The moment in RC that you are least proud of

[fredswain]

This is more of a confession. It's something that has haunted me for a long time and I'm ashamed of it. I wish I could take it back but I can't. May as well use the experience as a lesson learned.

I was the poor sport as a kid but I was the worst kind. I was a sore winner. Fortunately that didn't happen very often. I was disappointed and frustrated when I lost and arrogant when I won. When I started racing in 1986 at around 10 years old I was just the shy kid who wanted to learn from others and for the next couple of years I had lots of fun learning and racing. By the time I got to be 13 or 14 I was the pissed off teenager with an attitude and had little tolerance for the beginner or anyone who wasn't me for that matter. I remember cussing at the kid next to me on the drivers stand once during the main for blocking me. He was the slow car on the track and he knew it. He didn't care. He was there to have fun. I was the fastest car on the track and I knew it. I was there to win and I was too serious about it. He didn't so much want me to lose but rather he didn't want to come in dead last. It was really just a moral victory he was searching for. The only thing he did by blocking me was cause other people to pass me. This was the only time I ever raced oval and the only time I ever raced my JRX2. I got around him and eventually took the win. I should have been black flagged by the race organizer for poor sportsmanship. I wasn't just commenting to him, I was screaming it for the world to hear and my language was "colorful" to say the least.

If I could go back in time to that night and redo it, I'd change everything about it and perhaps just not race. When it's no longer any fun you have no reason to be there. At the very least I'd go back and kick the crap out of myself for being such a little turd! That was the last race I ever did. It was a victory and the only one for that car but a hollow one looking back on it. Shortly after that my car was giving me glitching issues while running around at home one day. Pissed off I slammed my KO EX-5 radio down on the ground breaking it. I didn't have the money to replace it and the fun was gone. That was about 1991 or so. I didn't drive an rc car again until 2011. I'm not sure what my problem was. Hormones perhaps? It lost it's fun and I'm sure I ruined an evening for many in attendance. I regret it. I wish I could apologize to everyone there that night but I don't know who any of them were. Except my mom. She saw the whole thing. She never said anything about it but looking back on it the look of disappointment on her face even though I'd won said it all. Today if I get mad at anyone, I get mad at me. I don't get mad at others anymore.

The race organizer absolutely should have kicked me out that night. At the very least he should have black flagged me for the race. Track etiquette is important. I'm glad I'm older and wiser now. I regret the way I was for some of that time period. I still get frustrated. Sometimes it with equipment and other times it's with myself. I may even get frustrated with others but I will never go out of the way to yell about it like I did back then. Things happen. Let them go. What's the moment in rc that you are least proud of?

[Coelacanth]

I have precious few moments to be proud of, in RC.

My Zebra Optima got picked in concourse once. And I had the most amazing crash at the track back then, I cartwheeled from one end of the track to the other after my 7.2V battery fell out mid-race and a nice, helpful fellow racer doing marshal duty stuck in a 9.6V.

Sorry, not too relevant but...

[Goatless]

About 10 years ago or so, I was racing 1/8 buggy expert in Jackson, TN. At that time, I was fairly new to 1/8 scale, and didn't know what a "fail safe" was. I was running a Mugen 4 XRWorks with a CMB Raptor. Very, very nice, torque motor made in Italy.
The track was right on Hwy 45. After pancaking coming off the triple (I was the only one who could clear it) My on/off switch, which was mounted with ON at the top (ALWAYS keep ON at the BOTTOM if using a switch) turned itself off. The car ran out of control diagonally across the track, taking out a 4 year old spectator, out into the highway, where it was hit by not 1, but 2 dump trucks hauling dirt!!! The car didn't matter as much as the safety of the little toddler. He was fine.
I felt really horrible after this and before the race the next week, paid for and installed myself a construction net fence along that portion of the track.
The little boy was there the next week as well. I had just purchased a couple of Losi Mini-T's and thought it would be a good gesture to give him one. I did, and he was all smiles.
Not really a "least proud" moment, but I felt horrible about the entire situation.

The lesson here, be aware of your surroundings at all times, even at the track. Things could have been alot worse in this situation, but thankfully, were not.

