Speedworld Race History

SpeedWORLD Race History

SpeedWorld Raceway and Hobbies and the Mail Order was established in 1999.

SpeedWorld owner Billy Bowerman began racing RC cars in 1981 with an Associated RC100 after moving back to California from Reno, Nevada.
While driving through Cupertino, California, Billy heard the sound of small cars in the distance that reminded him of buzzing bees. Curious about what he was hearing, he drove over to investigate and discovered a local RC racing club known as the R.A.M.S. Club at a local college.
It was there that Billy met Gary “Bear” Buraini, who was one of the top RC drivers in the country. The two quickly became close friends and shared a friendship that lasted more than 35 years.
Gary “Big Bear” Buraini was not only a talented racer but also a great friend and respected member of the RC community. Rest in Peace, Big Bear.
During Billy Bowerman’s first year in RC racing with the R.A.M.S. Club in 1981, he became very involved with the club and the growing RC racing community.
Billy started creating a monthly newsletter for the R.A.M.S. members that included racing information, club news, race results, new members and driver statistics for everyone to enjoy and follow.
Everything was created completely by hand using a typewriter, pencil, ruler and copier machine long before computers were available for everyday use. It took a lot of time, creativity, and dedication, but it was a blast and became a fun part of the RC racing experience during that era.
Each month, he would print approximately 20–25 copies, then staple them together like a small pamphlet and hand them out at the next race.The pamphlet was typically a single sheet of paper folded in half (about 4 x 5.5 inches). Depending on the month, it was sometimes 4 pages and other times expanded to 6 pages. so time went on 6 years and Billy became President of the R.A.M.S. Club for several years and then quiteing .

