What may look like a hobby to some has become a passion for dozens of racers at Hobby Time RC in Great Falls.
Watch the full video below:
Inside the hobby shop on Airport Hill, the sound of buzzing electric motors fills the air as remote-control cars zip around an indoor track. Every week, racers gather to fine-tune their cars, compete in organized races and spend time with fellow enthusiasts who share a love for the hobby.
For longtime RC enthusiast and Hobby Time employee Jason Knowles, the racing is only part of what keeps people coming back.
"I think most what keeps everybody coming back is the camaraderie," Knowles said. "You know, I mean, we're all here for the same thing. We all love the hobby."
Hobby Time relocated from its downtown location to its larger Airport Hill building about three years ago, giving the business room to expand. Along with the larger retail space, the shop features an indoor racetrack and is nearing completion on a large outdoor track.
"It's set up for an oval configuration right now," Knowles said of the outdoor course.
He credits the owners' investment in the new location with helping grow the local RC community.
"[The owners] brought the store up here and built the track. And we are definitely happy they did it," Knowles said.
The tracks see regular use from racers of all skill levels.
"There are people up racing every week. There are people that are practicing all the time, like right now," Knowles said.
Knowles says one of the biggest misconceptions about RC racing is that it's only for a certain age group or experience level. Instead, he says it's a hobby nearly anyone can enjoy.
"It's just one of those things that anybody can participate in," he said. "It doesn't matter how old or young or what your physical status is."
Despite the shop's larger location and active racing scene, Knowles says many people still don't realize Hobby Time RC exists.
"I'm still surprised at how many people don't know that Hobby Time is here, that we have this big of a hobby shop in Great Falls," he said.
That's why Hobby Time RC is taking its hobby beyond the store and into the community during this year's Montana State Fair.
The business will have a booth in the Mercantile Building every day of the fair from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., where visitors can learn more about RC racing, see the hobby up close and even try driving a remote-control car for themselves.
"We're always trying to be out in the public to show the people what there is," Knowles said.
Whether someone is looking to race competitively or simply searching for a new hobby, Knowles hopes more people will discover what has kept the local RC community growing.
"We're always racing," he said.
Hobby Time RC is located at 2701 Old Airport Rd, Great Falls, MT, near the airport and Loves Travel Stop.
