STAFF
Who is RC DriftClub?
If you were wondering who started RC DriftClub, what our experience is in the hobby, and just want to get to know us a little, you’re looking at the right page. RC DriftClub was founded by guys who enjoy all facets of RC. Two of us are employees at Think Omnimedia / Xtreme RC Cars magazine – Editor James Revilla and Senior Graphic Artist Dave Palacios. RC DriftClub is a side project of ours, operated and maintained outside of our normal office hours, on our own free time, for the benefit of all our local RC drifters in the Los Angeles area. Yes we have day jobs, and yet we use a lot of our ‘free time’ for RC DriftClub.
RC DriftClub main staff
James Revilla
A.K.A. Raine, Pirate, Captain
Birthdate 01.16
Birthplace Harlem, New York, USA
Hometown West Covina / Walnut, CA
Occupation Associate Editor, Xtreme RC Cars Magazine / Founder, RC DriftClub
Education
Technology
Associates Degree, Computer Nerworking Systems / Information Technology
Associates Degree, Software Applications & Programming
Associates Degree, Web Development
Associates Degree, Multimedia Design
Automotive
ASE Certified Automotive Mechanic
A1 Engine Repair
A3 Manual Drivetrains and Axles
A4 Suspension and Steering
A5 Brakes
A6 Electrical / Electronic Systems
L1 Advanced Engine Performance
RC Experience
- First RC: Tamiya Hornet (1985)
- First Off-Road: Kyosho Optima (1986)
- First Touring Car: Tamiya HKS Skyline GT-R TA-02 (1993)
- Race Director, Weekends/Tuesday Nights, HobbyMasters Raceway (1995-1997)
- Graphic Designer / R&D, HPI Racing (1996)
- Graphic Designer / Editor, Xtreme RC Cars Magazine (1995-1999)
- Editor, Xtreme RC Cars Magazine (2006-present)
- Founder, RC DriftClub (2006-present)
RC/Race Accomplishments
- 11th, Inaugural Tamiya TCS Race to Japan, Touring Car Class, Aliso Viejo CA (1995)
- 1st, Hobby People Points Series, Touring Car Mod, Southern CA (1996)
- 2nd, Hobby People Points Series, Touring Car Stock, Southern CA (1996)
- 13th, NORRCA Touring Car Nationals, Las Vegas NV (1996)
- 7th, Tamiya 3-Hour Endurance Race, Aliso Viejo CA (2006)
- Best of Show, Tamiya TCS Regional, GT2 Class, Aliso Viejo CA (2006)
- Best of Show, Tamiya TCS Final, GT2 Class, Aliso Viejo CA (2006)
- 3rd Overall, GD Points Series, Southern CA (2006)
- Fastest Lap, HPI/HB Challenge 1, Radial Time Attack, Foothill Ranch, CA (2008)
- 3rd, HPI/HB Challenge 1, E10 sSpec, Foothill Ranch, CA(2008)
- 2nd, HPI/HB Challenge 1, Expert T-Drift, Foothill Ranch, CA (2008)
- 2nd, HPI/HB Challenge 1, Expert Type-R, Foothill Ranch, CA (2008)
- 1st, Drift Speed RC Drift Meeting R2, Twin Drift, Los Alamitos, CA (2008)
- 1st, HPI/HB Challenge 2, T-Drift, RCX Expo, Pomona, CA (2008)
- 3rd, HPI/HB Challenge 2, Time Attack, RCX Expo, Pomona CA (2008)
Information
James has been into RC for over 22 years now, first as an enthusiast, then later as a career. He was a director of one of the original Southern California parking lot racing tracks - HobbyMasters Raceway - which at its peak catered to over 70 racers per day, both locals and racers who’d come out from as far as Las Vegas and Phoenix, every Tuesday night and every weekend for two years straight. Many industry racers came out also, from companies such as Team Associated, Team Losi, Tamiya USA, Team Novak, HPI Racing, Yokomo USA, Team Integy, and more. His hobby became a career when he was hired as the first employee at Think Omnimedia, where he was a graphic designer and writer for Xtreme RC Cars Magazine.
His RC racing experience was primarily on-road touring car, where he would race up to 4 times a week @ local races in Southern California in the late 90’s. From Hobbymasters to Ultimate, Hobby Shack to SoCal Raceway, Revelation to ABC, Massie’s and Pegasus, you’d see James running in both stock and mod classes on a regular basis. These days he’s still a touring car fan, but he also runs off-road-from 1/8-scale buggy to monster trucks and 1/10-scale 4wd buggy.