Timing systems in those early days were very basic compared to today’s technology, with no modern electronic scoring systems.
Instead, up to 10 clicker counters were mounted on a wooden platform at a table. Two or three people—often including wives and volunteers—would sit at the table and each person would be assigned specific cars to manually count during the race.
A flagman would start the race by raising the green flag and sounding a horn. Turn marshals were also used around the track, which remains one of the few elements of racing that has not changed much over the years.
Track markers were placed every 5 to 10 boards around the course to help track positions. The little nitro engines would race and run for 4 to 5 minutes, and when the horn sounded at the end, all drivers had to stop immediately and remain where they finished.
After the race ended, officials would use the clicker counters at the table to tally laps for each driver, then locate each driver’s car on the track. They would identify which marker the car was closest to, measure the distance between markers using the boards, and write down final results manually.
It was an extremely manual, intense, and sometimes chaotic process, it somehow worked, and it is remembered as an incredible and unbelievable part of early RC racing history.
We also used VHT cut with menthenol for traction, highley illigal to spay that chemical on the asphalt todays day in age. Plus back then it was 20 dollars a gallon and we used 4 or 5 gallons a race, so it was pricey.
Billy Bowerman worked for Federal Express from 1981 to 1990 while continuing to stay heavily involved in RC racing and the racing community.
During that time, Pops Losi contacted Billy and asked if he would come to Southern California to manage and operate the famous Ranch Pit Shop and race facility as General Manager.
The Ranch Pit Shop was already world-famous for hosting major RC race events and was known as the home of Team Losi. Long before Pops and Janet Losi purchased the facility, the Ranch was already a legendary location in RC racing history.
The facility was also widely known as the original home track of John Thorp and Thorp Racing, which later became the birthplace of the famous MIP tools and products that racers around the world still use today.
Billy and his wife Tracy packed up and moved south while Tracy was five months pregnant so Billy could begin working for Team Losi and the Ranch Pit Shop.
Billy worked for Team Losi and the Ranch Pit Shop for approximately 12 months. During their time in Southern California, Billy and Tracy welcomed their daughter Ashley into the world.
Ashley was born eight weeks premature, and doctors had to deliver her early to protect both Ashley and Tracy from potentially serious complications.
With Ashley’s health uncertain at the time and not knowing what challenges might lie ahead, Billy and Tracy made the difficult decision to move back closer to family for additional support during such an important time in their lives.
Looking back, it was the right decision for both their family and Ashley’s well-being.
After moving back home, Billy Bowerman was fortunate enough to be offered a management position at Hobby Warehouse, a well-known RC race facility and mail-order company.
Hobby Warehouse carried many of its own high-quality products and had built a strong reputation within the RC racing industry. Billy worked there for about a year before realizing he needed to focus on building a more secure future for his family.
Billy then made several phone calls and was able to return to work at Federal Express in 1992. He always believed in leaving jobs on good terms, and that decision helped open the door for him to return.
In 1995, while working at the Federal Express facility, Billy was seriously injured when an oversized and overweight package was placed onto a conveyor belt and slammed into him, herniating four discs in his back.
Billy was out of work for approximately eight months. Even without full medical approval from doctors, he returned to work because he needed to support his family.
He continued working for another 3½ years despite being in constant pain and eventually reached a point where he could barely walk anymore.
Federal Express was required to offer Billy another position, but the job and salary being offered were not realistic for his physical condition. He also received lifetime medical coverage, which unfortunately did very little to truly help his situation.
Billy ultimately decided to leave Federal Express before starting a call center position because he knew physically sitting for long periods would not work with his injuries.
During this difficult time, Billy and Tracy were raising their two beautiful daughters, Ashley and Britney, and Billy knew he needed to find another path to provide for his family.
Even though Federal Express strongly encouraged Billy to become a manager, he knew the long-term future there was not going to work for him physically. At the same time, he had already begun searching for property where he could build and operate an RC racetrack and Hobby shop as a new source of income and a way to stay involved in the RC industry he loved.
After the injury, Billy lived in severe pain for over a decade. During rehabilitation, he was taking large amounts of pain medication daily and Motrin around 4000-5600 daily just to try and function through the pain. after 10 plus years Billy has esophagus problem, and other issue could be going on with liver and other parts from talking so many medicine. His inn liner was be eaten away by the medicine, so they had to find an anther alterative for the pain.
The medications often left him feeling exhausted and mentally drained while he struggled through therapy and recovery.
For years, Billy could not even lift more than 10 pounds, including being unable to properly pick up and hold his own newborn children because of the damage to his back, but that didn't stop him from doing anything. Billy was determined to do whatever he wanted and did care about the damage or pain. It was having to do more than she signed up for but never once did she ever complin, not one time. she worked a full-time job and mother of two and more.
Billy lived with extreme pain for over 10 years, and at that time very few doctors were willing to perform surgery on his back because of the severity and risks involved.
Doctors explained that major surgery would likely require rods and extensive reconstruction in his lower back, and even then there was no guarantee of a successful outcome. Because of the risks, Billy chose to continue living with the pain rather than gamble on a surgery that might not end well.
Despite the constant pain and physical limitations, Billy refused to give up. Over time, he learned ways to manage the condition, even though he knew certain activities would always be limited.
What made the situation even harder was knowing that Federal Express provided very little financial support after the accident. At that time, the company’s responsibility was mainly limited to rehabilitation and offering another position, even though the injury happened while Billy was performing his job duties in front of over 50 employees.
Billy did not have the luxury of standing still and feeling sorry for himself because he had a wife and two daughters depending on him.
Instead of quitting, Billy focused his energy on building a future through the hobbies and passions he loved. He knew life could change at any moment, and he was determined to do everything possible to provide for his family no matter how difficult the road became.
Billy eventually found a piece of land located at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, California, only 4 miles from the house. This would later become the home of SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies foe over 20 plus years.
Tracy and Billy had made the decision to go broke trying or work hard and go big. Billy made an agreement with the fairground to lease for 5 years, not year to year. We were investing our life's, blood seat and tears into this place.

