How much do sponsored RC Racers make?

[DavidB1126]

Like the title says. How much to RC Racers really make? It it like a average job that you can make enough money to live and/or live your life?
I just had the idea come up in my head as I was doing my "8th Grade farewell presentation slides." I had too write what is my future goal or future career.
I want to be a auto mechanic or technician. Obviously, being a mechanic will be more money than a RC Racer. But could my job in the future doing stuff that I love? I like working on RCs. Later in the future I will probably get into 1:1 cars.

 

[HPIguy]

Short answer? Most likely not. The bigger names likely get free gear, travel expenses, and some pay. But I'd bet only the top .01% make an actual living off of it, if that. I mean, how many RC races have you ever seen televised?

Wanna know what else? The kids that are absolute superstar athletes in baseball, football, basketball etc. in 8th grade likely won't even make it onto a college team, much less a professional team like the MLB, NFL, or NBA.

It's great to love things and be passionate about them, but don't expect for those things to be able to be a career and fund a decent life. A rare few can figure out how to make that work. For the rest of us, it's better to pick something that you're interested in but may not necessarily love, that has a good job market and will pay the bills, and leave enough left over to have fun doing the things you love.

 

[DavidB1126]

Wanna know what else? The kids that are absolute superstar athletes in baseball, football, basketball etc. in 8th grade likely won't even make it onto a college team, much less a professional team like the MLB, NFL, or NBA.

I don't really like sports. I don't like PE. I have 0 idea how I got an A in PE for the last 4 quarters?

I do like motorsports.

Chances of being a NASCAR or F1, Rally driver? Very, very, very unlikely.

All in all, like I said earlier, being a auto mechanic, technician, something on those lines is what I like / love / want to do. Well not right now but in the future. Right now, starting small with RC and working my way up.

I am thinking about writing that my future goal is to go to college. My dream job is around cars, mechanics, automotive. Working at a family owned shop. Or named shop like Mr. Tire, Merchants (NTB now) stuff like that. If I get even higher like owning my own shop. Or even to the assembly line would be awesome (my grandpa worked at the Chevy / GM plant here in Baltimore a long time ago)

I doubt I would get that high in my career but if I do, it would be a fun journey. I actually wonder if there are any car manufactures or plants around the area? The GM plant here in Baltimore closed its doors in 2005.

Currently: I watch this guy on YouTube. He used to work at a dealership, then a NTB, and now owning his own shop working on his own schedule.

https://www.youtube.com/@RainmanRaysRepairs

College is expensive. Trade school will probably lots less?

Another thing I can take into consideration is IT, electronics, computers, stuff like that. I am very tech savvy.

 

[ahr43]

Regarding sponsorship, details on particulars are close hold. Don't recall ever reading much of anything regarding pay and perks, beyond mutual announcements by the driver and manu. I had a partial sponsorship '09-'11 in RC drag racing. Even with it being a partial I had to sign a contract limiting what I could discuss or reveal concerning the sponsorship. Ended up declining to continue. Not through any dispute. Had a good two-way working relationship. A sponsorship has benefits and drawbacks. For me drawbacks outweighed the benefits. It limited my flexibility to mix and match components and try new components.

Reads like you are forming a plan for a successful future. Good you are looking at many options and not locking yourself too tightly into one or another. Have read a few articles on how some high schools are again beginning to offer shop classes and there are many two-year community colleges offering training in crafts and trades. Your RC experience will be of value to you as you aspire to train as a mechanic or technician.

Cheers. 'AC'

 

[tntpoof]

Rc drivers can make barely nothing. Entry fees and some parts discounted and other small things. While others can make A Good income .it all depends on how good of driver you are on all surfaces.carpet.clay.lume so on and how many sponsors you have .
A good friend of mine just got sponsored by Big name in RC drag racing. He got a NIB rc drag car. New motor new esc. all,also 20K to sigh and free plane fair to races with His teams mobile support crew with new batteries (since you can't fly with lipos)
So you can be a nickel dime sponsored racer or be like Dakota(raced with him in the 90's, showed up at a local track b4 he went Bigtime)dont ever sigh An inclusive contract

 

[Sixtysixdeuce]

Currently: I watch this guy on YouTube. He used to work at a dealership, then a NTB, and now owning his own shop working on his own schedule.

