Control of rotational speed of a motor is provided using an apparatus and method that provides a staging and a driving mode. A processor controls speed of the motor in three different modes to provide different control that is appropriate for different situations. Control-input indications are received by a processor indicating that a stepping mode is selected. In stepping mode, a sequence of commutation states are chosen in succession at a given stepping frequency for a given control selection. In an active-holding mode, the same phase in the commutation sequence is pulsed at low power to hold a motor location. In a closed-loop motor-control mode, the commutation state is sensed and state transition time is controlled relative to neutral timing. These modes may be used to advantage to simulate a drag race. An operator controls a remote-control vehicle in a stepping mode to drive toward a first beam at a drag start line. When the first beam at the start line is broken, but a second beam is not broken, the ESC begins to perform motor control to actively hold the vehicle in position until the race starts. After the race starts, the ESC receives a control-input indication to drive the motor in a closed-loop motor-control mode.