Perhaps it's the weather that makes year-round outdoor racing possible, the number of great tracks in the area, or simply the proximity to Southern California, but Arizona has churned out plenty of top-level racers over the last couple of decades. There is no shortage of young up-and-comers hailing from the Grand Canyon State, which plays host to one of the oldest electric off-road races in the world, the Cactus Classic. Tommy Hinz has been one of the fastest rising stars in the RC industry over the last couple of seasons and has a solid chance of landing on the podium at nearly every event he attends - but more importantly, he has a great off-track personality and a solid grasp of what's most important in this industry. Tommy took the time to chat with me after another strong summer of racing for this week's Talk It Up Tuesday interview.
Aaron Waldron: How old are you, and where are you from?
Tommy Hinz: I’m 16 and from Phoenix, Arizona.
AW: How did you get into RC, and how long have you been racing?
TH: I got a Traxxas T-Maxx for Christmas when I was 7, and have been hooked ever since.
AW: What grade are you in, and at what school. Is it difficult to balance school and racing?
TH: I am a Junior at Greenway High School. My education is my number one priority which makes it easy to balance out.
AW: Who are some of the racers that have helped you most in your career so far?
TH: To name a few people that have helped me immensely: Scott Spear, Jeff “Humpty” Helms, Brian Kinwald, Jake Thayer and Chris Wheeler.
AW: How did you feel when you found out Ryan Maifield was switching to TLR and Orion?
TH: I had mixed feelings but I was very excited for Ryan and I wish the best for him. I am very excited to see him doing great with his new companies.
AW: What made you decide to start attending big races and trying to attract sponsors?
TH: I decided I wanted to attend more big races when I attended the Cactus Classic at my home track - Scottsdale R/C Speedway. At that point I was just facing for fun. Throughout the next year I decided I wanted to get recognized by some major companies and that’s exactly what happened at the next year’s Cactus Classic.
AW: Did you approach the sponsors that you have now, or did they make the first move?
TH: I was recognized by Team Associated and that’s what got the ball rolling. From there on, I approached other companies by sending them my resume.
AW: What are some of the biggest races you’ve won so far?
TH: The Top Gun Shootout at SDRC in the Stock Buggy division 2 years in a row, the Proline Indoor Champs race at Warehouse 3 in Modified Buggy and Pro 4 at the Tumbleweed Classic at ARCOR in Albuquerque, NM.
AW: What accomplishment in RC are you most proud of?
TH: I am proud that I know how to work on and maintain all of my Team Associated vehicles. It also makes me feel good when people ask me questions because it makes me realize how far I have advanced in this hobby.
AW: How did it feel to win Stock Buggy at the Top Gun Shootout driving Brian Kinwald’s buggy?
TH: It felt awesome to just grab BK’s buggy and automatically be on pace to win with all the weekly stock racers. It was also cool to have so much support from a legend in this industry. BK continually keeps giving me bits of his knowledge.
AW: What’s the most difficult part of racing at a high level when you’re still a teenager?
TH: The hardest thing is that school comes first, so I miss out on a lot of the bigger races like the ROAR Nats and some of the JConcepts Indoor National Races.
AW: Do you think that your age is ever an advantage over some of the older racers?
TH: I think us kids, like Spencer Rivkin and I, definitely have an advantage because we learn a lot easier and we can adapt to new layout quicker.
AW: What is your favorite track? What’s your favorite racing class?
TH: It’s hard to choose my favorite track - we definitely have some great tracks on the West Coast - OCRC, SRS & 702 Raceway. My favorite racing class in 2WD Modified Buggy.
AW: When you’re not at the racetrack, what are some of your favorite hobbies?
TH: My favorite hobbies are sleeping and hanging out with friends.
AW: Thank you so much! Do you have any other sponsors or people you’d like to thank?
TH: I would like to thank all of my “dialed” sponsors: Team Associated, Reedy, LRP, JConcepts, Stick It 1 Racing, 702 RC Raceway, Airtronics, MIP, Hobbytown SRS, Team Kinwald and my family for all of their support.
8/12/2014
Eng / Usd
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
Recent comments