Q&A With the Product Innovator at Pro-Line Racing Gerardo Gonzalez

Q&A With the Product Innovator at Pro-Line Racing Gerardo Gonzalez

If you ask any RC hobbyist about Pro-Line, they’ll most likely tell you that the company is the hands down leader in RC tire technology and a monster of innovation and other RC products such as wheels, bodies, suspension parts, paints and more. It takes great minds to keep a company innovating like they do. We are fortunate to sit down with Pro-Line’s Product Innovator, Gerardo Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is one of the forward minded creators that’s pushing the limits of the RC frontier. He also decides what you want even before you knew you wanted it. Let’s get to know him and see what he’s been up to at Pro-Line.

RCCA: How and when did you come into the RC hobby?
GG: I have been into RC cars since the early 80’s but my first RC grade car was a Tamiya Grasshopper my father bought me in 1986. That was the kit that got me hooked on radio controlled cars. After that I got numerous Tamiya kits, which I continue to collect to this day. It brings back great memories of my father and I spending time together working on the cars.

RCCA: What RC do you specialize in?
GG: I wouldn’t say I specialized in any specific class but because of my role at Pro-Line I am fortunate enough to spend time running different types of RC cars when I am developing a product. I would say right now I have been spending a lot of time with my TLR 22 5.0 Elite buggy and TLR 22SCT 3.0 truck. My local track is Rise Up Hobbytown and they have an indoor black carpet track that’s only 10 minutes from my house and Ricochet RC has an indoor grey carpet track only an hour away. I get to go run at both of these tracks often so I am enjoying running on indoor carpet right now.

RCCA: What types of RC do you enjoy the most?
GG: I enjoy any type of RC. I obviously love racing surface vehicles but I also enjoy flying planes and drones. I am so busy sometimes with the surface cars that I don’t get a chance to fly as much as I would like to.

RCCA: Which is your favorite RC vehicle and why?
GG: My all time favorite vehicle would have to be the Tamiya Clod Buster. I remember when it was first released all the kids in our neighborhood wanted that truck including me. I’ve had the opportunity to build a few now that I’m older and still enjoy the thrill of building this iconic truck.

RCCA: What was your first RC vehicle?
GG: My first kit was the Tamiya Grasshopper. It was the first kit I had to build myself so it was definitely a learning curve. I am glad now that this was my first kit because having to build it made me appreciate all the work that went into making it run.

RCCA: What are two must have upgrades you would recommend for any RC?
GG: Tires are definitely number one because they can change your driving experience drastically. Second I would say electronics. Having a good ESC and Motor will allow you to achieve better run times and higher speeds.

RCCA: Is there anything else you want to let our readers know?
GG: I would like people to know that I am an RC enthusiast first that loves working in this industry and developing product that people around the world get to enjoy. I always strive to make sure I put all my effort into the products we develop here at Pro-Line Racing. It always brings a smile to my face when I see bashers out in a parking lot or empty field running their cars having a good time and they’re using a product I helped develop. We are all going through tough times right now but it’s great to see we can all share the fun and camaraderie of RC cars together.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Q&A With the Product Innovator at Pro-Line Racing Gerardo Gonzalez

Text by Leigh Guarnieri
Images provided by Gerardo Gonzalez

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Updated: October 22, 2021 — 11:18 AM
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