At the DMCC we race electric cars only, at the moment only 1/10th off-road. The cars are loosely based on Baja Buggies or Sandrails. They are powered by lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries similar to what`s used in laptops.
There are a number of different brands and routes you can take to get into RC car racing, but some of the main points you should consider before you buy are:
1. Can you get parts easily? You will break or wear out parts on your car, and if you cannot replace these easily, your car will become useless.
2. Can you get help and advice about your car?
If you have a car that no one in the club knows about, it can be hard for experienced members to advise you or help you fix it when it breaks.
At the DMCC some well-known brands are raced and the above two points will always apply to them. These would be Associated, X-Ray, Schumacher and Yokomo.
There are two ways you can buy your car, either buy a kit and all the various parts required or you can buy a Ready to Run (RTR) setup.
A RTR comes with everything you need except a battery and charger. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages.
RTR usually don’t have top of the line electronics, and some alloy parts are replaced with plastic parts.
Though these cars run perfectly well and many DMCC members use them. They also work out a cheaper route. It’s a great simple way to get up and running.
A kit means you will need to research all the extra parts you require to run your car, it works out more expensive, but it can be tailored exactly to your needs.
It also means since you need to put it together yourself, you know how to fix it when it breaks. Though this is quite a steep learning curve
At the DMCC we race two wheel drive and four wheel drive. Beginners are best advised to start with two wheel drive. Some people think 4WD is cooler, more advanced etc. but trust us when we tell you to start with the simpler 2WD.
There are also two classes Clubman, where there are restrictions on the type of motor and Open Class where there are no restrictions.
Again, beginners will need to start with Clubman.
The best advice we could give is to speak with members of the DMCC and ask them for help and advice before you buy. All members are very open and willing to help anyone interested in the hobby.