Henning family creates a unique racing track for RC cars

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Shawn Cordova’s face lit up last week as the Henning resident watched his remote control (RC) car do a flip over a large snow-covered jump near his home. The RC car didn’t miss a beat as it raced around a large course he constructed with the help of his two children and a family friend. 

As the car, which could be heard from down the street, raced to the corner it made a quick turn, kicked up snow and began heading to another jump.

Just weeks ago the area was covered by snow, but last week it looked more like a race track that was ready for even the biggest RC car fans to try—well until Mother Nature decided it was time to bring winter to an end.

Around Christmas this year, Cordova bought RC cars for himself and his two children Maverick and Aurora as a way to provide some entertainment as closures from the COVID-19 pandemic drug on. He said RC cars provided a safe and fun thing the family could do together, rather than simply sitting in their house all winter long. 

“I bought them for the kids and me for something to do during Covid,” he said. “It looked like something fun we could do together.”

After spending the winter racing the cars on a makeshift course built out of snow and ice, as well as the road, inspiration struck Cordova recently as he constructed an RC course near his home on 2nd Street. 

“I looked outside one day and the weather was perfect for it,” he said. 

Two Saturdays ago, Cordova and his two children, as well as Tanner Price, worked on building a RC track. It took nearly an entire day to build the expansive track out of packed down snow and ice, but with each trick and jump the cars have went over since that time, all of the hard work has paid off. The track is located on an open field of grass near the United Methodist Church in Henning. 

“It was a lot of fun building it. To picture how the vehicle would go around it…was a lot of fun.”

Shawn Cordova

While his snow RC track has seen its better days, due to a recent spike in temperatures, Cordova is hoping the family’s new passion can translate into a summer of fun throughout the region. Cordova said he is exploring the idea of starting a RC club that could build a track in the Henning area. One idea he has discussed was building a track on the current demo derby pit, for example, that could provide a new way to bring people to town when it is not being used for smashing up cars. 

Anyone who has an interest in starting an RC car club is asked to get in touch with Cordova. 

In the meantime, Cordova is planning to continue to race his RC cars wherever he is able to make a track, even if that means waiting until the next snow fall.