swtour
12-19-2004, 01:17 AM
If YOU remember R/C THUNDERDROME, you've been around R/C for a while now.
Back in the late 80's Gary McAllister and Dan Moynihan (McAllister Racing and Dan's R/C Products) famed the R/C THUNDERDROME on the High Banks of the ENCINO VELODROME in Sunny Southern California.
This event ran for several years, and eventually moved from the Encino track to a newer facility at the Cal-State Dominguez Hills college campus in Carson CA.
Those who remember these events know how much excitement and hoopla was created by these incredible events. It was the BIGGEST R/C track ever seen for a lot of people. Not to mention all the excitement created by the promoters doing a great job of "Selling" the event to the magazines.
Although, by "SNOWBIRDS" standards of today this event attendance would pale in comparision, it was the BIGGEST SPECTICLE in R/C Racing in the mid to late 80's and early 90's.
I personally have some great memories from those old events. Cliff Lett, Kent Clausen, Joe McGregor, Gary Hamilton, Sally Hamm and some of the others who made "Insane Speed Run" attempts really put on some impressive runs at both of the old facilities...and when they were unsucessful...and a crash happened at nearly 100 mph...WOW.
20 car freight train racing in the MAIN events was awsome as well...
This event drew the "Who's Who" of R/C Racing nationwide for several years. Virtually EVERY top driver and mfg. was represented at the VELODROME for some of the FASTEST racing of the time.
...maybe someday... we can be lucky enough to do it all again...
Back in the late 80's Gary McAllister and Dan Moynihan (McAllister Racing and Dan's R/C Products) famed the R/C THUNDERDROME on the High Banks of the ENCINO VELODROME in Sunny Southern California.
This event ran for several years, and eventually moved from the Encino track to a newer facility at the Cal-State Dominguez Hills college campus in Carson CA.
Those who remember these events know how much excitement and hoopla was created by these incredible events. It was the BIGGEST R/C track ever seen for a lot of people. Not to mention all the excitement created by the promoters doing a great job of "Selling" the event to the magazines.
Although, by "SNOWBIRDS" standards of today this event attendance would pale in comparision, it was the BIGGEST SPECTICLE in R/C Racing in the mid to late 80's and early 90's.
I personally have some great memories from those old events. Cliff Lett, Kent Clausen, Joe McGregor, Gary Hamilton, Sally Hamm and some of the others who made "Insane Speed Run" attempts really put on some impressive runs at both of the old facilities...and when they were unsucessful...and a crash happened at nearly 100 mph...WOW.
20 car freight train racing in the MAIN events was awsome as well...
This event drew the "Who's Who" of R/C Racing nationwide for several years. Virtually EVERY top driver and mfg. was represented at the VELODROME for some of the FASTEST racing of the time.
...maybe someday... we can be lucky enough to do it all again...