(Photo by Amber Phipps) A track marshal assists a tipped RC car on the carpeted track during the New Years Trophy Race at Eds RC & Hobby on Saturday.

PARKERSBURG — Eds RC & Hobby held its fourth all-day RC (remote control) car racing tournament of the year on Saturday. The event marks over 20 years of model car and vehicle racing at the shop located at 401 Cora Dr. in Parkersburg.

Owner Ed Atkins said the event has been growing over the years with over 60 individuals signed up and 121 RC cars ready to race.

“Me and my wife started the company and it’s been about 20 plus years now and it’s awesome,” said Atkins. “I was already a hobbyist before I started the company.”

RC racing at Eds RC consists of about five to nine racers with various types of RC vehicles who compete in timed races on a carpet track.

The race times can vary by a few minutes depending on the type of vehicle and race. Atkins said there were about 70 races on Saturday.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) RC cars line up for their staggered start on the track at Eds RC & Hobby New Years Trophy Race Saturday.

“It was already a passion of mine so one thing led to another and the next thing we knew, we had a hobby store,” he said.

RC racing is a national event with the tournaments in Parkersburg attracting hundreds of people each year. Atkins said there on Saturday there were more people from out of state than locally signed up to race.

Racers from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky, Virginia and more were ready to compete on the newly carpeted track.

“It’s grown from the very beginning, we originally had a carpet track for on-road cars … then we put dirt in and ran off-road dirt for 12 plus years,” said Atkins. “And a little over a year ago we started racing on carpet.”

He said it’s a lot cleaner and the facilities are considered one of the best in the area.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) The competitors stand on a raised platform which overlooks the carpeted track to race their RC cars at Eds RC & Hobby on Saturday.

For the New Years Trophy Race, there are three heats and the winners of those heats move on to the qualifying rounds. The fastest of those heats then moves on to the main heat which occurs later in the day.

The cars line up at the beginning of the track for staggered starts with the time being the goal to beat, rather than everyone lining up and starting at the same time.

Randy Anthony raced on Saturday and said he’s been racing since the 90s.

“Once you start, it’s very addicting,” he said.

Anthony described how the cars are built, the different categories of RC vehicles and what it’s like winning a tournament.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) The room leading to the race track is full of RC cars and vehicles under repair and preparing for their race on Saturday.

“Two-wheel drive stock buggies, stadium trucks, short-course and multiple classes of each,” he said.

The people racing the cars stand on a raised platform above the track. Many of the racers buy and piece together the parts on their RC vehicles.

Around the course are track marshals who assist tipped over and stuck cars during the races. Once a competitor completes a race, they move down to the track to replace the position as track marshal.

“The adrenaline, the competition, it’s awesome,” said Anthony.

First, second and third place winners in their heats receive a plaque for completing the most amount of laps in the designated heat time.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) Many of the cars at the New Years Trophy Race at Eds RC & Hobby look like this RC carpet racing car.

Eds RC & Hobby hosts races every Wednesday and Saturday along with the four larger tournaments every year.

The event was streamed live on Eds RC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EdsRCHobby/reels/

(Photo by Amber Phipps) An RC stadium truck is noticeably larger in size compared to a traditional RC racing car.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) An RC car without the hood to display the electrical wiring that connects to a remote control that is controlled from a distance.