Player profile - Joseph K

I race Tamiya M-Chassis, 1:10 EP Off-Road, and 1:10 EP Touring Cars.

I first got into RC just after I left school - racing at Peterlee Buggy Club. I raced 4WD 1:10 EP Off-Road f...

I race Tamiya M-Chassis, 1:10 EP Off-Road, and 1:10 EP Touring Cars.

I first got into RC just after I left school - racing at Peterlee Buggy Club. I raced 4WD 1:10 EP Off-Road for a while using a Schumacher Procat but it was just too unreliable and expensive to repair.

Next I bought a Tamiya F102 (the Benetton B192 model) and raced 1:10 EP F1 on carpet at Teesside Radio Car Club for quite a long time. This really taught me proper car control and racecraft, and is by far the most formative part of my time in RC racing.

I returned to 1:10 EP Off-Road once more in 92/93, this time buying a Schumacher Cougar 2000 2WD buggy. With it's geared transmission and dogbone driveshafts, this car was far more reliable and inexpensive to run. On a very modest budget, I did very well with this car, regularly TQing at my clubs meetings and getting wins and podiums at events held by other clubs in my area.

Going to University in 1995 meant I needed to take a break, and I didn't pick up a transmitter again until 2003 when I happened to be passing a model shop in Farnham. Seeing an advert for a model car track, I thought I'd go along and see what the cars were like. When I got there, a very generous Frenchman named Christophe offered me a drive of his Mugen 1:10 I.C. touring car (sedan) and I was hooked once more!

I bought a second-hand Mugen MTX-3 and two weeks later, I entered my first UK national event, placing 3rd in the D Final - a good result given my relative inexperience.

Since then, I've owned an Associated NTC3, a Serpent 710, and until last year, I also drove a Mugen MTX-4R. I competed in most UK 1:10 I.C. Nationals from 2004 to 2011, giving it up to rediscover my enjoyment of RC in other classes and I still thoroughly enjoy my RC racing!

I also race 'Minis'. These are the Tamiya M-Chassis (M03, M05) and the various conversion kits and models that run to the same scale (175mm track width). They are 2WD, and the racing is very controlled - for instance the motor is a handout motor that costs just £8, we only need 1 LiPo battery pack, and due to the light weight of the car, the tyres don't wear very much. This is great racing and the costs are low!

My main R/C-related activity at the moment is acting as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for my local club, Cotswold Model Car Club. I try to do as much as I possibly can to get new drivers interested in R/C car racing whilst also trying to improve what the club offers to our members.

When I'm not doing that, I have a Schumacher Mi5 which I'm looking forward to racing in 2015 at Cotswold Model Car Club.

Can't wait to race all you guys on track! Happy racing!