16-year-old Airdronian Brittany Tozser has just come home after a 2,000-some kilometre road trip from Las Vegas and she has come home with a trophy.

The second-place trophy that she won at the 2023 Silver State Indoor Championships is just one of many she has amassed after she started dominating in the world of remote-controlled off-road car races. 

"I got into this because my dad started racing when he was 14. I picked up on it as well; from what my dad was doing," she said. "I really enjoyed it since and I'm still doing that now," Tozser stated. "The funnest part for me is going out to the track with my dad and just spending time with him. It's a father-daughter kind of thing."

R.C. off-road car racing is in essence motorsport racing, only on a smaller scale - in terms of size, though the competitive nature is just as ruthless. Tozser explained that all the cars are built by the racers and the tracks are also custom-built. She said there is an almost endless possibility of the types of cars you can build.

"You get to tweak them - it's super fun. One half of the hobby is racing them, but the other half is building them. It's so fun to just get out there with all your friends and some family and enjoy it."

Tozser observed that many of the championships she has participated in across Canada were in fact male-dominated. 

"You never really see [any really little] girls at the track. In Western Canada, I have usually been the only girl - especially in the higher [competition] classes. All the other girls are usually racing in the beginner's classes, or they're really still really young drivers," she said. 

Though she said there seemed to be more girls at the Las Vegas championships, the gender difference was noticeable, though that didn't stop hundreds of fans and on-lookers who were cheering for her.

"I had so many people I didn't even know cheering for me on the track; so many people on the driver stand behind me were just screaming their hearts out."

And like the world of motorsports, there is a pit crew that is assigned to the racing car. In Tozser's case, a family friend was her one-man crew. Her father, a sponsored driver for Team Associated was the race marshal - an individual who monitors the track to make sure that in case a car crashes or something goes away on the track, things are fixed quickly.

Although there have been some unpleasant snipes and comments directed at her, it has done nothing to dampen her passion for a much-loved hobby.

"I was usually the only girl to track, so, I did get picked on a little bit. But, I realized it doesn't really matter. For other girls wanting to get into this sport - it's really exciting. Even if you're a complete beginner - usually everybody at the track is going to be supportive of you," she said.

While Tozser came in second in Las Vegas, her first-place trophies are quite impressive, as she has won three first-place trophies in various competitions in Canada for racing her nitro car, while her electric remote-controlled car also won a first-place trophy. 

Although she is unsure of what tournaments she is going to be competing in, in the coming months, she is certain there will be plenty of opportunities both at home and state-side. 

"Whenever I go to out-of-town races, men, grown men usually aren't too happy when a little girl starts winning against them - but that's one of the most fun parts."

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