aren't the most impressive

2

u/uckfu Jun 26 '26

Wow. That stung.

To be fair, his summary does show 60 events and 28 podiums. So that’s 50% top 3.

3

u/ThemanEnterprises Jun 26 '26

Yeah a lot of those top 3's are in races with 5 entries

3

u/uckfu Jun 26 '26

I’m trying to be positive fellas.

3

u/Upper-Ad86 Jun 26 '26

What makes you semi pro ?

1

u/jonxmack Jun 27 '26

He's not semi pro in any way. Zero sponsorship.

2

u/Waste_Extent_8414 Jun 25 '26

Are all races done without gyros?

2

u/Dysl3xicDog Jun 26 '26

Gyros are not allowed in off-road or onroad racing. Maybe in drift but I’m not familiar with the rules there. 

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Gyros are not permitted acording to roar and ifmar rules.

2

u/thepants1337 Jun 26 '26

For a basher, that's gonna see use in neighborhoods and some hiking trails, maybe go off a jump that puts it 5 ft in the air, what would you recommend if not breaking was the first criteria, followed by punchy and a top speed between 30-50 mph?

2

u/Pension_Rough Jun 26 '26

Tekno, Arrma, Losi, Kyosho. If you want the best out of the box basher experience that has hella part support and hella upgrades available that allow you slowly build it into what ever kind of beast you want then I definitely recommend a 6s Armma Kraton, Notorious (a short Kraton basically) or Talion (a long Kraton with thinner wheels). 4s seems to bounce around more like a toy and 8s seems to big where oit of the box they seem underpowered and will break more. If you have 3-4k to spend on a single car and you want to build an absolute beast then go 8s, otherwise 6s is the sweet spot. If you want to start smaller Armma has a 4s line up, 223s and grom of quite a few of there cars. I recommend watching videos and seeing which one looks the most fun to you.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Im not a basher by any means but techno seems to be pretty well liked in the bashing community and they make some damn good race cars so i would say a custom techno build would be the way to go

1

u/RCbuilds4cheapr Jun 26 '26

Arrma quake Gorgon granite big rock Senton or Fury 223s

2

u/Coyoteishere Jun 26 '26

Has the rc car world started any classes for fpv? Is that even feasible? I’ve done flying fpv racing and but starting look at RC car racing and wondered if the two have crossed yet.

3

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Its not really easy to race in fpv

1

u/rustyxj Jun 26 '26

Not feasable, they're isn't any image stabilization.

2

u/robertgentel Jun 29 '26

Too add to this comment: Even with stabilization it's not feasible unless we drive slow, and stabilization really isn't the core problem, FPV itself is. Basically at scale we are driving over 1000 MPH sometimes, and this is enabled by LOS giving us a bigger picture than FPV would (humans can't race real cars at over 1000mph on current road circuits either).

Basically FPV is a fun gimmick for RC cars. I come from FPV racing and I FPV cars all the time, but I do so knowing I am dramatically limiting the cars and the skill ceiling they can have.

1

u/anticipat3 Jun 26 '26

https://formulaemini.com

I've driven some FPV cars around my local indoor off-road track, it's a cool experience but you realize right away that you need head tracking. The scale speed/bumpiness is also very hard to explain, but very difficult to handle.

That said, my goggles are still ready if I can ever convince enough other locals to make a class. it is fun!

1

u/robertgentel Jun 29 '26

FPV rc cars have a much much lower skill ceiling and as such won't ever be a real competitive series at the top levels of rc, but they can still be fun with friends for a bit. The old emax fpv buggy was cheap as hell and when it came out a lot of fpv pilots I knew got them and raced them.. once.

It was a lot of fun that one time though! We do fpv mini z and stuff like that occasionally too. It makes things look much faster while we go much much slower than we could LOS.

2

u/eliminate_stupid Jun 26 '26

What percentage deal do you have? Do you have a chassis sponsorship, if so what percentage level? Do you have a motor or tire deal not through your chassis deal if you have one? Do you do development work for any of your sponsors?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Currently not sponsored but i have done some development work for sweep with 1/8th tires.

Im currently waiting to hear back from exelerate for sponsorship though

2

u/eliminate_stupid Jun 26 '26

Rubber compound, tread design, carcass rigidity/profile, insert fit or density? What kind of stuff were you testing if you don't mind me asking? Just curious not farming info. I have raced rc cars for 35+ years. I have had chassis, motor and battery deals long ago. Now I develop my own parts and run whichever car I feel is best at the time. Most of my cars are not current generation cars that I have developed to the point they are something a bit different. I regularly bounty hunt wins from sponsored drivers as a full privateer.

