Oh Say Can You R/C?

While it's well known that Quaker Steak and Lube is homebase for car and motorcycle enthusiasts all week long to show off their rides, it also hosts a night dedicated strictly to Remote Control cars.

R/C Car fanatics start arriving at the oval-shaped race track set up in Quaker Steak's parking lot shortly before sundown. Tables are erected trackside so the R/C car racers can make any final adustments to their custom built mini hot-rods before they take them to the starting line to compete.

Attention to detail is just as crucial when building an R/C car for the racetrack as it is for a full scale automobile. Everything from the supsension, motor, and tires of these tiny racers play a major role in how it will perform in competition.

An R/C car's apperance can also separate it from the pack. Many times the body is custom painted and covered with sponsor decals to grab spectators' attention.

Local R/C car racer Wes Hopper finished painting his car just as it was time to get down to business.

"I painted this remote control car to match my Go-Kart that is hanging up inside Quaker Steak," he said as he attatched his freshly sprayed car body to the rest of the chasis.

R/C Car racing is a big part of weekly routine each Monday for well over a year.

It can be just as exciting to watch the cars speed around the tiny track as it is to control them from the stands.