What year did you start attending the Snowbird Nationals:
1999 was my first Snowbirds held down the road in Tampa at Thunder Raceway. At the time, it was only oval racing on the concrete indoor track but regardless the tradition started with long days and nights as the track was pretty much open 24/7 for practice and racing the week we were there. The race was a blast and the first of many Snowbirds.

How have you seen "the superbowl of r/c" evolve over the years you've been attending?
Each year it’s been refined and improved to a very professional level and well oiled machine. Mike and the Thunder Crew pull off the event every year with what seems like more and more ease with only the occasional “squirl” messing up the works. In that time also the racing and technology has changed dramatically but regardless it’s still the race to attend to check your skills against some of the best racers in the country as well as the world. I still really enjoy the event and it’s for sure in the top 3 for races I look forward to each year.

How has your r/c career developed during that time?
From the first Snowbirds I attended, my personal situation has changed quite a bit. I’ve gone from “pro” racer to adding car manufacturer, hobby shop and track owner and now just to car manufacturer and racer plus adding in my wife and two daughters. I think overall I’m just as good as a racer as I was in those times but the focus really isn’t on my personal results any more as it is trying to learn what I need to do as a driver and designer to make better products for my customers so they can have the best chance to achieve some of the results I’ve been able to over my racing career. It’s been tough at times but a good challenge. It’s also nice to learn some things here and they and still be able to throw down with some of the best racers on the planet and be competitive so I really can’t ask for more than that.

What did it mean to you personally to become the overall on-road champion last year?
It was really great to finally get that overall title. Back in the early years, I had gone three for four with two wins in on-road and one win and a second in oval but at the time they never really gave those overall champions awards. Since, I had run second several times coming up just short in both oval and on-road as recently as the year before when I ran second to Jilles in on-road and second to Monti in oval. It was a bit frustrating being so close but it was so difficult trying to race at such a high level in two totally separate forms of racing adding in the lack of sleep to try and do both. Last year, I just wasn’t well enough to compete with the lack of sleep and only ran on-road. That was the right call was as I was able to finally get that ring. This year, I do not have any plans to even bring an on-road car to the event – I’d really like to try and make a run for that other ring I missed out on two years ago to complete my set and be the only driver in Bird’s history with that title from on-road and oval. That’s a very tall order but I’d like to think I’m up to the challenge.

Are there any people who have been integral to your success and enjoyment in r/c leading up to being the champion?
There has been countless over the years it’s almost impossible to name them all without missing so many. Of course my family has been amazingly supportive through the good and bad times, I probably have the best parents on the planet an r/c racer could ask for and my wife helps with the day to day with the business. Without them, CEFX wouldn’t exist and there is no way I would have the success and fun I have had. From a company standpoint again there is so many – Mike Reedy, Gene Hustings, Jack Riemer, Jim Dieter, Ernie Provetti, Pops Losi, Gil Losi Jr., Bob Novak, Mr. Takai and Mr. Nikaido from Kyosho Japan, Robert Morris… There is just so many it’s impossible to list. I can name countless races where besides racing there was just a lot of fun memories and plus their support and  faith in me to represent their products well and win races together.  From there I can go down the list of friends and racers that have traveled the globe with me from Andy Power, Rick Vessell, David Spashett, Walter Henderson, Pete D’Agnolo and just so many more. Really, I could name 200+ people that I can share so many great memories with and about that it would really be impossible to compare the experiences I’ve had and friends I’ve made to any race win because we’ve all shared so many of our best and worst moments together.

When you look back on your career so far, what turning points (successes or struggles) were most notable to you?
Looking back probably the first turning point to get me heavily involved to the “pro” level was winning my first ROAR Nationals in Grand Rapids in 1/12 Mod on asphalt. With that win, Mike Reedy invited me to join his World Championship team that would be heading to France and Germany for the 1994 on-road worlds just a few short weeks later. At 16, I barely missed the 1/12 A Final and was able to qualify 4^th in 1/10 making my first WC A Final. From there, I continued to learn more and improve where I had probably one of the best races I’ve ever been a part of with Joel Johnson at the 1997 ROAR Carpet Nats. In a classic AE/Reedy vs Trinity battle we proceeded to use every minute of the triple A’s to pass each other only to finish the last main side by side banging doors eventually crashing into each other at the line, both dumped and not even caring who won. While I lost the race, it was a great honor to have one of the best in the world tell me that it was the best race of his career. I joined Trinity in 1998 and was part of probably one of the most dominant teams in RC history with David Spashett, Joel Johnson, Brian Kinwald, Matt Frances, Mike Blackstock and Barry Baker. Heading down to Florida I had several good years at Minreg at the ROAR Nats but probably the highlight of everything was TQing the IFMAR WC in 1/8 on-road in 2003. From there, there was a lot of ups and downs with missed chances of sealing the deal for a World Championship win even though I’ve lead probably five plus hours of WC A Finals. Mixed in there were some bad choices on leaving/joining different teams and generally a bit lost knowing that I was getting older and the “pro” life couldn’t continue forever and really just looking for a sort of home to finish my career and move onto the next phase (designer, r&d, mechanic, etc…) The last few years have been still a struggle at times, especially how dominant I was in 1/12 Mod and then to not seal the deal at the IFMAR WC in Germany. At IIC a few months later, we were back racing most of that A-Final and to come out on top ahead of that group felt amazing. At that point, I really felt like I had nothing left to prove in my career and while I haven’t had the best of luck at the WC’s, I’ve more than had my share of success with 14 IFMAR WC A-Finals (3 2^nd’s) and a TQ, 33 ROAR National Titles, 13 Snowbirds and on top of that, so many great memories with friends, family and great people that have helped me so much along the way. No matter what happens from here, it’s been a great ride and I look forward to the challenges and new experiences the future brings.

Thanks for the questions and see ya in a few weeks!!!!
Josh Cyrul
CEFX