In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to North Carolina team driver, Josh Parrish!
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?
Back when I was in Middle School, we had a local track named Rosewood R/C Speedway that was about 15 minutes from home. I got my start in RC running carpet oval with an RJ Speed Legends car and eventually worked my way up to the 17.5 pan car class. Fast forward to 2018 which is when I began racing off-road where I started out with a 2wd Traxxas Slash.
2. If you have been racing for a while now you have probably glued up 100s of tires. So what gluing tips do you have for beginning racers?
Always take your time and make sure both the tire and wheel are as clean as possible! Never get in a rush and skip the prep work, you will regret it (I have learned from experience lol) Also, always use JConcepts Satellite Tire Bands! I always have them with me and they are a must have!
3. Stock or 17.5 2wd Buggy is the biggest class in off-road electric racing currently. Why do you think this is and do you see these as a problem moving forward with the racing industry?
Stock racing is the most user friendly when it comes to new people coming into the hobby. With less power the cars are more controllable and in my opinion makes the tire game and car setup a little easier for people just getting started. Nowadays, Stock and Mod cars are pretty equal in speed and locally the mod entries have begun to drop with Mod 2wd basically non-existent. Not sure how that will affect the racing scene long term, but I do believe Stock entries will continue to grow for years to come.
4. To date what is your favorite JConcepts product of all time and why?
This is a tough one… but overall I’d have to say the Smoothie 2s are my favorite product from JConcepts. It’s been a game changer for indoor races. It’s no secret that the worst part of 1/10th scale racing is sanding down tires and the excessive prep involved with it. It is so nice to glue them up and throw them down on track without all the extra hassle.
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?
On the weekends that I’m not RC racing, you’ll normally find me at a local Short Track on the spotter’s stand or sometimes shooting photos. I used to spend many of my weekends doing photography for different racers, tracks, series and media outlets.