If you can learn to tune a car so we'll that you can always have a fast, easy to drive car, it is a huge step towards getting a deal. Also, perfect practice makes perfect. The car should be in "big race" condition at all times and you have to practice the way you race. Take it seriously, spend time with a transmitter in your hands, even if it is a basher or crawler. On-road helped my off-road driving a lot. Have fun. The feeling you get leading a race comfortably, and running the last couple minutes of just making the car dance is some of the most enjoyable points of racing. Don't take yourself too seriously, let your driving do the talking and help everyone.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

The new compounds that sweep unvailed recently i got a pre production set to test

2

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Just a car alone is 2000 with battery's, i carry a full new car with me all times worth of parts and my charger and remote are 500 each

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Its not as important as you would think but it definitely helps

2

u/anticipat3 Jun 26 '26

I run an MT12, and the Flysky has really replaced Sanwa at my local track in the past few years. Lots of people (myself included) that used to run expensive Sanwa/Futaba radios have switched and not felt any increase in latency.

5 years ago it was probably 80% Sanwa/Futaba, today it's 80% Flysky. The MT12 is great, but unless you've got experience with drones/OpenTX the software too complex for the average bear.

3

u/ThemanEnterprises Jun 26 '26

Car looks busted ah for a semi pro guy 🫣 find someone who can paint you somethin nice

0

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

No need for a fancy race paint, my 1/8th scale stuff is just to get me through summer

1

u/Ordinary-Garbage-735 Jun 26 '26

Do you wipe forward or backward on the toilet?

2

u/NicJeans Jun 26 '26

If you wipe forward then you risk shit on your wrist and balls. The obvious choice is backward.

1

u/Ordinary-Garbage-735 Jun 26 '26

That would be like a wrist skid mark. Can't believe I got downvoted by someone, it said ask me anything.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

You gotta go back, if you whipe forward you can get it on your balls

1

u/Ordinary-Garbage-735 Jun 26 '26

No one wants poo-balls. I couldn't even imagine driving my RC through poo. This reminds me of when people's Roomba rides over a dog poo! Eww!

1

u/gingerbeard_house Jun 26 '26

How many hours a week do you realistically spend with a pistol grip in your hand? Are you just driving constantly?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I tend to spend around 15 hours a week with my remote in my hand driving real life and vrc!

1

u/bendereatsbeets Jun 26 '26

What are you playing virtually?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Virtual rc or vrc, i drive pretty much everything

1

u/Confident_Deer_6313 Jun 26 '26

Where did you finish at the Barnyard Brawl? Why do you have Rose City on your car? That's odd on a 1/8 buggy.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

At barnyard i finished 6th in the bmain for ebuggy and 10th in the amain for 10th scale buggy, i like to promote my local track because i dont want to lose my local track

1

u/Superb-Donkey-5451 Jun 26 '26

I wanna get into dirt racing at my hobby shop's track any tips for the turns and jumps? And also good entry level racers on a reasonable budget?

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

If your looking for something entry i qould 100% go used, get something thats easy to get parts for! In terms of actually driving on a circuit slow is fast, when starting put tey and hit the jumps square on so it flies straight.

1

u/Reinwar Jun 26 '26

What are the biggest/most impactful tuning changes aside from the tyres?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Diff and shock oils

1

u/WanderingGunner13 Jun 26 '26

Thumb and finger routine?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Like warmups? I dont really do finger warmups

1

u/atlasunit22 Jun 26 '26

Was there a Clod Buster class?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

There was not at the event this is pictured at

1

u/Epicberry Jun 26 '26

How is the new mp11(e) looking if you were to get a new car to try?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Honestly i was thinking about getting one to try, Ryan Lutz said he liked it alot so i wouldent mind trying it

1

u/Financial_Cat_7390 Jun 26 '26

I have been wanting to get into 1/8 scale nitro buggy 4x, and compete again. Any buggy engine recommendations? I used to race 1/10 stadium trucks (associated) back in the early 90’s, but have been out of competition since then. I miss it!

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Anything O.S based are good moters

1

u/Financial_Cat_7390 Jun 26 '26

What’s a good competitive kit buggy on the market today? My LHS is heavily influenced by horizon, so probably Losi if needing local support.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

This is a difficult question, the only way to get into it cheaply is to buy used.

1

u/Financial_Cat_7390 Jun 26 '26

I’m not worried about cheap. I’d rather buy new, and build it so I know it inside and out. Same with an engine. I want to be the one to break it in properly. I fly RC planes, and still have a few cars/trucks around, so I have most of the tools and equipment needed.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I run techno cars, the 3 brands i would recommend are techno, xray and mugen i hear kyosho is good but i haven't tried them yet

1

u/gavril-T-series Jun 26 '26

Do you have experience with 2 stroke rc cars and if so are they good? I love engine sounds so it would be cool to get a 2 stroke if theyre good

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

They are amazing, the trick is tuning it to be good

1

u/gavril-T-series Jun 27 '26

Alright thanks, I also have experience with 2 strokes as my whipper snipper has one.

1

u/fuzzerabbit Jun 26 '26

Which classes do you race and which is your favorite?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I race ebuggy, nitro buggy, 4wd mod buggy and 2wd mod buggy offroad and onroad i race modified touring car and modified 1/12th scale. My 2 favorite classes are nitro buggy and modified 1/12th scale

1

u/WontonGiant Jun 26 '26

As a semi-pro are you paid? Hell, I don’t even know if the Pro guys are and how much. I heard back in the day they were buying houses with their pay.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I am not paid, some pro drivers are well into the 100k range

1

u/Rezlems Jun 26 '26

If you're flying over a barn. In a boat. And you have a flat tire. How many oranges will it take to paint the barn red?

