In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to Washington team driver, Ryan Reavis!
1. How did you get started in RC? Was it racing right away, or did you bash vehicles before you found out about the RC race scene?
I actually started with Drag Racing 1/24 scale slot cars by the time I had just started middle school, and since we did cash payouts, I saved up the money over time to buy a 1/8 Nitro Redcat Earthquake 3.5. It was always 5 minutes of play time, 5 hours of wrench time with that thing, so I went back to the hobby shop to pick up some parts and my buddy Chris Trudeau had mentioned about a track not too far away where he raced. He invited me and my dad to check out the track and the rest was history.
2. What is your favorite class to race in today and why?
1/10 2wd Stadium Truck, hands down. It’s not a class that I get to participate in often, but I always seem to get the best experiences racing that class.
3. Drag racing in RC is huge right now. Why do you think this is, and do you think it is a “fad” or here to stay for many years?
It has to do with the grassroots vibe that the scene naturally brings, similar to rock crawling where you can just kick back with some buddy’s and fool around for a few hours, without any real life interruptions. For it’s future, I think depending on how people treat the ever-growing niche of the hobby, it could honestly go both ways. It’s something where cash payouts happen very frequently, and I know from experience money can usually turn situations for the worse. I think as long as it doesn’t turn into a Street Outlaws fight in the parking lot and everybody is very cordial about the result, as well as being supportive to the newcomers, it has the ability to thrive.
4. To date what is your favorite JConcepts product of all time and why?
Finnisher body series; best performing bodies I’ve ever ran for any class. It has the best handling characteristics averaged over many different scenarios and surfaces.
5. Besides RC cars, what other hobbies are you into?
Other than working, I used to perform in band back in high school. Once I get the space to permit me to do so, I plan on getting a drum set in the future.