# Most Important Person In R/c History



## number_0

Who do you think has brought the most to R/C racing 

My list 
Mr. Rule (Bolink)
Mr. Haush (The Whip)
Mr. Reedy (Nuff said)
Mr. Novak (Novak)
Mr. Boylen (Snowbirds)

A few personals for me 
Banana Dan (Dan's racing Product) do you remember?
Rainbow Rider 

Stan Crowder (my dad with out him I would have never gotten in to this great sport)


----------



## 420 Tech R/C

I am going to have to say that I dont think THE most important person in r/c history was ANY of those guys in the business end of it, but who ever the first person was that said"I bet you could race a few of these things at the same time, and have a good old time doing it!" Who ever that guy is, he is the coolest guy ever!!But if we are talking about the industry end of this I would have to say it would be a tie between the guys at associated and the design team at Kyosho for actually addressing the needs of the off road comunity and creating the kyosho ultima, and the associated RC10.The ultima for being the first ever ifmar world champion driven by none other than joel johnson, and the rc 10 which produced the platform which won everything from then on until the early 90's.These two cars changed the face of off road cars.No more was the day of the frog, fox or hornet which were no more than glorified toys.These 2 cars gave us off road as we know it today with a new level of performance and durability.


----------



## mredzadventure

Nikola Tesla made some of the first R/C in the the late 1920s to middle 30s along with that little thing we call A/C power .


----------



## IndyRC_Racer

For pan cars, didn't Losi (Gill?) develop the first t-plate designed car? If so that was a pretty important development.


----------



## swtour

Can't believe Gene Hustings isn't on that List... (*Team Associated*) 

I fully believe it was *TEAM ASSOCIATED * that caused the popularity of RC Racing to rise in the mid 1980's

..and although I've never been a big *TRINITY* fan, you have to admit E.P. and TRINITY did help make R/C Racing HUGE - in part by spending MONEY and creating the Joel "MAGIC" Johnson HYPE... That old marketing deal was HUGE to the R/C Industry.


----------



## number_0

swtour good additions


----------



## BullFrog

Stan in the state of Florida I could say a few people. In the following weeks and months I will be doing a look back at R/C thru my memory. Mostly on-road electric and it will be at the www.fseara.org site under Bill's corner. 
As for the offroad things the first real off-road car was brought to the then Winternationals held every year in Feb by Associated. Mike Reedy showed everyone the protype and said it would be out in 6 months. Associated always said that but it took awhile longer.
As for the losi and the t-bar that's why Associate had the cars listed 12 L and 10L for Losi.As for other pioneers of the R/C manufacturers add Delta - Bill and Ken Cambell and the guys they had working for them- Kevin Orton (tekin) and Art Carbonell. Enought for now they'll be included in my columun at a later date. My first part of the series of articles will be sent out next week and I'm not sure when they will post it. 
Bill Fraden


----------



## number_0

hey bill thats cool I think that alot of the newer people in this sport should know where the cars and formats came from thats just me though when people come over to my house and see things like my 12i and old on-road pan cars they ask what are those its all TC/oval and off-road now some dont even know what the old TCs are that they see at my house it is kinda surorising that mags dont do articles like this some times and if I mention the Whip people are like what is that I remember when no matter where you went everyone wanted to try the Whip


----------



## BullFrog

I tried the magazines but they are not interested. You should see my garage with all the stuff I've got on the shelf. I'll tell everyone where they can read my walk down memory lane. I've got the first part almost done.


----------



## t4mania

Joel Johnson, Gene Husting, Gil Losi, Cliff Lett, Masami, Ernie Provetti!, Mike Reedy!


----------



## swtour

When I first got into RC Racing in '85, I remember 3 faces on a lot of the ads...

ASSOCIATED

Tony Neisinger - Multi-time IFMAR World Champion 1/12th scale.
Jammin' JAY HALSEY - Off-Road Champion

TRINITY

Joel "MAGIC" Johnson

Several years later, there were some others...but Joel's name was there for a VERY Long time...


