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Get revved up for RC

Saskia AdystiAlbany Advertiser
Albany RC Car Club president Shannon Barradeen with children Raiden,5 and Maddi, 11, at the King River off road track.
Camera IconAlbany RC Car Club president Shannon Barradeen with children Raiden,5 and Maddi, 11, at the King River off road track. Credit: Laurie Benson Albany Advertiser

Shannon Barradeen’s need for speed has led him into the world of radio-controlled cars and now he wants everyone in the Great Southern region to experience the thrill ahead of the new season.

The 42-year-old Albany man has been playing with remote-controlled cars since he was a teenager, but it was not until two years ago that he decided to be serious about the sport. The popularity of radio-controlled car racing in the State has been growing over the past decade with hundreds of RC car enthusiasts competing on a yearly circuit.

Since he started competing, Mr Barradeen has finished as the runner-up in the State championships for two years in a row.

“It’s not as easy as it looks,” he said.

“Actually getting out there and controlling your car from 50m away from the field and for it to jump through the air and make sure I land it properly — it’s not an easy task to do.”

But what attracted Mr Barradeen to the sport most was the social aspect of it and the fact it welcomed everyone.

“I have a five-year-old kid and an 11-year-old who also do this with me and they just love it,” he said.

“It’s a family-orientated sport and it’s not dictated by gender, age or even ability.”

Mr Barradeen is now the president of Albany R/C Car Club and he would like to invite everyone in the region to have a go at racing.

“We get cars for people to hire so everyone can just see how it feels to race,” he said.

“You can join just to have fun and race locally or you can compete and travel around with your cars.”

The Albany R/C Car Club will open for the season this week at the King River Hall, with the first meet on Saturday.

Meeting will begin at 10.30am.

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