The first time I met Evan Vail was in front of a camera - when he earned a podium finish at the Dirt Nitro Challenge in Expert Nitro Truck. He was on a LiveRC broadcast again just a few months later, when he bumped up from the quarterfinal to the semis at the ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals and clinched a spot on the IFMAR Worlds team for 2018. At the Wicked Weekend, he finished second in Pro Buggy and fourth in Pro Truck, scoring perhaps his most impressive finish yet. I reached out to Evan on Facebook to learn more about his life, RC career, and future goals for this week’s Talk It Up Tuesday.
Aaron Waldron: How old are you, and where are you from?
Evan Vail: I am 20 years old and I am from Rock Hill, South Carolina.
AW: How did you get into RC, and how long have you been racing?
EV: I discovered RC racing at my local hobby shop, "The Grove" in Rock Hill, about fifteen years ago. I was hooked from the very beginning but it wasn't until around 2012 when I started racing on a regular basis and attending different events.
Photo: Annie Hodge Bergseng, via Facebook
AW: What do you do for work? Does your job make it difficult to attend racing events?
EV: I have started my own business painting RC bodies called PreVail Paints. It has grown a lot more than I had ever anticipated over the last two years and takes up a lot of my free time nowadays. It definitely makes it hard sometimes to prepare my vehicles for the races while trying to paint but I try my best! At least I get to make my own schedule which makes it easier to pick and choose the races I want to attend.
AW: What made you decide to start attending big races and trying to attract sponsors?
EV: I have always looked up to the guys that have made it to the top and race for a living. The amount of competition and anticipation that goes along with the big races is also a major reason of why I started attending them. As a result, I really started to put a lot more effort into my racing program a couple years ago and it is slowly starting to pay off!
AW: What’s your favorite track? Favorite big event? What different classes have you raced - and which is your favorite?
EV: My favorite tracks I have raced at so far would be the Fear Farm in Phoenix, Arizona and S&B in Piedmont, South Carolina. I have a lot of favorite big events but I always look forward to the 1/8-Scale Nationals, The Dirt Nitro Challenge, and the Psycho Nitro Blast. I have put most of my effort into the 1/8-scale classes over the years but I have started to get my feet wet in 1/10-scale buggy here recently. However in my opinion nothing beats 1/8-scale nitro buggy!
AW: Having traveled around the country to different events, how does the racing scene in your area vary from other places you’ve visited?
EV: The racing scene in my area is fairly laid back and is very welcoming to new racers. We club race with the same people on a regular basis so the family atmosphere at our local tracks is something you don't always see when traveling to larger events.
AW: What are your proudest RC moments?
EV: Some of my proudest RC moments would definitely be placing 2nd this past weekend in Pro Buggy at the Wicked Weekend and qualifying for the 1/8-Scale Worlds a few months ago at the ROAR Nationals at Stateline RC.
AW: Do you have any goals for your RC career?
EV: I haven't set too many goals I feel like I have to meet in order to be satisfied in my RC career. However, I plan to keep putting in the work and effort to improve on my results and can't wait to see where RC racing takes me in the future!
AW: When you’re not at the racetrack, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
EV: I really enjoy any kind of motor sport, the outdoors, and hanging out with my friends whenever I can. I enjoy mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, and go-karting on my free time!
AW: What’s the best part of RC racing? What about RC racing annoys or bothers you?
EV: The best part of RC racing is definitely the feeling you get after doing well in an anticipated race. I really enjoy getting to hang out with all of my friends at the track as well. Not too many things in RC racing annoys me but guys with bad attitudes at the track are never good for the hobby.
Photo: Chandler Nicole Spivey, via Facebook
AW: Who are some of the people that have helped you the most?
EV: There are so many people that have helped and supported me over the years and they know who they are! Many of my friends have helped me along the way such as Brandon, Chris, Robin, Josh, the Pettits, Cameron, and the Bergsengs. All of the guys over at Team Associated, Werks, Pro-Line, and Adam with Ahlsome Design Concepts have really helped boost my racing program to the next level this year.
AW: Thanks for the interview! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
EV: Thank you for having me Aaron! I would like to thank all of my family and friends for the help and encouragement as well as my sponsors; Team Associated, Werks, Pro-line, Reedy, Ahlsome Design Concepts, Advantage Racing Products, M2C Racing, PreVail Paints, and most importantly my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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