----------



## Johnny Wishbone

*More names*

Most people don't remember that at one time there was only 1/12th and 1/8th on road.

The names that come to mind when I think back are;

Kent Clausen, Mike Lavacot, Bud Bartos, Christen Kiel, Ralph Burch, ? Macdonald(JOMAC), Tate McDaniels? (CAM), The guy fromTwister ?(He looked like Eddie Hill), Big JIm Greenmeyer, Gary Kyes, The Welch brothers, Rick Jordan, Pop Losi, Bob "The Bullit" Light, Pete and Re-Pete Fusco, Curtis Hustings, The Hickmans(BRM), Jim Dieter, Peter Finch (Paragon), Tony P, and of course the ones that have already been mentioned. Excuse my spelling on some of the names.


----------



## BullFrog

I do.How about Tim Morton- Bolink and founded TRC. Kim Davis of Composite Craft ( The links car). Roland from Leisure.Magnum Motors- Tim Raskin and Peak Motors- Rick Hohwart.


----------



## swtour

...I was talking to JAY KIMBROUGH a couple weeks ago - ask HIM sometime about the Who's Who in pioneering the RC Stuff. He and his dad were racing in the Early/Mid 70's, and I think he still has ALL of the cars from back then. (Pre-Historic cars made out of 2 x4's I think...) 

Jay's probably got enough OLD STUFF to start a Museum....and probably enough stories to write a book.

...I forgot to add on my list - Bob Rule (BoLink)



> The guy fromTwister ?(He looked like Eddie Hill),


 That would be MIKE WALKER..and if you are going there, you also have NEIL McCurdy (Rev-TECH)..and when you get upto DIRT OVAL stuff... Jerry and Brian Landgraff of Custom Works


----------



## BullFrog

Looking in my 1982 Rev-up today I see the Kimbrough ad for the KP ball flags- tire horns-sevro arms and servo savers and for the Futababrown box the trans-grip.


----------



## Johnny Wishbone

swtour said:


> ...I was talking to JAY KIMBROUGH a couple weeks ago - ask HIM sometime about the Who's Who in pioneering the RC Stuff. He and his dad were racing in the Early/Mid 70's, and I think he still has ALL of the cars from back then. (Pre-Historic cars made out of 2 x4's I think...)
> 
> Jay's probably got enough OLD STUFF to start a Museum....and probably enough stories to write a book.
> 
> ...I forgot to add on my list - Bob Rule (BoLink)
> 
> That would be MIKE WALKER..and if you are going there, you also have NEIL McCurdy (Rev-TECH)..and when you get upto DIRT OVAL stuff... Jerry and Brian Landgraff of Custom Works


Yes, Neil McCurdy, I couldn't remember his name, he always reminded me of one of my electric theory profs in school. LOL.


----------



## Johnny Wishbone

2 more names come to mind. 

Lou Peralta and Monica Barana. Probably spelled them wrong to, but the first people that actually brought rc information out in magazine/newspaper form for the masses to read.


----------



## Donald Deutsch

How about Mr Schumaker of England who interduced the ball diff used in almost every car on the market today.


----------



## Mike Clark

Donald Deutsch said:


> How about Mr Schumaker of England who interduced the ball diff used in almost every car on the market today.


Hey Don don't forget Schumaker's Cat what a off road racer. What a car! His diff wasn't his only good invention. The first Belt driven 4 wheel drive and that same diff.

Hey old Guys, who won the firts 1/10 Nats Off road and what was he driving?
It wasn't the RC-10, which won the rest of them.


----------



## Mike Clark

I got a name to add to that list, Sandy Strunk!


----------



## yokman

I have a name for us oval racers....SONNY BROWN. the man that brought oval racing back to life!


----------



## Mike Clark

What about the guys that put up the time effort & money to build our tracks so we could play and help Mike & Earnie get rich. 

