I met Italian
Team Losi Racing driver Alex Zanchettin two years ago at the IFMAR Worlds, where - in his first world championship appearance - the newly-crowned national champion raced red and yellow
8IGHT buggy his way into the finals in front of an incredibly supportive crowd. I’ve enjoyed watching his career progress since then, and although he wasn’t able to replicate the same magic at this year’s Worlds in Vegas (he finished 31st overall, in the quarterfinals) the 21-year-old surely has a long racing career ahead of him. Read on to learn more about Alex’s RC roots and what lies ahead in this week’s Talk It Up Tuesday.
Aaron Waldron: How old are you, and where are you from?
Alex Zanchettin: I am 21 years old and I come from Vittorio Veneto, Italy.
AW: How did you get into RC, and how long have you been racing?
AZ: I started with RC about 10 years ago. At the beginning I followed my dad to see his races and after them I usually did some laps with his car. I remember that I ran my first laps with a Thunder Tiger. It was cool! I also remember that I was dangerous with the radio in my hands - really dangerous!
AW: When did you decide to start taking racing more seriously, traveling to larger races and acquiring sponsors?
AZ: From the beginning I ran only for fun, doing some laps after local races. With time I started to practice more frequently and did some local races. Improving race by race we started to travel more and I started to do regional races, then nationals races, and now we travel around the world to do the biggest RC races.
AW: What do you currently do for work?
AZ: I work in my dad’s company and we do a particular type of floor, called Venetian floors.
AW: Is it difficult finding time to commit to practicing and racing?
AZ: Working in my dad’s company it is easy to find time to practice or go to the races.
AW: What’s your favorite track? Favorite big event? Favorite racing class?
AZ: My favorite track is IBR Padova. I like it for the layout and because is the only indoor track that we have in Italy where nitro cars can run. My favorite big event is the Neo Race because is like an “Indoor world championship” with the best drivers of the world and also because the track’s layout is simply amazing.
My favorite class is 1/8-scale nitro buggy.
AW: What are some of your favorite places you’ve visited for RC races?
AZ: Thanks to RC racing I get to travel a lot around the world and visit new places like Las Vegas, Moscow and Madrid.
AW: How does the racing scene in Italy compare to other parts of the world?
AZ: Italian tracks are improving a lot. We have really amazing tracks like IBR Padova, Asti, Barco and others. Consequently, Italian drivers are improving and I think we have a really strong team.
AW: What are your most proud racing moments?
AZ: My best racing moments are the Worlds final in Giardini Naxos and the nationals in 2014. We were super happy because we worked a lot to improve our skills and in that moment we were super proud of all our efforts.
AW: Do you have any goals for your RC career?
AZ: I would like to be a RC pro driver or work in RC business. I know that it is hard, but I will do my best to achieve it!
Photo: Mamaooo, via Facebook
AW: When you’re not at the racetrack, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
AZ: Sometimes I play football with my friends. I always go out with my girlfriend and all my friends.
AW: What’s the best part of RC racing?
AZ: Despite the fact I am doing RC more seriously than when I started the most important thing for me is have fun. I’ve met a lot of good friends at the races and we joke a lot.
AW: Who are some of the people that have helped you the most?
AZ: The most important people are my father and all my family that support me every time and they advise me in every situations.
AW: Thank you for the interview! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
AZ: I would like to thank all my sponsors that support me with all they amazing products!! TLR, REDS Racing, Pro-Line Racing, MLC Fuel, Horizon Hobby, Maugrafix, Tekin, KO Propo, EZ Power, OT and VSA Modellismo.
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