Future Stars of RC: Bella Rogers

This week's interview features a 'Future Star of RC' as we caught up with Bella 'Miss Bella' Rogers just after the 2021 SIC event. #FutureStarsofRC #TalkItUpTuesday

Name: Bella Rogers
Age: 12, almost 13 😊
Sponsors: HB Racing, JConcepts, Performa, Orion, Xpert, J&T Bearing Co, VRP, Stickit1racing, Sticky Kicks, Absolute Hobbyz

LiveRC: When did you first begin racing?
Bella Rogers: I first started racing when I was nine years old in the spring of 2017. So, almost four years ago.

LRC: What is your biggest racing accomplishment?
BR: My biggest racing accomplishment is probably going to be PNB in 2019. I TQ’d and won sportsman ebuggy and that was my first big win at a large event. It was also my first time attending PNB so that was an absolute blast to finish as the winner. Later that year I moved up to open class.

LRC: What is your worst racing failure?
BR: Well, I wouldn’t really say failure because even on bad days I am learning which makes me better next time but the race I drove the worst at is probably SIC in 2020. I was driving with a brand new ebuggy which didn’t get broken in the way it needed to before throwing it down at a big event. I struggled to gain traction the entire weekend.

LRC: What is your goal for a future occupation?
BR: Definitely racing! When I first started racing, I fell in love with the hobby/sport and knew this is what I wanted to get big at and I continue to get better, get closer to my dream.

LRC: What is your favorite class for school and racing?

BR: In school, definitely social studies because its interesting to me. In racing TRUGGY because it’s easy to drive and you can send it!!

LRC: What is your real dream car?
BR: A sea foam green, 1949 Chevrolet 2 door Deluxe.

LRC: Huge whips, driving absolutely flat out or more calculated driving, smoother on the throttle?

BR: I have a heavy throttle finger and mostly drive pinned to get the most speed on the track where it counts. Now I take it easy on practiceday at a new track or on a new layout. I like to get the feel for the track, find a comfortable tire and then learn my line. After that is when I start really driving hard, seeing how far I can push it.

LRC: Action sports or conventional sports, what do you follow in your free time?
BR: Aside from watching rc racing, I don’t really follow any sports. I do however play volleyball and this spring I hope to run track.

LRC: You’ve taken a fairly unorthodox path of just staying 1/8th scale electric, do you plan on running nitro or 1/10th scale soon?
BR: Um for right now, I’m sticking with electric 1/8th scale. I won’t say never but as of right now I see no plans of running 1/10th scale in my future. I just love the big cars. As far as nitro goes, I would love so much to race nitro but my Dad does most of the work on my cars and neither of us know enough about nitro for me to start racing it just yet. So, he said if I want to run nitro, I need to learn about them and do the work myself and I think that’s fair. I have a friend that lives far away from me but he is willing to take the time to facetime me so he can teach me about nitro and I am very excited about that! So hopefully within a year or so I will be running nitro as well.

LRC: Who did you look up to when you were an even younger racer, or who has been the biggest help to you as a driver?
BR: 100% my Dad and I still do look up to him! He got me into this hobby/sport and I wouldn’t be where I am today in racing without him. He does most of the maintenance and set up on my cars and glues all of my tires. My Dad stays up late working on cars and wakes up early to get me to races, so yeah, my Dad.

LRC: What is the biggest piece of advice you would give a new up and coming racer?
BR: If you want to be a racer, you need to know you are your biggest enemy on the track. Don’t get in your head, just plan on having fun and anything more than that is a bonus.