[drbelleville]

Man, it was in the 90's, I forgot to put the springs back into the Two Speed clutch assembly on my Excel, and not only destroyed the clutch, but damaged a new Nova Mega motor as well. Talk about being embarrassed, and after all the carnage, walking back to the pit and seeing the two springs on the bench - laughing at me. Since then I try to pay a little extra attention to re-assembly!!!!

[SRTracer121]

Goatless

small world, when i first got into 1/8th nitro latemodel i would either drive like an old lady or like a total butt head. so my 4-5th weekend racing it i had forgotten to tighten down the break linkage. was only running rear break too. lost break about 1 minute into the race (4 minute race) but i kept going as a lot of locals would. i start getting into the pack and really charging and of course not even 2 laps later i forget about that whole break issue so im diving into 3 charging hard thinking i could just 4 wheel drift it. WRONG goes plowing strait and nails the outside barrier which had a lot of "fluff" on it making it into a ramp of sorts.

because this track was in a public park you get spectators and just passerby's who dont know where the safe and risky areas to sit are.

so back to the car, it goes atleast 70% throttle into the wall and nails it, somersaults over and just misses this woman and her kid. engine stalls and i run off the driverstand to make sure they didnt get hit. luckily they were 5 feet further back then it seemed. i was so bothered and embarrassed by it i didnt race for about a month. nobody busted my chops about it (if you knew our group you would know that they will jump on you for anything and everything) so it didnt upset anyone else and the mother wasnt either but i know i was very much in the wrong and that was what bothered me.

you can bet i crank the anal double checking up to 12 now.

____

the other one was when i went and bad mouthed a lhs on rctech. boy i felt the full wrath of that one and it followed me for a long time but ive since come to terms with that one and done the right thing and apologized to the hobby shop both online and in person.

[hugger19]

sell a car than relize s--t i could use it now for a different built UGH!!!!

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

I once killed a man.


‘Round about ‘89 I was racing 1/10th scale pan car at a local track pretty regularly. A bitter rivalry had broken out between my buddy and I and two good ol’ boys from Owensboro. It had been a particularly long day of preparation. My face and fingernails were blackened by the dust of roughly a thousand trued tires. I had acid burns on my legs from the scolding hot solder splashes that fell from the braid of dozens of matched Trinity Pushed cells.

Lap after lap we tuned those cars. My fingers were bleeding from handling allen wrenches and tweaking shocks and T-bars.

The heats begin. All is going well. My buddy and I are on fire kissing the inner barrier at every turn. At one point I swear my transponder began to smoke. Track record.

Those other fellas couldn’t stand it. They demanded my motor be checked.

The motor was a stock Quarter Flash. Timed brushes and heavy, but not too heavy springs?? You betcha, but it was LEGAL! I had tuned it myself on that very day. It was as fresh as the blueberries that went in grandma’s cobbler, but twice as hot. The spray from the Reedy Hole Shot had my eyes red and my nerves rattled.

When the main came up I was TQ without question. The other team fumed over the mounting realism of defeat. They swore their revenge and little did I know would make it real not but a few minutes later.

My 10L shot off the line like an arrow from Robin Hood’s bow and cleared the first turn cleanly. Lap after lap I repeated this symphony coming but a Saint’s whisper from the pipe at each turn.

Not finishing the B Main well at all the larger of the defeated pair watched as my car danced with the asphalt. In a cowardly act he walked toward his radio knowing full well that I was on the same band as him. As he flipped the power button to “on” a most grisly grin fell over his horrible face. For he knew that he was changing the course of history.

My car glitched and ran full speed into the retaining wall. Servo popped loose and my dreams of victory fell out of fate’s hands and on to the carpet as did my radio. I was fully aware that mischief was afoot…

When the race ended I walked over and shook hands with the victor as a true gentlemen would. However, I made careful note to see what band his counterpart’s radio was set to. 86.

Later that night as they made their way to their cars I sat in my 1979 Cadillac El Dorado 2 door and watched them congratulate each other and mock my defeat. My blood boiled and my 10L yearned for revenge. It called to me “Avenge my death master!”. And so I did.

