A MOMENT WITH MIKE: It's time Big Head Ned helps the squid

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Mike Garrison

0 July 28, 2017, 9:32 a.m.

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

This edition of "Moment with Mike" is brought to you in part by the Big Head Ned’s of R/C racing. Who is Big Head Ned you ask? I shall explain. 

In a recent discussion with a young upcoming racer (who we will call Ned for the time being), a new racer approached us looking for setup advice. With an entire facility full of talent and knowledge to choose from, it was more than apparent that the new racer, who was also a young kid, looked up to Ned for what he has already accomplished in his young career. 

Ned is fully aware of car setup, and is probably more knowledgeable about it than most adult racers. Yet, when asked to look at the new kid’s car and give him some advice on setup and driving the track, Ned gave it all of seven seconds to dust a piece of dirt off the shock tower, give the shocks a good “I don’t care what-so-ever, I’m going to make it look like I do” push on the front right, handed the car right back to the kid, and said, “I mean...honestly it looks good enough for you.”

Clearly by his facial expression the new kid was a little put off, and rightfully so. As the kid is walking away, Ned turns to me and says laughing, “What a squid, no setup is going to help his bad driving.” 

I then took it upon myself to find the new kid, and despite knowing absolutely nothing about the brand car he was running, we sat down and tried to put a general setup on the car, explain ride height, camber, etc. As much as I wanted to help the kid, I was more-so hoping that by some miraculous way the very basic setup changes we applied to the car would make him fast enough to go out and beat Ned by a lap. 

I wheeled away and didn’t see much of the new kid the rest of the day, however, I just happened to be sitting beside pitlane watching when he came up to race his finally qualifier. As luck would have it, Ned was also in his race. Three minutes into the race and Ned was leading, however, a faulty wheel nut not only fell off, but stripped the threads off the wheel hex as well. This ended Ned’s race, and all hopes at making the triple A-Mains - let alone winning them. The new kid, meanwhile, had one of his best runs of the weekend. As he came off the driver’s stand, Ned was pouting in pit lane and ordering his dad to buy “legit wheel nuts, not those pieces of crap.” The new kid walked by and simply said, “Bummer dude, but those nuts should have been good enough for you.” 

My day, my weekend, and my entire month had been made after witnessing all of the R/C karma that had just taken place.

(Ty Tessmann took time to pit for a fellow racer in the Sportsman Nitro Buggy C-Main at the Silver State Race.)

The thing that racers often forget is no matter how they may remember it in their mind, we were all beginners at one time. No one has ever been handed a car and a radio for the first time, and gone out to win a National Championship in the same day. There are some drivers who learn faster than others, there are some drivers that may never learn, and there will always be some drivers faster than others – hints why every race can only have one winner.

(Jared Tebo was all smiles for a photo-op with his Pro-Am partner Zack Kimberley at this year's Hot Rod Shootout.)

Just because you are the fastest guy at your local track, the “guy to beat” at the last regional, or even if you hold a World Championship title, you too had to start somewhere. We all preach that we want our sport to continue growing, but for many racers like Big Head Ned in the story above, there is no time or respect shown towards drivers with less experience, less skill, and less knowledge.

The same goes for on the track. I too often see experienced or “pro drivers” punting beginners into the woods during practice, yelling and screaming to get out of the way, and making new racers feel extremely unwelcome.

By no means did I put a magical setup on the new kid’s car. In fact, we changed very little, yet his driving improved tenfold. It wasn’t the setup that made the difference, it was the confidence he gained by just sitting down with a fellow racer and learning a bit about his car, learning what adjustments to make, and knowing that he is welcome among the racing community. The new kid doesn’t know me from a stranger on the street, yet a few minutes spent showing him a bit of respect and help made a world a difference. Imagine how well he would have done if his hero Big Head Ned could have deflated his ego long enough to do the same.

(Ryan Lutz sat down here to help local racers program their ESC's.)

The point is that on any given day you will always be faster than someone, and there will always be someone out capable of being faster than you. There are dominant racers in the pro ranks from time to time, but still there is no one single racer who is guaranteed to be the absolute fastest at every single race they attend. Regardless of how fast you are (or think you are), how many races you’ve won, or how big you’re R/C career and paycheck may be or become, please remember that next time “the squid” of a new guy chooses you to ask for help – someone out there once thought of you as the squid. Who knows, I might personally still think of you as the squid. The knowledge they are asking you to share was once shared with you, and whether we like each other or not, as racers in a small community we owe to one another to show respect to each fellow racer, fast or slow. 

(Adam Drake passes back the radio after helping a young racer tune his engine - Photo by Steve Burgess of Rugspin Graphix)

I’m not asking you to take the new guy out for dinner and movie, but when the opportunity to help someone arises, put your ego and attitude aside and do your good deed for the day. Besides, carrying around that big head has to be hard on your neck and shoulders, so for your own well-being relax and let the air out of it once in a while.