Even though the internet can bring together all sorts of people, local diecast clubs are still the foundation for collecting and racing. Local club events get you face-to-face with other collectors, let you show off your collection, maybe execute that once-in-a-lifetime trade, and give you time to talk shop with other diecast fans. What can be better?
Start local
Starting a local diecast group in your town is pretty easy if you think about it. All you need is a venue and small group of people that love Hot Wheels and cars. The internet is good place to find interest, but nothing will beat getting to hang out with others in your town for even just a few hours a month.
One club that can be used as a good example to show how a local group can grow, is the C4 Club in Baltimore, Maryland. I recently talked with James Goolsbee, Sr., the director of the C4 Club, and picked his brain about where the club started, where it is today, where it’s heading, and, of course, the derby racing!
Interview with The C4 Club
Redline Derby: So lets start with the basics, where is C4 based, who started the group, and when was it founded?
James Goolsbee: The C4 Club is based in Baltimore, Maryland and the C4 Comes from the Charm City Collector’s Club. At one point in time, most of the members were part of another club, CBHWC, that had decided to go in a different direction then what we intended the club to be. The group of guys that separated from the CBHWC founded the C4 Club. We’ve been together for about 3 years.
RD: How many active members does C4 have and how long did it take to get membership to that point?
JG: We have about 50 to 60 active members. We started out with a select group from the CBHWC totaling 8 and about 2 years ago we had our first all day event that brought in a lot of our new members.
RD: What is your club meeting schedule like and what activities are there? How often does the club meet?
JG: We meet once a month, usually the first Saturday of the month unless it falls near a holiday or other event. We usually meet from 8:00 am to 12:00 or 1:00 pm. The only schedule event during the meet is the racing. Sign ups start at 8:00 am and close when the racing begins at 10:15 am. We would like to start a custom contest, but we need more participants.
RD: Obviously C4 is about collecting, but what other aspects of the die cast hobby do you get involved with and talk about?
JG: We love to race!!! There are so many different ways to set up the racing event. As of right now, the only racing that we do is the Downhill Racing Stock Competition. Cars must be basic blue card hot wheels in the original packaging. We have some customizes in our club as well. Tim Phelps, of the Up in Flames Series of Greenlight Die casts, is part of that group.
RD: And, of course, you race! How often does the club hold races? Are they private to the club, or public?
JG: Once a month we race and the races are for the public. 64 Slots are available.
RD: How has the club racing evolved? Did you have racing on Day 1 or did you work your way there?
JG: At first we started out with the traditional orange track. Then one of our members went to a convention and came back with an electronic downhill drag strip that we still use today. We can use the track for heads up racing or use a single pedal to release both cars. We use the single pedal for the Stock Comp. It makes things fair for the children at the events.
RD: What type of track do you guys race on? What are the specs? 2-lane, 4-lane? How big/long is it? Finish line, starting line, etc…
JG: It is a 2 lane electronic pin drop 25 foot track. It has two pedals, one for each lane, but there is a setting that we use that allows one pedal to release both lanes. The track has a drag strip Christmas tree light that makes heads up racing that much more fun. Racing for pinks is something we would like to try.
RD: What format are your races and what are the rules? Bracket? Elimination? Race for pinks? Is there an entry fee?
JG: It’s a form of bracket racing with 64 slots. Each car is paired up by a poker chip draw. The poker chips have numbers that go along with the slots. The winner needs to win two out of three races until we get to the final four cars. Then the car that will advance needs to win two in a row.
RD: Your newsletter says you hold races in a retail store at a mall. How did you make it to that point? Where was the first club meeting/race held and what was involved in getting your club’s activities into a more public place like a store/mall?
JG: Well, we started out in the food court of another mall with being able to race at all. We then moved to a bowling alley with the yellow and orange track with no real set of racing rules or regulations, just for fun. We were then able to get into a school rec room and found the Electronic track at the convention. We lost the rec room due to some public politics and another member of the club was able to talk to the owner of the store that we now hold our shows. The owner thought that it would be great for both the store and our club to do this. And so far this has been a great venture.
RD: What does it take to gain membership in C4? Are there club fees or anything like that?
JG: It’s real easy to gain access to our club, anyone can join. There is no fee at all to be a member.
RD: The internet is obviously a great resource for finding cars, people, and clubs like C4. But how is a local club like C4 different and what makes local clubs better?
JG: Person to person, face to face networking. If one person is looking for something, then most of the club members help that person to find that item. That’s what makes this group special.
RD: If someone wanted to start their own local diecast club, what would you suggest be their first steps? What does it take to get a club like C4 organized?
JG: It’s not hard to start a club, but it does take some effort to maintain it. You need a good core group of people to sustain the entire club. You have to make it fun as well. The only pitfall to look out for is the possible individual or individuals that are out to make a buck. Our club is not meant to be for profit. It seems when someone goes in that direction, it falls apart. Our club is bigger then our members, no one person controls the club.
RD: What do you see as the future of C4? What’s next? What haven’t you done that you want to?
JG: Bigger an better – We want to grow our membership base and have a big show at least annually. Eventually, we would like to have a national convention.
RD: What’s the best thing about being a member of C4? What makes you proud to be a club member?
JG: I would have to say the person to person networking and knowing that I do this for the kids. I’m hoping that I can pass this hobby to my son and he can take over where I leave off.
RD: Where can people go to learn more about C4? Web site…Twitter…Facebook…mail?
JG: Wow, I’m trying to promote it everywhere. C4hotwheels.tk is our temporary website. We can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, Kijiji, MySpace and if you google C4 Hot Wheels a lot of our postings appear. Oh, and the email address for the club is c4hotwheels@hotmail.com [Ed., C4 also has a Blogspot site]
Size doesn’t matter
Even though The C4 Club membership is 50+, you don’t need a huge group of people to have fun and be “successful.” Any time you can get together people with a common interest, share some stories, and have some fun is a success. Heck, just taking some time with a friend or two on a Sunday afternoon to race is a good time in my book.
If you’re in a club or start a club in your area, let us know. Either leave a comment or hit us on Twitter, Facebook, or over in the Redline Forum. We’ll be more than happy to spotlight your club and activities…under one condition, you gotta have some racing!
Thank you!