Talk-It-Up Tuesday with MIP's Matt Olson

  

Welcome to LiveRC's weekly column, "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!" Here we spend a little time talking with industry icons including racers, manufacturers, team managers, developers, promoters, and everyone in between! Sit back, relax, and go behind the scenes as we interview them all! 

Over the past year we have seen a seemingly unstoppable train of domination in the popular Pro4 (4wd shortcourse) class and major events including the JConcepts Indoor Nationals, Shortcourse Showdown Tour, Venom Offroad JAM, and many more. This unstoppable train is the MIP Racing Team led by racer, team manager, and our good friend Matt Olson! 

 

We have sat down with the shortcourse racing extraordinaire to "Talk-It-Up" about his racing, and reveal MIP's latest project!
 

 

 
LiveRC: Welcome to "Talk-It-Up Tuesday" Matt! Let's start off by talking about you and your racing to start off. You have come onto the scene as a dominant force, especially in the short course racing scene. When and where did your success is short course racing really begin?

Matt: Hi Mike, thank you for the opportunity to be here talking to you! Well the one thing that I must contribute my success to is the support of MIP. Eustace Moore (owner) and Brandon Upshaw (head engineer) have really given me the factory support and by far the best RC products to take my racing career to the next level. I was always a decent local fast kid in all attributes of offroad RC but my skills in SC 4x4 seemed to mature when MIP introduced the Pro4mance package for the Losi SCTE.

LiveRC: You have been a part of the R/C industry through not only racing, but also various media outlets, and now MIP. Tell us a little about your involvement in the sport outside of actually racing.

Matt: Yes before MIP I worked for Gyro hobbies out of OCRC for a short while, and then transferred onto working for Xtreme RC Magazine as Contributing Writer. I didn’t start off as a contributing writer though I was the kid that took out the trash, helped drive the new cars for photos, and help build review cars. I had to start somewhere, but the experience and friends I gained there was priceless. In fact, Xtreme RC Mag was the reason I had the opportunity to work for Eustace at MIP.
 

 
LiveRC: At the latest stop of the Shortcourse Showdown Nationwide Tour hosted by Holeshot Raceway in Florida, MIP revealed their latest project, the E-buggy conversion kit for the Losi SCTE/SCTE 2.0. When, where, how, and why did this conversion kit come from?

Matt: Yes! I see you heard through the pipe line from our good friends over at JConcepts! Eustace of MIP came up with the idea; do the fact that all 1/8 scale electric cars are way too heavy, expensive, and can be quite dangerous if in the wrong hands. There’s a reason why we don’t let little kids marshal during club races of 1/8 scale cars, hahaha.

LiveRC: What are some advantages to the MIP conversion E-buggy as opposed to a standard 1:8 E-buggy?

Matt: The conversion kit from MIP will basically transform a Losi SCTE 1.0/2.0 into a 1/8 scale 2 cell beast that could become its own class of what we’ve come to call 1/8 LIGHT. And if that doesn’t catch it is also very competitive against heavier 1/8 scales on the market today. Also not to mention that the converted 1/8 scale is so much lighter it will be less damaging to tracks, less dangerous for marshalls, oh and don’t forget less expensive!

LiveRC: You are team driver for Tekin. They have just announced their smaller, lightweight, T8i "indoor" brushless 1:8 motors. Is it just coincidence that the new Tekin T8i motors and new lighter, smaller, and "indoor" MIP E-buggy are making their debut at roughly the same time?

Matt: Its funny how that works huh!? And no, it was actually all coincidence! I just got the email from Randy Pike a week ago about this new motor and am intrigued on how it will perform in the MIP E-Buggy. I’m actually currently using the ultra powerful Tekin 4300 KV HD motor with Zombie 7200 2-cell lipos and the car rips! I have the same all around power that bigger 1/8 scales cars do but the agility of a light 1/10 scale.

LiveRC: Do you have any details as far as pricing, what the kit includes, and release date that you can share with us?

Matt: Well the pricing and release date are to be determined. Everything is in its infancy stage right now. So far the kit will include the following : F/R Shock Tower, Front MIP Soft/Medium Springs, MIP Bypass1 Pistons, Front Bumper, Rear Wing Mount, F/R Body Posts, Trimable Lexan pieces that will meet up to any style body you choose, and of course MIP’s aluminum machined 17mm Hexes.
 
LiveRC: You have been leading the MIP team to victory after victory using the 4wd SC conversion kit and 2wd SC upgrades and hop-ups over the past year. Does this mean we can expect to see you personally adding 1:8 E-Buggy to your list of racing classes?

Matt: Yes, I will be adding the 1/8 to my arsenal of cars, and since my 4x4 and the 1/8 buggy share basically all the same parts it’s going to be really easy to setup and I can save a ton of money due to the fact that all the parts between the two are relatively the same.

LiveRC: Your boss and founder of MIP, Eustace Moore, is arguably one of the most ingenious and innovative men in the industry. What is like working on a daily basis with Eustace, and what roles do you play in the development of new products such as the E-Buggy conversion?