Don Holt of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Don pushed the City of Tuscaloosa into building a RC Park on Bowers drive in the early 80's. First track was a Dirt Oval then added a asphalt oval & road course. I raced there many times over the years and enjoyed the company. Closed in 2007 due to incorrect electrical wiring practices.

Chuck Sypolt, Flerence, Alabama. Chuck cleared some of his land and built a concrete tril oval. Chuch was one of the original good guys in R/C racing. He enjoyed watching them run around the track. If Chuck had a race I was there no questions. I believe the track is still operating but at a diminished capacity.

The Hills of Jackson Mississippi. Built a 440' asphalt Tri-Oval man what a track!
Their hobby shop & track was worth the trip to Jackson and the racing was great. The racers from the jackson area were all around good guys.

There are a ton of folks around the nation just like these that also deserve the respect and have never gotten any! I could go on but i'll the the boys from Georgia cover their old haunts ie the Sugar Bowl, Lawrenceville, team Bolink track.

Mike Clark


----------



## DARKSIDE DAVE

I Have A Ton Of Names To Add To This List. I Would Like To Add The Name Of Every Person That Goes Out Week After Week And Supports One Of The Greatest Hobbies I Have Ever Been A Part Of. So I Would Like To Thank All Of The People That You Guys Have Listed Above For Making This Hobby What It Is Today.


----------



## CraigMBA

Cliff Lett. 

My personal hero is/was Jon Anderson aka "The King of Practice" who gave me and my brother enough one run used tires after a warmup race at ZeroN4 Hobbies (before the 1990 NORRCA nats) we were able to race for the next year before we used them all up. We were the only two Losi chassis at the whole track, and we were kind of broke then. Thanks Jon.


----------



## t4mania

I agree with Darkside Dave. The guys that go out and travel to a track to run their cars and maybe buy parts for the cars are the real heroes. We're not getting rich from this and sure not getting our names in the magazines but we are the backbone of this great hobby. Without us the whole thing goes away!


----------



## BullFrog

I guess I'll mention one- Me ( Bill Fraden). It's going to sound like bragging to some but it's what I did. Local clubs ran two. Promoted many a state series (on-road from 1983-2000) and the last Region 2 regional before it was split up ( region 2 and 4 now).Had one national event (2000 On-Road)at the home track I built. It's still there and used every week by the local hobby shop. Our club saved over many years to pave this site.Was the Region director for 14 years of Florida. In the mid 1990's (1993) keep Roar going in Florida when it looked like it was gone.Instrumental in promoting the many nationals held in the state. Also went to the city and got land for the first r/c track in the city. It was a dirt track and we used the parking lot for the on-road.Also got property from the city for a second park but was later located behind the present track at the hobby shop told earlier. That's most of the major things I done. Presently I'm writting a columun about R/C racing from 1979 to now. The first part is out on two sites. If your interested it is the conference @ www. deccosoftware.com and wwwfseara.org (Bill's corner).This is a great hobby I just there were more time for me to race anymore.
Also Steve Whitney the State On- Road Electric series director that did both the series and was the ROAR adminstrator after the John Thawley for several years.


----------



## RPM

Johnny Wishbone said:


> Most people don't remember that at one time there was only 1/12th and 1/8th on road.
> 
> The names that come to mind when I think back are;
> 
> Kent Clausen, Mike Lavacot, Bud Bartos, Christen Kiel, Ralph Burch, ? Macdonald(JOMAC), Tate McDaniels? (CAM), The guy fromTwister ?(He looked like Eddie Hill), Big JIm Greenmeyer, Gary Kyes, The Welch brothers, Rick Jordan, Pop Losi, Bob "The Bullit" Light, Pete and Re-Pete Fusco, Curtis Hustings, The Hickmans(BRM), Jim Dieter, Peter Finch (Paragon), Tony P, and of course the ones that have already been mentioned. Excuse my spelling on some of the names.


