Posted October 16, 2025
Buzzing motors, the smell of rubber, and a bunch of anxious but locked-in drivers. That is the scene on a typical Friday night at the Madison Mini RC racetrack. This hidden gem of an R/C facility features a large carpet track complete with many pit stations for the drivers who use it. It serves as the perfect hub for those who enjoy remote control car racing, a sport much easier with smaller cars.
Madison Mini RC operates in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, only a few miles south of the Madison area. The facility sits in the basement of a leased building home to real estate and financial offices. One would never guess there was an RC track in the basement.
The carpet track is roughly 15 by 30 feet. The vehicles that race on this track are generally 1/28 scale and fit in the palm of one’s hand. However, they’re quick, running laps of between 6-9 seconds.
Clint Thayer has been into R/C much of his life and opened the facility just a few years ago. Covid hit the hobby hard, and many local race scenes were damaged as a result. His response was to develop the only official Mini Z track in the city, and he has since gathered a community of drivers.
“We’re supposed to be that middle ground for people who are hard into it and newer drivers,” said Thayer.
There are multiple options for those who are looking to race on the track. For more casual drivers, the club charges a $15 fee per visit. These members are at the expense of whoever is currently at the track. Meaning the only set opportunity for them to drive is racing each Friday. The other option, better in any serious driver’s mind, is the monthly membership. This $125 monthly household charge allows for 24/7 access to the facility. Both the track and pit areas are complete with fingerprint security.
Upon purchasing this membership, drivers are given their own private pit space within the facility. Their fingerprint is then keyed into all doors, and they’re given a key allowing access to the building itself.
Friday night is race night, and the track sees between 15-30 drivers each week. And currently, the club is in a competitive bracket known as the points series. This allows drivers to move up and down in a cumulative ranking depending on where they place. Seasons are generally eight weeks long, with awards being given once the series has concluded. Thayer designs 3D printed trophies that resemble the shape of the current track layout for the series.
How the races work and are recorded is a testament to the large investments Thayer has made. Each car is equipped with a transponder that responds to the track’s highly specific timing system. This allows for each driver’s time to be individually tracked, meaning race results and lap counts can be tracked down to the thousandth of a second.
An announcer is present at a side table during the races, with each providing their own unique commentary. Stan Garvin is considered one of the better announcers on the microphone, with one of his classic sayings, “These guys are professionals.”
Each Friday night at the track looks a little bit different. Within the racing series are many different classes of vehicles that race. All are within a 1/28 scale, but vary heavily on chassis design, electronics, motor power, and overall speed.
The entry-level class drivers use a car known as the Kyosho Mini Z. The class, better known as box-stock, gives drivers limited versatility in mechanically altering their cars. It’s meant to define a driver’s raw skill more than their budget or technical knowledge.
On the flip side of this lie classes such as Spec Lexan 10-tooth and GT Masters, which see lap times of eight seconds and under. The speed is blistering and may appear impossible to control from a beginner’s perspective. Many of the drivers, such as Michael Hull and John Colombo, have been racing for decades and recall what R/C looked like long ago.
Drivers range from zero to fifty years of experience, which fuels much of what makes the club so great. If one’s looking for competition, they’ve got it. If one’s looking for a casual race and a fun Friday night, they’ve got it too.
Colombo, “nicknamed Godzilla,” had an unfortunate instance where he crushed a car in half when stepping on the track. However, he and everyone else can laugh about it now.
Competitive driver Nate Montemayor holds an excellent middle ground between the two skill levels of the club. Nate participates in the faster divisions but really enjoys helping newbies and more casual visitors. Though not an official position, Nate could be nicknamed the club mechanic, helping many with motor wires, gearing, and transponder installation. His knowledge of the hobby can’t be understated.
Inside his large pit space, sit four box-stock vehicles that anyone is free to use at any time. Along with this, Montemayor offers free triple batteries for transmitters, along with rechargeable ones for vehicles.
As a result of this goodwill and competition, the club has grown heavily over the years, with nearly every pit space filled, and the racing podium full every week. Many members have a monthly membership, and fifty more reside in the club’s group chat, with many of them racing every month. Much of the club’s growth can be attributed to a growing interest in the hobby. However, much of the continued interest within the club is a testament to how well-run and balanced the community is.
The club defines an excellent balance between healthy competition and casual fun. There truly is something for everyone. If interested in cars, mechanics, or looking to race others, this facility should be a top destination.
The article may be found online at https://uwrfjournalism.org/2025/10/madison-mini-rc-niche-turned-community/.