Electric off-road is the most popular form of racing, but has more than its own share of controversy. A long laundry list of viral arguments can be heard by many of the racers, highlighted by the use of carpet, astro-turf, or clay, instead of the more traditional loamy, loose dirt surface. Well, now there is something else to throw in to the mix. Bakersfield R/C Experience, located inside Bakersfield Karting Experience (BKE), recently opened its doors to the public and is already raising a lot of eyebrows with its unusual track surface. The medium sized track is in a large complex that also includes full size indoor dirt oval karting and other fun activities and the RC track is already garnering a lot of attention. Fortunately, we got a chance to chat with Kyosho’s Zachary Rogers, who is one of the fast locals to find out more.
Address: 3101 Gilmore Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93308
RC Car Action: What is the surface of the track?
Zack Rogers: The surface is a rubber mat, such as you would find in the weight room at a gym.
Dimensions?
The under base is around 50’x85′, but the upper deck covers about a quarter of the track if you count the surface going over the pits and walkway as well.
It looks pretty high grip. What would you compare it to?
Surprisingly I would say as of right now it is less grip than most might think. Not as crazy as carpet, but better than your average clay track- the perfect in between if you will, although that might change as more cars run and we learn tires /setup /sauce, etc.
Why did the owner decide to use this surface?
The owner actually has very little background in RC, however he wanted something low maintenance and consistent and he got exactly what he was looking for. Before they hired on an R/C experienced crew, they already had a beautiful track with jumps in place, so major props to Joey Yantis and the whole BKE crew!
What tires do you use?
We have tried three different compounds and endless tread patterns so far, but it seems like anything clay compound works best. However slicks seem to be the fastest. Which is great news for anyone in Bakersfield that runs at both tracks since we have Rainmans Hobbies about 15 minutes across town.
Web site?
Coming soon, but be sure to check us out on Facebook and Instagram: @BakersfieldRCExperience for both.
Is there club racing?
Yes, first race was Monday Dec. 5th. We plan on running Monday and Thursday nights at 6:30pm every week. Odd days I know, but this is due to working with the other track’s schedule in town as well as our Go Kart tracks schedule.
Kyosho’s Zachary Rogers is a local at the new Bakersfield R/C Experience and is enjoying the rubber track surface.
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