Hobby shop owner Kathy Mann inside the well-stocked shop. Plans are in place for expansion of the retail space. Mitch Traphagen photos.
Thrills are experienced and memories are made (and reborn) at a family-owned hobby shop with two racetracks in Ruskin. The cars are remote controlled. They are radio flyers.
Sometimes, perhaps often, the little treasures in life aren’t always the easiest to find. The sign out front, on S.R. 674 in Ruskin, says, “Chris Mann’s Auto Repair.” And indeed, you can pull in and receive expert assistance with any problem you may have with your vehicle.
But there is much more to it than that. Especially on Saturdays. Saturdays are different. On those mornings, there could easily be a dozen or more cars, engines and components exposed with people working on them, tuning them with precision, even applying paint here and there to cover mishaps.
The cars on Saturdays are small enough to be picked up with a single hand. They are remarkable works of precision, extremely fast and, most of all, outrageously fun.
Chris Mann’s Auto Repair also includes the area’s only hobby shop — and certainly the only one with two racetracks: an asphalt track in front and a new clay track in the back.
The smell of the nitro fuel filled the air as 1/10 scale radio-controlled race cars take to the asphalt track outside of the hobby shop at Chris Mann’s Auto Repair in Ruskin. In addition to the asphalt track, the hobby shop recently added a clay track for radio-controlled buggies and trucks. The drivers control their cars from a covered wood stand above the track.
Kathy Mann first thought of opening a hobby shop seven years ago. Just over two years ago, her dream came true. It is a locally owned business, serving the needs of local residents.
“We’re family owned,” Kathy said. “This is a friendly place. We keep a lot of inventory in stock. There aren’t a lot of outdoor venues with things to do in this area, and this is a fun, economical, family environment. You can practice for $10 a day or if you come and race, it’s $15 for your class.”
Open track days, where you can bring your own car or even rent one, are during the week. Saturdays are race days.
And no matter what day, it is a small price to pay for a day of nearly boundless fun and a whole lot of thrills. For spectators, it is always free of charge. The design of the tracks allows spectators an up-close and personal experience.
And then it was race time. The smell of the nitro immediately threw me back 40 years. I was with my Dad as we were trying to start a model airplane, which required that I wind an extremely sharp plastic propeller backwards around a heavy metal spring. No doubt he was worried I would lose a finger, praying that I would get my hand out of the way before the little engine roared to life, removing a finger in the process. Surely a missing digit would have been difficult to explain to my Mom. But he also wanted me to be my own man, my own pilot, such as a 13-year-old could be.
Racer Bobby Shores with his car during race day on Saturday.
The engine roared to life and we ran back to the string controls as the airplane moved along the grass and with a flick of my wrist took off into the air. It was magical. And my Dad was the smartest man I’ve ever known.
The technology has changed considerably. There are no strings today but handheld remote controls with digital displays.
The cars took to the straightaway on the asphalt track and blew smoke, the smell of nitro filling the air. Although moving at roughly 25 miles per hour, it appeared as though they were going at least 100 miles per hour. They were a blur of motion, all controlled through the skill and agility of a driver holding a remote control in a stand above the track. It was more than thrilling to see. It was electrifying. And for a few moments, it returned me to some of the happiest moments of my childhood.
“We have a lot of younger kids that do this,” Kathy said. “We have novice classes to help get started. The ages are anywhere from six to 11. And then there are other classes up to the pro series.”
The cars and remotes are relatively inexpensive, starting at roughly $169. But Kathy wants both parents and would-be adult racers to have the opportunity to know what they are getting into before having to put down even that relatively modest amount.
“We offers rentals by appointment,” she said. “People can rent vehicles and try them out. Parents may want to get their kids into it but before buying a car, they can rent one to see if the kids really want to do it. Not a lot of places offer the ability to try these things before you buy.”
Hobby shop owner Kathy Mann ensures that children are included in the fun, offering novice classes for kids ages six to 11. And like real race cars, the drivers have to do the needed maintenance.
While it has been long established that it is difficult for small, family-owned operations to compete with corporate retail behemoths, particularly those on the web, the prices in the hobby store are kept as closely as possible to the best prices you can find over the Internet.
The cars appeared to be flying down the track, every once in a while one would make a turn too fast or hit a bump and take a brief flight into the wall. In those times, someone, often an experienced driver waiting his turn, would simply walk out, right the car and it would take off again, screaming, smoking like a miniature rocket on wheels. A hobby can’t get much more cool than when even accidents can be fun.
The races are for store reward points, or “store bucks” as Kathy calls them. Those who place first or second win points that can be used in the hobby shop.
“So basically, for people who place first or second, it can pay for their racing,” Kathy said.
But the reality is that the store bucks place a distant second to the sheer thrill of it all — the challenge of pushing the limits of a 1/10-scale car along a curving asphalt track from a wooden stand high above the track. You can choose to jog or you can sprint, it’s entirely up to you.
What appeared to be a certain accident turned into a recovery by an obviously experienced driver. For the most part, accidents aren’t a big deal … someone simply walks out and rights the car and it takes off screaming.
This one did require some help in being righted.
The track provides some of the most fun you can have at 25 mph.
And race cars aren’t the only focus of the hobby shop. Inside the small but neat and incredibly well- stocked store are everything from drones and airplanes to a remote-controlled sailboat. And there are dozens upon dozens of shelf hooks containing spare parts, seemingly for any imaginable need. They even have equipment for shuffleboard enthusiasts.
On Saturday morning, one race had completed and a handful of children walked up to the wall to watch the next, each giving Kathy a “high-five” as she took her own position near the finish line on the track. The cars with their tiny but powerful engines didn’t so much roar as they screamed to life as Kathy gave a thumbs up.
The cars shrieked past and the children smiled. Memories are made with such things. This is among life’s little treasures.
Chris Mann’s Auto Repair and the hobby shop are located at 2318 E. College Ave. in Ruskin, along the north side. Each October the Manns hold a benefit “Shrine Race” where all proceeds go towards the work of the Sun City Center Shriners. “It’s a great cause, we would do anything we can to help the Shriners,” Kathy said.