Lets go to the RC Club!

For me RC clubs are one of the most important parts of this hobby. They provide a great way for people to meet up and participate with others with the same interests. They also allow you to focus on areas and improve your understanding of the car/s you own and also the enjoyment you have when driving it. 

I am not just talking about racing clubs, our hobby is littered with different types of RC cars so you can find clubs suit the type of RC cars that you enjoy such as drifters, Rock Crawlers, scalers, Scale Trucks or even Tanks!

I have been a big supporter of this hobby for a long time, below are some of the common reasons that people offer me when I ask why they do not go to a RC club and hopefully some answers that may allay any fears.

It's intimidating!

You walk into a hall, you see a gang of people all laughing and chatting amongst themselves. You might feel that they pride themselves on being in an exclusive gang. The reality is totally the opposite, all clubs want more people to join, and welcome new people coming down. A well run club will always ensure that someone is there to come over and chat to people taking a look. It's important for them to make you feel at ease, they want you to come and play with your toy cars.

I only have a cheap car, not a proper race car

There is a large gulf between an entry level RTR and a top of the range cars but as soon as you plonk your car on the table you will be guaranteed to have a load of people huddling around wanting to take a look. This hobby is full of enthusiasts, they want to see what you have, it could be an old TC3 you got of ebay or a bog standard TT02 they want to take a look. It's likely that there will be someone who has experience on that car and they will be more than willing to share it with you.

I don't really know what I'm doing

Neither did anyone else at the club :)  A new racer will almost be smothered with advice and help. The other racers want you to join in and give them some new competition. If you get stuck never be afraid to ask. At any good club you will have people who will set-up your car for you when you start out.

I need a faster motor

The one thing you do not need is a quick motor. When you first start out you will be amazed how much of a challenge it is to keep your car from hitting the side of the track. Once you can manage the full 5 mins with not doing this then consider making your car quicker (Most proper club racers still need to remember this rule).

I do not have the cash

No matter what you might think you will not need to spend a lot to participate at your local club. You do not need to upgrade quickly, just get a feel for the events, and learn race-craft. Once you get hooked you will be more knowledgeable on what you should actually spend your money on so can spend wisely. The most important thing to buy when you start a club is the right tyres .

I do not know where my nearest club is

No excuse there are some great sites that help you find clubs nearby 

http://www.modelracer.com/

http://www.rccaraction.com/trackdirectory

There are also other friendly forums such as oOple RCtech MSUKand others

So for 2015 if you have not been to an RC club, why not give it a try and see how you find it :)