Radio-controlled (R/C) racing is exciting, educational fun. From bashing around the backyard to racing on specially-constructed tracks, the thrill of R/C is unmatched by any other hobby. Picture yourself piloting your car as it catches air off a 5-foot tabletop jump, flies top speed down the straightaway, and beats the rest of the pack to victory. With equal ease, that same car can tame the obstacles in your backyard or the challenges on your street.

In addition to the fun, you won’t find a greater sport or hobby that offers more bang for you buck. Sport kits offer beginners a great way to get challenging equipment at a reasonable price. As your skills improve, you can upgrade your sport equipment or purchase a more competitive kit that features pro-level equipment.

R/C racing is also a super way to make new friends. Seasoned racers are always willing to share their setups and give advice to racers who are just starting out. The friendly atmosphere only increases the fun of the R/C experience.

R/C racing is a way to learn while having fun. Driving R/C vehicles can help you drastically improve your hand/eye coordination and distance-judging skills. These R/C machines are actually 1/10-scale versions of full-size cars and R/C cars feature many of the same construction and tuning aspects. Building, modifying, tuning, and driving an R/C vehicle can help illustrate many of the concepts necessary for understanding a full-size car. You will also sharpen your math skills as you determine gear ratios for your R/C car. During your day at the track, you’ll be learning hands-on about physics, laws of motion, and math.

Choosing the right R/C vehicle for you can be confusing. There are many factors to affect your choices.

The first factor is cost. You obviously cannot buy more than you can pay for. If you are low on cash, either get a low-level vehicle, or save your cash and wait for a nice sale. You do not want to get a really crappy vehicle and then have to buy a new one.

The second factor is where you are going to be running this new car (or truck). If you live in the city you will probably want an on-road car, because if you are running it at home it will be on-road, and most tracks in big cities are on-road.
If you live in the country (or in a rural town) then you might want to get an off-road. If there is no track near you, you should definitely get what I recommended above or otherwise you will have nowhere to run it. If you have empty land around you think of its properties. Does it have bumps and loose low weeds? Then you want a monster truck or a stadium truck. If it is flat dirt, then you will want a buggy.

The third factor is if you want a nitro or electric vehicle. Unless you are comfortable with hot things and messy oil, I would recommend an electric. They are easier to build and save you money in the long run (no nitro costs). Plus, they are usually cheaper to buy.

The fourth factor is is this what you really want? Do you really want this cheaper car or do you want to save up for a nicer one with better features that will satisfy you more? I suggest to save up unless the one you want is extremely expensive.

If you are really interested in racing then I suggest you get an Team Associated or Team Losi.

Here are my reccomendations for a prospective R/C car buyer:

Truck: Traxxas Rustler, Duratrax Evader or Team Associated T3

Monster Truck: Traxxas E-maxx or Traxxas Stampede

Buggy: Team Associated B3 or Traxxas Bandit

Touring Car: Team Associated TC3 or Traxxas 4-Tec

Battery charger: Duratrax Piranha peak

ESC: Novak makes great ones but they are a bit more expensive. Check them out!