Kent Clausen was the man who design the first T-plate car if my memory is correct.
The body had the 15 tide ride look to it.


----------



## McLin

If you look at the ripple effect from what he caused, Gene Hustings has to be the man. Gil Losi would be a very close second though. I really wish I could remember the the gas guy that had a bad arm, he should always be included in these conversations. Is it Fusco?

Joe, if I remember right you sent me an old magazine when I was trying to put an RC Hall Of Fame together. Unfortunately I never could get enough information together to make that work and at the time I heard that ROAR was going to do it so I stopped working on it. (Looks like that idea died on both ends)

Now; what you guys have going on here could be the beginnings of starting that idea over again. Somebody needs to run with it! I don't have the time to do it right anymore but my site is available if there is enough enterest.

One more thing..........Joe, we're getting OLD!!!!!!!!!


----------



## McLin

I "THINK" that the Bolink Invader was the first T Plate car but Kent Clausen along with Cliff Lett came up with the Norrow Chassis. Could be wrong on that though. I do think that Cliff Lett had a major part in the front end that we use now.


----------



## hankster

Art Carbinal (SP?) was the gas guy with the bad arm.... he could really wheel an 1/8th scaler!


----------



## swtour

...I still say somebody like Jay Kimbrough's brain needs to be picked on the old Pioneers. I would even put Chuck Kimbrough in the list of pioneers...

Sadly the old pioneers are really getting old, and soon they won't be around - and so many of the NEWBIES won't know OR care.

COMPANIES I remember from my early days. (West Coast)

Tamiya
Kyosho
Hirobo
Yokomo
then the mighty
Team Associated
Reedy
Twister Motors
Rev-Tech
Kisbey
The Losi -Reveloution Motors
B&R Motors
RacePrep
B&B Juice Machine Charger
Delta Peak Charger
Futaba (BOX) Radio
Eustice Moore's MIP (Anyone remember the 4wd tranny for the RC10 from MIP that used a short cable drive system? )
JG
The hand built original "Custom Works Dominator" 4wd D.O. car.

That is just a short list of things I remember...I remember when we got our first ESC too. (I think I still have mine) NOVAK 4 I believe it was called.

The BoLINK Invader was MY first - On-Road Car *P.O.S. - LOL I did some mod's and ran it on our Dirt Oval (Until I got Caught)


----------



## BullFrog

The L in the Associated cars is Losi and I'm sure that's were the T plate came from. The guy with the bad arm that could and still drives is Art Carbonnel (Detla- Vicfor).The Bolink Invader was the first 1/10th pan car and was first shown at the Winternational when it was held in Orlando.The Futaba box radios I've still got one new brown box and a non working silver box.Another company was MRP.They had a 1/12th car and later tried to copy the Associated RC10 car and was a pile of junk- I had one.


----------



## fujimo

How About Our Savior Jesus Christ ?

Not To Go All Biblical But Tell Me A Time You Go To The Track Without Hearing The Names Jesus, Lord, And God Being Shouted Out !!! 

He May Not Be Allowed In Schools But He's At Our Track Every Week.

Marcel


----------



## yokman

fujimo said:


> How About Our Savior Jesus Christ ?
> 
> Not To Go All Biblical But Tell Me A Time You Go To The Track Without Hearing The Names Jesus, Lord, And God Being Shouted Out !!!
> 
> He May Not Be Allowed In Schools But He's At Our Track Every Week.
> 
> Marcel


AMEN brother!


----------



## swtour

...the only thing I remember running from MRP was a Camaro Dirt Oval body on the RC10.

Those things were like .060 thick and you COULD NOT DESTROY them. (Ran the same body for nearly 2 years) hmmmm Wonder where I could find some of those today...


