Tension mounts as cars line up on the grid, engines revving and safety crews braced for impact as the countdown begins on an “off-the-scale” grand prix.
No need to jet out to Monaco though as this exhilarating Formula One action can be found a bit closer to home in Newtonhill.
And although the temperatures – and the mini remote controlled electric cars – can’t rival that of the country known as the “billionaire’s playground”, things are certainly heating up trackside at the town’s Bettridge Centre.
Grampian Radio Car Club
For the leisure centre is where wannabe Max Verstappens and Lewis Hamiltons put their focus, drive and engineering skills to the test at the Grampian Radio Car Club’s winter championships.
“Invigorating” is the word chairman Mark Knowles uses to describe the niche sport he fell in love with at the age of 14.
“It will be considered by quite a few people as all a bit nerdy, and to be honest I kind of embrace that,” said Mark, 36, a dad-of-one from Westhill.
“It’s an invigorating sport as it’s like a mini F1.
“The races are only five minutes long each but you’ve got qualifying races, finals, championship points and trophies at the end of the year.”
Fast and Furious
Whirring like the sound of a swarm of angry bees, the colourful cars whizz round the 25-metre homemade track at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour as competitors, lined up on a raised platform, use joysticks to negotiate every twist and turn in a high-octane race against the clock.
Like a scene from the film Fast and Furious, albeit on a much smaller scale, cars crash, collide, flip and roll, as the fast-footed safety team sprint on to the track, jumping over the speeding miniature cars, to lend some emergency trackside assistance.
Lewis Hamilton
And in the blink of an eye, the race is over and the cars are back in their mini pit stops – tables dotted around the leisure centre -undergoing post-race maintenance.
It’s no surprise that radio car racing is where it all began for British F1 legend Lewis Hamilton and judging by Mark’s post-race adrenalin rush, it’s clear that there’s no buzz quite like it.
“It’s just such an exciting sport and it really helps to improve your focus, not just on the track but in life in general,” said Mark
“During the weeks in the lead up to the race, you’re focused on modifying your car and getting it ready for the race, so instead of having a busy mind, you’re focused on the task at hand whether that is changing the tyres or the motor or oiling the car up.”
Accessible sport
With around 20 members aged from five upwards, Mark says the beauty of the sport is that it’s accessible to absolutely everyone.
“It’s just such an accessible sport because we’ve got so many different people from all backgrounds,” said Mark.
“We’ve got a guy who was barely able to walk but he was able to come here and race quite competitively which is amazing.
“The sport also really helps people with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“We notice that some kids come here and they just get in the zone and they find their happy place and they really enjoy it which is fantastic to see.”
Love of cars
Mark, who works as a mechanical engineer, was only a teenager himself when he got his first taste of the sport.
“Ever since I was young I’ve been taking toy cars apart, sometimes breaking them sometimes fixing them, and I also love classic cars so much so that I’ve got an old mini myself,” said Mark.
“I’ve also always been into go-kart racing but I first got involved in radio car racing back in 1999 and I just loved it.
“After university, I moved abroad to Norway for work so I didn’t get back into it again until 2015.
“The best thing about the sport is that you can get everything you need secondhand so it’s a bit cheaper to take up.”
In the driving seat
With a sister club in Stonehaven, it’s clear that the sport is growing in popularity.
But Mark is keen for more people to try it out, especially women and youngsters.
“It would be great to inspire the younger generation to get involved,” said Mark.
“I haven’t seen girls involved in quite a while so it would be great to get them involved too.
“I’ve got a two-year-old daughter called Grace so I’m hoping to get her involved when she’s a bit older.
“Everyone is welcome.”
And with the champagne on ice until the winter season wraps up in March next year, Mark says there’s no better time to get into the driving seat.
“We’re in the Bettridge Centre from October to March and then from March to October we’re based at Stonehaven,” said Mark.
“So anyone who is interested in coming along, please just get in touch as we’d be delighted to welcome you along.”
For more information about the Grampian Radio Car Club check out their Facebook or website.