But there was a sharp right-hand corner up ahead, just centimetres from where the cars were supposed to land. One of the cars failed to get a good landing, tumbled down the track nose first and flipped into the air before crashing.
The Mini 4WD shop is also filled with the cheers of players who successfully defeated their opponents or the grunts and frustration of those who saw their cars crashing before they could complete a full race. “Many people turned to Mini 4WD, especially millennials who grew up playing Mini 4WD as children,” Bey Sastramihardja, the co-owner of Mini 4WD shop Bosku Garage, told CNA.
Looking ahead, hobbyists are hoping that this surge in interest could pave the way for Mini 4WD to become a professional sport in the future.Bimo Pradikto, a 33-year-old businessman, said as a boy he could only afford to buy basic Mini 4WD kits while his more affluent friends were able to buy parts and upgrades which helped them to win races and competitions.
A collection of vintage Mini 4WD model cars at Bosku Garage hobby store in Jakarta, Indonesia as the hobby for model car racing is enjoying revival because of the pandemic. “It was my son who said that he wanted to get his hands on ,” he said. Eventually, both father and son were hooked.The boom proved to be good business for Fajar Aditya, who co-owns Bosku Garage Mini 4WD shop along with Sastramihardja.
Aditya said a client can spend anywhere from 1.5 million rupiah to 7.5 million rupiah to build competition ready cars. The enthusiast also noted that with more and more companies willing to sponsor Mini 4WD events and competitions, organisers are promising bigger and bigger prize money which in turn attracts bigger crowds.Businessman Pradikto, who is also a car rally driver and a racing organiser, said the prize money offered by Mini 4WD competitions have been so lucrative that more and more real car hobbyists like himself are turning to Mini 4WD racing.