Competition drives friendships among remote racers
By Cathy Runyon | Advance Newspapers
May 03, 2010, 3:57PM
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The echo of the P.A. system bounces off the metal walls surrounding the track as sleek, colorful cars, only inches above the clay track, round the curves, fly over the humps, and sometimes, tumble headlong over the protective barriers.
It’s race night in Jenison, with about 30 drivers testing their skills at Proving Grounds Raceway. Never heard of it? It doesn’t get the attention of the tracks at Berlin or Martin, and certainly doesn’t occupy the celebrity status of Indianapolis or Daytona, but to the drivers who call it home, it’s important.
Proving Grounds, located at the corner of Port Sheldon Street and Port Sheldon Court, is also home to Everkept waste handling company. Everkept co-owner Chad Stoub, known to his buddies as “Uncle E,” bought a building he needed for his business, but what clinched the purchase of the former NuWool facility was the vast warehouse space that Stoub could use for his hobby – remote control car racing.
Every Wednesday about 30 members of the racing club gather to race against each other using the same type of computerized timing system employed in NASCAR racing, and to work on their cars, trucks, and buggies in “the pit room.” That’s where the endless tinkering goes on, the small adjustments and part changes that make the vehicles go faster. It is all about speed. In a side room with a shelf full of trophies and a laptop computer is Jenison resident Roy Dallier, last year’s champion of the national Master’s Truck Class, or “Old Man’s Class” for racers age 40 and over.
Why the age divisions? “The eyes,” said Dallier, a machine operator for Herman Miller. “The sport can be dominated by youth. Younger guys have the advantage with eye-hand coordination.” It’s not just myopia that’s the problem. Those raised on video games thrive on remote control racing.
Dallier used to race full-size vehicles off-road, but remote control is a logical hobby when age and responsibility creep up. “It’s a way to get the thrill of racing, the adrenaline rush, without risking the injuries,” Stoub said, “and we just can’t risk injury."
Dallier said he makes no money racing and accepts no sponsorships. “I do it for the fun,” he said. Like any hobby, remote racing can be as expensive as you want it to be, but he tries to keep spending to a minimum. He’s now preparing for another national season series that will draw about 250 racers.
Shayna Pattison, 18, of Caledonia, is currently the club’s only female member. A few younger girls come with their dad. “Dad got me started,” said Shayna. “We went to races every Saturday. I thought it was fun.” Her dad, Ed Pattison, bought her first car and before long she was racing with other club members as an equal.
Shayna is now a student at Grand Rapids Community College studying occupational therapy. She admits she’s pretty competitive, a quality nurtured on the race track that also will serve her well in her career.
The track draws racers from a wide area, and competitors from all over the state. “When I saw that big warehouse, I knew that was what I wanted,” said Stoub, of Jenison. There were no support pillars to interfere.
“We have put a lot of effort into building a quality facility,” said Dallier. “People come from all over to race against us.” Being inside means the club can race all year. From time to time, the track is torn up and rebuilt. Members take turns creating the new track design. In the summer, a dirt track is built outside and a temporary shelter put up to serve as the pit room. “People come in here and it’s way beyond what they’re thinking it would be,” said Stoub. “I know, they look at us and it’s like, Seriously, you guys are grown men doing this?”
As hobbies and sports go, remote racing is pretty safe, but accidents do happen. Vehicles are powered by lithium ion batteries – the same kind that will be produced in a new plant in Holland, only smaller. They give the most power and the best recharging capacity, Stoub said, but on occasion, they do explode and melt the vehicle.
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