RC Soup has a new contributor/photographer! Let’s give John a warm welcome.

John (Buzz) Zachary started racing R/C CARS in the late eighties at Lakeside Hobbies in Ithaca, N.Y.  He raced 1/10th scale pan cars on carpet all across Central N.Y. John’s love for R/C racing grew from a long career in go-Kart, and Quad racing. John was quoted as saying, “When he crashes one of these little cars, the only thing that hurts is his wallet”.

Buzz has traveled all around the state competing at Walt’s Hobby, Skaneateles Raceway, on the high bank oval in Fulton NY, and also in Camillus, N.Y. He’s won some points championships along the way as well. His photography career was also in full swing at the time. He was a staff photographer for Gater Racing News as well as the track photographer at Five Mile Point Speedway in Binghamton, N.Y.

After John got married he pulled back on his racing and his photography doing freelance work.  Fast-forward 20 years, a friend asked John to go to Walt’s and race one of his 1/18th scale sliders.  John ran a strong race, and purchased one for himself the next week. That was all it took to get John back into the world he loved, and this time he brought his two sons with him. Now they are all racing short course trucks at CRC Raceway, High Octane, and help run the races at Outback Raceway in Cortland, N.Y.

Two years ago he bought a digital camera and took up his photography career as well.  It all came full circle as John began shooting High School sports in Homer, N.Y.  John has also written for Cycle News, and is currently the sports writer for the Homer News, and is the track photographer at Square Deal Riders Flat track in Port crane, N.Y.  You can see more of John’s writing and images at http://zacharysportsreports.blogspot.com