The Tamiya Mini-4WDs broke into the Philippine hobby scene in the late 90s. Undoubtedly, countless Gen-Xers have fond memories of building their first kit — be it a Magnum Saber, Tridagger X, or Brocken Gigant — before testing their work on the track. After a few laps, the realization then sets in that a virtually limitless array of modifications can be made on the car, for the sole (and oftentimes obsessive) purpose of beating their own time and making it to the leaderboard.
It has been 20 years since then and the hobby is still alive and well. Lil’s Hobby Center, the premier source of all Tamiya kits, and a dedicated community of hobbyists has sustained interest in Mini-4WD.
To quote a number of hobbyists, the past months have seen a “Mini-4WD renaissance”. Leading this renaissance is Lil’s Brickyard Racing, a pop-up Mini-4WD racing track located at the ground floor of Glorietta 5. Lil’s Brickyard Racing is the definitive place where the Mini-4WD community and those who are interested to get into the hobby can gather, socialize, and race.
“For over 40 years, Lil’s has been the catalyst for growth of the model kit, R/C, and Mini-4WD communities in the Philippines,” said Ferdie Kahn owner of the Brickyard and Partner at Lil’s Hobby Center. “In order to thank the community for their support through the years, we opened The Brickyard, a pop-up track where everyone can build and race their Mini-4WD Tamiya cars,” he continued.
Over the last decade, the hobby has become more accessible, especially to children. Indeed, there is a sense of a well-loved tradition being passed on to a new generation whenever parents bring their kids to the Brickyard. “Tamiya kits and parts have become much more affordable, especially for the Mini-4WD,” Ferdie said. “For parents, you can see the sheer joy in their faces as they relive their youth. For children, the hobby is an engaging and educational activity that is truly enjoyable at the same time.”
Aside from the fun and engagement that the hobby brings to children, Ferdie believes that the supportive and inclusive community is a huge part of the Mini-4WD experience. “Whenever beginners would walk into the Brickyard to buy and build their first car, the more seasoned racers are more than willing to give advice, even parts!” he said. “They are especially helpful to children, going as far as abandoning their own modifications to help the beginners build and race,” he enthused.
Lil’s Brickyard Racing will be open until January 6, 2018. Lil’s Hobby Center is also planning to bring the track in other locations after the holidays. [][][]
FAQs
Is The Brickyard only for mini-4WD racing?
As of now, the track we have is for mini-4WD. In the future,Tthe Brickyard will provide other platforms for races, such as remote control (RC) racing.
How much has Lil’s Hobby Center influenced the kit-building, R/C, and Mini-4WD scene in the Philippines?
Lil’s Hobby Center is a pioneer distributor and retailer in the hobby scene. We could honestly say that Tamiya in Japan wouldn’t have known that the Philippines was a viable market to serve if it weren’t for Lil’s. For almost 50 years, Lil’s has been the go-to store for hobbyists in the Philippines.
Lil’s carries model kits, and R/Cs, why does it seem that there’s a lot more attention being applied to Mini-4WD?
The Mini-4WD is the most accessible among the three categories. Mini-4WD is the most affordable while offering similar experience. It’s a great start that could also spark interest to model building and R/C racing.
It seems that there are a lot more adults in the hobby, how do you think that affects the hobby’s appeal to children?
The presence of an older demographic is testament to the hobby’s appeal to everyone. It’s this dedicated community of adult hobbyists that help promote the hobby, especially to children. Whenever there are kids here at The Brickyard, the adult hobbyists often help them build their car, and when they return, the community is more than willing to give out advice, – even spare parts, to the kids. They even race together.
What do you think makes this hobby interesting?
At surface levels the cars look great. Their various designs appeal to all ages. On a deeper level, it is far more than that because of its unique process – choosing a car, building it with your hands, testing your work, and making improvements on it; all of this made that car your own unique creation. The science and engineering involved in building and racing are quite at par with that of real cars and actual automotive racing. Which is why we also believe that it is one of the best hobbies for children to get into. It’s engaging, fun, and educational as well. To sum it up, it’s the whole experience and the community.
Are there any other races and tracks? How do you intend to compete with them?
Yes, there are races outside of the Brickyard, most of them independently organized and run by members of the community. These races are what sustained the hobby and its community for the past 20 years. Being a part of the mini-4WD community, we recognize that it’s also incumbent upon us to organize our own races. So, in a sense, we do not intend to compete with them; we actually encourage more community members to organize their own races so there’ll be many venues for competition. Through these various races, ours or otherwise, we hope to build a competitive environment that is at par with that of Japan.
You mentioned that Lil’s Brickyard will be open for only a limited time. What are your plans for after that?
Lil’s Brickyard is not meant to be just one location. It’s meant to be a community; a space, virtual or otherwise, where we can express our passion for this hobby. That said, after the holidays, we will open a new location. Please follow us on Facebook as we will be posting any updates we have on new locations and our events.