RC competition is by far the most affordable form of motorsports and it’s also the safest. It’s also suitable for a very wide age range. Getting into RC cars as a hobby is fairly easy and so is getting into competition but more planning and forethought is required.
8th Scale Electric
First start off with thinking about what type of car you think you might want and start small and simple. You can start with a road car or off-road and go all the way down to 1/24 scale. The most popular are the 1/10 electric vehicles. They are affordable, quiet, are available in on-road and off-road with multiple body styles.
10th scale
If you’re just starting off, you should consider getting a car that is already pre-built which is known as a Ready To Run (RTR). All you need is a suitable battery and charger and you’re off having fun. There are pros and cons to RTR’s though so if you have the tools, space and are mechanically inclined, you may consider a kit that you have to build yourself.
If you’re not sure where to start, look up some RC hobby shops in your area and go talk to the staff. Be sure to stop into at least a couple shops though because some stores lean towards specific types of RC’s. For example, if a shop focuses more on helicopters and airplanes, they may not carry many cars or know where to take them if you want to get into racing.
Personally I focus on 5th, 8th and 10th scale cars. For articles, click here.
5th Scale Gas
8th Scale Nitro