Friday5 With Team Driver Joseph Levin

In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to California team driver, Joseph Levin!

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 first got introduced to remote controlled cars when one of my karting teammates from 2017 brought his Traxxas Slash to the track one day. This persuaded me to ask for one as a Christmas gift. My Slash was something I bashed around at my local park until I broke an arm one day. That led me to buy spare parts at my local hobby shop, Nor-Cal Hobbies, where I found out about the racing aspect of RC at the beginning of 2018. From that point forward, I’ve invested more and more time into running 1/10th scale Team Associated buggies and trucks, both locally and nationwide.

2. 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?

The more times I’ve ran slick tires at races, the more I’ve come to like running them in general over treaded tires. My thoughts on why most clay dirt tracks have moved to slicks are because track owners have become more committed to increasing the amount of grip their tracks have on a consistent basis, and have emphasized maintaining moisture along with sweeping/blowing dust off the track periodically.

3. What is your biggest win to date and why?

My biggest win to date would probably be TQing and winning the 17.5 2wd Buggy class at this year’s NCTS4 Western Carpet Nationals down in Las Vegas. The competition at the race was absolute nuts, which it usually is for expert carpet racing, and I personally don’t think I’ve ever driven more consistently at a national race until that one.

4. Name one JConcepts product that you feel is overlooked by many but you find it very useful.

There are two JC products in particular that I find to be extremely useful wherever I go. The first one is the Aluminum Camber & Ride Height gauge pair. They may not necessarily be overlooked, but I find it super helpful to use them in making sure my car’s ride height and camber are set before heading out each session. The second product is the Liquid Application Brush. I feel like the brushes may be more overlooked because it’s just something as simple as saucing your tires, but for me, this brush helps me use less sauce every time I apply tire conditioner and I just find it super-efficient.

5. Name one thing people might be surprised to know about you.

One thing that people might be surprised to know about me is that I have about a total of sixteen aunts and uncles!