A spokesman confirmed on Thursday, that the Team Durango racing team co-sponsored by Great Hobbies of Canada is now part of the Team Durango North America. Team Durango North America team manager Scott Cramer said, “The addition of Team Great Hobbies is a huge plus for us. They add experience and driving talent for competition, as well as constant and enthusiastic support of the Team Durango brand.” While new to Team Durango North America, Team Great Hobbies has been on the racing scene since 2010. “I attended the Dirt Nitro Challenge in Arizona with several friends in 2010,” recalls team member Jamie Smitheram. “We were lucky enough to pit right beside the newly formed Durango team of Ryan Lutz, Billy Fisher and Reno Savoya. Three days later, I was determined to see the product line brought to Great Hobbies. The buggy looked great and they had some of the best reps in the business.” “I brought up the Durango product line and the idea of forming a national team…something Great Hobbies had always wanted to do.” In the span of a few short months, Great Hobbies had a stable of talented drivers. They included Kevin Taylor, who quickly stepped into the role of team manager.

While the Great Hobbies team is still a relatively new part of the racing landscape, all of the team’s members are experienced and successful drivers. The 9-man team has amassed over 20 podium finishes in the last two years. Though most were earned at regional RCPro Series events, the list also include Jamie Smitheram’s first-place finish at 2011’s Atlantic RCPro nationals — the first Canadian National title ever for Great Hobbies and Team  Durango.  Team manager Kevin Taylor is a well-known and respected driver in his own right and was previously the team manager for Canada’s Caster Racing team. Taylor and four other team members call Ontario home, but there are also team members from Alberta in the west to New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island on the Atlantic side.