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RC Cars
Ever been walking down the street and heard a high-pitched whirring
noise? It's so high pitched that you know it can't be a car or
motorcycle -and then it happens. Suddenly a small remote controlled
automobile zips by you. Or maybe the owner has a little fun with you
and the little buggy goes around you a few times. Welcome to the
world of
RC cars.
Remote or radio -controlled vehicles are not only on the upswing in
occurrence, but in overall popularity. Today it seems that everyone
knows at least someone into RC cars. The abundance of different
types of such toys is staggering as well. Only, don't call them toys
to a true enthusiast as some of them will get upset with you and
call them "a passion," or some other such phrase. But hey, can't a
Porsche or Ferrari -the real-life model, that is, also be a toy of
sorts?
Whatever you call them, it's worth getting a closer look at these
stimulating toys of passion and their many types. For the purposes
of this article, the term RC cars and similar terms will effectively
signify vehicles of all shapes that are controlled by radio.
Of course, there is the standard car. This and all remote controlled
vehicles come in numerous sizes, some of which can even carry a
small child, though rarely much larger. This is your standard
four-wheeled car, truck, minivan, SUV, Humvee (which comes in both
military and civilian markings), sixteen wheelers, motorcycles, and
other such modes of transportation.
Every color and type of marking imaginable is also existent. Some
models are specifically aimed at males, whereas others are gender
specific to girls of varying ages. Different ages are important, as
a great number of RC cars are owned by people over the age of
eighteen.
By their nature, RC vehicles can dip into the imaginative and even
bizarre. This means that radio controlled Batmobiles and other such
comic fare exist, along with moving bugs, such as beatles, and even
3 and 4-wheeled fantasy cars that jump, spin, and sometimes can flip
over themselves. Soon, even the sky won't be the limit.
RC car racing, or radio/remote controlled car
racing is the sport of pitting miniature versions of both real and
fantasy -type automobiles against one another. This can include not
only cars but also trucks, SUV's, tanks, and whatever else the human
imagination can produce. In addition to the many types of vehicles
that can be raced against one another, the types of tracks, their
length, obstacles, and other such possibilities exist, making RC car
racing exciting and ever expansive.
RC Car Tracks
Today remote controlled vehicle enthusiasm has
begun to become more visible than ever. Cars and trucks run by
remote can be seen tearing down the road amid many cheers from the
owners of such toys, as well as an occasional passerby or two. Yet,
the fact is that the roads are illegal and for this many enthusiasts
are now looking at RC car tracks. This article will discuss this
specific topic.
RC car tracks refer to two different entities, which should be
defined. The first of the RC car tracks is the portable type. This
is the track set which is detachable and great for kids. The great
aspect to this, besides the fact that a remote controlled vehicle
can speed along at high speeds is that the track can be usually be
modified to different sizes and shapes. This includes loops which
allow the cars to do somersaults and flips through the air.
Additionally, there are numerous fun aspects to these detachable
tracks which can be used or omitted. These include street signs,
lights, bridges, flags, struts, and other such amenities
The second type of RC car tracks is the physical track; that is, the
actual dirt mini-roads that remotely controlled cars race on. In the
world of RC vehicles these tracks can be as wild and difficult as
the tracks used by motorcycle racers. In fact, due to the downscaled
size, they can be more complex when the effort is contributed to
such ideas. Thus, just as an instance, roads can be extremely well
defined, or shoddy, rocky, and difficult to tread. As well, they can
be wide and maneuverable, or thin and difficult to maneuver, thus
challenging controllers.
Some of the features of a true RC track include cement or dirt
racing floor, mud, puddles and other water distractions, greens,
trees, and of course massive hills so the vehicles can catch air. To
be sure, this is only the beginning to what can be added to such
tracks. Truly, small cities can be added to provide an urban track,
country road tracks and everything in between to make for an
exciting visual display whilst at the same time challenging the RC
vehicles and their operators.
RC Cars Racing
The governing body of RC car racing is IFMAR -the International
Federation of Model Auto Racing. This body authority was created in
1979 by Ted Longshaw. It governs throughout the world, administering
the rules, regulations, and other specifications to this form of
racing, including rules regarding construction of the cars. At
present its membership stands at 42 countries, though is continuing
to grow each year.
One of the means by which IFMAR is able to delegate responsibilities
on a global scale is through four affiliate groupings, EFRA, FAMAR,
FEMCA, and ROAR, all of which form a tight democratically-run
confederation. EFRA is the European Federation of RC cars and
oversees Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
and Switzerland.
FAMAR, the Fourth Association of Model Auto Racing is the youngest
of the four groups and continues to encompass new countries into its
jurisdiction. Some of these countries are Argentina, Brazil, Mexico,
South Africa, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
FEMCA stands for Far East Model Car Association and maintains
Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea,
Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and The
Philippines. The last group, ROAR, governs the United States and
Canada and to date has tendered the most world champions.
Each group in this confederation has equal voting rights within the
RC car racing family. By the IFMAR constitution, not only is each
group of equal footing, but acts as a bulwark and symbol of good
will, fair competition, and friendship throughout the planet.
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