Pro R/C Car Tips from Rick Hohwart

Here are some tips from Rick Hohwart as posted on RCTech.net forums. Mainly with regards to touring cars, but applicable in general. Rick is one of the fastest r/c racers and has been in the industry and hobby for a long time.

"The CG of the TC5 might be higher than other cars but it is basically the same. Moving the layshaft and top deck down 2-3mm is not going to make a noticable difference to your handling. A bigger difference would be cetralizing the motor."

"1. Preparation (or lack of it) - I am surprised how many race cars are in pretty bad shape with strange toe-in/toe-out, uneven camber, poor diffs, bad shocks, dirty, etc. Any R/C racing car has to be prepared correctly or it will not work as well as it could."

"2. Setup - Along with poor prep comes unusual setups. The setups that are posted by the team on AE's website are proven good fast setups. Sure they may not work for some people and might need fine tuning. But they are a great place to start."

Photo of Rick Hohwart's Associated TC5 R/C Touring Car

"I run 48p in modified all the time and have used it in 13.5 with good results."

"Stock class used to be a driver's class. But it is slowly turning into (if not already there) an equipment class."

"I prefer the LTC-R. It think it gove more steering but at the same time it feels easier to drive."

"I estimate that there are at least 20 pro racers that drive for a living (plus the work that goes along with begin a company rep)."

"Drivers like Tebo, Cavalieri, and Maifield don't do anything at the "office". They race and test R/C cars and parts for a living. They are as professional as Tiger Woods or any baseball, basketball, football, or hockey player. I am certain they make more money than some minor league baseball or hockey players and many MLS players."

"It is worth it to spend a little extra on high-quality bearings for the axles. But in my opinion the kit bearings (or similarly priced) are sufficent for the other locations."

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