The property had originally been an old spool yard for the Roseville electrical rail yard dating back to World War II, where military artillery and bomb shipments passed through at the train yards located only a few miles away for us. The land was rough and filled with large holes in the ground, some nearly 6 feet wide and 1 to 2 feet deep.
Billy knew that if he wanted to create an income and future for his family, he would have to work harder than ever, even if it meant putting additional strain on his already damaged back and strain on Tracy having a family that she took care of.
Tracy was understandably concerned about the physical toll the project could take on Billy, especially after everything they had already been through with his injuries and years of pain.
But Tracy stood by Billy the same way she always had. She believed in him completely and supported his dreams 100%, often believing in him even more than he believed in himself.
Billy and Tracy both knew they did not have much money, but they did have good credit and credit cards. Because Billy no longer had steady employment, getting so getting a business loan was not an option.
Tracy fully supported the dream, and together they started charging materials and expenses to credit cards while working day and night to make the project happen.
Tracy still worked 45–50 hours a week, took care of their two daughters, and somehow still found time to come help at the property almost every chance she had, including all weekends. Billy has always said that none of his dreams or goals they have achieved together would have ever been possible without Tracy standing beside him every step of the way. L
With determination, support, hard work, family, friends and new friends that we meet while building, this project would have taken a year to finish, and I don't think we would have made it financially after setting back and thinking about it. Billy and Tracy officially began building SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies from the ground up.
Billy’s longtime and best friend and brother, Jon Anderson, who was the lead machinist for Team Losi Manufacturing, actually quit his job at Losi and moved to Northern California moved in with us to help Billy and Tracy build the dream with no questions asked.
The project took nearly 6 months of nonstop work, often working seven days a week. Jon built and helped construct all of the pit tables, the driver’s stand, and the timing tower which required an incredible amount of wood and labor.
Jon was known as a perfectionist, so extra time was often spent making sure everything was built correctly, but Billy would not have wanted it any other way.
Once the word spread that a permanent RC on-road race facility was being built in the area, people started showing up to volunteer and help. Billy always felt it was a blessing from above seeing so many people come together to support the dream of someone else. But it also shows the community that loves one of the best and greatest racing hobby in the world.
Billy’s brother-in-law Tom also came out during his free time and weekends to help with construction and whatever else was needed.
Then Scotty Barns came along and began helping as well, eventually becoming one of the biggest contributors to SpeedWorld’s success for nearly the next 20 years. Billy has always considered Scotty one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for because of his kindness. Scotty is someone that you would want to work for you, he takes pride in himself and work.
Then we had one of Billy’s closest and dearest friends, Otto, also became a huge part of the project and the SpeedWorld family. Otto was known as the “gentle giant,” standing around 6'3" and nearly 280 pounds, with the ability to build or fix just about anything or even move a car out of the way by himself, lol.
Billy joked that Otto was so strong he sometimes broke things simply because he tightened everything too much, but Otto would fix everything he ever broke. Otto was the kind of friend who would give someone the shirt off his back or drive 100 miles at 2:00am in the morning just to help with something as small as a flat tire.
Billy and Otto shared countless memories together and built a friendship strong enough to write a book about.
Another close friend was Tom Meyer, known by many as “Mr. Red Robin,” “Mr. Chipotle,” and later “Mr. Blaze Pizza” because of his successful management career with major restaurant companies.
Before his passing far too young, Tommy was known as one of the kindest, funniest, and most respectful people anyone could meet. He had a calm personality, incredible leadership skills, and a work ethic that made major companies seek him out to manage and improve their businesses. Billy remembers Tommy as a truly special person and a great friend.
Rest in Peace, Tommy.
Tracy’s cousin’s husband also stepped in to handle the electrical work for the facility.
Since the property originally had no electricity at all, Billy, Tracy, and Jon first had to dig an 18-inch-deep trench stretching nearly 300 feet just to bring power onto the property.
The project required installing a 200-amp electrical service and purchasing large amounts of expensive wiring and electrical equipment.
After the trenches were completed, Tracy’s cousin’s husband installed all of the electrical outlets and wiring throughout the facility, including 192 receptacles and more than 600 feet of electrical wire just for the outlet system alone.
At the time, there was no permanent RC on-road racetrack within nearly 200 miles of Roseville California, which made the project even more exciting for racers throughout Northern California and the Sacramento region.
One of the first major construction projects was completing and repairing the perimeter fencing around the property.
After that, an asphalt company was brought in to completely resurface the grounds, transforming the old World War II spool yard into what would eventually become SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies.
Then Billy decided to put up lights which wasn't in the plan for night racing, Billy study how to draw up a blueprint and how to design and measure wind structure and place rebar for the design so he can take it the city approval and the permit. These were not stand-up lights; these were 6 or 7 30 ft light in the ground around the track.
Then we had a racer that become a dear personal friend Marc Richards come out and be my builder, Marc is another perfectionist that would build anything I asked, Marc built our snack bar building and garage shed. This guy can build and do it correctly. You never knew he was around, he just goes to work, and you might hear him sneeze once in a while. Dud is the best friend away from SpeedWorld.

