What brought you to RDC?

[McCredie A]

Just as the title says. What made you guys sign up for RDC, when did you hear about it, how did you find it?

For me I was 12-13 back in 2002--2003 my dad was looking for a prerunner. We would wait every month for dusty times to show up and search the back two pages (3 if you were lucky) of classified pages. Most of the cycle trader adds were sand cars back then. Dale Dondel told him to check out RDC, baja concepts, and Go-desert.

My dad instructed me to find a car and he would get it. I spent more time online than I had before trying to find the car. Back then RDC had two sections for classifieds (wanted or for sale). Around 04 I figured out what the forms were. Total game changer compared to waiting for Dusty times.

Since then I have bought and sold many cars on the classified programs and spend way to much time on the forums.

Thanks RDC for the years of entertainment and knowledge!

 

[Matthew Camp]

Classified had me lurking and hunting for years and I hung on every word Pete posted for inspiration. Once my work shut down from COVID I decided to start talking and blasting memes .

 

[brecht]

Been a lurker for probably 10 years now - been casually off-roading and going to races for over 30 (since diapers with the family). The SpeedUTV thread got me back here more recently since I'm a customer (2+ years in line now... any day ;P) but the drama and BS in the other threads are fun reads too - especially around race time. Don't have much to contribute but like learning what you guys do and reading all the stories

 

[class5cole]

2004ish. My dad would look here for results and schedules. Saw the cool logo and thought how badass it was to spell "Desert" with a Z

 

[AaronMacomber]

lurked since 2007-ish when i was building my first truck.

Posting since late last year when i actually started racing.

 

[stephenrjking]

I was looking for internet sources talking about truck racing when I got on a nostalgia kick remembering the old MTEG days.

Helped a great deal.

 

[Fourstroker]

Getting back in to racing around 02-03 after 15 year hiatus of following closely. Did a serach to find results from an MDR race. Came across go-desert. Followed there a while until someone mentioned race-dezert. Signed up the next day. Jan 2004 for me. My og member # was in the 1000's

 

[CMA GUMBY]

Was looking for updates and info on the tragedy of the last MDR race. Found RDC and never looked back...
Pistol Pete was always entertaining.

 

[jon coleman]

hmmm, came here for the chance to torment fellow dezert racers, actually a friend got me signed up and helped me sell a car on rdc, who shall remain nameless for protection

 

[Argentino]

I thought this was the "Grinder" of off-road.


Confirmed.










Really came here looking for race results since I don't use social media. This is my social media.

 

[BajaCharlie]

Ray and Bozo got me interested

 

[LAZY-H]

I’ve been a fan of the site since day one. There weren’t many options on the net for off road racing news/classifieds/forums etc. It was kinda like a new age Dusty Times. Never really had the need to join until 2017 when Rob Mac was about to win the Mint 400 for his first time ever so I had to create an account to root him on!!!
…..oh and I got to read comments in purple lol that sh!ts priceless

 

[E.Hagle]

If you’re a pretty rad dude your google searches should land you on RDC fairly quickly.

I was building a Comanche to race Jeep Speed and then suddenly (2 years later) we were headed to Reno to pick up a class 10 car, and then I made an account.

I like it here most days.

 

[jon coleman]

still have the Comanche??,

 

[JDDurfey]

I first joined in 2005. I mostly followed RDC for the bike section and news about the Baja courses. I think there were more bike guys on in those days too just like there used to be more of the big names in racing on here.

I stopped racing in 08 and stopped following RDC, but I still kept up with Baja racing somewhat. I was excited to see the battle between the factory bike teams at the 2013 Baja 1000 and followed the race as closely as I could. After Kurt Caselli's crash I tried to log into RDC to get the complete scoop and couldn't remember my log in or password. Several searches came up empty and I didn't have my email address any longer from before, so I started a new account.

