"Playing around the yard got a little boring," Castleman said.

Now the race director and shift manager at HobbyTown USA in Frederick, Castleman, 32, says the sport can be fun for people of all ages.

The sport can be especially fun for pre-teens, too young to apply for driver's licenses and get behind a "real" steering wheel.

The Gazette caught up with Castleman, who lives in Frederick, on a recent Saturday morning at a ROAR regional race at HobbyTown USA. ROAR stands for Remotely Operated Auto Racers, a governing body of RC racing that defines equipment, rules, safety and specifications, among other things.

As cars zipped around the track at an early practice, racers readied their cars, fine tuning, lubricating, and making other adjustments before a 2 p.m. race.

"There are many exciting aspects of RC racing," Castleman wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette. "My favorite is the five minutes, the time duration of a race, on the track. It's an adrenaline rush."

The Gazette recently asked Castleman to answer a few questions regarding the RC hobby.

What is RC racing? How did you get into it?

Castleman: RC racing is radio-controlled scale racing, which usually consists of qualifying heats and a main event. My first RC car was purchased in the late 1980s and after being out of the hobby for 20 years I decided to renew my interest in RC in 2004. Hobbytown USA has an indoor on-road track that seemed to be the way to steer my purchases.

Is there a difference between racing RC cars and modeling RC cars? If so, what?

Castleman: The idea is the same. Some cars come in kits which consist of parts bags and assembly instructions most racers prefer to build their own car (kit). There is also a clear body that needs to be painted and designed with graphics (custom painters airbrush or spray paint the body shell). This would be the modeling part of RC.

Other forms of RC are the RTR "ready to run" type of vehicle. In this form there is no assembly or painting involved and racers typically stay away from this type of vehicle.

Have you seen an increase recently in the number of people interested in RC racers?

Castleman: Yes, more new people come in to the shop that have had interest in RC from their past or like to run a car in their back yard, and want to start racing competitively.

Is there a typical age of RC enthusiasts?

Castleman: No, we have everybody from older to much younger racers.

What advice would you give to someone whose son or daughter wanted to start RC racing?

Castleman: Get the top-of-the-line items first so you don't have to buy a better item just to stay competitive.

If they are serious you won't be making duplicate purchases if you get everything recommended by the racers at your track.

How much should the average person expect to spend on a basic RC racer? How much should parents expect to invest in the initial racer?

Castleman: It's not that expensive to start racing. A basic RTR kit runs for about $210. With battery charger and legal motor you are looking at about $300 to get on the track.

Like I said, if you want to be competitive the overall cost will get a lot higher. Initially for the top-of-the-line purchase, the price tag is about $1,200 to $1,500.