James has always been a car guy, being one of the original street racers of SoCal, spending many weekend nights in Gardena, Sylmar, Ontario, and Long Beach in the mid-90’s. Because of his interest in driving, he eventually received full-scale driver training by three autocross season champions, two international rally drivers, and participated in the Silver State Endurance Classic in Nevada, all before the age of 21.
He’s also a mechanic, trained under the wings of team Suzuki and team Toyota international rally team pit crews, and has multiple years of combined experience in full-scale automotive racing. Settling down a bit from before, he returned to Xtreme RC Cars Magazine, and is the founder of RC DriftClub.
Dave Palacios
A.K.A. Deep-a-licious (don’t ask… okay, ask)
Birthdate 02.24
Birthplace Los Angeles, CA
Hometown San Dimas, CA
Occupation Senior Graphic Artist, Xtreme RC Cars and RC Heli magazines / Co-Founder, RC DriftClub
Education
Graphic Design
Associates Degree, Graphic Design
Other
LPV-ROP Certificate in Cabinet Making (1990-1992)
Attended Rowland High School Animation program (1988-1991)
Honorable Mention - Los Angeles student animation film festival (1989)
Second Place – Los Angeles student animation film festival (1990)
RC Experience
- First RC: Tamiya Blackfoot (1987)
- First off-road racer: Team Associated RC10 (1989)
- First touring car: HPI RS4 (1994)
- Race Director, Weekends, HobbyMasters Raceway (1996-199)
- Graphic Artist / Xtreme RC Cars Magazine (1997-1998)
- Warehouse & CNC operators assistant / Team Losi (1998)
- Custom RC bodies (1994-present)
- Senior Graphic Artist, Xtreme RC Cars & RC HeliMagazine (2000-present)
- Designer and R&D assistant of PTI Goliath (2003-present)
- Founder, RC DriftClub (2006-present)
RC/Race Accomplishments
- 6th NORRCA touring car gas nationals (2002)
- Best of Show, Tamiya TCS Final, Aliso Viejo CA (2004)
- 7th, Tamiya 3-hour Endurance Race, Aliso Viejo CA (2006)
Information
Dave got into radio control cars back in 1987 with his first RC car: a Tamiya Blackfoot. Ever since then he was hooked. In 1992 he started racing off-road with a Team Losi Jr. T. For years he concentrated on off-road 2WD electric and attended many ROAR and NORRCA events. To Dave, RC wasn’t about winning–but was about enjoying the hobby and the atmosphere it created. With enough electric experience under his belt, Dave moved onto 2WD nitro truck with a Traxxas Nitro Hawk. Not satisfied, Dave decided to design and build his own Associated RC10 nitro truck conversion (a year before Associated’s original RC10 GT). Later he went on to also do a Team Losi LXT and XX-T conversion.
A few years later, Dave started racing on-road at a local parking lot track in Southern California called Hobby Masters. There he became friends with James Revilla, and they were so involved with the racing that the two eventually took over as race directors. Hobby Masters soon became THE place to race in Southern California with big names such as Gil Losi Jr., Barry Baker, Brian Kinwald, Richard Trujillo, and Rick Howart showing up to race. At its peak they were averaging 70-80 entries on any given Saturday afternoon.
Soon Dave began working for Xtreme RC Cars Magazine part-time, helping with layout and writing. His first full-time RC job was at Team Losi in 1997. 3 years later Dave went back to Xtreme RC, but with a full-time position as the magazine’s Online Editor / Graphic Artist. In 2002 he designed what would become the PTI Goliath, the “world’s first RC mini monster truck.”
Ever since then, Dave has been involved in many aspects of the RC hobby and has raced everything from 2WD off-road and 1/8-scale buggy/truggy to 4WD Touring car, micros and more. He’s also into full-sized motorsports, being a member of the Subaru Internet Performance Panel (SIPP) from 2000-2003. He is currently Xtreme RC’s Senior Graphic Artist, and co-founder of RC DriftClub.
Edgar Ferman
A.K.A. Artic Dragon, El Segundo
Birthdate 12.25
Birthplace El Salvador
Hometown West Covina / Irvine, CA
Occupation N/A
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