Matt: Yes, Eustace Moore is by far one of the most intelligent and gifted men I have ever met. He is a great boss, roll model, and someone I’d aspire to become one day. Working with Eustace is kind of like working with a friend, he doesn’t micro manage your work and truly trusts all of his employees to do all they can for the company. As far as the E-Buggy Conversion goes I have a part to play in setups and really letting the engineer know what the car needs to be the best it can be.
 
LiveRC: Let's jump topics here for a minute. We first met years ago at the Dirt Nitro Challenge as you were working with "Skinny" of Xtreme R/C Magazine. Unfortunately Xtreme R/C Magazine is no longer around, however, you have joined several of the old XRC staff members in a new venture known as Velocity R/C Magazine. What exactly is Velocity R/C Magazine, and where can it be found?

Matt: Skinny is definitely the best and one of my closest friends, he is actually a very successful business man creating and selling electronic cigarettes under his own company Cig2o/Vapage. Back to your question, the entire XRC crew was one of a kind and I miss working with all of those guys on a daily basis. VRC mag is an all online based magazine and has many of the same writers including Derek Buono, Jeff Everleigh (xxx main), Michael McMahon, Brian Skinny Skinner, Dave Palacios, Ben Piggott, and myself. A lot of the same writing style that XRC brought to the table but for less (1.99) and totally digital! You can find the magazine @ www.vrcmag.com.
 
LiveRC: When your not racing, developing new MIP products, and snapping photos for Velocity...what are you most likely to be found out doing?

Matt: Those jobs do consume much of my time but when I’m not racing, at work, or doing VRC stuff you find me in a classroom since I’m also a full time college student. I’m into my 3rd year at Long Beach State going for my Business Degree. Along with this hobby I’am also an avid trap shooter and try to work on my 4x4 ‘real’ truck whenever possible.

LiveRC: The 1:10 IFMAR World Championship is coming up, who do you feel is most promising at this point to win the 2wd and 4wd classes?

Matt: Well I always consider a select 4 guys to win any 1/10 scale race around, Ryan Mayfield, Ryan Cavilieri, Jared Tebo, or Dustin Evans. Those guys are by far are next level, but there was a definite spoiler this year and it was actually one of MIP’s team Drivers Ty Tessmann who took both 2wd and 4x4 buggy at this years Pre-Worlds! After his astonishing results I’m going to have to put my Money on Ty for the win in both classes.

LiveRC: Who is one R/C driver that you look up to and why?

Matt: I may give them crap 24/7 and they may not be the fastest guys around but the two R/C racers that I look up to are really my bosses Eustace Moore, and Brandon Upshaw. They are super old school racers that know this hobby and the cars through and through. I may be able to kick their butt on the track but when it comes to knowledge of how the cars work and the mechanics behind them, they whoop me off the track! I’m very fortunate to work so closely and learn from them on a daily basis.
 
LiveRC: One thing most people don't know about Matt Olson?

Matt: The one thing that people don’t know is that this hobby is truly a passion of mine and I’m not in it for just racing but to also hang out with good friends and have blast. I have never planned on making a living as a racer and believe that my education is key to my future success. Whether I stay in the hobby or go separate ways it doesn’t matter because I’m enjoying the ride as a pro racer traveling about the country. Win, Lose, or Draw it’s all in good fun, but winning is by far more fun! hahaha

LiveRC: Most memorable and most embarrassing racing moments?

Matt: Everything has been a blast throughout my 12+ years but my most memorable moment was probably at one of my first JBRLs at Pegasus Hobbies when I met my good friend and current Kyosho Driver Zachary Rogers. We pitted next to each other and quickly became good friends. For some reason I was telling him that, “oh I clean my cars with wd-40” and (to age this a little this was back in brushed days and the Epic Cobalt motor (or trinity not sure) Zach grabbed a bucket of water and said this is how I clean mine and complete submerged his B4 into the bucket! He said “Oh it’s all LRP electronics there waterproof!” All I could do was laugh. Zach and I have been good friends ever since.

LiveRC: Are you related to Mary Kate and Ashley Olson?

Matt: Well their last name is actually Olsen with an ‘e’. Haha common mistake and no I’m not related to them. If only though, I would have got into acting!

LiveRC: Matt, thanks so much for joining us today for "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!" We look forward to seeing you at the track again soon, is there anything you would like to add?

Matt: Thank you LiveRC and Mike Garrison for this opportunity. I would just like to shout out to all the ones that support me including my Parents first off, Eustace/Brandon from MIP as well as my sponsors including Jconcepts, Tekin, Avid, Andy's RC, Hy-Traction Juice, SNR Carbon Fiber, Zombie Batteries, Tekno RC, OCRC Raceway, Lunsford, AKA, Proline, Robinson Racing, Punch it, Trinity, Airtronics, DE Racing, TLR/Losi, Associated, Kyosho, Imagine it Graphics, Upgrade RC, Dubro, RealShocks RC Pistons, and the Ultimate Online RC mag Velocity RC magazine.

 

 

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