The day after New Years a bunch of us headed out to Thunder alley raceway to practice for the day.  A man got out of his car with a camera and said he was from the local Sun newspaper and asked if we would mind if he took a few photos. We said sure.  :)   Little did we know it would be front-page news!  Check out the article below.

Bob Otto, Staff Writer

BEAUMONT, CA. - On a typical Big race weekend, about 300 highly competitive men match their skills mano-a-mano at Thunder Alley Raceway at Noble Creek Park in Beaumont. Shouldering her way in with the men is one of the few women who can match skills with them: 31-year-old Ronda Skelton of Fontana.   

  

 

Skelton’s been racing miniature race cars – called one-eighth scale “buggies,” and “truggies,” which are one-eighth scale miniature trucks – since she was 13. A buggy measures about 13 inches wide, 15 inches long, and five inches high and is powered by an engine fueled by a nitro-methane blend. The truggy is slightly larger, 15 inches wide by 17 inches long and 7 inches high. The buggies and truggies can reach speeds of 35 to 45 miles per hour.

“Ronda is the top female driver in the U.S.,” said Rob Jackson, who co-owns Thunder Alley with Rick Hernandez. “There is no such thing as separation by gender in this sport. She does pretty well and is in the top 15 in most events of 60 to 80 (competitors).”¬† Ronda’s says she is¬†one of¬†the fastest female racers in the world. When Skelton is at the track, close by her side will be her fianc√©, Adam Drake.

Drake is as passionate about racing as his fianc√©e, and he’s also one of the top miniature race drivers in the world. “Adam is in the top five in the U.S, and in the top 10 in the world,” Jackson said. The couple has competed throughout the U.S., and in such places as England and Finland. Two weeks ago they traveled to Puerto Rico for the Winter Nationals where Ronda took¬†3rd in truggy competition, and Adam placed 1st. And in buggy class, Adam was second, and Ronda fourth, she said. But that’s just an inkling of how serious this couple is about racing. In September they flew to Charlotte, N.C., where Adam placed 13th out of 180 competitors in the World Championships.

So just what does it take to excel in buggy and truggy racing? And how did Ronda find herself competing against men? “I’ve always been competitive,” she said. “If someone tells me I can’t do it, then I’m going to do it. I’ve heard guys say things like, `she should be at home washing dishes.’ I’m one of the few women racing against the men. It would be nice if there were more of us.” As for the skills, it takes good hand-eye coordination handling the transmitter (which guides and steers the buggy or truggy), and concentration, Skelton said. “It’s just like playing a video game,” she said. “It takes good reflexes and you don’t want to make mistakes. You want to get as many laps completed as possible in five minutes. Consistency is the key.”

A racetrack such as Thunder Alley consists of jumps, tabletops (level surfaces), sharp turns, steep inclines called mountains, double and triple jumps, and the straight-aways. Racers compete in novice, intermediate and professional classes, with the drivers ranging in age from 5 to 80. Men dominate the sport, but females absolutely can be outstanding drivers, Skelton insisted.

For those entering the sport, the cost for a starter kit (which includes a buggy or truggy and transmitter) runs about $500 and “from there you keep upgrading,” she said. “$500 to $600 will get you a ready to run,” Jackson said. “It’s entry level, but not fully competitive and the (vehicle) is a little less quality.” The 29-year-old Drake started racing motorcycles at 16. “This is much more affordable than motorcycle racing and a lot easier on the body,” he said. As Drake handled the transmitter sending his buggy screaming over jumps and sliding around turns, Skelton¬†fueled the buggy when it pulled into the pit area. The two serve as pit crew for each other. Just how did they meet? “We met doing this at the track,” Skelton said with a smile. To learn more about Thunder Alley Raceway, visit www.thunderalleyrcraceway.com.