Builder of the Month: Cody Johnson (July 2026)

Boom Racing:

Cody, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s start simple. How would you introduce yourself to the Boom Racing community, and what first drew you to the brand?

Cody Johnson:

My name is Cody Johnson. I own and operate Dixieland R/C out of Tifton, GA. Super small hobby shop that is everyone’s "Local Hobby Shop". I grew up around Land Rovers as my Dad restored old Series trucks. So my entire childhood and most of my teen years were just Land Rover. I did get away from it for a long while as I went down the import tuner world and built some really rad cars during those years. My first knowing of the Boom brand was with the SCX10 II PHAT Axle housings. They were my #1 seller for a very long time.

Boom Racing:

How did you go from breaking Emaxx trucks with friends in 2002 to running Dixieland R/C as a full-time business?

Cody Johnson:

Man, this may be a long one to answer. Around 2003 or so, I sold off that Emaxx to fund my Show car I was building. I did, however, buy some more things in 2009. Then sold all of that to fund a Race Car build. But in 2017 I bought a SCX10 Deadbolt from Tower on Black Friday.

Going into business was a tough one. I just really wanted to be able to fund fixing my trucks and my kids' trucks when they broke them. It sure spiraled out of control into what it is now. Having a hobby shop as a part-time gig is tough most of the time. I still work a full-time day job. So doing both at times can get stressful. But I make it work. I'm lucky to have a great local group that supports me like they do.

Boom Racing:

What was the biggest challenge in moving from online sales to a physical storefront?

Cody Johnson:

Honestly, it wasn't really that hard, but I also took my time doing it. I started just selling on Facebook, then moved to a website, then turned my shop at home into a makeshift store. The next logical step was to get a bigger store and be an actual store. It was honestly the best decision I made. Having the store has brought so many more opportunities to the business. Even during all of this, I was still going to a bunch of events every year and setting up my mobile store. It is now 800sqft of goodies that you can look at during an event. I have everything you need, and even things you didn't know you needed.

Boom Racing:

You host a monthly Mini Crawler night. What’s the most memorable build or moment that’s come out of those events?

Cody Johnson:

The events themselves, really. It brings everyone together to hang out and chat about different setups. It's great to see the local community really enjoy it and bring their kids. Folks come to just watch as well. Everyone looks forward to them every month. They talk about them to others in the store to try and get more new people coming. It's great.

Boom Racing:

What role do you hope the shop plays in bringing local builders together?

Cody Johnson:

Just for them to have a place to come ask questions either for me or others. I'm building that now. My locals are so great. They help me with anything I need. They will also jump in and answer questions for new customers if I'm busy with someone else or a project.

Boom Racing:

Can you tell us about your Boom Racing vehicles and what makes each one special?

Cody Johnson:

So for those that don't know, I'm a huge Land Rover nut. I grew up watching my dad restore classic Land Rovers. So it's in my blood. That will explain a little bit about what I have and my future plans with them.

My BRX01 LC70 is super special, as I was asked to prototype this chassis. I was super new to this world at that time, and I don't think I did it justice or Boom justice, really. But I put that truck through everything I could throw at it. I made sure nothing broke. I put it in the water almost every time I drove it.

BRX02 109 Series III - Mainly have this one for a shelf queen. First Boom Rover.

BRX02 109 Series III - I made a replica of the Forest Rover. This one is special to me as it was my first full custom styrene build. I have so many hours into this build. Was a huge learning experience for me. I actually can't wait to do another styrene build.

BRX02 Defender 110 - I bought this one completed. I didn't build it. But I wanted a D110 5 door. So this one worked. I have done a few things to it to make it my own, with more planned down the road.

BRX02 99 Series II - This is another one I purchased completed by someone else. My main reason for this one is to have one that I don't mind beating up on the trails. I seem to have a tough time driving the ones that I build.

BRX01 AWB Zil - These are like Lays chips; you can't just have one. So I have this one.

BRX02 88 Series II - Will be a replica of my Dad's truck.

BRX02 88 Series II - Will be a replica of my Dad's rock crawler.

BRX02 109 Series II - Going to make a Rescue rig of some sort. Final plans haven't been ironed out yet.

Boom Racing:

The BRX02 D130 has arrived at your doorstep! What are your plans for this build?

Cody Johnson:

My first one will be a basic stockish one, really. It's in the middle of the build process. It will be the tow rig for the Forest Rover. I have three kits that I will be building in the future.

Boom Racing:

When you’re setting up a Boom Racing rig for the trail, what details matter most to you: scale realism, durability, or performance?

Cody Johnson:

I really like the fact you kinda get all three of these out of the box. My D110 can pull some crazy sidehill things it has no business doing. I have been leaning more towards realism over the past year or so. I feel like the Boom trucks have the durability side locked down. And honestly, how much performance can you really get out of a full scaled out rig?

Boom Racing:

What’s one build lesson or tuning tip you’ve learned from the RC community that would help another builder get more out of a Boom Racing chassis?

Cody Johnson:

Take your time. I feel like nowadays we rush so much with every aspect of our lives. It's nice to sit down and just build something. I need to take my own advice sometimes. I rush all the time.

Also, you don't need upgrades right away. Just build it and drive it. Then upgrade.

Boom Racing:

Which Boom Racing products are the most popular in your shop, and what do your local customers like most about them?

Cody Johnson:

The kits and all the accessories you can get for them.

Boom Racing:

What’s your dream real‑life vehicle, and does it translate into a 1/10 BRX build? Is there a model you think Boom Racing must make in the future?

Cody Johnson:

I actually just bought my dream vehicle. I just picked up a 1997 Defender 110 2dr. It's so good. I do hope a 2dr 110 variant comes out. I am shamefully building an RC dream body to match mine right now. But if a Boom one comes out later, I will just build another one. I really want a Land Rover Forward Control 101 or a Lightweight Series I in a kit.

Boom Racing:

What’s your go-to chassis right now for a daily trail truck, and why?

Cody Johnson:

This is a tough one for me to answer. I love the Boom stuff. But if I'm honest with you all, it's my Gmade GS02F. I have a D110 body on it, and it's my favorite trail truck. It just does everything I want it to do. It is, however, very basic scale-wise. Next body won't be like that, though. I do now have an 88 BRX that I will run on the trails more, though. So maybe they are tied. Lol.

Boom Racing:

What’s a common mistake you see new builders make when setting up their first crawler?

Cody Johnson:

GIANT SHOCKS!!!!! You don't need 110mm shocks on your truck. Sorry, had to get that out. Also buying a ton of hop-ups before you have even driven the truck.

Boom Racing:

How do you balance building for scale looks versus durability when you’re setting up a truck for local trail runs or competitions?

Cody Johnson:

So if I'm doing a comp, I'm using a pure performance truck(Lexan). Comps around here are too tough on a hard body scale rig to be using them. If I'm building for scale looks, I just try to make sure that stuff doesn't fall off or the build doesn't come apart.

Boom Racing:

Finally, what do you hope to see in the future of the scale hobby? Do you think it will continue to grow globally, and what’s driving that growth?

Cody Johnson:

I just hope it continues to grow and bring out the best in everyone creatively. I do think it will because of the people.

Thank you, Cody, for sharing your story with us! For more, readers can follow Cody on social media:

Facebook: Dixielandrc

Instagram: dixieland_rc

Youtube: dixielandrc

ByBeth Liang & Peter G

Tags :Boom Racing, BRX01, BRX02, BRX02 109, Land Rover, Camel Trophy, Crawler

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