[Jeff Higgins]

Our R/C car hobby laid a wonderful, firm foundation for his interest in "real" cars. He learned to work on cars, he learned how different suspension settings affected handling, and all of that. Any of you with kids or grand kids of the right age should give it a shot. It's a great way to spend time with them while actually teaching them something of value.

There is a big, big difference between racing in an organized series and simple back yard or neighborhood street bashing. The commitment to a series teaches them valuable lessons. The need to prep the car, or sometimes even fix the car to make the next heat teaches them valuable lessons. And the competitiveness, as long as it is kept in perspective, inspires them to try harder, or keep trying when they are down, and all of that. I just cannot say enough about R/C racing as a father/son or father/daughter activity.

Pretty much everything he learned in the R/C racing world helped in some way to get through his 912 project. Like any such project, it certainly had its ups and downs. The fact that he had seen much of it in 1/10th scale helped more than I can express. Probably the attitude he developed by dealing with the many frustrations of our toy car racing was the biggest asset I noticed that helped him stick with the "real" car.