Happy New Year! Looking back and looking ahead

Happy New Year! I hope your 2022 starts off well with healthy family & friends plus some fun thrown in. This past year was another great year for diecast racing, continuing the amazing growth of the hobby that kicked off during the 2020 lockdowns (perhaps the only good thing to come out of 2020). And it seems 2022 may be filled with more lockdowns and people at home so that growth could continue. But eitherway, there's no shortage of great racing happening all over the world.

Redline Derby Racing is entering its 13th year of being the gathering place for all things diecast racing. We've seen a lot over the years...yes, hundreds of new cars and tracks and toys have come (and gone) but the biggest evolution has really been everyone's ability to share and join the hobby easily. It's not hard to start racing - some cars, some track - but technology has evolved to make it incredibly easy to share all the fun. From social media platforms to everyone just having really good cameras in their pockets, it's been great to see and watch, even if I haven't always been on top of it the best ways.

Maybe it's just a sign of getting older but most likely it's just due to the fact that being a parent takes a lot of time and effort. It's hard, man. And thus RLD has been a little slow to change but my aim is to course correct this year. Really take stock of what RLD offers, can offer, and more so, what I can honestly handle and make happen.

The last refresh Redline Derby got was back in 2018 so we're due for a little upgrade. So with a little luck in the time department, look for some changes to the website early in the new year. Some of it will just be cosmetic but I'm looking to add some new features that will hopefully make all the racing people share a little easier to manage and track.

I also need to get back on the social media bandwagon. I admittedly suck at the social game - I'm not a Facebooker or Instagramer by nature so I have to make it a point to post which doesn't always work out, but it's a necessary evil and I just gotta get better at it. 

I'm also due for a track upgrade here at HQ. I did do a track change early last year but I'm still looking for a better start/finish system for handling races. I have lots of pieces & parts to make that happen and I just need to suck it up and put in the work to get that done like I want. My track is currently in no shape to race so mail-in events won't happen for a while...but to be honest, after last year's schedule I'm going to be a bit more choosey as to when they happen. 

So at least there are some goals, right? 

I spent a lot of time away from the scene the last 2 months and the break was really helpful in letting me detox a bit and think about where to go next. Burn out is a real thing, even in diecast racing, and when you're trying to manage/create content everyday, it takes its toll. If you're a creator, take care of yourself and manage your You Time. Your audience won't mind if you take some time off...they'll be back because you enjoy the hobby as much as they do. We all need it, so do what's best for you and everything will fall into place.

Here's another new year of fun and diecast racing! Thanks to everyone for your continued support of Redline Derby and the hobby at large. We are a true community and it's one I'm proud to be a part of.

Be smart, stay safe, and have fun.

Happy racing!