I first met Cedric Devillers when he joined the French team at the 2013 IFMAR World Championships in California, where he presented two-time former champ Brian Kinwald with a replica of Kinwald’s 1993 Worlds-winning RC10 — and watched the Centro C4.2 buggy he helped develop score a podium finish. I’ve seen him at a few international races since, and marveled at his collection of vintage memorabilia online, but our paths crossed again last week when I dug through my Facebook contacts looking for photos of old-school Schumacher 4WD buggies. While on the subject, I decided to ask Cedric more about his history in the RC hobby, and his passion for RC hobby history, for this week’s Talk It Up Tuesday. (Cover photo: CML Distribution, via Facebook)
With Kinwald at the 2011 Worlds.
Aaron Waldron: How old are you, and where are you from?
Cedric Devillers: I am 43 years old, and I live in Champagne-sur-Oise in northern France.
AW: How did you get into RC, and how long have you been racing?
CD: When my best friend, Gregory, and I were kids he got a Nikko rally car for Christmas. We started playing with it in our parents’ garage. We moved a step forward, bought a pair of Tamiya Boomerangs, and moved outside to our parents’ garden. We made some different tracks and jumps, and destroyed grass and flowers, and then it was time to move to a real RC track and start racing. So my first race should have been in 1989.
Photo: Arnaud Messe, via Facebook
AW: What do you do for work?
CD: I’m project manager and designer in the truck industry with a lighting and LED speciality.
AW: Is it difficult to find time for practicing, racing and traveling to big events?
CD: With a professional and family life, it’s always difficult to organize your free time and compromise is the key. National or regional events are not difficult to arrange, but for international events I always have to make some choices.
Photo: Laurent LePage, via Facebook
AW: What made you decide to start attending big races and trying to attract sponsors?
CD: In our national championship, the previous season ranking determines our national team for the coming EFRA Euros or IFMAR Worlds. So after some good national results I got the opportunity to be selected for my first European Championship. It was an awesome experience and the opportunity to learn a lot, to make new friends and to meet peoples you ever seen in magazines.
Photo: Race80 - Amiens, via Facebook
AW: What’s your favorite track?
CD: Robin Hood Raceway in the UK; the facilities, astroturf and dirt track are awesome.
AW: Favorite big event?
CD: The IFMAR Worlds.
Competing at the 2007 IFMAR Worlds. Photo: Junya Kato, via Facebook
AW: What different classes have you raced - and which is your favorite?
CD: Everything started with 1/10-scale electric off-road, then I tried 1/12-scale electric on-road and 1/10-scale electric touring car with some good results in both classes. I’ve tried some 1/8-scale electric off-road, and 1/10-scale nitro 200mm is still the worst ever experience I ever had in RC. My favorite is still 1/10-scale electric off-road.
AW: When did you begin collecting vintage RC equipment?
CD: I started collecting RC cars and equipments for my 30th birthday, as a sort of revenge for all the dream cars I was never able to get when I was a kid.
AW: Do you have a favorite old kit?
CD: That’s a really difficult question; if I have to choose a car from my production car kit collection, it should be the Associated TQ10 (Editor’s note: sold in the U.S. under the Horizon Hobby brand). From my aftermarket car kit collection, it’s much easier: the MIP Legend 4-10 4WD RC10 conversion. Mr. Moore, please — make the dream come true, and make a re-release of the 4-10.
AW: What are your proudest RC moments?
CD: I’m really proud to have been part of the CML Distribution Centro C4.2 project and seeing it be the most popular car of the 2013 IFMAR Worlds. I’m also really proud of what we did with my partner Thibault Berthier.
AW: Do you have any goals for your RC career?
CD: My RC driver career is behind me, but in the near future I would like to offer my experience and knowledge to serving our young and super fast French top gun Clément Boda to conquer some national and international titles.
AW: When you’re not at the racetrack, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
CD: I spend a part of my free time wrenching on my Associated rides or completing some vintage projects. I’m also setting up some race events each year with the crew of our local BCL RC club.
Photo: Russell Lee, via Facebook
AW: What’s the best part of RC racing?
CD: Meeting people and making friends, living the RC passion and fighting on track along other competitors.
AW: What about RC racing annoys or bothers you?
CD: The drivers who cheat to finish in front of the field without respect of the rules or other competitors. Also, teammates not communicating or deliberately hiding information or tips to keep an individual advantage instead of working for their team.
AW: Who are some of the people that have helped you the most?
CD: Peoples who helped me the most in my racing career were Vincent Dransart from Promobug RC shop in France: he was my first ever sponsor when I was a kid; my first factory sponsor, Oscar Jansen from Corally then from Team Orion during several years by supplying racing equipment and awesome race support. Also some other guys like Christophe Blandin from Select Models Shop, Emmanuel Claes, Christophe Boulain, Jean François Bechu, Phil Booth, Rick Hohwart, Charlie Suangka, Bob Novak, Jason Varley or Jason Ruona.
Some other important people helped and are still helping me in my RC collectible addiction, like my Australian brother Vincenzo Triventi, Aaron Wade Evans, Cliff Lett, and many other awesome people from my RC family.
With Frédéric Pain and Masami Hirosaka at the 2011 Worlds. Photo: oOple, via Facebook
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