Donny Lia Wins a Championship Before Modified Tour Season Starts

“Racing the RC car gets you into a rhythm, it builds hand-eye coordination and the cars can be hard to drive at times. They really keep you on your toes. To win, you have to be as focused as you would be in a real race car. Patience plays a large role as well as not making any mistakes to put yourself into a position to win. The Modifieds and the RC cars really compliment each other. Running one helps with the other.”

Lia isn’t alone when it comes to members of the NASCAR racing community who are involved in RC Racing. Two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart, 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine, Roush-Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards, DaimlerChrysler's manager of NASCAR Engine Programs Ted Flack and NASCAR spotter Roman Pemberton are all heavily involved in the sport.

For more information on the r/c scene, check out www.teamspeedmerchant.com, www.nychobbies.com, and www.ttracing.com .

The first round of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season has not yet begun. It will still be a few more weeks before the Mods hit the track at Thompson International Speedway for the first of 16 points-paying events.

And while the first points of that 2007 season have not even been awarded yet, one of the Tour’s title contenders has already won a championship this year. Donny Lia recently nailed down the 1/12 Scale Stock ROAR National Championship for RC cars at CEFX Raceway in Westland, Michigan.

RC cars might be miniature, but they are anything but toys. These sophisticated racing machines feature many of the same features of a Modified. The stock class that Lia competes in features cars with heavily mandated electric motors and real speeds of up to 50 miles per hour on a road course. That translates to scale speeds of 600 miles per hour.

Winning a championship in RC racing has been a long time in the works for Lia.

“This championship means a lot to me,” said Lia. “I’ve been into r/c cars since I was nine years old and I can remember the first time going to the track as a kid. Over the years, I really got into it. When I was a kid, I really looked up to the guys who were champions and to be able to be one now is really special to me.”

Lia did take some time away from RC cars, but couldn’t stay away for long.

“I wasn’t into it as much for awhile when I started racing full-sized cars. What got me back into it a few years ago was the fact that I was racing big cars and I could relate to it a lot more. So much of the chassis, suspension, geometry and general theories on set-ups are similar. That got me back into RC racing. I was interesting in trying new things since it is a model racecar that reacts to changes just like a Modified does.”

RC Racing also gives Lia a place to race during the long winter months of Northeastern Modified racing.

“I have some fun with it and it’s gotten a little more serious during the winter, when I’m not racing the Modified. I have some great sponsors who supply great products and I really enjoy it. Team Speedmerchant manufactures the cars. They’ve won 23 national championships now. The owner, Bruce Carbone, is into full-sized racing too. As far as chassis, geometry and setup, no one has more knowledge than him. He builds a great product and I’ve known him a long time – since he put out his first car.

I also get a ton of support from NYC Hobbies. They sponsor me with everything other than the chassis, and they are great people. We have an awesome race team at NYC Hobbies right from the top down. Another key component in r/c, just like modified racing, is horsepower. TT Racing Motors sponsors me as well. The power that the owner Sal Amato puts out is unmatched in the r/c industry right now. I have to thank all of those guys for the support and effort needed to win this championship.”

Now Lia will focus on preparing for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, which starts at Thompson on April 15th. His winter experience in the RC cars gives him a head start on contending for what could be his second championship of the year.