A family-friendly hobby that brings the thrill of competition to the forefront

Those looking for something to do indoors over the winter might be interested in what happens each week at St. Joseph’s hall. The Whitecourt & Area R/C Club holds weekly racing for members to take part in. “This is our seventh season racing. The hobby store that used to be in town got me started with racing, and then when they shut down, we took over and kept the racing going,” explained Kelly Gunderson, the club’s Race Master.

Gunderson said he had always been into the R/C world, but when indoor racing began locally, he jumped at the chance to do something fun throughout the winter when he couldn’t race outside. Each week, the club meets at St. Joseph’s hall at 7:00 pm. Sometimes they get together on Tuesdays, but they mainly utilize Wednesdays.

After working as a group to lay out the massive carpet and design the evening’s track, the group sets up tables for each racer and moves part of the stage over to the far wall. Racers stand up on the stage, overlooking the race track, giving them a bird’s eye view of their vehicle’s movements.

They run three classes of vehicles. “Our first class is the Euro trucks. Those are like the semi trucks they race in Europe. The second class is the car class, US GT, which incorporates anything from cheaper cars to really expensive ones, and the third class we run is the short track which is the rough and tumble jumpy off-road trucks,” explained Gunderson.

On a typical night, the club sees anywhere from six to fifteen racers, and Gunderson said they would really like to see the club grow. “The most we have had in one night was twenty-two racers. That same night we had racers from out of town come. We had people from Fox Creek, Edmonton, and Edson.”

Each racer that takes part gets a table to lay out their vehicles. Between each race, there’s a pause, allowing participants to do any needed work to their cars ahead of the next one. “Whitecourt is a big motorsports town. Everyone’s got a jet ski or a jetboat, or they go and race oval or whatever. This is something to do in the winter. You can come and hang out indoors and have fun. There’s still a tuning element; you get to buy different tires or bodies, and you can modify your vehicles too. It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you are, either. We’ve got beginners here that are thirteen, and we’ve got racers who’ve been doing it awhile that are 75. It’s for everybody,” said Gunderson.

When it’s race night, Gunderson places sandwich boards in highly visible areas to attract those interested in seeing what R/C racing is about. “We had eight people here one night that stopped in because they saw the signs. I’m sure there will be some R/Cs under some Christmas trees after those visits,” smiled Gunderson. On December 13, two attended to check out the action after spotting a sign.

One of the biggest parts of joining the club is grabbing a vehicle that can be run within the classes. Gunderson said before buying something, join their Facebook group and ask questions. He also said that they have a couple of Euro trucks for people to try out most nights. “We usually suck them in after that,” chuckled Gunderson. Pointing across the hall to a gentlemen racing, Gunderson said the man had come in two weeks before to check things out. “Now, he has all three vehicles. He bought them all and is fully into it. That’s usually how it happens.”

Those interested in learning more about the fun club are invited to pop in and see it for themselves. “We typically start racing at the end of October and run until the end of April. Once the weather is nice, people don’t want to be inside anymore. That’s when it’s time to race outside. Through the winter, though, this is the place to be.”

Depending on the vehicle, getting into the sport can cost a few hundred dollars or as high as a thousand. Gunderson said some vehicles, such as the Euro trucks, need to be assembled, which can add to the fun. Some cars can be purchased ready to go out of the box. “You can push it to the limit and not have the consequences of hurting yourself. You just might have to spend a bit more time fixing your car in between races,” chuckled Gunderson.

Fellow racer Rod Wilde has been into R/C’s for about twelve years. “It’s something to do with the kids. We started out thanks to Santa Claus buying three R/Cs one year, one for me and one for each of the boys,” he laughed. “They were more of an outdoor version, so we went to a track in Spruce Grove through the summer. That was a bit costly to get there every weekend, but that’s what we did. When the opportunity presented for us to race indoors here in town, we got all the right cars to race here.”

Wilde agreed with Gunderson’s comment about R/C racing being easier on the body. “For years, I raced full-sized cars, real cars, and this is about as close as you can get for a fraction of the cost, and it’s way easier on the body.” Cory Anujoks, who used to race thirty years ago, is excited to get back into it and had his young granddaughter in tow, learning the ropes. “This is an excellent hobby for anyone and just takes a bit of practice. It’s a great family thing. You can be a spectator, a corner Marshall or race a vehicle.”

The club hopes to raise some cash to replace their carpet one day soon as it has begun showing its age. “We put every bit of the race fees back into the club,” said Gunderson. During the summer, the group volunteered at the Motocross track in Blue Ridge as flaggers during races, raising some dollars. Any organizations needing volunteers where some cash can be made should give the Whitecourt & Area R/C Club a shout.