GUEST POST: Tyler Hooks talked to Austin Wick

0 April 3, 2017, 4:14 p.m.

By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

Texas off-road racer and aspiring RC writer Tyler Hooks put together an interview with rising Midwest talent Austin Wick with a combination of silly and serious questions to give our audience a bit of insight into the youngster’s life and racing career.

Text by Tyler Hooks
Photos from LiveRC and Austin Wick’s Facebook page

Name: Austin Wick
Age: 12
Sponsors: Reedy, Team Associated, JConcepts and Tim Kasper Designs

Tyler Hooks: When did you first begin racing?
Austin Wick: I've been racing for about 3 1/2 years. I started when I was 9 years old.

TH: What is your biggest racing accomplishment?
AW: My biggest accomplishment was finishing sixth at this year’s Team Associated Off-Road Championships at Trackside in Wisconsin. I picked this as my biggest accomplishment because I was able to compete with some of the greatest stock racers in the nation.

TH: What is your worst racing failure?
AW: My worst racing failure was probably at the 2016 Chi-Town Shootout; I crashed on the last lap of the B-Main of Modified 4WD Buggy, giving up the last podium spot.

TH: Where do you attend school, and what is your goal for a future occupation?
AW: I attend school at Yorkville Middle School in Yorkville, Illinois. I am currently in seventh grade. I would like to be a mechanical engineer because I've always liked designing things.

TH: What is your favorite class?
AW: My favorite class is definitely Modified 2WD Buggy because it is one of the most challenging classes to race.

TH: Do you have a girlfriend
AW: No.

TH: What do you think of the old saying "girls just get in the way of racing?"
AW: I am not sure because this has never affected me. I just focus on racing.

TH: What is your full-sized car? What is your dream car?
AW: I do not have a full-sized car because I am only 12, but my dream car is a Chevy Camaro.

TH: Which best describes your driving style: huge whips, driving absolutely flat out, or more calculated driving that’s smoother on the throttle?
AW: I drive somewhere in the middle of that. When I have a lead I drive very smooth and consistent, but when I am fighting for position I drive somewhat harder to hold my ground.

TH: Fathers day is coming up - are you planning on doing anything fun for Pops Wick?
AW: Not that we know of. We would probably just go RC racing.

TH: Do you follow any traditional sports in your free time?
AW: I like to watch Supercross and motocross. I also like go-kart racing.

TH: Who did you look up to when you were a younger racer? Who has been the biggest help to you as a driver?
AW: I always looked up to Ryan Cavalieri because he is such a calm and collected racer and still is amazingly fast. But the biggest help to me in my racing career probably would be my dad.

TH: What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to a new up and coming racer?
AW: Just have fun. Results do not matter as long as you are having fun doing it.