We were all new at this sport once upon a time, we all know the learning curve, so this page is designed to give newcomers a kick start into the awesome world of racing model cars.

What type of cars do SDMCC race?

In the summer we race electric powered 2wd & 4wd 1/10th scale buggies and I/C (Internal Combustion) engine powered 1/10th & 1/8th scale buggies or trucks outdoors on a purpose made grass track with jumps etc.

In the winter, we race 1/10th scale touring cars (190mm wide) running on rubber tyres indoors on carpet.

How fast do they go?

Electric powered 1/10th scale buggies travel at speeds of between 10mph - 35mph. I/C powered 1/10th trucks can travel at speeds of between 25mph - 60mph. I/C powered 1/8th buggies can travel at speeds of between 40mph - 60mph. Electric powered 1/10th scale touring cars travel at speeds between 20mph - 50mph, although the unofficial world record with a specially prepared TC3 car travelled at over 120mph!!

Can anyone race?

Yes. The club caters for racers of all ages and experience levels and all physical ability.

What type of car should I buy?

It depends on what you like the thought of racing the most - off road cars, making huge jumps and kicking up dust clouds, or the realistic appearance of the fast & nimble touring car. Many racers succumb to the appeal of both types given enough time (and money!). If you intend on spending most of the time playing (rather than actually racing) with your car, perhaps an off road buggy would be more suitable. Touring cars need a prepared surface to run on. On the other hand, if close racing is your thing, perhaps a Touring Car will provide the most fun.

What type of motors do the cars use? I think it needs to something like what makes an electric car go… or something to that effect.

All the cars we race use 540 size electric motors. For indoor racing we all race re-buildable standard motors (sometimes called stock motors) indoors - these cost no more than £27.50 and provide more than enough speed, Stock motors have a fix high price limit of £27.50 (£28.00 after the 1st of January), but come in a range of price below that fixed price.

Outdoors we often use modified motors in our buggies for extra speed.

What else do I need?

You will need a radio control system, fast charger, 12 volt supply (either a transformer or 12v car battery, (which can be bought at a local scrap dealer) a 7.2volt racing battery pack (preferably 2 or 3 packs), an electronic speed controller and a good steering servo. You will also need a basic tool kit, spares for your particular car and tyres suitable for racing with.

How much will it all cost?

It depends on whether you buy all new stuff, second hand gear or a mixture of both. Where you decide to buy your new stuff will also determine how much you end up paying.

How much will it all cost? (continued)

If your budget is tight, check the SDMCC first for second hand cars - you can save a packet that way - members are always changing their cars. Don't scrimp on batteries or electronics - buy the best you can afford, preferably new. Radio equipment can be very expensive, but budget versions are often perfectly sufficient for most racers - I use a Hi-tec Ranger II 40 FM system that cost just £59 brand new. Some may cost up to 6 times more!! As a very rough guide:

£150 will get you into the sport with older, used equipment.
£300 will get you into the sport with everything you need to go racing, with mainly new gear.
£500 will get you some pretty nice kit, higher specs & with mostly new equipment e.t.c.
£750 + will get you a more comprehensive set-up.


Don't think for a moment though that you have to buy everything new. A second hand, top of the range car can cost less than a new car that has a much lower spec, so choose carefully.

Will I have to build my car?

Usually you will have to build your own car from a kit of parts. Nowadays though, it is sometimes possible to buy 'ready to run' versions of RC cars that you would normally have to build yourself, pre-built with radio equipment, motor and electronic speed controller all pre-installed. When you go racing however, you will soon find that you frequently need to take bits off, to adjust screws and linkages and sometimes replace broken parts e.t.c. If you choose to build your own car from a kit, you will already be familiar with its construction before you start racing.

How do I build my car?

Follow the instructions ;o) and you can't really go wrong. Most car kits these days are just like Lego kits with screws - the fit and ease in which the parts fit together mean that even first timers can build something which looks vaguely like a racing car when completed! Any problems can always be discussed with fellow club members who are usually keen to help.

What make of car is best?

Well all the popular brands produce excellent quality kits. Most manufacturers offer you the choice of basic, entry level kits right through to more sophisticated competition oriented models. The choice you make will depend pretty much on your budget and what you see performing well at your local club. If you are keen to buy British, Schumacher make some of the Worlds most competitive model cars at a very keen price. Associated have dominated in both off road and on road classes for many years and produce kits suitable for all skill levels, including ready to run models. Tamiya are leaders in the 'beginners kit ' side of the market, producing very high quality entry level racing cars and also some very high specification competition oriented kits as well. Yokomo produce excellent model cars, and are very popular at the moment in the UK. Losi make very high specification cars aimed generally at the more experienced racer.

There are so many other makes; it would be impossible to go through them all here. It is not really for me to say which I think are best, as it would only be my opinion (plus I don't want any court cases either!!). It is a good idea to see what the 'fast guys' use at club meetings and take it from there. You'll find that in this sport that it's not so much the make of car/electronics that wins races, but driver experience/ability (i.e. good thumbs!!) and the ability to constantly find ways to improve your set-up.

How does the racing work?

Cars are placed into groups (Heats) according to ability/position in the league, typically 4-6 cars per heat. Once the race control have organised all the cars/drivers heats, practice finishes and qualifying begins. Each heat takes it in turns to qualify - this involves a 5 minute 'race' where the cars are all timed separately - they do NOT start at the same time (and technically they are not actually racing either). Rather, each car starts on it's own beep, one after the other. There are usually 3 rounds of qualifying. The car that attains the highest number of laps in 5 minutes at the end of the 3 rounds is the top qualifier and will start the A final in first place.

The positions of the other cars are worked out in descending order. If it is decided that the finals will run with 5 cars per final, the top 5 qualifiers would race in the A final, 6th - 10th placed qualifiers would race in the B final and so on. During the finals (unlike the qualifying) a Formula 1 style start is used, with a suitable gap between each car on the 'grid'. The cars start the race together on the race controllers command. The race is 5 minutes in duration and rather simply, the racer with the most number of laps wins! If racers attain the same number of laps, the time in which they attained the lap score is used to determine position

e.g. 28 laps in 5:05.25 would beat 28 laps in 5:08.18

Very often, racing can be so close that less than tenths of seconds can separate the finishing times!

What standard do I have to attain before I can race?

You can start racing straight away, though I recommend you familiarise yourself with your car's controls properly before you start racing. Read all your equipment's safety information THOUROUGLY. Find a suitable smooth, wide-open space (away from full-size cars and people!!) appropriate for a couple of test runs. Drive the car away from you in a straight line then turn it around to see how the steering feels/operates whilst driving the car back towards you. Once you've got this bit sussed, racing becomes a whole lot more fun - you'll spend less time crashing into the markings and more time actually navigating the track.

At the same time, you will also familiarise yourself with your charger, batteries and radio system. You can check your car afterwards for any loose screws/fittings in anticipation for hitting the track for the first time. Then the fun really starts………

A word of warning: Radio Controlled Car Racing is seriously addictive. Go on - get your wallet out!! ;o)

Mat L