CLIPBOARD : RADIO-CONTROLLED HOBBIES

The air inside the warehouse smelled of black mud. In the background, the faint whirring of knobby-tread tires eating their way through the dirt course hummed from behind a protective wall. Chris Laudermilk threw his remote-controlled (R/C) race car into gear and hit the gas.

The “Dream Team” machine took the first lap like a pro, sailing over curves of hard-packed mud and skidding along retaining walls at breakneck speeds. The laps and time ticked away on a computer scoreboard overhead as it passed other racers. Laudermilk had always dreamed of racing. Today, he was out in front.

“Remote-control is the only way I can afford to race cars,” said Laudermilk, who spends his time away from the track as a computer operator.

At Radio-Controlled Hobbies in Costa Mesa, from the moment the doors open until the last reluctant racer is driven out, drivers stand ready to test their mettle against each other, battling it out on a 5,400-square-foot dirt track inside a warehouse adjacent to the store.

Beginners usually invest less than $200 for kits to build the 1 1/2-foot-long autos. But throw in a battery charger, tools, replacement parts, transmissions and a canvas race case to carry it all home in, and suddenly the tab is an easy $500. For high-end cars, the cost can run well into the thousands.

Manager Jeff Paul started out as many of the hobbyists did. He had a friend who was into R/C racing. That was in 1981. Since then, he has made a career of changing miniature tires and selling Lilliputian-sized suspension systems.

“We’re a one-stop R/C hobby shop,” Paul said. “If we don’t have it, no one does.”

In fact, the parts shop is the only one of its kind in the county. Inside, racing flags and logo banners splash a wash of color across white pegboard walls. Glass cabinets display expensive models and top-of-the-line chassis. Much like a “regular” parts store, hundreds of packages of tiny parts cover the walls.

Although this sounds like a heaven made for purists, Remote-Controlled Hobbies caters to the first-time hobbyist.

“The cars are put together from manufactured kits,” Paul said. “We get people in here ages 7 to 70, men and women and from all walks of life. Most of the racers have never had a hobby before. R/C racing is relatively inexpensive, doesn’t require a great deal of knowledge or expertise and, regardless of your age or sex, anyone can play and win.”

Novice racer Laudermilk agreed. “The greatest detail involved is aligning the suspension,” he said. “That’s the secret in keeping the cars from spinning out when they take a bad hit off a hill. It took a couple of months to get my car balanced, but I raced last Tuesday and did really well.”

Races are held every Tuesday and Thursday night from 7 to 9 p.m. On Saturdays, competition starts at 2 p.m. and draws racers from as far away as San Diego and Los Angeles. The shop also is the host for an annual international race in January.

A moment later, Laudermilk’s car took a spill, veered into the wall and spun out onto its back. A spectator hopped onto the course and set the race car upright again. Seconds later, the “Dream Machine” was careening over the course again. “That’s the great thing about this place,” Laudermilk said. “There’s always someone around to flip your car upright.”

Perhaps the greatest asset of remote-control cars is that the race isn’t over ‘til it’s over. Or, at least, until the batteries run down.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Address: 2011 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa

Telephone: (714) 631-1555

Miscellaneous Information: Track fees are $4 per day.