SpeedWorld Raceway had been one of the premier racing facilities for on-road and oval 1/10th scale nitro and electric racing from 1999 to 2021.

Established in 1999, SpeedWORLD Raceway & Hobbies has been a frontrunner in Electric and Nitro Racing.

For over two decades, they have traveled across the country to participate in races, support their clientele, and welcome new customers. SpeedWORLD Raceway is renowned for hosting some of the largest and most prestigious races globally.

Since 1999, SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies was considered one of the first full-time RC race facilities in the country to offer racers a complete racing experience with full amenities.
Amenities included a full-time hot and cold snack bar featuring specialty foods, sandwiches, chips, ice cream, beverages, and treats requested by racers for convenience during race events.
SpeedWORLD Raceway had a 24 ft x 4 ft high drivers stand covered and on each side of the drivers stand we added later more driver stand area, On each side of the drivers stand we added 6ft long and it stepped down 10 inches to allow more drivers on the track to practice or even have a 4 or 8 hour enduros.
SpeedWORLD also had a timing tower for the computre and annoucer.
SpeedWORLD had 3 camera going on with live feed so family and racer can watch for home. SpeedWORLD was one one of the first to have live interviews at a table for the podium finisher at one of their big race, really cool. We also had a podium area for picture and a wall around the podium with sponsores on it.
The track was a permenent race track, but we were able to change the layout monthly or every 2 months. we basically 4x4 wood for several years but it warp and paint flake off easy and got exspencive, so friend hadding me a pc of trex that was coming out and I sumerged it in water for 6 months and it never got soft. So Speedended up purchasing the entire facility track with tre, it never warped or and stay strong and it was 6 time s heavey the the wood so the track didnt move around easley. Then we used polycarbonate material specially cut for flppers aroung the corners 3-1/2 in high to help some what the cars from breaking parts.
SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies featured 96 permanent pit spots measuring 2 ft. x 4 ft. with shelves, along with six permanent 20 ft. x 40 ft. shade canopies covering the pit tables and area at all times.
The facility also provided 192 electrical outlets throughout the pit area, so power availability was never a problem for racers and their equipment.
Permanent fairground restrooms were available for all guests during certain times, and SpeedWorld also supplied 1 or 2 two additional clean portable restrooms — one for men and one for women only. The restrooms were maintained and decorated to provide the comforts of home. The wives especially appreciated their extra effort, and it helped women decide and encourage families to come out and enjoy race weekends together.
SpeedWorld Hobby Shop was known by many racers as “The Largest Little Hobby Shop in the Country,” if not the world. Even though the building was only 10 ft. wide by 40 ft. long, SpeedWorld packed more inventory and high-end performance products into the store than many larger hobby shops at the time. There was not much that SpeedWORLD did not carry. and the invetory you could never imagine that this little shop had inside.
Back in the day, SpeedWorld carried almost every major aftermarket performance part, high-end racing product, and products from all major manufacturers in the RC industry — long before many hobby shops even considered stocking those items in-house or can get at the time.