----------



## BullFrog

We had two guys running there stuff when I first started racing back in 1979-1980 (1/12th). When Associated came out with the RC10 they made this off-road car that looked like it would compete - I did not want to run associated anything(still don't).The diff would never stay adjusted- get loose and the car would sit in the middle of the track.You would never know how long it would stay tight. I finally just threw it in the garbage after I removed all my electrics.


----------



## CDW35

fujimo said:


> How About Our Savior Jesus Christ ?
> 
> Not To Go All Biblical But Tell Me A Time You Go To The Track Without Hearing The Names Jesus, Lord, And God Being Shouted Out !!!
> 
> He May Not Be Allowed In Schools But He's At Our Track Every Week.
> 
> Marcel


LOL Fujimo, good one...:thumbsup:


----------



## Johnny Wishbone

BullFrog said:


> The L in the Associated cars is Losi and I'm sure that's were the T plate came from. The guy with the bad arm that could and still drives is Art Carbonnel (Detla- Vicfor).The Bolink Invader was the first 1/10th pan car and was first shown at the Winternational when it was held in Orlando.The Futaba box radios I've still got one new brown box and a non working silver box.Another company was MRP.They had a 1/12th car and later tried to copy the Associated RC10 car and was a pile of junk- I had one.


The MRP was The Welch brothers with Gary Kyes who went to LOSI. Gil Losi did do the first pivot t-bar car or 12L as it beacame known as. Bolink first attempt at a floating t-bar car was the Bandito (1/12th). Kent Claussen pretty much had everything painted in the Tide colours, but his claim to fame was running the 12e or 12i, pre t-bar cars. Of course he did some big time speed runs in 1/10th oval. 1/10th didn't come along for several years after 1/12th. Art Carbonel still races 1/8th gas, I saw him listed in some race results late last year. Bob Rule has finally retired from rc. Ken Campbell from Delta is still kicking around. Kevin Orton did the first electronic speed control called the AutoDrive, it was built in a bright red kydex box. The first Novak was the 1, or actually I don't think it even was numbered at first. Remember Tyree Philips used to work for them, don't know if he still does.


----------



## McLin

Hank you're right it was Art that I was thinking about but got "rePete" Fusco on the brain I guess.


----------



## Johnny Wishbone

McLin said:


> Hank you're right it was Art that I was thinking about but got "rePete" Fusco on the brain I guess.


Re-Pete was Pete Jr, the dad Pete also ran 1/8th gas pretty competitively as well, not sure how you could get re-Pete mixed up with Art, young boy/more mature adult, lol. They where from around New York area, very nice people. I think Art may have been a little faster but re-Pete won the big races for Associated. At that time there where some very classic Associated/Delta battles on the track.

Your right there should be some tracking on a lot of this stuff for histories sake. Only problem is without good sources who is to say whats correct and whats not. Then you also get into history by areas, what was happening on the west coast versus the east coast and then mid-america. Some of the items where developing of same technologies but on opposite ends of the states. About the only place where it all appeared togeather at the same time was during the Nats. 

I think a good source for a lot of the history would be talking to guys like Johnson, Losi, Doseck, Burch, Howart, Claussen, Reedy, and Provetti, they where all around in the very early times, and are still very active in the industry now. 

I'm sure we all have our local fossils as well, but just how far and in-depth would you want this history to go back? From a industry side or from a ordinary racer looking in. It could be real interesting or real boaring.


----------



## number_0

Great stuff guys I didnt expect all of this but this is great there is one person I forgot to mention in my 1st post and that was Clyde from Naples Florida that track is probobly one of two tracks that I really miss it and the Whip but will always remember my first Tekin 840 charger in the parking lots 

(This is for some of the Florida boys) Do you remember the oval in St. Augestine? (the one in the flea market) 

Just some memories comming to mind 

Oh yeah almost forgot to ad to my list 
Rolando and Fabio Culombo (Sandhills Raceway Vass NC)


