In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to Iowa team driver, Ethan Delair!
1. How did you first hear about racing RC cars? And what classes did you compete in?
I actually never had heard about racing until my dad got me into it about 2 1/2 years ago. He raced back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and he had told me stories and stuff before but I never knew what the sport was actually about. I ended up running expert 17.5 as well as 13.5 buggy, and some 13.5 truck occasionally at the start of my racing career.
2. In your region you do quite a bit of racing on off-road carpet. So what advice do you have for off-road dirt drivers that are trying out carpet for the 1st time?
The biggest thing in my opinion is having a good tire choice and from there I’d have to go with the age old saying, “don’t crash”. With carpet being so fast it’s very easy to make a mistake and fall behind to a point where you can’t make it up. So it’s important to just turn laps and make sure you stay on your wheels.
3. When life interferes and you can’t wheel your RC car, how do you quench your thirst for RC? Do you work on your car, listen to a RC podcast, watch some racing videos, read RC magazines or books, etc?
When I have some downtime from work and racing I usually work on my cars while watching The Hobbyplex Show podcast on YouTube. I also race on VRC occasionally for when I have a long break between races.
4. In your opinion, when heading to the track what is the JConcepts product that is a must have on race day and why?
I would have to say the aluminum ride height gauge, as well as the camber gauge are extremely important. Being able to make the correct adjustments in those areas is a life saver, and having them around makes it that much easier. I also use the Finnisher car stand to make sauce applications on carpet or dirt easier as well.
5. You are obviously highly skilled when it comes to RC cars, but what is one skill or hidden talent that folks might be surprised to find out about you?
I actually know how to play the viola. I played for about 7 years up until I started getting serious about racing and kind of just moved on from it. I also am very into freestyle BMX biking, as well as skateboarding. I’ve done both since I was a small child. Adding to that, I am also a very avid gamer and some of my favorite games are the DiRT series, TC: Rainbow 6 Siege, and just about all of the Call of Duties.