Masami Hirosaka

🚗 Who Is Masami Hirosaka?

Masami Hirosaka (say it like: “He-row-saw-ka”) is one of the greatest RC car racers in the whole world. He’s from Japan, and people call him “Master Masami” because he is so good at racing tiny, super-fast cars.

Masami won 14 RC World Championships — more than ANYONE else in history. That’s like winning the Super Bowl or World Cup fourteen times!

When people talk about the best racers ever, they compare him to famous athletes like Michael Jordan. That’s how amazing he is.

🎮 What Is RC Car Racing?

RC car racing is a sport where people race small cars controlled with a remote.
RC means radio-controlled, because the controller sends signals to the car to make it move.

And don’t let the size fool you — these little cars are FAST. Some can go as fast as a real car on the highway!

There are different kinds of tracks:

🏎️ On-Road Tracks

• Smooth and flat

• Cars race like they’re on tiny paved roads

• Super fast and great for speed

🚙 Off-Road Tracks

• Made of dirt

• Have bumps and jumps

• Perfect for buggies that can bounce, climb, and zip around rough terrain

To win, drivers must go around the track faster than everyone else — without crashing.
It’s not just “playing with toys.” It takes skill, focus, quick reflexes, and lots of practice.

🏆 Masami’s Championships and Big Wins

Masami’s racing record is AMAZING:

• He raced in 447 races and won 307 of them.
  That means he won most of the races he entered!

• He became World Champion 14 times — nobody else has done that.

• In Japan, he won 52 national championships.

• He won at least one championship every year for 21 years in a row!

• In 1998, he won every single electric RC class at the Japanese Nationals — something NO ONE has ever repeated.

That’s why magazines and racers call him the greatest RC car driver of all time.

🚗🔧 Types of RC Cars Masami Drove

Masami could race any kind of car and win. All of his world titles were with electric RC cars — the ones that run on batteries.

Here are the main cars he drove:

🏎️ On-Road Cars

• Super low and fast

• Race on smooth tracks

• Masami raced 1/12 scale and 1/10 scale cars

• One special type he used is called a Pan Car — flat, fast, and built for pure speed

🚙 Off-Road Buggies

He also raced:

• 1/10 scale 2WD buggies (only two wheels drive the car)

• 1/10 scale 4WD buggies (all four wheels pull the car)

These buggies have:

• Big bouncy tires

• Strong suspension

• The ability to jump, land, and handle dirt

Masami wasn’t just good — he won world championships in BOTH 2WD and 4WD off-road racing!

He even helped big RC companies like Yokomo and Team Associated design better cars.

🤩 Fun Facts About Masami

⭐ Started at Age 7

His dad gave him his first RC car when he was a little kid. They raced together, and when Masami became super good, his dad became his mechanic.

⭐ Practiced ALL the Time

He did about 100 practice runs in a session — again and again — to get better.

⭐ Cool Car Designs

His cars had a special paint job:
Green + white + bright pink flames.
Everyone recognized his cars instantly!

⭐ Famous and Successful

Masami became one of the highest-paid RC drivers in the world.
He even went on Japanese TV to show how RC racing worked.

⭐ Overcame Doubters

Some people didn’t think a young Japanese racer could win a world championship.
But Masami proved them wrong — and won his first world title at age 17.

⭐ Stayed Humble

Even with all his success, he always thanked his dad and his team for helping him.

🌟 Why Masami Is Important to RC Racing

Masami didn’t just win races — he changed the whole sport.

👧👦 He Inspired Kids and Racers Everywhere

Lots of people started racing RC cars because they watched Masami win.
Even younger champions today say Masami inspired them.

🚗 He Helped Make Better RC Cars

He worked with companies to design cars that were faster, stronger, and easier to drive.

🏆 He Made RC Racing More Popular

In Japan and around the world, more people got interested in RC racing because of him.

🧠 Still Helping Today

After he retired from racing, he helped run races, train young drivers, and worked with manufacturers on new car designs.

People often call him the “Michael Jordan of RC racing” because he changed the sport forever.

🎉 What Kids Can Learn From Masami

Masami’s story teaches us:

• Start young

• Practice a LOT

• Believe in yourself

• Stay humble

• Have fun learning

• Never stop improving

Just like Masami started with one little RC car at age 7…
YOU might be the next big RC champion too!