RC drag racing season finishes Sunday in Hope

As RC drag racing enthusiasts prepare for the final race of Hope’s inaugural RC drag racing season at 2 p.m. Sunday on Harrison Street just off the Hope Town Square, organizers say this year was the start of something big.

When Joe Chambers and his brother, Jon, brought remote control car drag racing to Hope earlier this summer, the hope was it might turn out to be a popular event.

Turns out, that is exactly what happened.

The monthly event regularly draws racing enthusiasts from as far away as Ohio and Kentucky, Chambers says. And that fan base is expanding.
Hope’s fledgling racing event has culminated in the pooling of resources and knowledge amongst the drivers to improve not only the racing experience, but continue to garner interest and support from fans and supporters.

“We’ve had a lot of people that didn’t know we had an event going on who were just on the Square walking around that have stopped and asked us 20 questions or thought it was really cool we were doing it there,” Chambers says.

Part of that curiosity and devoted driver participation has fueled anticipation for establishing a dedicated seasonal event.

“We are looking forward to making it a regular thing in the Hope community,” Chambers says. “Drivers are chipping in on buying a nice system that will give their reaction times and top speed and everything. Eventually, we would like to be a regular event moving forward next year.”

Interest in RC racing isn’t just an Indiana thing either, what one may call ‘drag racing fever’ is nationwide.

“The drag racing scene has really exploded this year across the country in general,” Chambers says. “You’ve got some manufacturers who weren’t making specifically drag racing cars that have started making them across the board, like Team Associated. Popularity has grown tenfold this year and everyone seems to want to do it. It is something that even though it is over in three seconds it is something the guys really enjoy doing.”

Town Manager Frank Owens describes the response the event has received as ‘fantastic’ thus far says it is exactly what he and organizers had hoped.

“Typically, you have to let something happen more than once or twice,” Owens says. “Hopefully, [Chambers] can start out in the spring again and run through all next summer.”

Like previous races, Sunday’s event will take place on a stretch of 132 feet of road on the east side of the Square, Chambers says.

Participants will compete in three classes:
The Street Eliminator Class will showcase large motors and speed.
The 13.5 Class includes cars outfitted with a 13.5 motor and standard electronic stability control, or ESC, and can reach upwards of 40 miles per hour.
And, lastly, there is the Open Class that includes any RC car participants who want to race.

There will be a drivers’ meeting at 1 p.m. and racing will start at 2 p.m., Chambers says.

There is no pre-registration leading up to the event. All RC cars will be registered the day of the event along with a required $5 track fee, which helps cover expenses, and a $20 entry fee.

The race will have a 100 percent payout to the winner, Chambers says.

For anyone who is either entertaining the idea of [racing] or prepping for the race, Chambers offers a bit of advice to get the most speed in the first of those three seconds after leaving the starting line.

“If you are doing 132 feet, which is the distance we go here, you want to be about 60 miles per hour,” he says. “And about 2.5 seconds will get you into the final hour.”

As for next year, well, the chances are better than not that there’s going to be a lot more racing going on with attentive eyes focused on the details.

“We are looking to keep our customer base and keep expanding it as much as possible,” Chambers says. “Also, getting the event to be more fun and exciting, as well as, getting the scoring system in so they can see how fast they are going and make the changes they need to.”