Author: Tony Phalen

As an avid RC enthusiast, Tony has been building, bashing and racing RC Cars for over 30 years. He has participated in every kind of surface racing events - 1/18 scale trucks, 1/10 scale TC, Rock Racers, Rally - if it had wheels, he's raced it! He's also worked on both sides of the industry fence; collaborating with many major manufacturers (as well as being a sponsored driver) to working for a high-profile industry magazine. During this time he has learned many tricks, tips and techniques and is sharing that knowledge on CompetitionX - the most informative RC website on the internet!

Review: Team Associated T5M Stadium Truck

Review: Team Associated T5M Stadium Truck

For years now, Stadium Trucks have taken a back seat to the monstrous short course fad. While basically the same platform, many prefer the closed ... Read More

Sticky HPI 5B Steering

Sticky HPI 5B Steering

Question: Hi Doctor- I have a HPI Baja 5B and am currently racing it in any race I can find. I have been having a ... Read More

Convert my Maisto Rock Crawler to 9.6v

Convert my Maisto Rock Crawler to 9.6v

Question: Hiya Doctor- I bought a brand new Maisto Rock Crawler not to long ago. I wired a 9.6v battery to it (like everyone is ... Read More

Review: Axial Yeti XL Monster Rock Racer

Review: Axial Yeti XL Monster Rock Racer

When we got the 1/10-scale Axial Yeti in the office, everyone associated with the magazine wanted to review it. While I really wanted to give ... Read More

Review: Losi 8IGHT-T 4WD Gasoline Truggy RTR

Review: Losi 8IGHT-T 4WD Gasoline Truggy RTR

I consider myself a pretty competent RC fanatic; I can drive, tune, build and even properly instruct someone (sometimes) on how to do something. The ... Read More

Diff-icult Question

Diff-icult Question

Question: Hi Doctor- This question is about the Differential setup you have on your site: https://www.competitionx.com/rc-differential-explained/. I'm running a Tamiya TA05R and I use it ... Read More

Review: Losi TEN-SCTE Troy Lee Designs SCT

Review: Losi TEN-SCTE Troy Lee Designs SCT

Losi’s fabulous TEN-SCTE 2.0 has seen quite a bit of success on the battlefield, winning everything from club races to National Championships. When it came ... Read More

Review: HPI E-Firestorm Flux Stadium Truck

Review: HPI E-Firestorm Flux Stadium Truck

I’ve always been a pretty big fan of HPI vehicles, continually looking forward to what they have to offer and what I can add to ... Read More

Review: Traxxas Slash with OBA and TSM

Review: Traxxas Slash with OBA and TSM

The Slash has seen quite a few years of service, with Traxxas introducing something new with each release. It’s progressed from a pretty basic 2WD ... Read More

RC Screw Types Explained + How to Measure Them

RC Screw Types Explained + How to Measure Them

When I first started out in RC, I didn't have much of a background in building things. Sure, as a kid I disassembled all my ... Read More

Team Associated T5M Online Build

Team Associated T5M Online Build

It was only a matter of time until the brilliant mid-motor design of Team Associated’s B5M made its way to their Stadium Truck. This truck ... Read More

Review: Team C TM4 2WD Buggy

Review: Team C TM4 2WD Buggy

One of my favorite 1/10-scale classes is 4WD buggy. These little ground-level fighter jets can turn almost any track into a fun-filled playground, carving corners ... Read More

Review: Team Associated PROSC 4×4 Short Course Truck

Review: Team Associated PROSC 4×4 Short Course Truck

Let’s face it; our industry has been overrun with Short Course trucks. Why is that, you might ask? I chalk it up to a few ... Read More

Review: Tamiya Fighting Buggy

Review: Tamiya Fighting Buggy

If you’ve been around a spell, you’ll know that Tamiya's Fighting Buggy was once called the Super Champ. This vehicle was released back in 1982 ... Read More

Axial Yeti XL Online Build

Axial Yeti XL Online Build

Axial has done a great job at focusing their efforts towards scale releases. Their line of scale trail trucks has been hugely popular, so it ... Read More