Mark Santa Maria

06/04/2026

Introducing: The MSM E-Bike Chronicles

Over the years I’ve shared my adventures in RC cars, business, travel, and life. Recently I added something new to the mix: an e-bike.

I have absolutely no idea where this journey is going, but I figured it might be fun to document it. The good, the bad, the embarrassing, and the unexpected.

So welcome to the MSM E-Bike Chronicles, a completely unplanned series where I share my experiences ripping my ebike one ride at a time.

Episode 1: Apparently Not Everyone Likes E-Bikes

For those who don’t know, I recently did a vlog visiting my friends at E-Ride Bike Shop in downtown McKinney. E-Ride Outfitters… It’s a local business, the owner is an RC car enthusiast, and he and his family support and attend a lot of MSM events.

It didn’t take long for me to decide to pick up an e-bike.

Day 1 kind of sucked.

I picked up the bike and rode it as much as I could before heading into the shop. After work, I got home around 11 PM and immediately jumped back on it for a 10-mile ride to one of my favorite places to relax, Adriatica.

Today, Day 2, I decided to ride to my son’s summer cross-country workout. It’s about four miles away down a fairly busy road.

That’s when things started getting interesting.

Before I say any of this, let me make one thing clear: I absolutely love this thing.

I’ll do the full reveal on the Everyday channel soon, but for now, I’m just enjoying it.

That said, today I experienced my first e-bike hate.

First up, I rode past a large group of road cyclists. Personally, I was excited. We were all on bikes. This felt like a brotherhood moment.

Apparently, I was the only one who felt that way.

I waved with a huge smile and said, “Good morning!”

Not a single rider waved back.

Not one.

They just stared at me like I had shown up to a black-tie event wearing Crocs.

Maybe they were rude. Maybe e-bikers are frowned upon. Either way, I thought it was hilarious.

The next incident hurt a little more.

I’m riding along happy as can be, smiling so big I could eat a banana sideways, when I hear someone yell, “LOSER!” from a passing car.

As a YouTuber, comments like that usually bounce right off me.

This one was different.

The vehicle looked far too familiar.

That’s right.

My own son.

My flesh and blood.

He made it a point to slow down, roll down the window, and yell “LOSER!” as he drove by.

I won’t lie.

It cut deep.

Now I sit here overlooking a beautiful pond, wondering what adventures, insults, and life lessons await me on the ride home.

Stay tuned for Episode 2 of the MSM E-Bike Chronicles.

06/03/2026

Wait... I'm pretty sure some of that is my stuff! I swear if people go over my head 14-15 more times I am quitting!

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

Who’s getting the third puzzle peice this weekend!?!

Trust me when I say you do not want to miss the race this weekend ESPECIALLY if you have never raced at the amazing Thornhill Racing Circuit before…

MSM Southern Showdown | June 5-7 @ Thornhill Racing Circuit

06/02/2026

A few people were asking about the track I raced at yesterday. It’s awesome and close to Area RC! Check it out here…

Check out Blue Ridge Speedway RC Track Here:https://www.facebook.c...

06/01/2026

I’m about to tell you guys something that a lot of people don't know about me.

There was a period of my life where I wasn't an IT guy, an RC guy, or a YouTuber.

I was a poker player.

Not the "play with buddies on Friday night" kind of poker player either. I mean the kind of poker player who thinks about poker when he wakes up, plays all night, studies strategy, and genuinely believes he can make a living doing it. And for a short period of my life, I did.

Fair warning, this one isn't RC related. I've wanted to make a video about this for my Everyday channel for a long time, but I could never figure out how to make it entertaining enough. This format seems perfect.

I've been playing poker since I was 19 years old, which was actually before what many people call the "Moneymaker Effect." For those who don't know, Chris Moneymaker qualified for the World Series of Poker through an $86 online tournament and ended up winning $2.5 million. Overnight, poker went from something people played in smoky back rooms to something everyone thought they could do.

Including me.

Over the years, I've played poker all over the country. I've played in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. I've played with people who were far better than me and people who were far worse than me. I've played in beautiful casinos and sketchy backroom games that I later found out weren't exactly operating honestly. I started with small games among friends and eventually found myself sitting at tables with more money in play than I ever imagined I'd be comfortable risking.

