It is the only place where speeding won't get you a ticket. Because on the foam-rubber race track in Andheri's Crystal Point Mall, speed (60 kph to 100 kph) and control, will lead you to victory
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It is the only place where speeding won't get you a ticket. Because on the foam-rubber race track in Andheri’s Crystal Point Mall, speed (60 kph to 100 kph) and control, will lead you to victory.
Last weekend, while the city was out celebrating Diwali, 28 racing enthusiasts were competing with their radio-controlled (RC) cars. The race was organised by RC Inc, an eight-month-old indoor RC racing facility and store.
A Mini Z car
“For many years, we’ve had to use our cars on floors or terraces, which weren’t suitable for them; they would get scratched and destroyed. Now, we have a space where we can compete with racers in India and virtually across the world,” says Vinit Sonawane, 30, one of three co-founders. “We just want to build a community of hobbyists to take this sport further, and compete internationally.”
And this December, a team of four will head to France to attend their first international competition, the Mini Z World Championship (Mini-Z is a line of RC cars manufactured by the Japanese Kyosho Corporation).
A flying start
RC Inc started in March, but it had a race track (a test drive, so to speak) in Bandra for a few months before. The Andheri space has a race track for 1:27-scale electric radio-controlled cars and is open to free practice sessions through the week; they hold races every Wednesday and Saturday. There’s a service centre with technicians, and track marshalls who handle the cars on race days. They officially retail some of the most popular international RC brands including Traxxas, Kyosho Mini Z, PN Racing, Losi, ECX, Proboat, etc. “We aren’t just selling cars but the overall experience,” says Karan Khatri, co-founder.
Vinit Sonawane (left) and a technician setting the cars. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
It is this experience that attracts hobbyists and racing enthusiasts to the store. “I like the idea of practising or racing in a controlled environment — it is convenient, easier to deal with than outdoor sites and there’s no fear of dust or the weather affecting the track or the car,” says RC car enthusiast Suraj Nainani, 28, who runs his own printing press.
And while some come for the entertainment, most prefer to compete. In fact, one in five customers at the store return to race.
The finish line
Abhishek Nigam, 34, loves his radio-controlled vehicles. He has seven — cars, a motorcycle and a drone, and wants to buy a speedboat. “Collecting RC vehicles has always been a full-time hobby, but I never thought of competing because there was no platform to do so. Earlier, we would just meet up and have impromptu races. Now, I can compete properly,” says Nigam, an assistant editor at Carwale.com, who goes for practices every Saturday and won second place at the Diwali race.
In first place was Anthony Fernandes, 26, an HR professional with a passion for RC cars and monster trucks. “I only started going for races once the track opened. It helped that the track and the lap timing was very strict, according to the international standards. I also race my bike and other cars but the rush with this scale model is different. It gets addictive after a certain point,” he says, adding that he practises twice a week.
A Malad resident, Fernandes and his friends would take their offroad cars to Mindspace to practise. “We’ve actually raced with actual cars and bikes and beaten them. The drivers wouldn’t take it well -- they would ask for repeat races or just run over our cars,” he adds.
Anthony Fernandes and his cars
And although the track is meant for smaller scale cars, the Mini Z in particular, hobbyists are thrilled that they have a track where they can bring their own cars or rent a car and practise; all the lap timings are saved. The track layout is changed every month and the lap timings of the races are shared virtually. Most of the Indian racers, adds Khatri, are already on par with international racers.
“This is a precise sport, with a proper track, timed laps and a pit stop area. These are small cars so you have to have good control,” says Nainani who practises for at least three hours every week.
“We earlier raced for fun, now we can be more professional,” concludes Fernandes.
On Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm
At RC Inc, 202, above Star Bazaar, Crystal Point Mall, New Link Road, Andheri (W).
Call 9920799822
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