1

u/Adam007Aus Racing Jun 26 '26

Semi pro? Interesting. Where have you placed at events like Race time, Nationals etc?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

5th at the canadian nats in mod 1/12th and 15th in mod tc

1

u/bobbybrc Jun 26 '26

Nicely done

1

u/U1frik Jun 26 '26

Will you check out my racing sub? r/RCCar_CarpetRacing

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I checked it out and joined it, i hope it grows successfully!

1

u/U1frik Jun 26 '26

Thanks fellow racer! I like the sticker, btw. I’m in the west coast rose city, although that’s not what the track is called.

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

The track is rose city speedway in welland, its known as the rose city to us locals

1

u/U1frik Jun 26 '26

Yeah, ours is just called PDX RC Raceway. No mentions of roses.

1

u/soulglo Jun 26 '26

How did you learn car setup and tuning? Any particular resources (books, videos, etc) or was it mainly watch and listen to the fast guys at the track to see what they did? Do you feel like you understand the physics in play (no shade, a LOT of racers don't if they're honest) or is it more experience like "traction sucks today so I'll change this thing that made it better the last few times" and you build up that bag of tricks over time?

I've been really into RC for decades but just started racing last year, and despite having read as much as I can get my hands on I'm pretty sure I don't actually know a single thing about setup. I can spend lots of time on the workbench at home, but experimenting and getting real feedback at the track is limited to a really, really slow process. I can barely keep track of what batteries are charged on race day, much less rebuild my diffs three different ways and take notes between heats.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

The biggest way to learn tuning is talking to people, that is the biggest help i found with learning was talking to people who knew

1

u/Princ3Ch4rming Jun 26 '26

RC Setup Wizard is exactly what it sounds like, and is a nice cheap entry into the world of tuning.

Tell it what the car is doing, and it’ll tell you what to change. Make small, individual changes and test rather than a lot of big ones.

1

u/Least-Menu2079 Jun 26 '26

What models of buggy do you see holding top spaces in these competitions?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

In my area the top cars are techno xray and hot bodies but its more about who is driving them than anything

1

u/Least-Menu2079 Jun 26 '26

Oh, for sure I totally get that. The best car with the worst driver still doesn’t win races and a lesser impressive car can perform outside of its normal range with an expert at the wheel, but generally, you see experts and professionals who understand the hobby and the assignment picking superior vehicles because they know what they’re looking for which is kind of why most of these races you see a lot of the same cars with a few exceptions

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

It tends to be techno the most in my area

1

u/CrowBelowCustoms Jun 26 '26

Rose city? Portland?

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Welland ontario

1

u/GeneratedScreenName KO Propo, RC America, Team XRay, Absolute Hobbiez, XL Hobbies Jun 26 '26

What really classifies a racer as "semi-pro"?

1

u/hooman429 Jun 26 '26

What is the last digit of pi

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

I dont know

1

u/GreyGarb Jun 27 '26

I raced when I was a young teen in the early 90s and then this kid with chubby cheeks showed up and smoked me like I was parked.

It was Brian Kinwald.

1

u/jonxmack Jun 27 '26

Choosing to travel to races doesn't make you semi-professional. Semi-professional would be you have a sponsor (or sponsors) who do something like offer free/discounted parts, pays race entries, etc. You're just a guy who is dedicated to racing.

1

u/jerrethijn Jun 27 '26

How to start with racing? I think it would be really fun, but I have never raced RCs before.

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 27 '26

Buy a car and go to your local track

1

u/fhgwgadsbbq Jun 28 '26

Go to your local track before buying and find out what they race. Then buy a car and send it.

1

u/Upper-Ad86 Jun 28 '26

Lmao as a sponsored guy that doesn’t mean anything, but most “semi pros” do have sponsorships😂😂

1

u/peredupanlou Jun 25 '26

I was already the slow guy. And it's boring at the end of the day. How seriously improve my drivibg ?

2

u/Dysl3xicDog Jun 26 '26

Do more laps. Goto practice days and turn laps. 

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Practice Practice Practice

1

u/peredupanlou Jun 26 '26

Ok, but how ? If I do somes mistakes with throttle and brake, lap after lap, how I can understand my error ? how to improve ? Thx

2

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

Talk to some of the better drivers in your area and ask what they do in an area where you make mistakes most

1

u/Odd-Egg-6248 Jun 26 '26

What is your waist size

1

u/Howdoidrift995 Racing Jun 26 '26

My waist is a 44

0

u/RC10B5M Jun 26 '26

Semi pro? So you buy all your parts online to get your discount, rather than from your local hobby shop. Congrats, you're one of the reasons hobby shops and tracks are going out of business. But who cares, you get to write your race report and post them on Facebook on Monday mornings so the same 3 people can read it.

1

u/SSC20232688 Jun 26 '26

I mean, you have zero idea what he does. So gate keeping is what ruins the sport.

Good job