One thing poker players love to tell you is that poker is a game of skill. Their favorite argument is, "If it's not a game of skill, why do the same people make the final table every year?"

News flash. They don't.

Are some players more skilled than others? Absolutely. Can skill help you win over time? Absolutely. But here's the reality nobody likes talking about: a lucky player will beat a skilled player every single time when luck shows up.

The poker argument is always about the long run. Play enough hands. Make enough correct decisions. Follow the math. Eventually you'll come out ahead. And honestly, I agree with that. In fact, I proved it to myself.

The problem is nobody talks about what happens during that long run.

The swings are brutal.

You can do everything right and still lose. You can make the perfect decision and watch someone hit the one card in the deck that saves them. You can play great for weeks and still be down money. Those swings can absolutely mess with your head.

The real reason I quit poker has nothing to do with the money. It has everything to do with me.

I hate admitting this, but I'm extremely competitive and I'm also emotional. That combination isn't always healthy.

I remember quitting a pool league because every time I lost, my brain couldn't process it. I'd replay every shot over and over, thinking about the one mistake that cost me the match. I'd come home frustrated and miserable.

Poker was even worse.

At least in pool, when I lost, it was usually my fault. In poker, sometimes you lose because someone gets lucky. When you combine bad luck with losing significant amounts of money, it can create some really dark emotional lows. What's crazy is those lows often sat right next to some of the highest highs I'd ever experienced. One day you're on top of the world because you won big. The next day you're questioning everything because some guy caught a miracle card on the river.

The emotional swings were exhausting.

Eventually I realized I wasn't having fun anymore, so I stopped.

Now don't get me wrong. I still enjoy going to a casino from time to time, but today I go for entertainment. The money I bring is already gone in my mind before I walk through the doors. That's simply the price of admission.

Every time I walk past the poker room, I think about those days. Walking around like a zombie after a 10-hour session. Thinking I had discovered the one game in the casino that could consistently be beaten. Thinking I was smarter than the system.

The truth is poker became work.

And at this stage of my life, I've realized something important: time is worth far more than money.

It's funny how age, experience, and wisdom change your perspective. Back then, when people told me they played slot machines, I thought they were crazy. I'd think, "Why would you do that? You're just giving your money away?"

And to some extent, that's true.

But they're also having fun, which is kind of the entire point.

I used to go to casinos to win money. Looking back, that's probably the worst reason to go. It's how you end up chasing something that can never satisfy you. These days I'd rather spend a few bucks having fun than spend hours stressing over whether I made the mathematically correct decision.

What I've learned is this:

I can stomach losing money to a casino game that is designed for me to lose.

What I cannot stomach is losing to someone who got lucky when I was a 20-to-1 favorite heading into the river and they somehow catch one of the only two cards in the deck that saves them.

Nope.

Screw that.

No more poker for me.

Ironically, poker taught me something that I still carry into business, YouTube, and life today.

You can make all the right decisions and still lose.

The only thing you can control is continuing to make good decisions anyway.

05/31/2026

DO IT FOR DALE!

Racing dirt oval with Losi Nascars at the beautiful Blue Ridge RC Raceway!

05/29/2026

AREA RC WILL NOT FALL VICTIM TO MISTAKES RC RACING HAS MADE IN THE PAST!

I've heard people say, "Seasoned racers don't need to race entry-level classes." Yet when you ask why beginner classes disappear, the answer is often, "Nobody races them."

Well, classes don't grow if nobody shows up.

The reality is most new racers aren't expecting to win. They're there to learn, have fun, and be part of the community. In fact, many new racers think it's pretty cool to line up and race against the fast guys.

A healthy entry-level class isn't about protecting new racers from experienced racers. It's about creating an affordable, accessible place for people to get started and keeping those classes active and exciting.

That's why I feel strongly about supporting our Driver's Class. To encourage participation and keep the class thriving, Area RC will be giving free race entries to the top three finishers at their next club race event.

The goal has never changed:

Grow the hobby.

05/26/2026

Don’t be that guy.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is a few words from the wrong person can completely change how someone feels about this hobby.