I wish Kurt was still around, he was such a nice guy. I didn't know him, but I had one brief encounter with him at a Hare and Hound and that was just a glimpse into his character. I wonder what bike racing in SCORE would look like today if he had not died. Would KTM, Honda, and Kawasaki still be battling? I would like to think so.

 

[Tom_Willis]

Really came here looking for race results since I don't use social media. This is my social media.

Same here. I dropped fb, have never visited any other platform, and only follow specific websites for technical purposes related to my current trucks.

 

[NicksTrix]

i left desert racing after 92 to move east to further my motorsports career and have a life style change. once i learned how to use a computer and started checking things out in the early days of the internet i found this site and it allowed me to follow along with what was going on with my old friends and industry far better than dusty times. i've been a member here since 01. the bulk of my era of friends have retired from racing or moved on but i still enjoy following along. i am blown away with how the technology has developed. it's mind boggling to me now to see how fast these vehicles can traverse across the desert.

 

[Klaus]

WOW! what a touching thread.



Thank you for all the kind words.

When we originally built this in tripple9 the stated intention was to connect the Ivan Stewarts with the 16 year old noobs of offroad.
Over the years I have lost focus lots fo times on what RDC is, burned bridges by pissing off people that wanted to be part of this and also identified a few trying to suck the life-blood out of it. I have also met some of the coolest people and now call them friends.

What a fun ride no matter what and more decades to come.

Spoiler: Theme Song to this Post

 

[isdtbower]

I, digitally, come from Adventure Rider and Pirate 4x4. Adventure Rider for notes on western states trails to ride, and Pirate 4x4 as WAS THE source for 4x4 tech. Our family had our own groups we rode and wheeled with. 4x4 was recreational wheeling and fast dunes in a built CJ2a with 2 motors for HP or cool-water trailing. King of the Hammers (KOH) brought me to RDC from it's inception. To help a team and to help the KOH startup with our daughter, Charlene. Soon I had melded in with the Jason Scherer, Rage 4th, team. Tech was on the front burner and costs were not considered until they happened and then "considered as to benefit." We always wanted to know WHY something worked. KOH quickly became go-fast desert AND wheeling. Naturally we started to seek out the Dez people and what they were doing. RDC gave us the names. Facebook and contacts gave us the closer look.

We also tried to help expand the 4x4 IFS thinking and questioning on RDC and Pirate4x4. We had to learn, as it was a game changer in the KOH realm. In those early days of IFS, geometry and shock changes were almost monthly. Of course you "get to know" the contributors, and one of those was Pete in our motorhome. We learned how to question BS and Marketing Tech. Today, I like to keep up with racing as IFS has now moved on into the Trucks with more dedicated money and professional-experienced OFFROAD engineers to move it further along .... faster. (I mention offroad engineers as it has been impossible to get suggestions from the Millions of Asphalt/dirt track IFS techies that can relate to suspension articulation above about 3". It is a sub-category in itself. The same with Straight axle or IFS in the rear. ...The biggest advancement being the triangulated 4 bar rear to eliminate rear steer on big articulation. I know KOH contributed to that as DEZ usually runs big bars with little articulation..which "may" loosen with truck IFS)

Of course, RDC is the only resource for keeping up with shock tech outside of FB and direct. Talking about +/- 10% HP seems just a distraction over engine dependability and suspension. I think Facebook has moved some of the tech over there as opposed to RDC lately. But we do learn from observations of players here. Many people also see things from different view points, and you need to consider those. They are usually helpful. Used parts classifieds has also helped us buy some parts to try and/or dissect. Even those "new-er" parts that are worn out. They tell a tale. Cruise on RDC .......and contributors.

Fish is currently bringing the NEW media tech and CURRENT race information to the "masses." Believe it Las Vegas..... Race day has changed for the better.

 

[nickc313]

bought my first sand car off the classifieds section back in 08 ish?

Got addicted to the sand scene for a long time then did my first desert race a couple years ago and made an acct here to see what it was all about.

Learned it's a lot of salty old guys that think they know everything and call each other names and act tough over the interwebs

jk... kind of