I stepped out of my car with a #2 Phillip’s head screw driver tucked under my sleeve. As I approached I said “Hey, I just wanted to congratulate you one last time. Great job.” As he began to nod his head in thanks I rammed the screwdriver into his left temple.

As the blood ran I felt my anguish relieve itself in every breath I took. My eyes lit with fire as he gasped for breath. He knew what he had done and now he was paying for it.

I dragged his lifeless body to my car and stowed it in the trunk. He was buried in a shallow grave just behind Old Man Sullivan’s barn, Every Halloween I visit there and piss on his grave. As the steam rises I can see the reflection of the trophy that should have been mine…

So anyway, what’s your least proud moment?

[Goatless]

LMAO!!!!

[Goatless]

"Post of the Year" material right there!

[Charlie don't surf]

I once killed a man.


‘Round about ‘89 I was racing 1/10th scale pan car at a local track pretty regularly. A bitter rivalry had broken out between my buddy and I and two good ol’ boys from Owensboro. It had been a particularly long day of preparation. My face and fingernails were blackened by the dust of roughly a thousand trued tires. I had acid burns on my legs from the scolding hot solder splashes that fell from the braid of dozens of matched Trinity Pushed cells.

Lap after lap we tuned those cars. My fingers were bleeding from handling allen wrenches and tweaking shocks and T-bars.

The heats begin. All is going well. My buddy and I are on fire kissing the inner baprrier at every turn. At one point I swear my transponder began to smoke. Track record.

Those other fellas couldn’t stand it. They demanded my motor be checked.

The motor was a stock Quarter Flash. Timed brushes and heavy, but not too heavy springs?? You betcha, but it was LEGAL! I had tuned it myself on that very day. It was as fresh as the blueberries that went in grandma’s cobbler, but twice as hot. The spray from the Reedy Hole Shot had my eyes red and my nerves rattled.

When the main came up I was TQ without question. The other team fumed over the mounting realism of defeat. They swore their revenge and little did I know would make it real not but a few minutes later.

My 10L shot off the line like an arrow from Robin Hood’s bow and cleared the first turn cleanly. Lap after lap I repeated this symphony coming but a Saint’s whisper from the pipe at each turn.

Not finishing the B Main well at all the larger of the defeated pair watched as my car danced with the asphalt. In a cowardly act he walked toward his radio knowing full well that I was on the same band as him. As he flipped the power button to “on” a most grisly grin fell over his horrible face. For he knew that he was changing the course of history.

My car glitched and ran full speed into the retaining wall. Servo popped loose and my dreams of victory fell out of fate’s hands and on to the carpet as did my radio. I was fully aware that mischief was afoot…

When the race ended I walked over and shook hands with the victor as a true gentlemen would. However, I made careful note to see what band his counterpart’s radio was set to. 86.

Later that night as they made their way to their cars I sat in my 1979 Cadillac El Dorado 2 door and watched them congratulate each other and mock my defeat. My blood boiled and my 10L yearned for revenge. It called to me “Avenge my death master!”. And so I did.

I stepped out of my car with a #2 Phillip’s head screw driver tucked under my sleeve. As I approached I said “Hey, I just wanted to congratulate you one last time. Great job.” As he began to nod his head in thanks I rammed the screwdriver into his left temple.

As the blood ran I felt my anguish relieve itself in every breath I took. My eyes lit with fire as he gasped for breath. He knew what he had done and now he was paying for it.

I dragged his lifeless body to my car and stowed it in the trunk. He was buried in a shallow grave just behind Old Man Sullivan’s barn, Every Halloween I visit there and piss on his grave. As the steam rises I can see the reflection of the trophy that should have been mine…

So anyway, what’s your least proud moment?

when my teammate came up.missing

[Goatless]

[ireg]

I once killed a man.

So anyway, what’s your least proud moment?

I know what you did last summer

[GJW]

"Post of the Year" material right there!

Agreed!! The man is loose alright, fn awesome talk thumb

[RC10resto]

I once killed a man.

Nice story Ken Hemingway

[scr8p]

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