Sam Parks of Kansas City, Kan., (seated) uses a laptop to convert his one-eighth scale gas engine to electric power with the help of Chris Butterfield of Pleasanton during a race Saturday at Timberline Raceway near Osawatomie. (Photo by Kevin Gray / republic@republic-online.com)
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Racing by remote attracts competitors
Vehicles speed, flip and soar across dirt track south of Osawatomie on Saturday
By Kevin Gray, Staff Writer
It may not be the Kansas Speedway or the Kansas City International Raceway, but Dave Smreker’s Timberline Raceway south of Osawatomie may certainly be the Indy 500 of remote control car racing.
No deafening noise from the roar of powerful engines interrupts thoughts or conversations. Instead high-pitched whines and weed whacker-like sounds fill the air.
Smreker opened his race track for remote control car hobbyists three years ago on his property about a mile north of U.S. Highway 169 on Bethel Church Road.
“There were four other fathers, like me, with preteen children,” he said. “We thought it would be a way to do something competitive together. And, so, it became a whole family operation.”
Smreker owns the track, acts as its director and does the scoring. His son, Chris, helps take care of the maintenance, while Smreker’s wife, Debbie, and daughter, Samantha, handle concessions from, as he said, “our Kansas state-approved concession stand known as Hollywood Hotel.”
Radio or remote control car enthusiasts race on two different tracks depending on the planned races. Timberline currently uses an off-road track giving drivers 1,100 feet on a multi-level, super-cross-styled coarse. Once a month, they run on a banked oval dirt track of 360 feet.
“Racers come from out of state. We have people from Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois,” Smreker said.
On Saturday’s race day, all of the racers were from outside of Miami County. Smreker said they drive 70-plus miles and stay in local motels, including the Best Western in Paola.
Saturday’s race was actually a continuation of one begun at Real RC Raceway in Pleasant Hill, Mo.
“Real RC’s owner, Steve Hale, and I like to coordinate a two-day event,” Smreker said. “We call it the MO/KAN Challenge, a trophy race. We race one day at his track and carry points and race the second day at Timberline Raceway.”
For the participants, the races can become an addicting hobby.
“It’s really weird. Either you love it, and you’re hooked and can’t stop buying cars, or it’s just not your thing,” said Mark Stark of Mound City.
His racing buddy Jeff Wilson, also of Mound City, said he’d rather race the smaller cars than the real thing.
“All the guys you meet will be real good guys, he said. “And, besides, it’s a lot safer than racing real race cars — but not necessarily any cheaper.”
Smreker watched as cars flew around the course Saturday.
“Those things can go from zero to 50 in about three seconds,” he said, referring to the one-eighth scale 4WD Buggy Class that runs on 30 percent nitromethane and is widely considered the Formula One of remote-control race cars.
But it’s not just the speed that’s luring people to the races.
“I think people like Timberline for our laid-back family atmosphere,” Smreker said. “We are very organized but not very serious.”
Smreker and his family also spend a lot of time in extra classes for young children.
“It’s important to teach the kids the skills to race the cars. A lot of our teenagers, who were our novice class, are now track champions in their respective classes,” he said.
Steve Larson of Edgerton, who served as pit crew Saturday for his son, Robert, said the races are well worth the money.
“For an entry fee of $20, sometimes it’s $15, you can race all day,” Larson said. “You can’t do too many other things all day for that these days. So this is good, unless you break something.”
Smreker said the price of the events tend to vary.
“The regular club races are $15 per car and $10 for every car after that. For special events, like the recent trophy race, each entry is $20. But, sometimes, we like to have a dinner after the trophy race, and so we raise the price to $25 for the first entry and $20 for every car after that,” he said.
The recent trophy race had six categories: 10th Scale, Monster truck, Buggy, Sportsman Buggy, Expert Buggy and 5B Baja.
The next scheduled off–road race will be July 26, and the oval-track race is scheduled for Aug. 2. Timberline also will host a Kansas RC Pro Series event Aug. 16.
Timberline Raceway can be found online at www.timberline
raceway.com.
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No deafening noise from the roar of powerful engines interrupts thoughts or conversations. Instead high-pitched whines and weed whacker-like sounds fill the air.
Smreker opened his race track for remote control car hobbyists three years ago on his property about a mile north of U.S. Highway 169 on Bethel Church Road.
“There were four other fathers, like me, with preteen children,” he said. “We thought it would be a way to do something competitive together. And, so, it became a whole family operation.”
Smreker owns the track, acts as its director and does the scoring. His son, Chris, helps take care of the maintenance, while Smreker’s wife, Debbie, and daughter, Samantha, handle concessions from, as he said, “our Kansas state-approved concession stand known as Hollywood Hotel.”
Radio or remote control car enthusiasts race on two different tracks depending on the planned races. Timberline currently uses an off-road track giving drivers 1,100 feet on a multi-level, super-cross-styled coarse. Once a month, they run on a banked oval dirt track of 360 feet.
“Racers come from out of state. We have people from Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois,” Smreker said.
On Saturday’s race day, all of the racers were from outside of Miami County. Smreker said they drive 70-plus miles and stay in local motels, including the Best Western in Paola.
Saturday’s race was actually a continuation of one begun at Real RC Raceway in Pleasant Hill, Mo.
“Real RC’s owner, Steve Hale, and I like to coordinate a two-day event,” Smreker said. “We call it the MO/KAN Challenge, a trophy race. We race one day at his track and carry points and race the second day at Timberline Raceway.”
For the participants, the races can become an addicting hobby.
“It’s really weird. Either you love it, and you’re hooked and can’t stop buying cars, or it’s just not your thing,” said Mark Stark of Mound City.
His racing buddy Jeff Wilson, also of Mound City, said he’d rather race the smaller cars than the real thing.
“All the guys you meet will be real good guys, he said. “And, besides, it’s a lot safer than racing real race cars — but not necessarily any cheaper.”
Smreker watched as cars flew around the course Saturday.
“Those things can go from zero to 50 in about three seconds,” he said, referring to the one-eighth scale 4WD Buggy Class that runs on 30 percent nitromethane and is widely considered the Formula One of remote-control race cars.
But it’s not just the speed that’s luring people to the races.
“I think people like Timberline for our laid-back family atmosphere,” Smreker said. “We are very organized but not very serious.”
Smreker and his family also spend a lot of time in extra classes for young children.
“It’s important to teach the kids the skills to race the cars. A lot of our teenagers, who were our novice class, are now track champions in their respective classes,” he said.
Steve Larson of Edgerton, who served as pit crew Saturday for his son, Robert, said the races are well worth the money.
“For an entry fee of $20, sometimes it’s $15, you can race all day,” Larson said. “You can’t do too many other things all day for that these days. So this is good, unless you break something.”
Smreker said the price of the events tend to vary.
“The regular club races are $15 per car and $10 for every car after that. For special events, like the recent trophy race, each entry is $20. But, sometimes, we like to have a dinner after the trophy race, and so we raise the price to $25 for the first entry and $20 for every car after that,” he said.
The recent trophy race had six categories: 10th Scale, Monster truck, Buggy, Sportsman Buggy, Expert Buggy and 5B Baja.
The next scheduled off–road race will be July 26, and the oval-track race is scheduled for Aug. 2. Timberline also will host a Kansas RC Pro Series event Aug. 16.
Timberline Raceway can be found online at www.timberline
raceway.com.