In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to Colorado team driver, Rob Katnich!
1. Ok let’s start with how you got first involved in RC. Did you pick it up from someone, stumbled across a local track, etc.?
I was first introduced to competitive RC cars in the early 90’s when one of my best friends got a Team Losi Junior T for his birthday. Soon after that I got a Team Losi LX-T as my first 1/10 car. After that I started to race at some of the tracks in San Diego that were around in the 90’s. My parents took me to other tracks in Southern California like The Ranch Pit Shop, MnM Hobbies, SoCal RC Raceway in Garden Grove and later in Huntington Beach. I had all of the XX and XXX series cars and even raced touring car with a TC3 for a while at SoCal RC Raceway. I also worked at a local hobby shop in San Diego called Discount Hobby Warehouse while in high school that was the only track in the area at that time. I got out of racing for a while but then in 2020 when COVID happened I got back into the hobby as there wasn’t much else to do and I really found a new appreciation for the hobby that I never felt as a kid when I raced. One thing I really enjoy now is learning car setup and understanding what certain changes will do to my car on the track.
2. For the rest of 2025 what races, series, or other RC related event are you looking forward to attending?
My travel races I plan on attending for the rest of 2025 are:
- Alpine Off-Road Carpet Championships at Pikes Peak RC Arena
- Protek RC Spring Off-Road Championships at HobbyTown USA HobbyPlex (The Plex)
- INS15 at HobbyTown USA HobbyPlex (The Plex)
- Team Associated Top Gun Shootout at SDRC Raceway
3. What class do you prefer to compete in today, and why?
My home tracks are MHOR RC Raceway in Aurora and Pikes Peak RC Arena in Colorado Springs. As with most tracks 17.5 2wd is the most popular locally and is what I usually race. I enjoy that class a lot and it’s plenty fast with the current motors. The indoor dirt track at MHOR is relatively small (80’ x 40’) so rarely is there a modified class these days. MHOR also has an outdoor turf track I race on during the summer and I managed to win the modified 2wd buggy class last summer at the annual Turf Wars race. In 2024 the Pikes Peak RC Arena opened and it’s a black carpet indoor track, so I’ve been trying to race there as much as possible. Racing on carpet is something I enjoy as you can really tell when you make a small setup change if it’s good or not because traction is never an issue and the tire game is minimal compared to dirt racing. I’m also looking forward to running Stadium Truck once the new TLR truck is released.
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.
I would say the JConcepts Tire Break-In Drill Adaptor Kit would be my one product that’s overlooked. Whether I’m sanding tires, burning in sauce with a drill or gluing side walls with my Makita, using this drill adapter makes those tasks more enjoyable and quicker. I’ve used similar competitor devices with the small thumb nut or having to use a wheel nut and 7mm wrench in the past and they were always a pain to use.
5. Obviously you are into RC racing but what other activities do you find enjoyment with?
Other than racing RC, I moved from San Diego to Colorado in 2014 to be closer to the mountains. So, during the winter I’m usually snowboarding and then mountain biking at the ski resorts during the summer. I’m also a big F1 and WRC fan so I’m usually up at 5am on Sunday’s watching F1.