RC Racing 101 #1- Finding A Track

RC Racing 101 #1- Finding A Track
by Tim Mohr

BigSquidRC is a bashing site, but even the most fervent basher gives racing a whirl from time to time. My weekly “RC Racing 101” column is a compendium to help everyone from the first timer to the weekly racer that wants to up their game.

Article #1 is focused on the top 3 ways to find a track to race at. If you live in a large metropolitan area it may be a breeze, if you live in a rural area it might mean hours of driving.

3. Magazines– When looking for tracks magazines can be a great resource. Find a copy of R/C Car and they conveniently list them in a track directory. Also, all the magazines sponsor rc events from coast to coast, so within their pages you’ll find advertisements of these tracks and events.

2. The Internet– There are lots of places to find tracks on the internet, but the best two that I’ve found are RC Car Action Magazines track directory, and the RcTech.net forums. The RCCA track directory is not a perfect source, but it’s one of the most complete and easy to use on the internet. The RcTech.net forums include a track locator forum, as well as fairly comprehensive North America Regional racing forums. You can find the RCCA track locator HERE, and the RcTech.net forums HERE.

1. Hobby Shops– Over the years, the single best resource I’ve found for finding a local track has been hobby shops. Like anything else, this can be hit or miss, at some shops they’ve never even heard of rc racing, but usually at least one person behind the counter can give you some pointers on where to go for a race. I must also mention that many times it’s not just the guys behind the counter that have the inside scoop on a local track, often times another customer will overhear you and will pipe up and volunteer information about an under publicized track in the area. So keep your ears open and don’t be shy about asking where other rc’ers are running. Better hobby shops will also have race flyers from local tracks posted in their stores, so keep your eyes open as well.

Next week I’ll venture into the process of which class/car to go racing with, until then, see you on the grid.