Casey Brake has been racing remote-controlled cars for three decades, and he continues to bring the love he has for the sport to fans and racers here in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.
“I always liked RC and electronics as far back as when I was six years old. In 1989 I started hobby-grade racing….then eventually I raced professionally across the nation,” Brake said. “I then knew I wanted to bring it here to the Eastern U.P.”
This past Saturday, he and his RC partner, Joel Wiggins, held an RC competition at the National Guard Armory in Sault Ste. Marie.
There were nearly four dozen entries from elementary school-aged to seasoned citizens participating in the races.
“It’s not about the age, but rather it’s about having fun,” Brake added.
While the price of a good, solid entry-level RC car costs around $150, some cost several hundreds of dollars, if not more.
But Brake indicated that $150 is pretty cheap compared to, say, an Xbox and all the games involved. “It’s better than sitting in front of a TV all day and not getting outside. Racing gets you out of the house and for less money.”
Micheala Spiessl is a mother of two young boys, Kevin and James. In the last year, they just started getting involved in RC cars. And now they are racing in events like this.
“Kevin and James love it. It’s a great sport to be outside, or even inside like today, rather than sitting at home doing nothing. They fix their cars, too, so they are learning mechanics,” Spiessl said.
Between the three of them, they have 26 RC cars. She says it keeps them out of trouble.
Seven-year-old Kevin said, “I just like racing. You get to count all the laps you race. One time my monster truck broke, and I helped fix it!”
If you are interested in participating in the upcoming RC events put on by the EUP RC Racing Club, they are held on the third Saturday in February and March at the Armory in the Soo.
In April, there will be a huge event in St. Ignace, with the location still to be determined. This one will have around 200 racers.
Brake has an RC car racing page on Facebook, EUP RC Racing.
For his KC Hobbies and Toys story in St. Ignace, visit this link.
