St. Louis Dirt
Burners (SLDB) Radio Controlled (R/C) Car Racing Club is a not-for-profit
club dedicated to providing a racing facility that encourages family values,
supports and educates the patrons on racing techniques and vehicle maintenance,
while striving to encourage new people to join a steadily growing sport. We
provide a sophisticated racing facility in a public park environment aimed at
teaching beginners the excitement of competition, camaraderie, and friendship.
At the same time we strive to provide the most experienced racer a challenging
and fun facility to show their stuff. Several nationally ranked paid
professional drivers are members who began racing at St. Louis Dirt Burners
facility and are now earning a living traveling the world and racing R/C
cars.
The St. Louis Dirt Burners organization was established in 1994 to bring organized
racing to the St. Louis area and has had a long-term presence in the St. Louis
area and R/C community. The club was formed by a small group of people who were
interested in R/C racing and wanted to have a dedicated track and facility to
showcase the fun and excitement in the area. Since the beginning the SLDB
club and track have provided a top-level facility, friendly atmosphere, and
amazing competition. The club quickly outgrew the first location with turnouts
and competition level beyond expectations. The club decided to seek a
better location and the City of Kirkwood offered a section of one of their
public parks to host our facility in the heart of St. Louis. For over a decade
now the SLDB club has had our racing facility in Kirkwood, and the
facility has continued to evolve over the years to truly become one of the
top facilities in the nation.
The area has seen many tracks come and go
over the years, but the SLDB track and facility has continued to provide some of
the best racing in the area. By hosting our track in a public park, we have
been able to provide the opportunity for enthusiasts to use the
facility free during park hours which gives plenty of opportunity to practice,
learn, and enjoy the hobby. Organized "club" racing is held twice a
week. The SLDB offers racing for both electric and nitro (gas) powered
cars of all scales. Our Tuesday night program consists of 2 qualifiers and a
main event, and our Saturday program consists of 3 qualifiers and a main
event. Participants come from all over the bi-state area and range
from children to company executives. Club racing offers some of
the best tracks, drivers, and competition available on a weekly basis while
providing a friendly atmosphere for people to learn and enjoy the hobby.
The R/C industry and R/C racing has enjoyed a steady increase in
popularity and recognition over the last decade which has brought corporate
sponsorship, paid teams/drivers, media coverage, and excitement in the
industry. In recent years, the SLDB have been proud to host many "National"
events which have brought thousands of racers from all over the world to our
facility. These types of events have become a standard in the industry.
Organized by sanctioning bodies (IFMAR, ROAR, R/C Pro etc.), corporate entities,
and media venues we host several of these events every season which draw
hundreds of people to our facility for a two to four day racing event.
Some of these events are now even being covered on TV and broadcast live on
the radio offering continued growth for the industry and club.
The SLDB
look forward to continuing to provide a top-level facility, competitive racing,
and friendly atmosphere for enthusiasts and spectators to enjoy. The many recent
facility improvements and upgrades have been made to prepare for the
continued growth of the hobby and allow the club to provide one of the best
environments for competitive racing in the nation for another
decade.