The Interview - Featuring Junior Barba

For the 2nd interview in the DARC Mag Interview Series with Adam Mah, we will be interviewing a man who has made some serious waves in the RC drift scene in America and around the world, Junior Barba. Junior has taken his RC drifting competition career quickly to a world-class driving level. Let’s hear from him about his journey.

Adam: Hello, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. I would first like to start by having you do a quick introduction of who you are and where you come from. Please tell us about any awards and accolades that you have received.

Junior: Hi, my name is Junior Barba and I’m currently living in Texas. I was born in Los Angeles. Some of my accomplishments have been winning Texas overall Drift King at the Texas SDC Finals, getting 2nd place at the SDC 2024 Worlds competition, and making it into the top 16 bracket at TDC Worlds in Malaysia. I’ve been RC drifting for 3 years, working on the 4th currently. I’m sponsored by the RCO, Accuvance, and The Hobby Shop (THS) Leander. My grass roots team is the Lonestar Pals.


Adam: Where is your home track and where is it located?
Junior: My home track is The Hobby Shop (THS), located in Leander, Texas, near Austin.

Adam: What is your favorite chassis to drive? If possible, can we get the tech specs? What electronics package are you running? What dampers do you use? Do you have any conversions?
Junior: My favorite chassis is my RCO Kaiju Full Conversion Reve D RDX. For the electronics inside, I’m using an Acuvance Agile 11.5 Motor, Accuvance XX Xarvis Electronic Speed Control (ESC), Reve D RS-ST Pro servo, and a Reve D Revox gyro. I use Axon brand dampers. The front is stock except for the aluminum knuckles.The rear is also stock except for the upgraded Reve D arms.

Adam: Who in the hobby inspires you and why?
Junior: My Lone Star Pals squad. Kevin Tan. Anyone who pushes me past my comfort zone. My wife, because without her support, these trips would not be possible.

Adam: What was your favorite experience in the hobby this past year?
Junior: My best experience so far was going to Malaysia. It was my first time leaving the country. The group that went there was awesome. I experienced a new culture and made many new acquaintances. The food was so good! Man, once the jet lag was history, I ate so much delicious food! The sleepless nights were worth it all. Another great experience was my trip to Japan! Japan is a must for anyone! Japan is welcoming, clean, and it feels like you’re living in a video game in most places.

Adam: What are some of your goals for RC Drifting this year?
Junior: Some of my goals would be to compete at the RCDC Competition in Japan! After having the opportunity to go to Japan, it would be an honor to go drift with some of their top players. Another goal would be to podium a 2nd time at SDC Worlds in California.

Adam: What would your perfect RC Drift holiday look like?
Junior: A perfect holiday for me would consist of my “roots” team joining me with the RCO crew and traveling to Japan to RC drift and explore, eat, drift, and sleep! We could maybe do a little traveling in Japan and definitely go to the Tokyo Motor Show and Japan’s famous Daikoku Parking Area Car Meet during Tokyo Auto Salon.

Adam: On that vacation, which tracks are you wanting to go to?
Junior: I would love to visit Yachio again, which is currently my favorite track in Japan! I would also go back to Drift Base, which is my 2nd favorite track. This location is one to visit. I would like to go to Joyus and, really, any other tracks in Japan.

Adam: If you could invent a new feature of RC Drifting, what would it be and why?
Junior: I’d like to be able to throw on some goggles and control the car with my mind.


The following questions were pulled from the Special Stage live stream on Monday 6/9/10. I had the chance to interview a few of the members of Team RCO, the following are some of the excerpts from that interview, specifically focusing on Junior’s answers. For the full stream you can visit my Youtube channel youtube.com/@yadmah. Thanks to Kevin with RCO for leading this stream.

Kevin: How was your first meal in Japan?
Junior: Oh My God! We ate like we do at Brazilian steakhouses back at home. We went to an all you can eat wagyu and crab place. And, let me tell you, it’s going to be so hard to top when I go back to America. It’s so good.

Adam: And this is coming from a Texas boy.
Junior: Yeah, it’s on another level.

Kevin: How was your first experience in Japanese train stations?
Junior: There’s so much going on and there are bakeries everywhere. Here, all I smell is sweet bread and we aren’t even stopping to try it. If I was alone, I probably would have stopped at all of them.

Kevin: So, you had a chance to ride one of the high-speed trains, the Narita Express. This one goes a little more than 100 kph. Did you feel it?
Junior: Actually, It looks like you’re chilling in a movie and it’s so quiet. You can’t even hear it. The views are amazing. The cars are amazing too. If you ever have the chance to come to Japan, don’t even think twice, just fly out. It’s an easy one.

Adam: This question is for the RC drifters that are traveling elsewhere now. What are you taking with you as far as your bag of choice to haul your car?
Junior: All I packed was a suitcase with 5 days of clothes because we’re going to be here for 10 days, so I figured I’d recycle it. I just brought my car with me and on the top drawer of my two-compartment hauler I threw my transmitter and batteries. That left most of my huge suitcase empty to take back some stuff. I’m taking a Reve D chassis back for a friend. I’m trying to get him, you know, on the Reve D Side. That’s it. As long as my car, my transmitter, and my batteries, make it there, I’m good.

Kevin: Did you have any issues with the new Overdose bag?
Junior: No, I have the Overdose bag that I’ve had in my closet for a while. I kept it for travelling purposes as a travel bag. And when I got there, they did let me take it on the flight, but it was a close one. Technically it was bigger than the cabin size. I told the lady at check in that there was expensive equipment in the bag. She said, “Okay, just take it, if they don’t let you, you’re missing your flight.” I was like, “Alright”. It wasn’t very pleasant, so I might be upgrading to something a little smaller.

Kevin: What was your impression when Matsuzaki brought out his yellow GR 86?
Junior: I’ve never seen a car like it, it was so fast. It literally looks like he has a touring car on the track. As you’re drifting, he will come around you and take off and leave you behind. It’s ridiculous.

At the time of the interview, Junior’s trip was on day 5 of 10 .

Kevin: So, that was the first half of day 3. Then Hikaru showed up.
Junior: It was unbelievable. I saw him over there driving in Super Saiyan mode. As soon as he got on the track, it was as if he didn’t know how to drift less than 90 degrees. He has to drive almost backwards. I’m not even joking. When he’s coming out of the exit at the same angle he’s going in at, it’s ridiculous. It’s Awesome.

Adam: So, what I’m actually hearing is that you guys have reached Super Saiyan levels and Hikaru is technically Ultra Instinct.
Junior:Yes, that exactly!

Adam: Is Japan style more high risk/high reward style over our stricter attention to the clipping points?
Junior: The style is just on another level. Videos don’t do it justice. Seeing it in person is so different. That alone should be your reason to visit Japan.

Kevin: How does the style at Yachiyo compare to the style at US tracks?
Junior: US style is more about smoothness. There’s only so much aggression you can apply. Here in Japan, it looks like the car is about to lose control, but it just stays stable. It was something I had to see in person because on video it looks completely different. After seeing it in person I realize that this level of RC drifting can actually be achieved. It’s awesome.

Wrap-Up
In only his 4th year of RC Drifting, Junior has made accomplishments that would take some all of their lives. Keep an eye on this man. With the help of his RCO Crew, there’s no limit to what the future holds for his career. Onwards and upwards Junior!