Radio-controlled car racing founder eyes mainland China expansion after Hong Kong success
Second date may be added to Asian Scale Invasion event as sport’s popularity explodes across the region
The founder of Asia’s only radio-controlled scale racing event said growing popularity among mainland players has prompted him to consider adding to the sport’s Hong Kong stop with an event north of the border.
Brian Parker, founder of Recon G6, saw a significant increase in interest from mainland drivers through social media and this year’s Asian Scale Invasion event in Hong Kong – happening this Saturday and Sunday – and may add a second Asian stop to the tour in the mainland next year or in 2019.
“I don’t know where right now, but the growth is there … I do see an opportunity to go into China,” Parker said. The electronic sport, which originated in the United States, debuted in Asia through the Hong Kong race last year.
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Principal organiser of the local event, AsiaTees Hobbies director Jason Patrick Tsang, said this year’s attendance showed that the sports’ popularity was growing across the border.
“Last year we only had about three people come from [mainland] China … there’s around 30 people coming this time,” he said.
RC scale racing involves races between cars scaled down from the real version. Over this weekend, the Hong Kong event will have multiple competitions on dirt tracks riddled with obstacles in a remote village in Sheung Shui.
The hobby has a big following, with its popularity exploding in the last few years. Race and scale videos on YouTube have generated tens of millions of views. One video has 52 million views – comparable to some of the world’s largest television events, such as the Superbowl.