Austin “Big A” Woodyard is one of the 209 drivers signed up for the Buggy class at this week’s ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals with his eyes set on qualifying for the 2018 IFMAR Worlds in Australia. Woodyard is looking to build upon a successful 2017 season and improve on his finishes from the 2015 ROAR Nats in which he finished 75th in Buggy, 37th in Truck, and 9th in the Under-16 Junior final - which he’s still eligible to enter this year. I asked Austin about his RC career and goal for this weekend for this week’s Talk It Up Tuesday. (Cover photo: Jason Mackinack, via Facebook)
Aaron Waldron: How old are you, and where are you from?
Austin Woodyard: I am 15 years old, and I’m from Windsor, Virginia.
AW: How did you get into RC, and how long have you been racing?
AW: I got into RC when I was around 4 years old. My dad used to run around the backyard and I would be his turn marshal. Ever since then, I fell in love and have had a passion! I’ve been racing for 11 years now!
AW: Is it difficult to find time to practice and race with your school schedule?
AW: My job right now is school full-time, but during the summer I worked it out with my parents to keep the track maintained! I plan to make RC my job full-time! Now that I have my new backyard track, it’s easy for me to get some runtime in.
AW: What made you decide to start attending big races and trying to attract sponsors?
AW: When I first met Adam Drake and saw how fast and cool he was made me want to attend big races and try to get sponsors! I always used to say, “I want to be the next Adam Drake!”
AW: What’s your favorite track? Favorite big event? What different classes have you raced - and which is your favorite?
AW: There are a lot of great RC tracks all across the nation, but the one that stands out to me the most is “The Tiltyard” in Dayton, Virginia! I grew up racing there, and have enjoyed every layout there’s been. Homer Allman does an outstanding job on the track. My favorite big event would have to be Wicked Weekend! I mainly run three classes outdoors, which are Nitro Buggy and Truggy, along with E-Buggy, but sometimes I run E-Truggy! For indoor races I mainly run 4wd and 2wd Buggy, but occasionally I bring out my 2WD stadium truck. My favorite class is nitro buggy!
AW: You just finished building a practice course in your backyard - do you think it will be an advantage? Are you worried about the time it will take to maintain it? Do you think you’ll get bored of it?
AW: Certainly I think it will be an advantage, it will help me maintain my speed and drive for RC. The maintenance part of the track doesn’t concern me, I have the equipment and the drive needed to keep the track up to par. I don’t think it will get boring — I learn new things everyday on that track, and that will only help me become better at what I love to do!
AW: What are your proudest RC moments?
AW: My proudest moments would be when I became a multi-time ROAR Region 2 champion, winning E-Buggy at the Midwest Winter Champs, becoming the Tilted Worlds champion in Nitro Buggy and Truggy, and qualifying straight into the A-Mains at some big events!
AW: Do you have any goals for your RC career?
AW: Yes — I would love to become a national and world champion, and also be a full time professional RC racer!
Photo: CRCRC, via Facebook
AW: What is your goal for the Nationals?
AW: My goal for this years Nationals is to qualify for the 2018 IFMAR World Championship, and do the best I can!
AW: What do you think of the Junior class?
AW: I think it’s a great class for upcoming kids to experience a National level! I love the class, and I will be racing in it this weekend!
AW: Do you think you have a chance to win?
AW: Yes, I have confidence in myself! Me and my equipment are ready!
AW: When you’re not at the racetrack, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
AW: I play golf for my high school throughout fall, I hang out with my friends, and I fish sometimes.
AW: What’s the best part of RC racing? What about RC racing annoys or bothers you?
AW: The best part about RC is winning and having fun! The thing that bothers me the most about RC would be having a failure that costs me a race.
AW: Who are some of the people that have helped you the most?
AW: I would not be where I am today without the help from Adam Drake and Bubba Barham, as they saw something in me at a very young age. There are a lot of people who have helped me throughout my journey, but the ones who stand out the most besides them are Paul “Chicky” Ciccarello, Joaquin Desoto, Mark Pavidis, Frank Deiny, my racing family, and — last, but not least — my parents!
AW: Thanks for the interview! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
AW: Yes, I would like to thank all my sponsors and my current sponsors for supporting me throughout my racing career so far, as without them I wouldn’t be able to do something I truly love to do!
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Photo: Psycho Nitro Blast, via Facebook
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