Page 1 of 4
First Track?
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:21 pm
Searched....but couldn't find one. Is there a thread here identifying what was your first track/race? Year? Car and any other interesting facts
For me....
Little's Hobbies - Hebron CT, USA (Out of business)
~1988
JRx2
Corally SPII (Odd combination but they ripped up the dirt oval and went to carpet right around the time I started.
If there is one of these out here already....appreciate your help in finding it.
Thx...
Re: First Track?
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:31 pm
by Charlie don't surf
Neat idea!
Walt's Hobbies Syracuse NY 1991 indoor clay classic, 7001 RC10t, home stock other than proline striker tires. Came in second to last out of 79 trucks-
Re: First Track?
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:34 pm
by mikedealer
Queens Off-Roaders - Long island city, ny
just found some vintage sticker with numbers on them with the logo on them the other day.
It was next to Silvercup Studios (where they shot the highlander fight scene on the roof, and film 30rock today)
Re: First Track?
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:19 pm
by scr8p
Red Lion Raceway in Pa - may/june '91 - outdoor clay oval. ran my losi junior-t in the truck class.
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:04 am
by Incredible_Serious
Easy for me.... 2007 Two Hour Offroad Vintage Enduro at Knox, Melbourne, Victoria (Orstraya).
Pics here:
http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=67935&sid=154.
Course, I started a bit later than most here.....
Knox track is still there, although morons burned down the drivers stand a year ago, so hasn't been any racing recently... new stand is currently being built though, so back there soon touch wood!
Alex
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:55 am
by tim.sanderson
Very cool thread idea, Dan!
The first place I raced at was a place called
GP Speedway. I
think it was in Brampton, Ontario, but can't be certain. I was probably there sometime in the mid-to-late eighties, with my buddy Jeff.
(xxxmain) I ran my
Academy Galaxy Buggy (Grasshopper clone) there. Then at some point the track changed over to carpet onroad. I ran a
BoLink Invader 1/12th scale.
(which I recently sold to bearickster)
I also remember us going to a place place called
Top Gun, which was another offroad track. I think I was racing my
JRX2 by then.
(I still have the bones of this car at home somewhere) I remember a highlight for us was meeting Cliff Lett one day. I seem to remember being fascinated by the huge box of tires he had. I also recall him being a very nice guy.
One of the last tracks I raced at before my 20+ year hiatus was a place in Toronto, Ontario, called
Gold Star It had a hole in the wall that you could order Pizza from the place next door. I think I still ran my JRX2 at that track.
I don't remember too much from back then though, seeing as it was between 1985 and 1990, and probably wasn't even a teenager yet. I'm sure when Jeff reads this thread he'll be able to refresh my memory a bit.

Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:27 am
by slapshot1979
1992 K&D raceway in Oshawa On canada, I had a bolink eliminator 10. Track closed soon after
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:11 am
by kaiser
a&d's fastracks brewster ny circa 1988.
heavy metal class on the dirt oval, i ran a blackfoot. soon after i got my first jrx2 and ran it in the edm class. i really miss the dirt oval.
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:13 am
by badattitude
1987 Don's Hobby World Glenwood IL (indoor dirt track)
I raced with a Big Wig for a short period before buying a used Yokomo 834b, then on to RC10 and 2WD.
I also raced in Orland Park and also at SHOR (south holland off road) from 1987-1990.
One of my last races was at R&R Hobbies in Quincy, IL. I belive it was called the Trinity Shootout. It was a close to "pro" racing as I got.
Real good times, usually me and my buddy Gerard would go to these tracks. We were age 13 racing adults. Not really any other "kids" at the tracks.
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:53 am
by soniccj5
Parking lot in Framingham, Ma next to a school. We raced half in the parking lot and half in the woods. My first car I raced was a Tamiya Frog. The original people who ran the Sunday races both Owned a Wild Willy, which were nick named the cannon balls.
ED
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:33 pm
by AscotConversion
1988 TQ Raceway in Thornton IL with a Frog...my buddy and his dad had RC10s and took me with them to the track. They raced at SHORR and Don's in Glenwood before that closed as well. I raced the Frog at the Tamiya Fun race at Orland Hobbies' track too.
Later when I got an RC10, we went to a lot of places - Remotely Daytona's in Alsip, Four Seasons dirt oval in Bridgeview, and Redline in Calumet City. I worked at Redline for a while, I think I got paid $5 an hour to run races and help out.
After college, Don's Hobby World started running parking lot races, and it was all downhill from there

Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:22 pm
by LTO_Dave
For me is was:
Hobby Heaven - Indiana, PA (long out of business)
1993-94
Carpet oval
Started with an RC10 then sold it for a Losi LX-T that I still have
Won the 1994 Oval Championship A Main and still have all my old trophies and ribbons.
Funny story about the track...it was actually held at The Meadowbrook bar/club (also out of business) that was about 6-8 miles from their store. Every Sunday, the owner and his family would roll out the Ozite carpet that was stored in a closet at the bar and duct tape it to the dance floor, then setup the PVC inner barrier and wood outer barrier (ouch!).
Sometimes we used to get there early and help with the track setup. The owner was very laid back and had a crazy fast RC10 he sometimes raced in the Mod buggy class.
And the shop had their info listed in the back track/shop section of RCCA magazine.
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:29 pm
by Bongo Fury
My first race was at an off road track in Alliance Ohio, can’t remember the name. 1989. Introductory series Losi JRX2 with a Proformance kit. Still have it, and most all of the equipment.
Earlier I had watched some indoor oval carpet races at Lafayette Indiana (near hometown) and an off road track somewhere east of Panama City Florida on vacation. Just while visiting shops for parts and upgrades to replace some of the cheap package deal stuff I started with.
Never thought I’d race. It was mostly what this site is partly about, a chance to relive me childhood, sparked by drooling over a car in a HeathKit catalog that was way out of my league at the time (GT40 I think). I was just into the model aspect and all the technology the little sucker had. Carbon fiber, something I’d only read about, a working diff, suspension, all them little ball bearings, just thought it was cool.
But then I moved to Ohio and had more free time. Finally the kid at the shop talked me into trying it. After already selling me the upgrade kit and a bunch of other stuff.
I still remember that first lap like it was yesterday. Everything went seriously downhill after that!
Cheers
Re: First Track?
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:29 pm
I absolutely love reading these!!!! The details/fun facts from everyone reminds me (probably all of us) why we enjoy this so much.
Keep em coming...
Re: First Track?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 12:26 am
by Y'ernat Al
Radio Controlled Hobbies (RCH) in Costa Mesa California, 1983, with a Tamiya Super Champ. DNF'd on a Saturday Morning. Got lapped by a few Scorpions and probably a Sand Scorcher or two. 653 19th Street....
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10690
Just Google Earthed it and it's now a Beauty Salon with a Parking Lot over on the vacant lot where the track was..
I also see it was 11 minutes or 8.7 miles from 1928 East Edinger.