TALK IT UP TUESDAY: Shane Kelly

0 Oct. 23, 2017, 4:56 p.m.

By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

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!

I got the chance to watch Shane Kelly compete stateside twice last year, at the Dirt Nitro Challenge and again at the IFMAR Worlds in Vegas, both incredibly challenging events where a comparative lack of experience on US-style tracks and surfaces likely cost him a chance to perform better than his results show. Still, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he scored a career-best second place finish at the FEMCA Championship in Perth, Australia a few weeks ago — no doubt a confidence-boosting result ahead of next year’s World Championships at the same track. I reached out to the young Aussie to learn more about him for this week’s Talk It Up Tuesday.

Aaron Waldron: How old are you, and where are you from?

Shane Kelly: I am 24 years old and live in Canberra, Australia.

AW: How did you get into RC, and how long have you been racing?

SK: I had a friend in 4th grade who raced, so I made my way out to the track one day and was instantly hooked. I've now been racing for just over 13 years.

AW: What do you do for work? Does your job make it difficult to attend racing events?

SK: I'm an IT engineer specialising in Microsoft Windows infrastructure. I have a fair bit of flexibility in my role so I'm usually able to attend all of the major Australian races and a few international races each year.

AW: What made you decide to start attending big races and trying to attract sponsors?

SK: As soon as I was hooked on racing I wanted to go to every race I could. After I attended my first Australian National Titles in 2007 I picked up a sponsorship deal with a hobby shop and it all just snowballed from there.

AW: What’s your favorite track? Favorite big event? What different classes have you raced - and which is your favorite?

SK: My favourite track and event is the NEO Race in the UK. The layout is always super technical and fun and the event is second to none - you know you're never going to get rained out and the racing is always super close. I've raced most classes with the exception of nitro on-road over the years, but 1/8-scale nitro buggy is by far my favourite!

AW: How does the racing scene in your area vary from other places you’ve visited?

SK: Our local scene is very quiet at the moment, and 1/8-scale buggy is really the only class that we consistently get enough numbers to run on club days. Luckily the 1/8-scale off-road scene is growing in the rest of Australia leading up to the 2018 IFMAR World Championships so there is always somewhere to go to race.

AW: What are your proudest RC moments?

SK: Finishing 2nd at the FEMCA 1/8-Scale Off-Road Championship this year is definitely the proudest moment of my R/C career so far. I was close to the pace all weekend, my equipment was fantastic and everything came together in the final.

Photo: TLR Australia, via Facebook

AW: Do you have any goals for your RC career?

SK: At the moment I'm focusing on my preparation for the 2018 IFMAR 1/8-Scale Off-Road World Championships. My goal is to put everything on the table at that event and do the best that I can.

AW: When you’re not at the racetrack, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

SK: Between work and racing I don't have a whole lot of spare time, so I usually just relax at home with my fiancée. I also live right next to some great mountain bike trails so I try to get out there as much as I can.

Photo: TLR Australia, via Facebook

AW: What’s the best part of RC racing? What about RC racing annoys or bothers you?

SK: My favourite part is the competitive spirit at every event. Everyone wants to do as well as they can and it always results in great racing. It's definitely a double-edged sword though, because sometimes people forget to have fun while they are racing and it can ruin the atmosphere for everyone else.

AW: Who are some of the people that have helped you the most?

SK: My father is my #1 sponsor - he has put so much time and invested so much money early on in my career to make sure I always had competitive equipment. I also cannot thank David Simms and Josh Pain from Ryper Hobbies enough - they have been supporting me for many years now and I couldn't be where I am without them.