PROCTORSVILLE, Vt. – Robert Glidden, Deputy Fire Chief of the Proctorsville Fire Department, has turned a hobby that he started enjoying with his son Miles around Christmastime into a project that is bringing community members, both old and new, together.
The hobby is remote control truck or vehicle racing and has culminated into an organized Facebook group “Proctorsville VT RC Club” with 135 members and the building of a track at Greven Field with a 4-foot wide track on an 80-by-30-foot area, complete with an elevated driver’s platform to oversee the various jumps and banked turns – perfect for the 1/10 scale vehicles that will be rocketing around, jockeying for position. There will also be room for spectators to place their chairs around the track for viewing.
Since Glidden and his family have become enthusiasts, he was surprised to discover that there was a history of RC racing back in the ’80s and early ’90s when Buzz Lindberg and his son used to race behind where Outer Limits Brewing is now. Cavendish Town Manager Brendan McNamara was also an early supporter of the idea, recognizing that there was nothing like this around. Glidden has also seen former community members, who now live in surrounding areas, return to Cavendish to renew their old ties, as well as their enthusiasm for the sport.
Since then, support and interest has continued to grow. The Facebook page was launched and a logo was designed. They’ve even gotten a few sponsors including Granite State Hobbies in Claremont, who has donated an RC truck and charger to be raffled off as a fundraiser.
The track is being finished now with a plan to officially open Saturday, June 5 with an all-day event that will begin with the official track opening at 11 a.m. Different races will take place throughout the day including adult races, kid races, two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive entries. Racing will be free and prizes awarded to the winners. There will be hot dogs and hamburgers for sale as well as raffle tickets to win the truck and charger combo from Granite State.
Although the track will open with official racing, according to Glidden, the idea is to have the track available for use whenever anyone wants to use it. He said they are not sure if they will continue to have formal events but the RC group as a whole will decide that. The idea from the beginning was to inspire the community to participate in this fun, family hobby.
The track will be maintained from early spring until sometime in October, when it will be broken down and stored for the winter. There will be hand tools, rakes, and shovels at the track site at Greven Field for participants to help with maintenance as well.
Anyone who has an RC truck in the 1/10 scale is invited to participate in the June 5 event and should reach out the group via their Facebook page for details. All community members are invited to enjoy the event either by just watching the fun, or they can try their hand at RC racing using loaner vehicles that will be available on site.