ORIGINAL: J.D.T
If not for TAMIYA you would be playing in parking lots with $3000 kits, Tamiya not only made the first off road kit, they made it way more affordable, before that rc cars were all on road units and cost as much as real cars and were uncommon, only owned by the very techy/geeky guys.
The first ever world champion company ain't even in business anymore, of course associated has more worlds wins, they have been racing at this level for longer than any other company, they have not only sent teams of guys longer than any other company they send larger teams of guys than anyone else in the industry. Associated makes good stuff no doubt but the best car has to have a good driver and awesome team behind it racing at this high level.
The most successful race driver in history drove yokomo stuff alot but also gave associated a couple of there world titles, your favorite racer calls him master that is for sure, 14 IFMAR titles to his credit
I had friends playing in parking lots back in those days, and 1/8th on-road gas cars didn't cost 3-grand. Funny premise though, thanks for the laugh.
But if Tamiya'd have had their way you guys would still be building hard-plastic cars, similar to what's at RadioShack (what we used to call "explod-mundo specials") and would still be trying to get Grasshoppers and Frogs andtheir variantsto work.
Oh wait, some of you still are.
Tamiya only ever built a
real car to compete with Associated, Losi, and others on the Worlds-level of racing. Again, not for the bashers.
Met Masamithe first timeat the worlds, quite the talent,was interesting watching him wheel a car around the track using his feet.