Two-by-two, cars inched up to the starting line and prepared for the countdown. Necks craned from the enthusiastic dozens of people who stood near the start of the short track waiting for the signal. The cars leaped forward after a high-pitched screech.
These visuals were typical at the La Hacienda Regional Recreation Complex, as Camp Villages hosted its R/C Model Race Cars event coordinated by The Villages Motor Racing Fan club recently.
“I think the kids had a great time,” said club president Chris Bleistein, of the Village of Osceola Hills. “That’s all that matters.”
Remote-control or radio-control racing — R/C, as it’s known to fans — isn’t new in The Villages, but it is enjoying a resurgence in large part by the pandemic.
A track was set up inside the center for kids to compete with their R/C cars. As it was not asphalted track and controls were sensitive, the club guided the participants who needed tips before the first run. Pool noodles were split and taped together to build a track in the room’s center, with an infield for campers to control the cars.
Children had varying levels of experience and took some time to figure out how to control the cars as, initially, the races featured many spin-outs and crashes into pool noodles.
However, each camper soon developed a different set of techniques and plans to compete. Some even brought unique ideas and entertained the crowd.
Three cars competed in each round of the first heat. Racers got a warm-up lap to get used to car handling on the tracks, and then the real action began.
After the first heat, the winners directly entered the semifinal round. The action and drama kept snowballing till the final lap of a race.
Before the race was about to be over, the leading car came to a halt in the final lap when it rammed into the inside wall, with 9-year-old Brian Eckstein behind the controls.
By the time it recovered, second place crashed into them, but Brian still managed to win it by a scare. He was there with his grandfather, Jeff Eckstein, of the Village of Fernandina, and had spent very little time on R/C cars. However, his quick adaptability led him to the gold medal.
“Instead of holding down the forward the whole time, I kept hitting forward over and over again,” Brian said. After the races, the first, second and third place winners received their medals, and other racers also got participation awards.
Even a new set of rules was introduced in the medal rounds. The drivers were instructed to finish the line forward, not in reverse alignment.
Another distinguishable show was put up by Vivian Alianello, age 10, who didn’t have much experience but figured out how to use the car quickly, even on the sharpest turns. Her grandfather, Marcel Hogue, of the Village Mira Mesa, gave her some last-minute tips for a smooth finish.
“She’s pretty computer savvy and got good hand-eye coordination,” Hogue said.