getting started

Im TC, stands for Topcat, its my old radio handle, and it stuck with me. I started RC racing back in 1990 at Indy RC World in Mesquite Texas. I had watched Days of Thunder at the theatre on Friday night and went over to Indy afterwards to check out the races for the first time. They had a big paved tri-oval in there and I was instantly hooked. I bought every rc magazine I could find. I scoured all the ads looking for my first car. Hung out at every hobby shop I could find. And every Saturday night I went to Indy to watch the races, dreaming of the day I could join them. After a few months I bought a Bolink Eliminator Sport combo from Tower Hobbies. It was a basic pan car chassis with a rotary speed control and a Buick stock car body. Painted it green with Gatorade decals and Orange numbers. It was ugly. Got the cheapest 2 channel Futaba radio I could find a battery and a charger. When started running my car at Indy, I was so lost. I knew nothing, I constantly spun out, wrecked, I couldn't get around the track. I couldn't even get my car to make the turns. Learned quickly about grip. And I didn't have any. Finally after watching me time after time try and fail to get around the track, some people began to help me out. Learned lots of stuff, mainly that I was a long way from racing. Basically everything I had bought besides the radio, was in no shape to race. Summer passed, fall passed, and finally in late winter I had acquired an electronic speedo, a better motor, battery and some expensive ass capped tires. I was ready. My car still sucked and I was slow, but I dint care. I was racing. And life was good. I kept at it, got better, got a better car and began winning some races. Man it was fun. Raced until spring of 92 and had to quit because of various reasons. One was money, another was I was 21 and liked to chase the girls a lot. Shortly after, the track was torn down, and I didn't have a place to race if I wanted too.

Fast forward to 1997 and I started racing again. New car, new track, dint last long. Just not a lot of interest in oval like the old days. So shortly after I was done again. I missed it. I thought back to the days of racing and really missed it. I tried to get into off-road, but just didn't have the desire. Tried dirt oval, and it didn't work for me either. I thought I was done, but the desire was still there. Finally I found Mikes Hobby shop in Dallas. Big mother. Big. Carpet track. Was a road course but what the hell, it was a track. Bought a 1/12 scale car and played around with it for a bit. But they started a VTA class. So out with the 1/12 scale and onto a touring car. Bingo! I'm racing again. Battling for last place week in and week out. And loving it. Don't care if I ever win, I really don't. Just being out there is enough. We are now starting an F1 class. And I guess that is what this blog is going to be about. I'll put down what I learn, what worked what didn't. What happened on the track and off. I'm all about improving. There are no prizes for first place, so why worry about it? I'm racing for me. I'm racing. Nuff said.