Let's Go Clubbing!

(The Seattle RC Racers version of "Heaven on Earth".)

    In the realm of scale-automotive competition, trophies and accolades rule supreme. Racers are suckers for a physical return on their hard-earned investment, thus we see an abundance of "big races" throughout the season. Look around your selective region, and you can bet that you'll find a race with a fancy name and plastic trophies being run on just about any weekend. While it's always a fun bonus to run for an award every time we set our toy car down on the track, it becomes almost routine in a way. We begin to expect the "high stakes" racing that only comes from a major event or series, and anything else is simply not worth the time anymore. Call it a love for "better" competition, or call it "trophy thirst". Either way you slice it, it's a sickness that can be easily cured with a healthy dose of.....

.....wait for it.....

Weekly. Club. Racing. (GASP!)

   (Wednesday nights are for the boys.)

    On any given Wednesday, or Tuesday, or just about any day of the week, racers across the world take part in the weekly tradition of work-dodging, responsibility-avoiding, toy car-flogging that is weekly club racing. It's that one day of the week (or every other week for some of us) where we find the most outlandish excuse possible to ditch work early in order to drive across town and race until somewhere around 2 hours past our bedtimes. It's a compressed schedule, quick rounds, quick turnaround times, and a perfect platform to test new setups or changes. More times than not, it creates the perfect combination of competition and fun on an otherwise mundane weeknight. 

So why the low turnouts and lack of attention?

(Small turnout, big fun. The Hangar 30 Wednesday night season opener.)

    Now, I get it, not everyone can make an hour drive during rush hour traffic to make a club race. I also realize that many of us have lives outside of this hobby. Many of us have families, children, meetings, etc. that make it seemingly impossible to tie up an entire night racing a toy car. Some of us gravitate to higher, more serious competition, and therefore don't put much stock in an average weeknight event. It's true, most club nights are much more laid back than a points race in terms of competition, and this might turn off some fast racers, semi-pros and pros. Why waste the time and parts on a race night that doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things?

In a way, that's what makes club racing so great. It means absolutely nothing in terms of awards or accolades, yet it means everything at the same time.

(Dirty clubbing with good friends. Photo credit: Nick Colander)

    There's something really special about the weekly club meeting. It's no secret that the world has become more polarizing and divisive than at any point in recent memory. Opinions and views become cyber-ammunition and politics have become everyday conversation fodder, whether we like it or not. Add all this on top of an already jam-packed work, personal and family life and we have enough on our plate to drive us to insanity on a daily basis. Now, wouldn't it be amazing if there was something we could look forward to during the middle of our hell-on-earth work week? Maybe an event where we could gather with friends with similar interests for a few hours and just focus on something other than fake news and political shit-shows? 

I've got it! Let's go club racing!

(Wednesday clubbing from the UK. Photo credit: Andy Murray)

(Looking lit at the club.)

    For three to four hours on a weekday night, the dregs of society and the depressing responsibilities of adulthood need-not apply. Having fun and racing hard are the name of the game on a Wednesday night with the boys. There isn't a much more relaxing way to distract yourself from the world around you than to completely immerse yourself in a RC car and race 3 rounds with your closest buddies. Sure, the level of competition may not be on par with a regional or a Saturday points race, but honestly, who cares? It's true, you certainly won't win a National Championship on Wednesday Night, but I'd be willing to bet you'll have more fun racing toy cars for nothing than being a responsible member of society.

(4 wheel clubbing straight outta SoCal. Photo credit: Sticky Kicks RC)

    One last tidbit to consider: Clubs and tracks can't solely survive on big races and regional events. Consistent revenue in the form of hobby shop sales (If your track/club has a shop) and racer entry fees on various club days are required to operate a sustainable program. Take these humble club nights away, and there simply isn't enough left to stay afloat. It's no secret that it's extremely difficult to maintain and operate a RC car facility in today's economy. Far too often we hear of tracks closing for a myriad of reasons, many of which were fixable. So lets support or local clubs/tracks and run on an off night. Let's make the extra effort to race on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. Let's fill up those heat sheets and pack our heat races with intense battles and great times with great friends. So you lose a few hours of sleep on a work night.... I guarantee that fun you'll have racing and wrenching will be well worth that extra shot of coffee in the morning. 

(5 novices on a Wednesday night, this is what it's all about.)

#letsgoclubbing