SpeedWorld specialized in competitive RC racing products ranging from 1/10-scale electric on-road cars to 1/10 and 1/8-scale nitro on-road racing. Racers from all over knew they could count on SpeedWorld to carry the latest performance parts, upgrades, and hard-to-find products needed to stay competitive.
SpeedWorld was the sole USA distributor for Sorex Tires until 2011, when Tsunami slowed the distribution process down.
I would personally like to thank one of the world’s best RC drivers and World Champion, Mike Swauger and personal friend, for inviting me to Hong Kong in 2001 to attend their Hong Kong Electric On-Road Nationals.
Mike Swauger played a major role in helping SpeedWorld pick up the Team Sorex and Team Xpress product lines, allowing SpeedWorld to become a USA distributor for these outstanding products and brands.
SpeedWORLD facility also had a grid area next to the drivers stand for the drivers that where in the next heat to be ready to go up the stairs, it was also fully shaded. It was also used to grid up the drivers in the Nitro classes.
SpeedWORLD also had a tire trueing are full hook up and clean area to true the foam tires, the drivers always kept that area clean.
SpeedWORLD also had a full size heat sheet board for the heat sheets to be posted, it just wasnt a wall, it was a score board.
SpeedWORLD had a washsink, along with a wash tub tank to clean Nitro & Electric car bodies. They had emergency kit mounted on the hobby shop outside wall for emergency and even storage shed if the racers wanted to leave somenthing behind.
- In mid-2011, SpeedWorld Raceway decided to build an off-road track layout on top of the existing 180 ft. x 130 ft. asphalt on-road track. The layout featured carpet-covered jumps placed throughout the track to create a unique off-road racing experience.
- The carpet on the jumps helped the cars launch and land smoother while also protecting the asphalt surface from chipping and damage during racing.
- To build the layout, SpeedWorld creatively used plow discs, garden hoses, special made accordion wooden ramps w/sidewalls that would extend from 4 ft to 12 long x 8 ft wide, six custom-made 4-inch high x 8-foot wide sheet metal speed bump ramps and obstacles throughout the course.
- The track was an absolute blast to race on and became one of the most unique and creative track designs ever built at SpeedWorld Raceway.
- The track design was very unique and extremely fun to race on. Multiple jumps were built ranging from 4 feet long up to 12 feet long, including several tabletop jumps that made the racing exciting and challenging for all skill levels.
- The combination of asphalt racing surfaces with carpet-covered jumps created an awesome racing experience that many racers still remember today as one of the most creative layouts SpeedWorld Raceway ever built.
I have to give a special thanks to these guys that where always there to helpSpeedWORLD from the begging of 1999 for 19 years until i sold the track.
These guys worked their asses of all the time and gave many thankless hours. These guys were always there when needed to build, fix, clean and repair. Special thank you goes out to Scotty Barnes, R.I.P. Tom Meyers, Javier Arroyo, Mike Hall, Otto Rosa, Clint Riley, without these guys it would of been a way more difficult to get things done or at time to be ready for the next race.
SpeedWORLD Raceway & Hobbies:

2000 - N.O.R.R.C.A. World Electric On-Road Touring Car Championships - Winner Atsushi Hara

2001 - R.O.A.R. Paved Electric On-Road Nationals - R.O.A.R. Not posted N/A

2006 - R.O.A.R. On-Road Electric Nationals -Winner Touring Car Master - Tom Esposito - Winner Touring 19 turn - Billy Eston - Winner 1/12th scale stock - Jeff Brown - Winne r 12th scale 19t - Chad Galante - Winner 1/12th scale - Jon Orr