Remote control racing every bit as competitive as NASCAR, racers say

Racers in Easley, Fountain Inn, Clover share why they love the sport

Racers in Easley, Fountain Inn, Clover share why they love the sport

FOR MANY REMOTE CONTROL CARS ARE MORE THAN A CASUAL HOBBY. IT'’ A RACE TO SEE WHO IS THE FASTEST. OUR PHOTOJOURNALIST CHIP IS AND GOES INSIDE THE NEED FOR SPEED IN THE UPSTATE. RIGHT WNDO HERE AT LAKE 5 SPRINT LOOKING FOR YOU ALMOST HERE. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A PRETTY PRETTY BIG DEAL RIGHT BACK. WATCH YOUR BEARS. SPIDERS COMPETITIVE TO VISIT GETTING BETTER GO HOME. YOU’RE GONNA WIN TONIGHT. YOU BEERTT STUFF TOGETHER THE GAME OF THOUSAND CORN BISCUIT IN SECOND PLACE WE'R’ IN CLOVER, SOUTH CAROLINA. UAUSLLY SOUTH CAROLINA FOUND IN RC COMPLEX. MY NAME’S TICKLE MY REDNECK SPAGHETTI STCTRUURE. THAT’S ALL I CAN DO TO WORK A SMARTPHONE SLEEP BREATHING EVERY DAY NOT HERE. I’M USUALLY WORKING ON THE CAR. I’M NOT WORKING ON THE CAR. I’M TALKING TO SOMEBODY ABOUT RACISTE B AT WORK ON LUNCH BREAK ME THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW. THINK ABOUT A CHANGE THAT LEFT FRONT SPRING. MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE QUICKER LIKE A BIG CAR EVERY SMALL CHANGE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY THINK HE RACES. JUST A LITTLE CAR. THAT YOU EVERYTHING TO THE NASCAR’S GOT ON IT YOU’VE GOT ON HERE GESIV YOU THE REAL FEEL. I MEAN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE SITTING IN THE CAR DRIVING IT WHEN YOU’RE HOLDING ONO T RADIO CONTROL UNIT. 23 CC WEED EATER SLLTA ENGINE WEIGHS 30 POUNDS ON FOUR OTSHS CHASSIS FOUR DIFFERENT COMPOUNDS OF TIRES ON IT MULTIPLE DIFFENERT SPRINGS GEAR RATIOS. NO, I’M FROM THE SWAMP TO GEORGIA. I’M FOUR HOURS AWAY FROM HOME RIGHT NOW. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY I DIDN’T RIDE UP HERE TO SUCK. SO MANY ADJUSTMENT MHAT GEOMETRY ALL THE STUFF YOU DIDN’T LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY RUN SO FAST,E' ’VE HAD THEM CLOCKED HERE BEFORE BY HIGHWAY PATROL AND YOU RUN SO CLOSE. 65 MILES AN HOUR IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT NO, WE COME BACK AND SCRATCH OUR HEAD AL TLHE TIME. YOU CAN’T LET IT GETOU Y DOWN BECAUSE THAT’S WHY RACING WORKS. A LOT OF SECRETS ARE KEPT IN BETWEEN WHAT YOU FIGURE YOU DON’T WANT TO GIVE AWAY YOUR SECRETS FOR SPEED. THERE’S A LOT OF NASCAR DRIVERS THAT HAVE RC RSCA COME HERE TO FIND SPEED SECRETS FOR THE BIG CAR RIGHT THE TRAILER NEXT TO IT. APPARENTLY, I WORK AT KEYL BUSCH MOTORSPORTS. HE’S A CREW CHIEF. I’VE BEEN IN A NASCAR BIG LEAGSUE THE TOP THREE FOR MY 17TH SEASON RACES KIND OF HIS BREAKAWAY FROM THE KEEPS MY BRAIN SHARP, BUT KEEPS ME THINKING ABOUT RACING AND IT KEEPS ME THINKING ABOUT CHANGES. AND WHAT DOES WHAT BUT IT’S THE SAME WKOR ETHIC. IT’S THE SAME TESTING. IT’S THE SAME OF EVERYTHING. THE REASON WHY I CHOOSE THIS IS BECAUSE I CAN COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. WE’RE NOT LOOKING ENOUGH TO HAVE A BIG TEAM AND A CAR HAULER AND GO DOWN TO GREENVILLE PICNSKE AND RACE EVERY WEEKEND. THIS IS OUR WAY OF GETTING THE SAME SATISFACTION. WE'R’ LESS MONEY. AND THERE’S ONE THING THAT YOU SHOULD NOTE IF I WRECKED MY CAR FLIP IT 15 TIMES I WALK AWAY FROM IT EVERY TIME. FROM ROTARY HERE WITH WH ITOUR LITTLE COMMUNITY AND RC RACING. IT’S A LOT BIGGER THAN WHAT PEOPLE THINK. WE TRALVE AROUND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY DOING THIS TOGETHER. YEAH NATIONALS HERE A YEAR SO AGO AND THEY WAS FROM 29 STASTE MICHIGAN, SYLVANIA, OHIO, ILLINOIS, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA OUR WAY IS NEW ENGLAND. CAN WORK ON THE MOTORS PRETTY WELL TAKE THEM APART. PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER NOT A WHOLE LOT OF WOMEN DRIVERS STILL LEARNI WNGHAT I DO TO THE CAR AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE LADY YOU WERE TALKING TO WAS GABBY OLD HOUSE FROM OHIO. SHE IS GOOD. IT’S INTIMIDATING BEING ONLY LADY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I’M YOUNGER THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE. YEAH. SHE’S COMPETITIVE. WELL, HER CAR IS RIG AHTND HANDLING RIGHT? SHE’S AS FAST AS ANYBODY OUT THERE I GET A THRILL OUT OF JUST RACING WITH EVERYONE AND THE FEELING WHEN I QUALIFY IN THE FASTEST TIME. REALLY GREAT THAT ONE TIME THAT YOU HIT THE SETUP AND IT RUNS PERFECT AND YOU GO OVER AND LOOK AT YOUR LAP TIMES AND THEY’RE QUICKER THAN YOU EVER BEEN BEFORE. THAT'’ WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT END OF THE DAY IF YOU WIN YOU CAN WA LK THROUGH THERE WITH THE CHEST POKED OUT AND TELL THEM COME GET ME NEXT TIME. THAT’S WHAT IT'’ ALL ABOUT. THAT’S WHAT RACING REALLY IS WHO HAD THE BIGGEST SET ANDHO W HAD THE BEST EQUIPMENT WHO HAD THE SMARTEST PEOPLE WORKING ON THE CAR AND IT’S STILL THE SAME THING. IT’S JUST THE CARS OF THIS MALL INSTEAD OF FULL SIZE RIGHT BACK TO THE SEVEN AND SANDWICH RUN WITH A TEAM

