Race Away with RC Drag Cars!

RC drag racing is exciting, exhilarating, and fast - indeed, tremendously fast, considering that tiny RC drag cars can go as fast as or faster than life sized automobiles. In just two seconds, some of these amazing remote control cars can accelerate from 0 to 80 miles per hour. Wow!

The rules of RC drag racing are set by the International Model Drag Racing Association (IMDRA); the distance each car needs to go is set at 132 feet - but the car needs to traverse that stretch in under two seconds. Computer tracking technology can determine your car's travel time to the nearest millisecond - and some trackers are even more accurate. The winning car will have the smallest travel time.

Have you ever wondered what the speed record for RC drag cars is? This record is currently held by an electric car that traversed the 132 foot stretch in only 1.53 seconds! Electric cars can often be faster than nitro RC cars - contrary to popular stereotypes - provided that they have the necessary upgrades and are maintained with care and diligence. But nitro RC cars are also in the running for speed records and they, too, can reach astonishing speeds. The driver's dedication to the hobby really matters much more than the way by which the car is powered.

Speed is one criterion based on which RC drag car races are conducted, but there are others as well. Bracket racing doesn't reward the fastest car, but rather the most predictable one. In a bracket race, you need to estimate the time in which you think the car will traverse the 132 foot stretch. Then the car is put to the test; the closer its actual time is to the goal time you set, the likelier you are to win. Bracket racing rewards reliability rather than speed; you can win by building a slower car but one whose performance you can readily predict.

Electric RC drag cars have a distinct advantage in bracket racing precisely because they are more predictable. Nitro RC cars have engines that heat up readily, and even small changes in engine temperature can have huge impacts on speed. Electric RC cars are not subject to this problem, and so the speeds you typically observe for them are extremely likely to hold during the race as well.

So pick your favorite kind of racing challenge and let the fun begin!

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