The Story Behind Team Associated

This slot car, hand built by Gene Husting, was the fastest slot car in the world for 24 years!

Roger Curtis and Lee Yurada were working in Douglas Aircraft in Southern California during the slot car craze in 1964, and decided to open a slot car track as an after-hours business. They soon started making slot car wheels, tires and other accessories. It wasn't long before this turned into a full time business and Associated Electrics was formed, specializing in slot car wheels, tires, bodies, braid, slot guides, chassis, and other slot car parts.

The business grew as Roger and Lee added more and more new products. At this time Associated was located in a small building in Paramount, California. An insurmountable problem arose between Roger and Lee at this time. Roger asked Gene Husting if he'd be interested in buying out Lee's share. Subsequently, Lee sold his interest to Gene. It was now 1969 and the slot car craze had died, but Associated had just introduced the new RC1, a 1:8 scale gas-powered car. Gene was racing gas cars at the time and had the feeling that R/C cars was certain to grow as a hobby. At this time there were only six employees, Roger, Gene, Gene's wife, Midge, and three others.

Poster of 1977 race

In 1971 the business moved to Santa Ana, California. A short time later Associated starting producing the RC100 car, designed by Gene. At the first-ever IFMAR World Championships at Thorp Raceway in Pomona, California, RC100's swept the first five places. Associated really started to grow as the RC100 was used by all the top drivers in countries around the world.

A few years later, Roger designed the 1:12 scale RC12e, and Associated doubled in size because of this car. It was a simple, reliable, electric-powered car that more racers could afford to own, maintain and enjoy. Roger then designed the RC12i, which won the first-ever IFMAR 1:12 Electric World Championships.

During the beginning of Associated's entry into the electric part of the hobby in 1980, Mike Reedy joined Associated. With Mike as part of the Team, the Associated drivers were never lacking for horsepower. Reedy-powered cars have won more than 27 IFMAR World Championships to date, far surpassing any other R/C motor manufacturer. Mike Reedy was late to retire in 2004.

Associated had now doubled and doubled in size again, and had 35 employees. But they weren't ready for what happened next. In 1984, Roger designed a 1:10 scale electric off road car, the RC10. In 1985 the RC10 placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the first-ever 1:10 Off Road IFMAR World Championships. The world of R/C cars has never been the same since. And neither has Associated!

The RC10 forced Associated to move to a new, larger building in Costa Mesa, California, with 75 employees, in 1987. Cliff Lett joined Associated shortly after this to head the R&D department, together with Roger and Curtis Husting, Gene's son. This combo designed the RC10 cars that won the IFMAR World Championships in 1989 in Australia, and in 1991 in Detroit. The unbelievable success of the RC10, the RC12LW, the RC10L, RC10LSS and the RC10T kept Associated back ordered on kits for five years, and prompted Associated to move into a second building.