Two radio controlled cars take off after entering a jump during the 2023 ROAR Fuel Offroad 1:8 Scale Nationals at Silver Dollar RC Raceway in Chico, Calif., Saturday, June 3, 2023. Pit crews watch the action in the background. (Ed Booth/Enterprise-Record)
CHICO — On a few acres between Costco and the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds is a site that’s hosting a prestigious national racing event this weekend. A good benefit is the fact that it generates a lot of income for the local economy.
The radio-controlled cars may be small, a little bigger than a large shoebox and weighing just over eight pounds, but they pack a real punch, both in terms of speed and agility, along with visitors from Chico.
The 2023 ROAR Fuel Offroad 1:8 Scale Nationals completed its third day of competition Saturday at Silver Dollar RC Raceway at 101 Silver Dollar Way south of Chico. ROAR, the hobby’s common name for the Remotely Operated Auto Racers organization, the governing body of North America, holds its national championships in Chico, a four-day affair that began Thursday and concludes today .
It is the organization’s fourth national title competition; has held two in Chico at the impressive facilities on the fairgrounds property, the last in 2015.
What is at stake? For the 300 participants, it is also a qualifying meeting for the 2024 Radio Controlled (“RC”) World Cup of Racing, scheduled to be held in Brazil. Today’s top 30 will qualify to represent the combined US/Canada region at next year’s big event.
There is no prize money at this weekend’s meet, said Troy Hanson, one of the event’s directors who is also the brand developer for AMain Hobbies, a supplier of radio-controlled cars and accessories. in Chico.
“The top ‘elites’ out here can make money from sponsorships from tire, chassis and engine manufacturers,” Hanson said, adding that some heavily sponsored drivers can earn up to $10,000 for winning this event.
Chico businesses, and the tax base, also benefit. While many competitors have brought their travel trailers to the grounds and parked them near the track, many others, in addition to friends and family, stay in hotels and eat at restaurants, Hanson said.
The championships include two competitions: “truggy” (nitro truck) and “buggy” (nitro buggy). The vehicles use a combination of alcohol and methanol as fuel. As they go down the twisty track, the cars make a sound somewhere between that of a small chainsaw and a swarm of hungry, agitated mosquitoes, though much louder, of course.
‘Who’s Who’
AMain, which has an outlet at 2065 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, just a short distance from the track, is the nation’s largest online retailer of RC cars and parts, Hanson said. In addition to operating the Silver Dollar RC facility, it operates an indoor facility at 2860 Fair St.
Hanson said events of this magnitude attract a “who’s who” of RC racing. Several former world champions are competing this weekend, including Arizona’s Ryan Maifield and Spencer Rivkin, Canada’s Ty Tessmann, Southern California’s Ryan Cavalieri and Indiana’s Dakota Phend.
Don’t be fooled by the small racing vehicles. The level of skill and intense concentration associated with racing matches what a person might see during a full-size stock car race, such as the Indy Racing League and NASCAR.
The Chico facility has a two-level main building that houses a repair and maintenance room on the ground floor and an elevated driver’s platform, the place from which drivers operate their cars during competition. A large covered area with work stations provides plenty of space for teams to repair and maintain their cars. Track lights allow night competition.
This weekend’s 1:8 scale cars are one of two industry standards, with the slightly smaller 1:10 scale being the other. Only gas cars compete this weekend; there are battery cars that compete in other divisions.
Hanson said the RC car’s battery-powered heritage has served as inspiration for battery designs in battery-powered passenger cars such as the Tesla brand.
Races for titles
The drivers Hanson described as “elite” are true professionals — people who race almost every weekend and can make a living racing these cars. However, Hanson said, this is an open-registration event, meaning anyone can pay the registration fee and race.
“There are some riders who are very fast locally,” explained Hanson. “The ones in Chico, Yuba City, see how they stack up.
“Some guys’ goal is to finish in the top 100, or the top 50. For the elite, they’re disappointed if they don’t finish in the top five or even the top three.”
Today’s national championships will show the mental discipline a rider needs to be successful. The “truggy” division will last 45 minutes, and the “buggy” event will last 60 minutes, with no time for breaks, trips to the restroom or any other interruptions. It’s all business for these time periods. The only stops in the competition are approximately every eight to nine minutes when the cars have to visit the pit area for a fresh dose of fuel.
Kendall Bennett, an Australian national who founded AMain Hobbies as an eBay store in 2004, is a pretty good runner. He was warming up his car before a race on Saturday; he revved his engine while intermittently belching smoke, a good sign that everything seemed to be race ready. Bennett displayed a bottle of alcohol/methanol fuel, a clear mixture he pours into the tank when needed.
Hanson said RC racing is expanding around the world. Last year’s world champion came from Europe, he said. It’s also getting bigger nationally: “Southern California, the Midwest and the East are seeing growth,” he said.
The cost to get into the hobby is modest: about $200 for a good car, Hanson said. People racing this weekend have invested over $2,000 for their vehicles and associated equipment.
Chico’s track is one of the industry standards, Hanson added: “It’s definitely a ‘bucket list’ facility.”