----------



## BullFrog

Yes I remember the St Augustine track in the flea market. On the first ESC that was in Art Carbonnels 1/12th delta at the Winternationals in Orlando.That's when Kevin worked for Delta. I drove for them and got one of the first they sold.They were all in black with a Delta sticker on them. Novak also came out with theirs soon after.As for information sources I've got every ROAR Rev-up from 1982 they ever sent me. Also have some Competition Plus magazines.
On Bolink the round tracker was raced at the Off-road race in Lutz. this was the first track they built and had a few small jumps.It was also on the opposite side of where they built the permanent track. Since the round tracker would not take the jumps they withdrew after the first day.
Clyde Armstrong in Naples, Florida- he had one heck of a track. He saved the series one year where all the state races were held. It was 6 1/2 hours one way trip there. It was ashame nobody would use the oval he built.The on-road track was awesome. He also came up to Jacksonville for a week and helped us with our track ( smoothing out the bumps and there were plenty). The whole Armstrong family was an asset to the R/C community here in Florida.


----------



## BullFrog

Do you remember ARCAR in Atlanta? Mike Burnett was there driver.When they built the mulitrack facility and nobody would drive that far to go racing.


----------



## Johnny Wishbone

Hey BullFrog, I gave all my old mags away a couple of years ago, stuff like the first edition Comp plus, I'm pretty sure I still have some of those old RC Racing News, that came in a newspaper format. If you drove for Delta, did you ever have one of the Dynos that they made? The one that you hooked in line with your speed control and held against the rear wheel of your car, it would give you amp draw and MPH, and was suppose to be calibrated for a car running a TOJ body. 

I was luckey enough to be at the Midwestern Championships in St. Louis when Kevin Orton ran his first proto type speed control in competition. St. Louis race was pretty neat as it was held in the old Fairfax Airport terminal.

Was that Bolink car the one with the split axle that used a coil spring to hold it togeather and then they had cutouts in the chassiss for a very crude form of suspension?


----------



## BullFrog

I believe the orginal Bolinks did have the split rear axle.That's why they also tried to run it off-road.They also can out with a solid rear axle later. At the time I was driving for Delta in 1/12th and got a Composite craft 1/10th car as soon as they started making them.I never had the Delta Dyno. But I did have their first production ESC.Novak came out with their about the same time.


----------



## number_0

I remember the novak T-1 man I thought that thing was the heat and it only took up half the chassis hehe I still have some T-4s that I put in my son's cars for him


----------



## Todd Putnam

Most Important Person In R/C History? 

Simple- The Hobby Shop/Track Owner...:thumbsup:


----------



## Mason

i read the entire thread but didn't see this one. Roy Moody.
As Rob Cutman (Custom Works) states it.. Roy was not only an innovator in dirt oval racing but as the story goes he was the first person to build an electric R/C car. In 1974 he converted a Jerobee gas car to electric and ran it at the Nationals as a demonstration of electric power. Gene Husting from Associated and several others were so impressed that they set out to build 1/12th electic cars for the public. After that came off-road and you know the rest of the story....


----------



## wait a minute

Todd Putnam said:


> Most Important Person In R/C History?
> 
> Simple- The Hobby Shop/Track Owner...:thumbsup:


todd, i think u forgot to add yourself to the list. you have been in business for quite some time with the motor and brush business and now venturing into the dirt oval cars and new motor technology.


also like to add frank calandra. he is also an innovator for this hobby.


----------



## Donn

Flat out:

Gene Husting and Roger Curtis....*Team Associated!

*Mike Reedy, motor king for the fastest drivers in the world...23 world titles....


----------



## Billy W

I got to add how important that Bob Rule was to r/c racing in the US...he had alot of firsts that he and Rick Jordan and Bolink were never realy given credit for.. but one big item everyone will agree on is the import and distrabution of the AMB timing system..... 

Then again.. Bob and the Bolink crowd were responsable for NASCAR using it as well.. but gets no credit for that from anyone not even AMB...lol.... 

Billy


----------

