The dirtinator have left the planet.

[Thrasher]

Brian Kinwald is dead

I cannot believe it. This guy is responsible for so much stuff we all take for granted today. From tires to setups hopups and everything inbetween, below above and beyond. While he didn't drive large scales his work can be seen in our machines too. He made many companies truckloads of money and was known to be a stand up kind of guy always ready and willing to help. Despite being the stuff of legends in our little community he was never too good to help out a newcommer or hand out full batteries from his charger station if people was under pressure. We have lost someone who did so much and demanded so little in return and I doubt anyone can replace him. I just heard this and it makes me a sad panda.

It is similar to rock'n'roll loosing Lemmy Kilmister. An orignal that just cannot be replaced and whoms influence on a whole scene cannot be understated.

R.I.P Brian and thank you. From dirt you came and from dirt you returned but inbetween you made sure the dirt got a proper viscious beating.

 

[Z.hb71]

R.I.P ??

 

[Whoduh]

R.I.P.

The following statement was posted on Facebook by Team Associated to announce the passing of Brian Kinward.


It is with heavy heart that we have learned the news of Brian Kinwald’s passing. Brian passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 3, 2019. “Brian was an icon in our industry for over 25 years and in that time won two IFMAR World Championships and countless National Titles. In recent years Brian took to mentoring select up-and-coming racers who caught his eye for talent. As part of “Team Kinwald,” Brian would share valuable insight and help groom them for success. If you ever got a chance to sit down and speak with Brian, you’d quickly find out that he lived and breathed RC racing. His determination to succeed was matched only by the time he put in to the sport. All of us at Associated Electrics are proud to be a part of his journey and his memory will live on through countless stories, accomplishments and memorials. #WeAreAE At this time, we do not have any more information regarding services or memorials.” Source Please leave a kind and positive condolence message for Brian Kinwald friends and family at the comment box below. Rest in peace.

 

[Whoduh]

From the TLR site.

Legend. Icon. Innovator. Friend.
Brian Kinwald.
How can one person be all of these things? Would they not be larger than life? Yes, a person can be all these, but they are extremely and preciously rare. Brian Kinwald was larger than life.
Imagine if every story was true about Brian, or even had a shred of truth to it? That would make him a great person, right? The funny thing is, as some of the people fortunate enough to cross his path and spend time as part of his life, we know these stories not only have some truth, but are only allude to a fraction of the man that Brian Kinwald was.
Brian was the original. He broke the mold of what R/C Racers had been before him and invented a new way of racing. Coming from a BMX, he was the first driver to really push the limits of what an R/C car could do, how fast it could go around the track, repeatedly exceeding these limits. Gil Losi Jr. reminisced, "We used to think, 'well good thing Brian can't stay on the track, or we'll never be able to beat him.' Then, he stopped crashing and we couldn't beat him for 6 years." After having already winning major races around the world, Brian joined Team Losi. Not only an amazing and fierce competitor on the track, his charisma and never give up attitude made Brian Team Losi's unofficial team leader – he was always at the center of anything he did. Brian would add another IFMAR World Championship to his resume in 1997. Even more amazing, in 1999 Brian swept all 3 modified classes at not only the ROAR Nationals Championships, but the NORRCA National Championships as well, going 6 for 6 – he was unstoppable.
Brian's legacy does not begin and end with his racing accolades though, he was the original "Factory" driver. He was the first one to make R/C cool. Brian was the first to really get into the nuts and bolts of these complicated machines, to not only make them work better, but to make them look more trick and unique. Expressing himself through the passion he had for the hobby, Brian would do customer modifications to his cars from anodizing to milling, the original "bling". And to set himself even further apart, you would often find these type of custom parts on the cars of his friends in the pits – he wanted everyone to share in his cool. Not without the drive to push the performance to the next level, Brian was the master of tires. He would spend countless hours and countless days at the testing tires, compounds, treads working to find a tenth, or a little different feel. Imaging the open-mindedness and ambition needed to mount a tire inside out and racing on the webbing – Brian did it and eventually this became the iconic 'BK' Bar that has inspired most current tires designs. Eventually Brian gave into his curiosities and figured out much of what we know today about tire saucing – he literally invented this. "He was as curious as I was. He was the most fun driver I worked with. He'd be willing to go the crazy places I would go, and we'd enjoy that journey together," remembers Gil Losi Jr.
But Brian was so much more than a championship driver and innovator. He was Dirt. He was the coolest guy we knew, the coolest older brother type anyone could imagine. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Brian well enough to get past his overtly shy nature, they were the ones who knew the real LEGEND. For someone at the top of his field, an ultra-competitive one at that, Brian was the opposite of what you would expect. He was inclusive of everyone and anyone. He had an uncanny knack of making everyone feel like they were his friend, his best friend. He was always the center of the group, the conversation, the celebration – we all gravitated to his larger than life personality. His quick raise of the eyebrow, or smirk in the corner of his mouth just to emphasize his words are indelible to all who knew him. He was the story teller or all story tellers – some of our best memories are the team just handing with Dirt in the pits, welcomed into his court, listening to his stories, laughing, and enjoying life.
For all of these reasons, and for more than can ever be expressed, we miss you Brian Kinwald, BK, Dirt. Please Rest In Peace.
– Franklin Root 04/08/2019

 

[Livnonthedge]

Godspeed and RIP BK