RC racing series hosts season opener in Saskatoon

It may not have the same audience popularity as NASCAR or Formula 1 Racing, but the stakes are just as high for radio-control race car drivers.

This weekend the Cosmo Civic Centre in Saskatoon is home to the Western Canadian Indoor RC Championship Series.

Josh Carter is one of the many RC enthusiasts in Saskatoon for the weekend. The 26-year RC veteran and professional superbike and race car driver tells CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend the butterflies in his stomach he feels in the driver's box equal the nerves he gets when he's behind the wheel of a full-size racer.

"Palms are sweaty, legs are shaking, I'm just as nervous as I ever am before a superbike race, I'm not worried I'm going to die but you're just as nervous," Carter said.

Who races RC cars?

With the weather starting to cool off and the leaves changing colour, these are all signs of the start of the RC racing series.

Carter said RC is a natural fit for those who race full-size vehicles during the summer months, much like himself.

"This is our opening race of the year and then we go through all the winter months," Carter said. "It's the perfect hobby to take inside when it's too cold and blustery outside."

Carter said he races alongside almost half of the RC drivers throughout the summer.

"A lot of the guys come from full-size racing, I probably see 30 to 40 per cent of the guys used to race and still race something in the summer months and then they come to RC for their winter fix for racing," he said.

Despite the size of the RC cars, they rival any full-size car with blistering speeds reaching up to 100 km/h. The races this weekend only last about five minutes, but the tiny cars can take up to a dozen corners on the track in eight or nine seconds.

"Some classes are so intense that you can't make a mistake. The guy who runs the perfect race wins," Carter said.

Races are happening throughout the weekend in eight different classes. Championship races wrapped up this afternoon.