By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - mtrax@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
JEFFERSON —
Sam Moisio wiped dirt from his eyes Sunday and squinted at the overturned car at his feet.
With a quick kick the little car was back on its wheels, racing off in a cloud of dust at the ARCS speedway in Jefferson. Remote controlled cars provide fun every Sunday at the speedway on Perry Road, as little boys and grown men tend to their miniature racing machines.
Ryan Goff, owner of ARCS, said RC racing brings out the competitive spirit in every guy.
“Today we have 78 racers,” he said Sunday. “My son Trevor is 4 years old and he will race today. This is a sport for everyone, even and especially grown men.”
Goff raced RC cars as a boy, but fell out of the hobby when he was 16. As an adult he enjoyed racing real cars, but found the sport too expensive so he returned to his hobby of high-end RC cars.
“It didn’t take long to get hooked on RC again,” he said.
Brent Wilks, 15, said he has been racing RC cars for five years.
“Racing is competitive and fun. There are a lot of people here today, so the competition will be pretty tough,” he said.
Paul Nam of Harbor Creek, Pa., worked to fix his RC car for the big race. Competitors set up mini work shops in tents to keep their cars in top racing condition throughout the day.
“I love this track,” he said. “This is like a home track for me. The people here are awesome. There is an awesome level of competition here today.”
Steve Weber of Massillon traded competitive ATV racing for RC racing when he started to feel his age.
“I loved racing ATVs, but I got old and it caught up with me,” he said. “Now I play with (RC) cars. They have the same suspension and the same chassis as the full size cars, and it is a challenge to keep them all running.”
Scot Stoffer of Salem said he loves his RC cars, but don’t call them toys.
“These are finely tuned competitive racing machines. They are not toys,” he said with a laugh. “Well, maybe they are big boy toys.”
Goff said he is happy to introduce racing enthusiasts of all ages to the RC hobby. The group meets for races every Sunday until Oct. 31 and then begins indoor racing on Saturdays through the winter. For more information call ARCS Hobbies and Speedway at 440-645-9727.
