VietNamNet Bridge – RC car racing has become a popular game among young Vietnamese people.

RC cars are seen on the racetrack in Long An Province

On a weekend afternoon at the RC car racetrack near Thu Bo Bridge in Can Giuoc District, Long An Province, driver Nguyen Hoang Nam from HCMC’s District 8 was seen preparing his RC car before the start of the race. Nam had even stayed up late until 2 a.m. to adjust his car the night before.

The RC car is around 20 centimeters wide, 40 centimeters long and has a height of some 15 centimeters. Its top speed may reach 100 kilometers an hour.

When the race starts, it would look like a professional race as dozens of cars speed and corner. Drivers are not behind the wheel, their remote control can cause tension and nervousness among viewers.

“Although we do not sit in the car, the race requires a high level of concentration,” said driver Nguyen Van Thanh.

The race held every weekend by the HCMC-based RC car club usually attracts players and viewers from the city and neighboring localities.

According to RC car drivers, VND20 million (US$917) to VND40 million could be needed to prepare for a race.

Drivers buy components to assemble their own cars. Previously, those components could be found abroad but are now available in HCMC.

For fuel, a racer has to spend at least VND1 million a month since these tiny cars run on nitro fuel that costs over VND100,000 a liter.

To become an RC car driver, one should know how to assemble and adjust car parts. Depending on the racetrack, the player would adjust their cars in different ways.

An RC car driver prepares his buggy – Photos: Thai Ngoc

Currently, there are two playgrounds for RC car lovers in the south – Long An and Binh Duong New City in Binh Duong Province.

Phan Quang Vinh, the investor of the racetrack in Long An, said he had attended several RC car races in Thailand and learned from Thai players’ experiences, and then spent some VND1 billion building the racetrack with different terrains.

Due to the high costs of RC cars, Vinh said only 50 people in HCMC, Binh Duong and Dong Nai have been able to join races.