Thirteen-Year-Old Racer Ready to Step up

Thirteen-year-old James Beck of Invercargill is looking forward to this weekend’s Southland Indoor Championships for radio-controlled racers at the Wallacetown Community Centre as he prepares to debut in a new class.

James, a Year 9 student at James Hargest College, is a past Southland Champion in the Mini Class for 1/10th scale cars with stock motors. He will be competing in that class again this weekend with his M-07 Mini but he is also relishing the opportunity to step up and make his debut in the TCR front-wheel-drive class with his Schumacher FT8.

“The TCR front-wheel-drive class cars are bigger and faster,” says James who has been racing radio-controlled cars for around 3 to 4 years, an interest he inherited from his father David who also races and is the race director for this weekend’s event.

While he is relishing the step up, James says his main goal of the weekend is to “have fun and enjoy myself.”

James loves the sport – “I like the competition and the experience you gain, when you are up against someone really good the nerves are high.”

James’ father David says, “this is the first time that the front-wheel-drive class will be a part of the Southland Championships. After this weekend most of the junior drivers in the province will attend the South Island Championships in Christchurch at Labour Weekend.”

The Southland Championships action will begin from 3.00pm on Friday 22 September with timed free practice for the three Offroad Classes followed by their qualifying from 6.45pm until 9.00pm.

The following day, Saturday 23 September, sees a full day of action with the first activity as early as 7.15am. The finals of the Offroad Classes follow and from 10.45am the many other classes on the programme hold their free practice and qualifying with finals scheduled from 3.30pm to find the respective champions.

A fantastic entry of 85 cars has been received with entrants coming south from Wellington, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago with multiple New Zealand Champions among that number with a strong contingent of locals.

Competitors range in age from 7 to 70-years-old and the sport is one that has no barriers as anyone of any age or gender can race at the same level. The cars are spectacular, extremely quick and sophisticated. Competitors come from all walks of life with former New Zealand Kart Champions, circuit racers and former Speedway drivers among those who have fallen in love with radio-controlled racing.

This is the eighth running of the event and it has been confirmed to be the biggest radio-controlled race meeting in Southland.

The Invercargill RC Racers Club welcome spectators to the event throughout the weekend. There is no entry charge to drop by and enjoy the action. The club also welcome anyone interested to join them on one of their club nights, held on the first Friday of the month (barring October), at the YMCA Stadium in Invercargill.