In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to Illinois team driver, Charles Day!
1. When did you get your start in RC racing? Did you bash cars at first or jumped right into the racing scene?
I got my start in RC when when I was pretty young around the age of 9. I used to subscribe to RC Car Action Magazine every year and while I had RC cars I just bashed with them. But reading the RC Car Action Magazine always made me want to race seeing all the awesome looking blue groove outdoor tracks. It wasn’t until I was around 18 I finally raced an RC car and got hooked!
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?
Don’t rush! Gluing tires takes time and if you don’t pay attention to what you’re doing you could easily glue a tire on backwards or get glue all over the tire and your fingers.
3. Name a RC class that you would like to see increase in popularity and why? (And it doesn’t have your traditional race class too.)
I would actually like to see 4wd Short Course Truck pick back up. When I first got into racing I had a TLR TEN-SCTE 4wd Short Course Truck that I ran outdoors on a 1/8 scale track and I still think about how fun those things were to drive.
4. In your opinion, when heading to the track what is the JConcepts product that is a must have on race day and why?
Definitely the JConcepts Aluminum Ride Height Gauge! This one is made out of thick aluminum so its super durable and always super accurate. That’s the most used tool in my pit bag by far. I check my ride height every time before my car hits the track.
5. Besides RC cars, what other hobbies are you into?
Besides RC my other hobby is full scale dirt oval racing. I’ve been around dirt oval racing my whole life. When I was two weeks old I was at the dirt track called Godfrey Speedway in Godfrey IL. My grandpa raced, my uncle raced, and my dad still races. When I’m not at the R/C races on the weekends, I’m at a dirt oval track watching dirt super late models, 410 sprint cars, or dirt modifieds. I’ve even gotten to drive a dirt modified at a few races. That’s definitely some of the most fun I’ve ever had.