ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702100001
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GORDONSVILLE
SOURCE: SARAH CAGLE THE DAILY PROGRESS
THE THRILL OF RACING radio-controlled cars can now be experienced in Central Virginia.
Imagine experiencing even one-tenth the excitement of a photo-finish at the Indianapolis or Talladega speedway.
That is the promise of tiny radio-controlled model race cars one-tenth the size of NASCAR's money-making speed machines.
Miniature race car hobbyists now have a track in Central Virginia, the all-new Thunder Road RC Racing.
``You get a lot of the same thrill without thinking you're going to die afterward,'' joked former motorcycle racer Steve Walker, who co-owns the new hobby shop. ``I find this a lot healthier.''
For Walker and partner James Palmer, who have traveled to Richmond and to the Shenandoah Valley to race, the idea was to find a more convenient place to practice and ``if it makes a little money, that's fine,'' said Walker, who works as deputy clerk in Albemarle's General District Court.
On the 145-foot oval track, the radio-controlled, battery-powered cars can reach speeds of 35 mph, half the speed they could attain on a straight track, said Palmer, the track owner and a landscaper.
Hobbyists should be prepared to spend about $250 to $300 for all the parts and the radio control to operate a model car, and must be interested in putting it all together and maintaining the final product, Walker said.
Not all the radio-controlled cars have the NASCAR look. Some are shaped like monster trucks or dragsters, Walker said. The clear plastic car bodies, which sell for about $18, can be painted and detailed, and realistic sponsor decals are available to make the cars look like the real thing, he said.
Before racing at Thunder Road, the cars must pass inspection to ensure they have only regulation equipment. A transponder is installed in each eligible race car so a computer can trace the car's progress around the track.
An amplified buzzer instructs the ``drivers,'' who stand on a wooden deck over the track to gun their radio controls. Pressure on the remote control triggers sends the tiny cars around the carpeted loop with a gentle, electric whir.
Even among experts, the cars hit the wall and sometimes overturn, but there are no fires, no injuries and the model vehicles at worst are generally just missing a spring or two.
At race's end, the computer produces a printout showing lap times and the average speed of each car. Participants can use the information after each heat to assess what changes are needed to make the car faster.
Palmer and Walker expect children and adults to race at the track, estimating the average age of miniature race car hobbyists is 35.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Steve Walker (left) of Keswick and James Palmer ofby CNBTroy are co-owners of Thunder Road RC Racing in Gordonsville.