And honestly… some of you have no idea you’re doing it.

After my last few long posts, a couple people pointed out that maybe I’m just venting or complaining. Hopefully that’s not all people take from these. My goal is more to share experiences that maybe other people can relate to so they know they aren’t alone. Or maybe someone reads this and subconsciously realizes they do some of these things without meaning to offend people. Or maybe it’s just a fun read while you’re hiding in the bathroom from your responsibilities for 10 minutes. Hahaha!

One thing I think we as human beings need to get WAY better at is complimenting other people instead of instantly criticizing them.

And man… this happens constantly in the RC world.

Let me paint the picture.

Someone brings their RC car to a hobby shop, track, or event. They spent their hard earned money on it. They spent hours wrenching on it. Setting it up. Painting it. Upgrading it. Making it THEIR car. They’re excited. Proud of it. Maybe nervous to even show it to people.

Then immediately the seasoned expert, elite racer, or “know it all” says something like:

“Yeah that thing is junk.”
“That’s the old one.”
“You should’ve bought this instead.”
“Why are you running that?”
“No one uses those anymore.”

Now instead of enjoying the moment, this person instantly goes into defense mode trying to justify why they bought what they bought… or why they can’t afford the newest setup right now.

THIS kills the hobby.

And I see it in every category of RC. Racing, drifting, crawling, bashing… all of it.

Since I spend a lot of time around racing, I probably see it there the most. A new racer shows up with an older used race rig trying to get into the hobby, and some people instantly treat them like they’re irrelevant because they don’t have the latest and greatest buggy.

“You need the new one.”
“No one runs that anymore.”

I’ll even admit… I probably used to be guilty of this myself.

Back then I truly thought if you didn’t have the newest equipment there was no way you could compete.

But the truth is… Ryan Maifield could probably grab a 10 year old buggy and still absolutely destroy 99% of the off-road racers out there.

So is the car really junk?

Personally, I’m the type of guy that chases the newest and latest gear. Not because I think the old stuff is bad… but because I want the only reason I suck to be ME. Hahaha! It removes the excuse that the car is why I lost.

But after almost 20 years of racing, I can honestly say my results are usually about the same whether I’m running the newest rig or not.

I’ve had some great finishes with outdated cars.

Case in point, my sons are SUPER sentimental about their RC cars. They want to run THEIR cars. The ones THEY bought. Their stuff is old. Outdated. Worn out.

And they still absolutely crush people… including me… while I’m over there with all the fancy new stuff.

Not exactly something I’m proud of, but it definitely proves my point. Hahaha!

So try this next time someone shows you their car.

Instead of firing off the first negative thing that pops into your head, try finding something positive about it.

“I had one of those! Those are awesome.”
“I love what you did there.”
“That model is underrated.”
“That paint job is sick. Did you do it yourself?”
“I won races with one of those.”

My personal favorite:
“That thing is so underrated.”

Honestly, finding the best bang for the buck in RC has become one of my favorite parts of the hobby. You’ll probably notice that theme all over my channel.

One more thing that’s REALLY important for you up and coming racers out there.

When someone shows up to the track with a Traxxas or Arrma… DO NOT make them feel irrelevant.

Those people are the reason racing is still alive.

They are the VIPs.

Without new people entering the hobby, your local track disappears. Your hobby shop disappears. Events disappear. Even your favorite manufacturers eventually disappear.

Help them.

Give them pointers.
Compliment their rigs.
Let them try your car.
Make them feel welcome.

The RC car gets them through the door.

The COMMUNITY is what gets them hooked.

And the bigger the hobby gets, the cooler all of this becomes for everyone.

More tracks.
More shops.
More events.
More innovation.
More friends.

Let’s make this hobby bigger than it’s ever been.

And if you still want to hate on the new guy with the Sledge or Kraton at the track… just remember this:

Next year when all the newest race kits come out, your “top of the line” race rig that you dumped thousands into instantly becomes old news and worth less than half of what you paid.

Meanwhile those dudes with the Sledges and Kratons are still pulling 80% of retail value all day long.

Now who’s laughing? Hahaha!