In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to Georgia team driver, Chris VanRaemdonck!
1. When you first got into RC racing, what pro driver did you look up to and why? Or maybe there was a local/regional driver that you followed?
I first got into RC when I was 3 years old. My dad got me a Tamiya Hotshot for Christmas (which I still have). Played with that for years and it started to wear out. So about when I was 9 my dad and I went searching in the Detroit area for hobby shops on a Saturday that would have replacement parts. As fate would have it we stubbles across Jamamo’s Hobbies and Raceway. The place was so small! I had never seen RC racing and like a lot of kids I want to touch one lol. So I learned about this turn marshaling thing and got right out there. My dad had to pry me away. So he did some research and found Riders Hobbies and Raceway in Canton, MI. That place was amazing. I came to learn that RC legends like Josh Cyrul, Mike Blackstock, Mark Adams and Al Horne all called this their local track. I also raced with ‘Dyno’ Dan Watt there as well. Many of the Michigan top RC racers came on Friday nights to race indoor carpet stadium as we called it back then. That Christmas my dad got me a Team Losi LXT. We started going to the track about a month later. Stock Stadium Truck was the big class with at least a D main every Friday. As far as drivers I followed Kinwald was such an icon and I remember Riders held the ROAR 1/12 Scale Nationals at some point and Kinwald was there. I remember after his run I grabbed his car and gave it to him. Was a pretty cool moment for a 10yr old. Lol. Remember though that this was in the RC Car Action days. So all I knew was what was happening at the track I went to or what was in the magazine. So I had no idea how big the local guys really were.
2. What is your favorite class to race in today and why?
Favorite class to race in is a tough one to answer. Anyone that is familiar with me knows I run almost every class offered lol. Short Course Truck is still a blast for me especially with guys that know how to battle. 4wd Buggy has always been a big favorite of mine. I’d say though that Mod 2wd Buggy is the class that always means the most. I feel like as a racer you are always measured by your performance in that class. It’s always business when the 2wd Buggy is on the track. I by far spend the most time with my b6.3 learning all the settings and never settling so I can make it better.
3. On many indoor dirt off-road tracks it seems like the hot ticket is to run slicks. Do you prefer slightly treaded tires or slicks? And why do you think things have moved this way?
Indoor clay tracks slicks are definitely the way to go. Partial tread just doesn’t cut it at the tracks I run in the southeast. Tire prep is extremely important and sanded slicks in general tend to produce the most grip. The reason being is the sanding process heats the rubber up while opening the pores of the rubber. Once slick we do a “burning in” process which really gets the sauce into the rubber. That’s what starts the tire out at that perfect traction level. Running a new JConcepts Octagon will work fine but it would be better if sanded and burned in as well. I think the reason the tracks have gone in this type of track condition really boils down to consistency and complaining to be honest. Back in the day there was a lot more racers and few tracks. So everyone was just excited to have a place to race. The track was just the track. If it didn’t have grip you just figured out what to do to be faster. Or ask who was fast for tips. Some tracks would produce changing track conditions from round to round or even race to race. That’s where people at bigger races would become upset because this heat or that heat had a better track for them and that’s why they got the faster time. Then locally tracks that didn’t have the right dirt or don’t water enough or water too much would slowly get alienated by locals and go to a track that had grip levels that were easy to figure out. So for tracks to survive it’s really down to grip levels that everyone can have easily and layouts that anyone can do. So running slicks has been simple as there’s no tread wars and every brand has their own compounds that work. It’s now a sauce war. Lol. I personally would love to see outdoor 10th scale racing come back. Races like the Hot Rod Hobbies Shootout used to be amazing and Masami even came to that race.
4. Name one JConcepts product that you feel is overlooked by many but you find it very useful. It could be a tool, tread pattern, wing, etc.
JConcepts has several items I use on a regular basis. The glue straw attachments for the glue bottle is a huge help when gluing tires. Not to mention the tire bands. Also I don’t think people realize how much stock wheels flex versus JConcepts Mono wheels. I feel the stiffer wheels offer more consistency on high grip surfaces. JConcepts also puts a lot of effort into their 2wd Buggy wings and have more options then anyone else out there. And of course I have to mention the tires. Jason never stops improving the lines of tires across the board. He’s a legendary racer and knows what it means to never be satisfied. We can always be faster. More consistent. I love that
5. Besides RC cars, what other hobbies are you into?
Other hobbies. I had taken a break from RC racing for a few years. My dad passed when I was 14 and I really couldn’t get to the tracks anymore. So I picked up BMX. I could just ride my bike wherever I want to go. So I got into BMX and dirt jumping. A big mountain bike race came to town at Pine Knob in Michigan and a friend of mine told me about dual slalom. It was basically BMX racing with a small mountain bike on a bunny hill at a ski resort 1v1. I was going to sign up for beginner but I showed up late for beginner practice. Expert practice was running so I just jumped out there with those guys. I ended up setting the fastest time and decided to just run expert. I ended up winning and that was a spring board to get on a JR Schwinn mountain bike team for a full race season. So I still dabble in bikes here and there as my son is now getting into BMX. I also love me some basketball. I can hold my own pretty well. I’m always game ready if anyone wanna try me. 🙂 Other than that I have my own electrical company that’s most of my life and 2 kids that run me ragged and keep me young! 🙂
Main image courtesy of Goober Gulf RC.