Builder of the Month: Gerald (Sept 2023)

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Gerald first heard of Boom Racing when he saw a BRX01 at the Krawlfest in the Smokies in 2019. He initially avoided Boom Racing due to the price, opting for other brands like RC4WD and Cross RC. However, after picking up a BRX01, he regretted waiting so long as it was worth the price for its quality and craftsmanship. He owns several BRX vehicles and has several more under construction.

Boom:

Welcome to Builder of the Month! Can you tell us about yourself and how you got into the hobby?

Gerald:

I originally got into the hobby in the mid to late 80s when my dad bought himself, my sister, and I Tamiya Frogs. Me and my dad did some local racing for a few years. Fell out of the hobby in my early teens as I got more into roller skating and BMX riding. Some 15-20 years later, I decided to get back into RCs and bought a 2WD Slash, only to then get an AE 4x4 SCT and start racing again at the local tracks, but I never really felt the joy I had doing it as a kid. Then, I was in my local hobby shop when I saw the scale crawlers, SCX10 & Vaterra Ascender and was rather intrigued by the scale looks and realism. I went home and began researching them and other brands as well. After researching, I picked up an Ascender c10 pickup and was instantly impressed. This was the joy of RCs I remembered having as a kid so many years ago. I then picked up an Ascender K5 kit and sold all my racing stuff shortly after. I then traded the highly upgraded slash for a TF2 kit version and fell in love all over again. I then started attending scale crawler events and competitions. I was at one such event called Krawlfest in the Smokies in the summer of 2019, where I first saw the BRX01 kit as it was being raffled off, and also, the members of the "G Team" had built one for the gentleman hosting the event.

Boom:

We are curious to hear about your experience with Boom Racing. How did you first discover our products?

Gerald:

Having previously known Boom Racing as a supplier of hop-up parts from China, I was kind of sticker shocked, to say the least, when I checked into the price of the Brx01. So I held off and continued to build other brands and always found myself going towards the more scale truck from rc4wd and cross rc. After a couple of years and lots of money spent fixing/keeping my scale trucks going, I finally got a chance to pick up a BRX01 at a deal that I simply couldn't pass up. After receiving and building my first BRX01, I was highly disappointed in myself for waiting so long. The quality and craftsmanship are well worth every penny, so why I was so sticker shocked, I don't understand.

Boom:

Can you tell us about some Boom Racing vehicles you built?

Gerald:

That being said, I now own a BRX01 LC70, BRX01 with 3d printed 52' Chevy 3100, BRX01 LE LC70 dually (still under construction), BRX02 leafed(not built yet), BRX02 linked 6x6 (under construction), BRX02 S3 109(still sealed in box).

Boom:

Are there any future Boom Racing builds you are planning?

Gerald:

Waiting for the Brx02 S3 88 to be released and really anticipating some future Boom Racing BRX lineup additions.

Boom:

When you are building, where do you find inspiration?

Gerald:
I find my inspiration for my builds from many different places. Some have come from vehicles my family has owned, some were from stuff I have seen over the years, and some are just spur-of-the-moment ideas that get built. Others are from photos I find online of trucks that I normally don't see in my local area.

Boom:

What is the RC community like in your local area?

Gerald:
The RC community in my area is like a big melting pot of people looking to have fun and enjoy the outdoors. The crawler and bashing scenes are growing more each day while the racing and air scenes continue to flourish. Drifting is growing, too. While there isn't much of an on-road/ touring car scene, the drag racing scene is taking off as well.

Boom:

What cars or upgrades would you like to see Boom Racing offer in the future?

Gerald:

Would love to see Boom Racing come out with a military-style 1/2 track truck or a 1/2 track adapter for the 6x6 conversion.

Boom: Do you have any tips or advice for others in the hobby?

Gerald:
Buy a kit, take your time to build it and understand how everything works, then enjoy playing with it. Always remember things will break. 1/2 the fun of this hobby is building/fixing them, so don't get discouraged. And as with everything, the more time and practice you put into it, the better you'll become and the more enjoyable it will become. Also, if you ever have a question, ask someone. There are plenty in this hobby willing to help.

Author:Beth Liang