Be advised, running your own business means working twice the hours for half the pay. Working "your own schedule" means all the hours it takes to get the job done, because you're responsible for everything.

Not that it isn't worth it, just understand that money can't be your primary motivator, and you have to be good at all aspects of running a business, not just what you do professionally. That's why 1/4 of small businesses fail in the first year, 2/3 within a decade.

I've run my own companies for most of my adult life, and I've been successful. But there are definitely times I've considered going back to being an employee instead of having them. My machine operator gets paid 40% more than I pay myself working 2/3 the hours hours and only having a fraction of my capability. But it's my brand on the products and my legacy, not his.

 

[luke66]

If you want to be doing rc, I think it would be cool to have a rc shop. You would be doing stuff you like to do, unless you don't like people. And as a major plus, you'd get dealer pricing for new cars!

 

[BarnFabRC]

Be advised, running your own business means working twice the hours for half the pay. Working "your own schedule" means all the hours it takes to get the job done, because you're responsible for everything.

Not that it isn't worth it, just understand that money can't be your primary motivator, and you have to be good at all aspects of running a business, not just what you do professionally. That's why 1/4 of small businesses fail in the first year, 2/3 within a decade.

I've run my own companies for most of my adult life, and I've been successful. But there are definitely times I've considered going back to being an employee instead of having them. My machine operator gets paid 40% more than I pay myself working 2/3 the hours hours and only having a fraction of my capability. But it's my brand on the products and my legacy, not his.

Your machine shop anywhere near Philly by any chance? I’m a CNC programmer and I got laid off last week… I’m on the hunt for work now for the first time in over ten years.

 

[DavidB1126]

If you want to be doing rc, I think it would be cool to have a rc shop. You would be doing stuff you like to do, unless you don't like people. And as a major plus, you'd get dealer pricing for new cars!

True. Right now in my area there's plenty of hobby shops and tracks so really no need for another one?

But in the future if they all close down, I could. It would be lots of work tho. Lots of money too. My old LHS closed up last year just because the rent was so high.

If I do open up a shop. It will I want to have:

A fully stocked shop will all parts, tires, bodies
1/10 offroad carpet track (preferably black CRC carpet)
1/10 drag strip (either outside, or inside carpeted
1/10 and mini crawler course
Monster truck course for the Losi LMTs and other monster trucks
Drift? Maybe
Mini Z? Maybe.
There are still other parts of RC like Drones/FPV, Heli/Aircraft.
Maybe drone racing?
Idk.

 

[luke66]

Indoor drag racing would be sweet! Nitro would be cool for tuning and stuff. There aren't many hobby shops where I live. The one closest is a 30 mins drive and they just dropped Traxxas. So if I need anything, I need to go to the next closest. A whole hour away. Id love to start a store. I'm to broke to buy cars for me lol

 

[Sixtysixdeuce]

Your machine shop anywhere near Philly by any chance? I’m a CNC programmer and I got laid off last week… I’m on the hunt for work now for the first time in over ten years.

No, we're in Elizabeth, CO

Www.eccomachine.net

 

[JCsRCcar]

Aim very high and hope you get close to your target. Never sell yourself short and aim low because you think you are not good enough. Once you do that you have already sealed your fate. Mechanics are in high demand right now and anyone who can build or repair things will always have opportunity knocking at their door. This is as long as you remain enthusiastic and positive and humble about your career opportunity, and most important of all is you have to work hard for it. Being a good mechanic requires a lot of training and experience that takes time.

If you can own your own business then you have the greatest chance of making the most money, but you also take on the most risk and responsibility. Not everyone has the entrepreneurial spirit to own a business and most businesses fail within the first 5 years.