Things have cooled off significantly before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday here in the RC industry; only one significant batch of releases came up on my radar for our corner of the hobby and, unfortunately, that press release didn’t even land in my inbox. I had to seek out the newest releases from Pro-Line for this month on my own as Horizon has taken over the PL website and is no longer using an in-house PL employee to do their marketing.
This is going to be a bit of a personal rant, please bare with me as I feel like this needs to be said. Also, this is my own personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of any Pro-Line or Horizon Hobby employee.
When the Pro-Line buyout by Horizon was announced I feared that HH would be paring PL down to only serve HH’s family of vehicles and would replace PL’s loyal team with their own, or worse yet, close PL altogether and strip it for its name only. I was told by a friend at PL that they were told nothing would be changing, and for a short time nothing did. They kept producing products for a plethora of brands and continued to serve the hobby the same way they had done since 1982. The PL team was a tight knit group of (what I consider to be) the best-of-the-best in the RC industry. I feel extremely lucky to have been a part of that family for the years that I worked with them, starting with my time at RCShortcourse.com in 2012 and extending to this site starting in 2019. We created a host of great projects and it still makes me proud every time I throw on my Pro-Line 35th Anniversary hoodie or team hat. I still hand out PL decal sheets when I see newbies at hobby shops.
Fast forward to two years ago when I got word that my contact was being promoted to a position within HH and was being replaced at PL. Luckily I know that person as well so the transition was an easy one. The job was filled with another long-time PL employee, keeping the team together, so to say. Unfortunately that “honeymoon period” didn’t last very long and that person was replaced as well. Since December of 2024 there has been no reply to emails, no returned phone calls, no communication of any kind from the office in Banning CA. I was able to find out from a friend in the industry, speaking on the condition of anonymity that there was a new person handling the marketing tasks at PL but without a contact email or a returned phone call I have no way of maintaining that relationship with Pro-LIne Racing.
Unfortunately I have been through this exact situation during the Hobbico buyout. Their marketing director was a friend of mine who was told that their job was safe and then was let go shortly thereafter. Since the buyout I have been unable to decipher who is the marketing director at Horizon, much less how to contact them. Customer service has gone downhill since, to the point that some brands don’t have a direct line any more and the only way to get support is via chat bot, or if available, web chat with an employee.
I hope for the sake of the team at PL that things get turned back around. They are some of the most creative minds in the industry and some of the best friends an RC nut could ask for.
PRO-LINE RACING
New this week from Pro-Line Racing are a display stand for the Losi NASCAR cars, new wheels and tires for said Losi as well as a 2002 Viper GTS body to change up its look; plus a new set of 2.2″ BFGoodrich Krawler T/A’s and a classic Crowd Pleazer body for the MIcro T.
First up is a simple display stand that will allow you to show off your Losi Nascar chassis while also keeping the tires off of the ground, preventing flat spots and degradation of the foam inserts. The stand is made of ABS plastic for long-lasting good looks and light weight. The NASCAR logo is proudly displayed on the front and turns your favorite model into a centerpiece.
Item #PRO609503 https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/pro-line-display-stand-for-losi-nascar-racecar/PRO609503.html
Up next are the Avenger tires mounted on Overdrive wheels, in either Grey or Bronze. These tires are a treaded design suitable for parking lot bashing or spec class racing (if the track allows them). Sold in pack of four, these tires are a direct bolt-on thanks to their 8mm hex.
Item #PRO1030810 Avenger tires Pre-mounted to Overdrive Wheels, Grey, https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-12-avenger-tire-mounted-on-overdrive-gray-wheel-8mm-hex-4-losi-race-car/PRO1030810.html
Item #PRO8010313 Avenger tires Pre-mounted to Overdrive Wheels, Bronze, https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-12-avenger-tire-mounted-on-overdrive-bronze-wheel-8mm-hex-4-losi-race-car/PRO1030813.html
Looking for a new look for your Losi NASCAR? Pro-Line has you covered (literally!) with their new 2002 Dodge Viper GTS body, available in clear, Viper Blue or black; each pre-cut for added convenience. With its large rear spoiler this body looks more akin to the GTS-R or Team Oreca LeMans cars, neither of which is a bad thing!
Item #’s PRO368417 Clear Dodge Viper 1/12 Body For Losi GROM Racecar https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-12-pre-cut-2002-dodge-viper-gts-clear-body-losi-grom-racecar/PRO368417.html
#PRO368413 Blue Dodge Viper 1/12 Body For Losi GROM Racecar https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-12-pre-cut-2002-dodge-viper-gts-blue-body-losi-nascar/PRO368413.html
#PRO368414 Black Dodge Viper 1/12 Body For Losi GROM Racecar https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-12-pre-cut-2002-dodge-viper-gts-black-body-losi-nascar/PRO368414.html
Moving on from the on-road racing goodies Pro-Line has a new G8 BFGoodrich Krawler T/A tire for the 2.2 crowd. This tire measures 5.25″ in diameter, fitting into the LP 2.2 category while being fitted with soft, open-cell foam inserts. These officially licensed tires are among the most popular in the full-scale world and will bring your 1/10 2.2 rig’s performance to the next level.
Item #PRO1032214 1/10 BFGoodrich Krawler T/A 2.2″ Tire https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-10-bfg-krawler-t-a-kx-g8-front-rear-2.2-rock-crawling-tires-2/PRO1032114.html
Last but not least we have a new body for the Losi Micro T, a throwback to the Crowd Pleazer stadium truck bodies of the late-naughties and early teens. This little fella features a more traditional cab-rearward design that harkens back to the rear motor stadium trucks of days gone by. Each body includes a detailed decal sheet, Paint-Then-Peel overspray film, window masks and is proudly made in the USA.
Item #PRO369717 Pre-Cut Crowd Pleazer Body For Losi Micro T https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/1-28-pre-cut-crowd-pleazer-clear-body-losi-micro-t/PRO369717.html
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