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: Tamiya M06 Pro Mini

Review: Tamiya M06 Pro Mini

Here in SoCal, the mini class has always been a hit-or-miss at most parking lot races. Some days you’ll have one or two heats of ... Read More

Tamiya F104X1 Online Build

Tamiya F104X1 Online Build

Formula 1 racing is starting to pick up here in Southern California. Maybe it’s the scale realism, the exciting handling or the competition. Or maybe ... Read More

Review: Tamiya TA05 VDF Gold Edition Drift Car

Review: Tamiya TA05 VDF Gold Edition Drift Car

Living in Southern California, you are exposed to quite an array of motorsporting events. Indy and GT-cars, short course, drag racing, motorcross and, of course, ... Read More

Review: Yeah Racing Transformula F103 Conversion

Review: Yeah Racing Transformula F103 Conversion

Formula 1 is the highest form of racing in the world. The speed, the handling and the incredible sound give most auto racing enthusiasts goosebumps! ... Read More

Review: Losi 5IVE-T 1/5 Scale

Review: Losi 5IVE-T 1/5 Scale

Losi shocked the world with the announcement of their biggest project yet, the 5IVE-T. This 4WD, 1/5th scale gas-powered beast was designed from the ground ... Read More

Review: Kyosho DBX 2.0

Review: Kyosho DBX 2.0

One of the most prestigious racing classes is 1:8th scale. It is like the Formula 1 of RC, and if you’ve been crowned a 1:8th ... Read More

Review: Kyosho Birel R31-SE Go Kart

Review: Kyosho Birel R31-SE Go Kart

It is well known that Go Karts are the starting point for most full-size racing heros. It is the best school for racing because it ... Read More

Review: Team Associated Factory Team SC10 4×4

Review: Team Associated Factory Team SC10 4×4

I reviewed the original SC10 4x4 back in October of 2011 and thought it was a fantastic truck. Not only did it hit high marks ... Read More

Project Axial XR10 Competition Rock Crawler

Project Axial XR10 Competition Rock Crawler

When I first heard I was attending the Axial West Coast Crawling Championships, I was both excited and a little intimidated. Excited because this would ... Read More

Traxxas Slash 4×4 Stock vs Modified Shootout

Traxxas Slash 4×4 Stock vs Modified Shootout

In RC Short Course Driver Volume Two, I had the opportunity to compare a stock Traxxas Slash against a fully-modified, race-prepped Slash. As you would ... Read More

Review: Hot Bodies TCX

Review: Hot Bodies TCX

The TCX is Hot Bodies latest and greatest addition to their Touring Car lineup. Based off of the Championship-winning TC platform, the TCX takes the ... Read More

Review: Hong Nor SCRT10 Short Course Truck

Review: Hong Nor SCRT10 Short Course Truck

With the Short Course scene exploding beyond everyone’s expectations, it was only a matter of time before 4WD trucks became popular. With the introduction of ... Read More

Review: Losi Micro Rally

Review: Losi Micro Rally

Someone once said that “Good things come in small packages”. I’m sure it wasn’t the engineers over at Losi, but they did decide to use ... Read More

Getting Into UF1 – The Ultimate Formula 1 Series

Getting Into UF1 – The Ultimate Formula 1 Series

WHAT IS UF1? Ultimate Formula 1, or UF1, was started back in 2010 by a small group of guys that love full-scale Formula 1. They ... Read More

Review: Team Associated Factory Team RC8Be

Review: Team Associated Factory Team RC8Be

I’ve been pretty lucky to own and drive just about every form of RC vehicle. For some reason, however, the whole 1/8th scale E class ... Read More