Racing Your Radio Controlled Car

Racing is the most exhilarating aspect of owning a radio controlled car for most RC car enthusiasts. There are millions of RC car racing enthusiasts, so it is natural that a number of different types of racing have evolved, but the two main distinctions are on-road and off-road racing.

Whichever aspect of RC car racing interests you the most, there are several things that everyone has to do to get ready for a race. The remainder of this article will discuss some facets of racing your radio controlled car.

We will assume that you already have the best model car that you can afford, so the first thing to do whilst preparing for a race is decide on the tyres to suit the conditions, just as they would in a full-size car race.

The tyres used for on and off road racing are not the same and the tyres used for a dry or a wet road are not the same either, so you will need at least two sets of tyres and you will have to practice switching them fast at pit stops.

Most serious on-road RC car racing is done with models of real cars like Lamborghinis, Porches, Ferraris and Aston Martins leading the way. Others like to use Formula One style cars. Off-road scrambling is usually done with trucks, heavier models that can get a better grip on the terrain.

So, the faster, lighter cars are built for speed and require a smoother surface to run on. The surfaces used vary from a length of ordinary concrete or tarmac road that has been sectioned off for the day to a purpose built racing oval of concrete or tarmac. Off-road vehicles are raced or scrambled anywhere, the rougher the better.

These conditions also have an effect on the scale to a certain extent. Racing RC cars tend to be the smaller 1/10 th scale, whereas off-road trucks tend to be built to the slightly larger 1/8 th scale, because they need the weight for increased traction.

However, contemporary developments have seen the increase in popularity of monster 1/5 th scale tucks and cars with real miniature gasoline engines in them.

Normal two-wheel drive is sufficient for racing, although some racers do prefer four-wheel drive. However, four-wheel drive is more or less essential for all terrain racing. It is also better in wet and icy conditions, exactly like the real thing.

Fuel is an vital consideration. Most speed racing cars run on nitro. It burns very quickly and produces high acceleration, but you need to stop and refill frequently in a long race. Some racers prefer petrol, especially in the larger, off-road trucks.

Petrol is not so 'violent' as nitro and it goes further. This means not so many pit stops. It also causes less wear and tear on the engine. Petrol engines do not break down as often as nitro engines. The parts are sturdier as well.

Maintenance is a large aspect of RC car racing, but it is more vital the smaller your car is and nitro engines require the most maintenance of all. This is not a problem for many enthusiasts, in fact, they love taking their car apart and rebuilding it, but you may not. Maintenance is a factor to keep in mind whilst choosing an RC racing car.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with the petrol remote control car. If you have an interest in RC vehicles, please go over to our site now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars.