If you’ve been around the RC scene for a while, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Tom Berry. He’s been racing since the 90s, with a few breaks along the way, and has always had a real passion for all things RC. While he’s tried his hand at most classes, his heart lies with the retro touring cars from the early 2000s.
Tom helped co-found the popular Retro TC RC group, which has grown a huge online following and hosts some brilliant events. He’s also a big part of the Sheffield RC Racing team – promoting both the club and the hobby with loads of energy and enthusiasm. He’s known for being one of the friendliest people trackside, always happy to lend a hand, and still manages to take home some solid results – including wins at Iconic and Retro meets, plus a Hot Hatch National title.
We’re proud to say Tom is our first Team Driver here at RC Club Hub, and one of his first jobs was to head over to Germany and report back from the amazing Old School Euro Masters.
Euro Masters 2025 ORC-B Gottingen Racing Club, Germany
Held in Gleichen, this annual event is a must-visit for retro buggy fans. With 12 classes, a top-quality EOS-standard indoor track, and facilities that make it feel more like a holiday than a race meet – it’s no surprise that many British racers make a trip of it. You’ll even find a few shell queens being pushed to the limit!
We couldn’t let this opportunity pass without getting the full scoop – so we managed to grab Tom for a proper sit-down to hear all about the event, his experience, and what makes this such a special one for retro RC fans.
Let’s get into it…
Q&A About Racing at the Euro Masters
What made you want to race in the Euro Masters and did it take much planning to get there?
For me, I remember standing in Beatties in the late '90s, looking at all the amazing cars and dreaming of competing with them. At the time, I owned a trusty Mardave V12 – a VDub – but I spent hours staring at classics like the Tamiya Frog and Hotshot. If I was lucky, my parents would take me to the old Dronfield track inside the sports centre, and I’d spend most of the time just watching other cars, dreaming of racing them.
Fast forward 20-plus years, and I’m still that same kid – just with adult money! I still try to use original cars and compete wherever I can.
I’ve been lucky enough to enter a few rounds of the Revival event, run by John Weston – lovely guy, very passionate about classic retro racing. He runs the Iconic Cup and Revival events. It’s because of those events that my passion for actually driving the cars I dreamed of as a kid has really taken off.
I was lucky to have a close friend already racing in the Euro Masters event this past winter at MB – Dominic James (we set up Retro TC together). He was working in America at the time, and while there, he picked up an original Hotshot from a swap meet. He was kind enough to bring it back to the UK, and we popped some electrics in and raced it. That’s where it started – I absolutely loved it and decided I’d try to race it wherever I could.
This past event came together thanks to a bit of luck (the dates worked well) and support from Dom. He lives in Germany and owns a guest house, so it’s much easier to have a base to work from when planning events in Europe. (I can get you the details if needed – he’s very supportive if anyone fancies trying a European event!)
Planning-wise, the main thing is to get your entry in. All the info is easy to find on Facebook. I also spoke with people in the Iconic groups on there – again, very helpful and supportive – to find out things like which hotel to book. After that, it was just a case of asking what setup works. Most European events have plenty of practice time beforehand, so as long as you bring enough parts – tyres, etc. – you can dial in your cars before racing starts.
Little tip: it's way easier to drive across with your gear. When flying, you're very limited on weight and batteries. Having tried both, I always drive across now.
What classes and cars did you race?
As mentioned – 10-year-old me had a dream to race the cars I saw in Beatties or in Radio Race Car magazine (now sadly long gone). One of those was the Traxxas Rustler – a great truck but always the underdog compared to the Associated RC10, which I’ve always had a soft spot for.
So, this year I entered:
Pre-1985 4WD with the original Tamiya Hotshot
2WD Stadium Truck with the Traxxas Rustler
ToTu 2WD with a re-re Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle
ToTu is a unique class at the Euro Masters and one that really has a lot of appeal. It’s basically any retro buggy – either 4WD or 2WD – but it must run a Tamiya Torque Tuned motor. It reminded me so much of the old Dronfield days.
It was awesome to see such an eclectic mix of cars all racing at roughly the same speed. It made for great fun – highly recommended!
The track looked awesome from the pictures, very technical. What was it like to race on?
Technical is an understatement – the grip was actually super consistent, so once you had the right tyres, it all came down to judging speed.
At first glance, it looked like it would destroy the older cars – and don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty sure nearly everyone had a breakage of some sort – but the jumps were absolutely perfect. Easy to clear with a little push of throttle, and the gaps were just right to judge the landing.
The two hardest obstacles weren’t what you might expect. The bridge at the bottom of the straight has a blind spot where you lose sight of the car – just for a millisecond – but enough that, unless you had a good entry line, it was impossible to judge what the car was doing.
And then there was the straight – again, unique to this track. It wasn’t flat. Built-in mini jumps meant your setup and throttle control either worked... or bounced you clean off the track.
All in all – a fantastic track, in my opinion.
What was the event organisation like?
Very easy! Personally, my German is rubbish, but for most Germans, English is their second language – so there was no problem at all in that respect.
The rules weren’t as strict as the UK-based Revival events, and as you’d expect, there were one or two cars leaning on the class rules. But on a track like this, outright speed meant nothing – which made the racing much more enjoyable.
Organisation-wise, the whole Göttingen team were super helpful. The food on-site was brilliant – proper traditional German sausages (highly recommend!) – and there was a fully stocked bar on-site too. The pit area had plenty of space, electric was provided, and everything was indoors with easy access.
It looked like there was a good British following at the event. What was the level of competition of other racers like?
Absolutely fantastic! The Phil Booth GP was on the same weekend, so a few of the usual faces were away at Silverstone, but there was still a solid turnout of UK drivers.
Competition-wise, it was a good mix. Some local drivers did exceptionally well – as you’d expect – but the UK boys definitely made them work for it. Overall, it was very evenly matched, with some great driving across all the heats.
Generally, retro racers are quite respectful of other cars on track, especially as most are genuine classics with harder-to-find spares.
How was your time off track in Gleichen?
Same as any other city really – loads of places to eat and drink. Again, the locals all understand basic English, so it's easy to find a good spot. The rich history in some of the buildings around the city is fascinating – highly recommended, even if (like myself) you're not much of a drinker.
I noticed a few of the UK lads were taking photos of some of the classic buildings dotted around the city too.
How were your results at the meeting?
For me – good enough, ha ha! I've never considered myself an ‘A final’ kind of racer. There are lads who are way more passionate about their cars and put much more time and money into them. I guess that’s the unique thing about retro buggies and touring cars – you can pull out that car you’ve had stuffed in the loft, drop some electrics in and come have a go, or you can buy the latest re-release and spend a fortune on the newest setup trick bits.
For me, it’s the latter.
I managed 3rd in the A final of Pre-85 4WD with the trusty Hot Shot, 2nd in the B final for the Rustler, and 3rd in the B final of ToTu 2WD with the (awesome) FAV.
Which was your favourite car/class?
To watch? All of them – fond memories flooding back! But from my own fleet, enjoyment-wise, the FAV was super fun. Bit of a joker car, but so rewarding once it landed a jump.
Genuinely, for racing, it would be the Hot Shot. Myself and Ishy (he finished 2nd) have raced very closely at both of the Euro Masters events I’ve attended, and the racing was incredibly tight – swapping positions the whole race. It was great fun!
Was there any unusual problems to overcome compared to racing in the UK?
Again, just the same as the UK really. When running two cars on the same day, it’s all about keeping an eye on batteries and remembering transponder numbers, along with heat listings and allocated car numbers. Nothing out of the ordinary.
For someone wanting to get into Retro buggy racing, can you recommend any classes or cars to go for?
My biggest advice would be to pick a car that has support—not just in parts but also in setup. You have to remember, these cars are all pre-internet, so unlike modern touring cars where you can get info on the latest setup, a lot of the 'known' setups are either word of mouth or looking at old magazine photos to work out what springs and shocks were used, etc.
Car-wise, Schumacher have really good support for parts and setup, with cars like the Cougar (2WD buggy) and various versions of the CAT (watch their website—new cars imminent). Companies like Kyosho have also re-released a few buggies, Associated have a couple of RC10 variants out, and Tamiya always have a good supply of re-released cars available, with huge parts supplies in the UK. There are loads of options out there. For me, I'm a Tamiya boy at heart, so I quite enjoy being a bit of an underdog.
Generally, how much does it cost to enjoy a racing trip abroad?
So your biggest costs will be travel and accommodation. I recommend driving for ease of capacity for parts, etc. So, it’s either tunnel or ferry for me. Some of the lads make a bit of a holiday of it and take the overnight ferry from Hull. I prefer the tunnel—it’s nice and fast, barely 30 minutes to cross over. Accommodation-wise, you can use websites like booking.com to find local accommodation or speak to the lads on the Iconic Facebook group to book the same place they’re in. It’s always nice to be around like-minded racers when doing these kinds of events.
Food and beer are usually a bit cheaper than in the UK, with shops like Lidl and Aldi basically stocking very similar foods to the UK, so it’s easy to pick up whatever you fancy. You can make it as cheap or expensive as you wish. Same as any holiday abroad, I guess.
What were the highlights of the trip and event?
That’s a real mix, so there wasn’t any one thing. The track and facilities were fantastic, the food awesome, the racing was on point, and the local area was stunning. So, all in all, it was very enjoyable with great racing—what more could you want?
Do you have any other fun Retro races planned?
Yes, absolutely! At the moment, I am lucky enough to have an entry into all rounds of the Iconic Cup in the Retro TC heat. I will be running one of my trusty original Schumacher SST cars. I’m also lucky enough to have an entry later this year at the Revival event at Oswestry with the trusty Rustler and (I think) the Hotshot for 4WD. If time allows, I may look to enter more, but that’s more than enough for me. Along with local weekly club support at Sheffield RC (Eckington and Killamarsh), I must mention that the lads at Broxtowe Club have helped me loads with the Iconic racing. It’s a genuinely supportive club and very friendly.
That concludes the detailed insight into what it's like racing retro RC cars abroad. Tom definitely enjoyed the experience and already has more plans for the future. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact us. Also, look out for Tom at the Iconic and Revival races. He is just as friendly as most of the RC community and will happily help everyone. Keep an eye out for more racing insights from him in the future.
Photo Credits: Dominic James (Retro RC Touring Cars) & John Westen (IconicRC.com)
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