Remote control racing every bit as competitive as NASCAR, racers say

Racers in Easley, Fountain Inn, Clover share why they love the sport

It's a type of car racing that's often overlooked.But for the people who spend countless hours working on their vehicles to prepare for the next drop of the checkered flag, it's one of the most important activities in their lives.We're talking about remote control racing. "We eat, sleep and breathe it every day," one RC enthusiast said. "If I'm not here I'm usually working on the car. If I'm not working on the car, I'm talking to somebody about racing."WYFF News 4 photojournalist Chip Baysden recently visited three in the South Carolina area: Easley R/C, Fountain Inn RC Complex and Lakeside RC Speedway.He captured just a taste of the excitement of the races and the devotion the racers have for the remote-controlled racing sport."A lot of people may think RC racing as just a little remote control car that you buy at Walmart something, but it's far from that," says Fountain Inn RC Complex owner C.J. Mason.Danny Stockton, a crew chief for Kyle Busch Racing says RC racing sharpens his skills for NASCAR."It keeps my brain sharp," Stockton said. "It keeps me thinking about racing and it keeps me thinking about changes and what does what. But it's the same work ethic. It's the same testing. It's the same of everything, The reason I choose this is because I can compete at the highest level and be able to afford to compete at the highest level." One of the only women who races at Lakeside RC builds her own motors, takes them apart and puts them back together again."I'm still learning what I do to the car and how it affect (the race,)" Gabby Allhouse., from Akron, Ohio, said. "It's intimidating being the only lady, especially because I'm younger than a lot of the people, too."Lakeside RC Speedway owner Randy Bolin said she's consistently one of the fastest racers out there."I get a thrill just racing with everyone and the feeling, when I qualify for the fastest time, it's just really great to me," Allhouse said.The speed, the cars and the precise nature of the sport all combine to make for a lot of excitement."Everything that NASCAR's got on it, you've got on it here," one man said.But there's one thing that is different from NASCAR racing: the danger."There's one thing you should note," Bolin said. "If I wreck my car, flip it 15 times, I walk away from it, every time."

It's a type of car racing that's often overlooked.

But for the people who spend countless hours working on their vehicles to prepare for the next drop of the checkered flag, it's one of the most important activities in their lives.

We're talking about remote control racing.

"We eat, sleep and breathe it every day," one RC enthusiast said. "If I'm not here I'm usually working on the car. If I'm not working on the car, I'm talking to somebody about racing."

WYFF News 4 photojournalist Chip Baysden recently visited three in the South Carolina area: Easley R/C, Fountain Inn RC Complex and Lakeside RC Speedway.

He captured just a taste of the excitement of the races and the devotion the racers have for the remote-controlled racing sport.

"A lot of people may think RC racing as just a little remote control car that you buy at Walmart something, but it's far from that," says Fountain Inn RC Complex owner C.J. Mason.

Danny Stockton, a crew chief for Kyle Busch Racing says RC racing sharpens his skills for NASCAR.

"It keeps my brain sharp," Stockton said. "It keeps me thinking about racing and it keeps me thinking about changes and what does what. But it's the same work ethic. It's the same testing. It's the same of everything, The reason I choose this is because I can compete at the highest level and be able to afford to compete at the highest level."

One of the only women who races at Lakeside RC builds her own motors, takes them apart and puts them back together again.

"I'm still learning what I do to the car and how it affect (the race,)" Gabby Allhouse., from Akron, Ohio, said. "It's intimidating being the only lady, especially because I'm younger than a lot of the people, too."

Lakeside RC Speedway owner Randy Bolin said she's consistently one of the fastest racers out there.

"I get a thrill just racing with everyone and the feeling, when I qualify for the fastest time, it's just really great to me," Allhouse said.

The speed, the cars and the precise nature of the sport all combine to make for a lot of excitement.

"Everything that NASCAR's got on it, you've got on it here," one man said.

But there's one thing that is different from NASCAR racing: the danger.

"There's one thing you should note," Bolin said. "If I wreck my car, flip it 15 times, I walk away from it, every time."

Remote control racing every bit as competitive as NASCAR, racers say

Racers in Easley, Fountain Inn, Clover share why they love the sport

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

Top Picks