Meet Ryan Tousley - Colorado's Rising Star

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Many people in the scale comp scene know this name - Ryan Tousley. He has been a solid scale truck driver for a number of years now. We recently interviewed him and touched on his RC journey, how he started and his involvement in the community today.

Ryan got started in RC crawling hobby about 8 years ago and eventually his family joined in with him to enjoy the fun of playing with RC crawlers. He now holds his own RC crawling competition around his local area for his community.

Ryan is married with 3 kids, one girl and two boys. His whole family is into the great outdoor lifestyle and enjoys taking their 1:1 jeep out to Moab, UT for family outings. One day a few years ago they were sitting around the camp fire and thought how fun it would be to have a small RC crawler to play around with at the camp. Ryan decided to look into what it takes to make a 1/10 scale RC rock crawler, and with a lot of reading and researching, he found out back then people were building them out of parts from RC cars that were not specific to scale trucks. One day he found a company that was getting started in the scale RC rock crawling side of the hobby that was perfect for him to start out with. In 2007, Axial released their new kit - the AX10 Scorpion, he pre-ordered the kit and a month or so later it showed up at his doorstep. When the kit arrived, he had to work out of town but he was so excited he took the kit with him and built the kit in the hotel room. He loves building kits but he also loves customizing and putting different ideas together and trying new things. For example, he makes his own links for a 1:9 conversion for the Wraith that quite a few guys have run on their rigs.

Ever since then he was hooked and it’s been his lifestyle since. Because of his passion soon his wife and two sons have begun to love the hobby and now even have their own RC crawler rigs themselves, and compete in various events together as a family. Their local hobby store started running competitions in May 2008, where he met some of the other local guys in Utah that are enthusiastic in the hobby. In the beginning Ryan said he wasn't very competitive and didn't do that well, but he kept at it and didn't give up. In 2009 Ryan started traveling to Denver to compete with national level guys from all over the U.S. He was even at the very first RC Nationals held in Moab, UT. From going to all these events he has learned a lot from different guys who he's met and made friendships with through the years. Traveling to Denver to compete became a habit for him over the next several years and now he even travels to SLC and Las Vegas as well as Reno and this year he will also be in California as well.

Around 2010 he started hosting his own competitions for the scale trucks once a month for the local guys who are interested in the new category within RC crawlers. He still does this till today and hopes to continue for many more years. Currently he travels to any event he can get to, including Recon G6 and various local events which include bringing the Recon to Grand Junction for two years in a row.

Speaking of the Recon G6, one of his favorite events is The Fix which is a 12 hour endurance event that he did very well and subsequently signed by Boom Racing as a Team Driver. That was his first appearance and now he is heading to this year’s event in California, looking to better his place from last year, this year’s The Fix event will be his 10th Recon G6 event he has attended.

Here are some of the crawler rigs that Ryan Tousley has built.

One 9 Wraith:
BoomRacing parts-
Aluminum wraith gearbox - #Br247023GM
Boomarang Type G piggyback shocks - #Brsg0110GM
Heavy duty gear set - #Br648025

Non BoomRacing parts-
1.9 Pitbull Growers
1.9 Aluminum Rivas Concepts wheels
OutCast Crawlers Designs -O.C.D.- link set
Werty made custom front bumper
Holmes Hobbies 13turn motor
Custom made wrap

BoomRacing Red Raptor:

BoomRacing parts-
Aluminum center gearbox - #Br233005R
Aluminum front shock mount - #Br233011R
Aluminum rear shock mount - #Br233010R
Aluminum servo horn - #Brvkh7025tR
Aluminum motor plate - #Br247020BK
Heavy duty gear set - #Br648025
Heavy duty gear set - #Br233026
Aluminum Convertible front & rear axle - #Br233024R
Trail PHAT Truss - #Br233031R
Aluminum Transmission gear cover - #Br233004R
1.9 Gravity Beadlocks - #Brw770106R
Boomarang Type G piggyback shocks - #Brsg0110R

Non BoomRacing parts-
Axial Yeti cage & interior
1.9 proline BFGoodrich KR2 - #pro1011814
Proline Raptor Yeti body - #3454-00
Holmes Hobbies BLE wp
Holmes Hobbies 3300kv

Toyota 1.9 Wraith:

BoomRacing parts-
Type G 110mm shocks - #Brsg0110B
Type I 90mm shocks - #Brsi0090B
1.9 Gold Krait Beadlocks - #Brw780901GD
Aluminum Chubs - #Br233001GM
Aluminum knuckles - #Br233002BK
Aluminum lockouts - #Br233003GM
Aluminum Steering link - #Brql7100GM
Aluminum Drag link - #Brql7030GM
Aluminum frame stiffer - #Br247034GM
BoomRacing tire cover - #Brscac083H
BoomRacing scale brake hex - #Brkt600511

Non BoomRacing parts:
SSD axles cases - #ssd00059
1.9 pitbull rockbeast
Tamiya Toyota hard body cab & bed
Custom Link set from Outcast Crawlers Design -O.C.D.-
45turn Holmes Hobbies
Axial AE5 ESC

Nukizer 1.9 Wraith:

BoomRacing parts-
Military Axles front & rear - #Brq90301 & Brq90302
1.9 Gravity Beadlock wheels - #Brw770106B
Type G 90mm shocks - #Brsg0100B
VooDoo Drive Shafts - #Brq90279F
1.9 crawler tires - #Brk623021

Non Boomracing parts
Axial Nukizer Body - #Ax31267
Full wraith interior with Wild Willies Driver
Custom Link set from Outcast Crawlers Design -O.C.D.-
JC Auto Designs Class 2 Chassis
45turn Holmes hobby motor