SPOTLIGHT : Racing by Remote: It’s All the Rage : The Noise in Northridge Is Kit Cars Racing Around Indoor Ovals

David Phillipp was just looking for a way to have fun when he bought a remote-control racing car kit a few years ago. He assembled the parts, took the finished product out for some solo test runs and realized he “wasn’t too excited about it.”

That all changed the day Phillipp raced his car against someone else’s.

Today, Phillipp, 43, is the owner of the Speed Racer Indoor Raceway and Hobby Center in Northridge. The 12,000-square-foot building is a haven for a growing number of remote control oval and off-road racing enthusiasts in the Valley-area.

The track at Speed Racer features a clay oval where cars can reach speeds of 40 m.p.h. The oval encircles an off-road course that features a demanding terrain of bumps and jumps.

“A lot of the rushes you get here are the same as those you get in real racing,” said Phillipp, who worked in the insurance business for 14 years before opening the facility. “The big difference is, when you hit the wall with an RC car, you don’t get hurt.”

Remote-control racing, which has has been popular in Europe and Japan for years, is beginning to flourish in the United States.

The cars, which are one-tenth the size of a regular automobile, are built from kits. The bodies, patterned after real automobiles, are made of Lexan--an impact resistant polycarbonate material.

Before Speed Racer opened two months ago, Valley-area racers had to drive to Orange County or Valencia to fulfill their need for speed.

But now, off-road enthusiasts gather for races Tuesday and Friday nights at Speed Racer. Wednesday and Sunday nights are set aside for oval racing.

The track is open seven days a week for practice and there are more than 100 pit areas on site for drivers to work on their cars and recharge their batteries.

Racers of all ages come to Speed Racer, but the majority of the competitors are at least 20 years old, according to Phillipp. The cost of building a car can range from $200-$1,500 depending on the types of parts selected for use.

“A lot of being competitive is in how well you build and repair your car,” said Jon Warren, 18. “I’ve been here all day dialing in for tomorrow night’s races.”

Members of the Competition Oval Racing Club lend newcomers help and advice, but it takes a while for rookies to familiarize themselves with feel and techniques needed to drive with a remote-control radio unit.

Duane Simpson of Chatsworth brought his sons Scott, 8, and David, 9, to the track earlier this week for the first time. The boys had watched their father build their cars and they were eager to run them on the oval. David took a few practice laps and was just starting to get the feel of things when he made the mistake of stopping his car in the middle of a straightaway. Another car brushed up against David’s and broke one of the parts.

“He was sitting out in the middle of the road,” Duane Simpson said. “It serves him right.

“I like this because it teaches them how things work. They’re also learning about the expense of these things. This is probably a $20 wreck. He’s going to have to figure out a way to make some money.”

Tony Becker of Woodland Hills financed his early days as an remote-control racer by purchasing low-end cars at the toy store. Becker, 20, gradually worked his way into the more competitive--and expensive--racing models. He now owns eight cars.

“If you’re running with people that can drive, it’s just like racing because the cars are going so fast,” Becker said. “I want to win. But if it’s a good race and there isn’t too much hammering going on, I feel OK.

“I can be here for eight hours, but I enjoy myself so much, it only seems like an hour.”