RC-Area – Daily RC Car News

Interview with Mark Stiles Top 1.12th Driver!
Name -Mark Stiles

How long have you been involved in RC- I started racing back in 1999.

What classes have you raced – 1/12^th oval (all of the classes at some point or another), 1/12^th circuit, 1/10^th electric touring car (19t and modified)

Have you got a favourite track if so which one- For outdoor tracks it’s a toss up between West London and Cotswolds. West London is a very technical track which requires pinpoint accuracy. Cotswolds is faster and more open, but it also rewards smooth and accurate driving, which is why I like it. As for indoors, well they are all temporary so it’s difficult to have a favourite. Hereford and Chesterfield are great venues with good sized track areas though.

What was your first RC –Mardave V12

So far are you happy with your overall progress of the season-I had some very good results over the winter, so this set me up well for the outdoor season in 2007. I switched to modified touring cars before the nationals started as I think this class will be what everyone is running at nationals within a year or two, and the 19t entry lists were quite small for the nationals this year. Racing modified has been a steep learning curve for me, and I haven’t really done as much running as I would have liked. This is due to financial constraints (I’m a student!) and also the bad weather we’ve had recently. As a result I’ve struggled at a couple of the nationals, but it looks like I’ve put the gremlins behind me with a strong B final result (13^th overall) at the last national. Hopefully I can continue this good form for the rest of the season and make the top 20 overall (that’s my aim anyway!)

What is your racing history- I started racing back in 1999. My technology teacher ran an after school club for Mardave V12 cars. I got involved with that, and within about a year I had found my local club in High Wycombe, where I still race Mardaves every Tuesday evening. I raced Mardaves for several years (including a few seasons of 12^th oval nationals), and this taught me the basics of driving and car prep. I then had a go with another members’ 12^thcircuit car, was instantly hooked, and got one of those in about 2003. A year later I got my first touring car and started to race in the 19t class at West London. I’ve done the last 4 full seasons of 12^th scale nationals, and this is my 3^rd season of touring car nationals. I’ve been abroad to race 12^th scale a few times as well. I’ve been to Holland and Sweden for the Euro’s, and Italy for the World’s last year. 2 years ago I got offered a drive with Mirage Racing, which I still have and am very proud of.

Some of my most notable results include;

2007 1/12^th scale Euro’s 15^th, 2006/7 BRCA 12^th scale nationals 6^thoverall (with a few top 5 finishes), 2006 19t KO Grand Prix 2^nd, 2006 Cotswolds BRCA 19t national winner, 2006 BRCA 19t nationals 6^th overall, 2004 1/12^th oval hot-rod ‘world champion’, multiple 1/12^th oval national winner.

Regarding RC looking back would you have done anything differently- Not really. I think that racing Mardaves for a while before getting involved with the more complex classes was a good move, as it enabled me to start developing my skills without breaking the bank. I would recommend this as a starting point for any young racer. The only regret I really have is that I didn’t start racing earlier. I started when I was 12 or 13, and there currently some very talented young drivers who aren’t a lot older than that, and already have several seasons of top level racing experience under their belts.

Have you got a favourite RC- 12th scale is my favourite class, so I guess my favourite car has to be the Associated RC12L4 that I ran at last seasons’ nationals. However, Hot-Bodies are releasing a new car this autumn which I will be running at the nationals, so I guess that will be my new favourite!

Current Sponsors - Mirage Racing, Hot-Bodies, Orion, Nosram, Edit, Hudy, GRP, VRC, Microtech Racing, TiR, MRT

Any other Comment’s - I’d like to thank my sponsors for their continued support. A lot of people think that being sponsored just means that you get cheap equipment, but anyone who has ever been sponsored will know it’s about a lot more than that. I see the main benefit of being sponsored is that I have access to some of the best advice available from some of the best drivers in the UK and the world. A special mention must go to Mick Farrell and Nigel Hale, who have given me endless support and advice at the 12^thscale nationals for the last couple of years. If it wasn’t for them then there’s no way I’d have been in the A final at all last season, so I’m very grateful for all the help they have given me. Other influential figures have been people such as Andy Moore, Chris Kerswell and Andy Griffiths, so thanks to those guys as well! Hopefully I can pass on what I’ve learned from them to the next generation of young drivers!