ROAR 2012 Electric Off-Road “Supernationals”
12-16-2011, 07:44 AM
#1
ROAR 2012 Electric Off-Road “Supernationals”
Interesting. Read below. What do u guys/girls think?
The choices of how to accommodate all the classes that have emerged in recent years as lipo batteries and brushless motors have increased the popularity of electric racing, are limited and challenging. The Short Course categories added more entries to the already-popular Electric Off-Road Nationals, and the EP 1/8 buggies and trucks were either on their own, or adding too many entries to a sold out Fuel Off-Road Nationals. Having run the EP 1/8 Nationals for three years on its own, it’s clear that adequate attendance was difficult. The other two obvious choices to combine with 1/8 EP were already popular enough to sell out without the pressure of additional entries.
Through consultation with a number of drivers from all levels that are likely to attend, the ROAR Executive Committee establishes this year as the first of what is hopefully many to come – the “2012 Electric Off-Road Supernationals” as the best solution to accommodate all the classes in a manner that allows full participation in all classes, and gives the drivers enough time to participate in as few or as many classes as they desire. Below are the details of ROAR’s first Electric “Supernationals.” As you can see, the traditional classes of 2WD Buggy, 4WD Buggy, and 2WD Racing Truck, are run in the first half of the event with one day of practice, two days of qualifying, and the mains on the last day. Then, after a break to change and groom the track, practice will resume on Thursday, with two more days of qualifying and the mains on Sunday for the remaining classes.
This new format puts all the electric classes together in one event. This is a worlds qualifying year, so the drivers who place highest at this year’s nationals in 2WD and 4WD mod will earn invitations to the 2013 IFMAR World Championship, which will also be held in the USA. At the culmination of this event, there will be a break on Wednesday, and the second half of event will resume on Thursday and finish on Sunday.
Drivers who only want to compete in one half of the event won’t have more expenses than usual, but drivers that wish to participate in the entire event will spend far less than attending two separate events. ROAR hopes that, even though the event format will be new for everyone, that the long time and consideration taken to ensure that it’s done with the driver’s best interests in mind, will be the spirit in which it’s received.
Track: West Coast RC Raceway
15905 Canary Ave., La Mirada, CA 90638
714.739.4298
[email protected]
www.westcoastrcraceway.com
Schedule: August 11 – 19
Classes:
2WD buggy stock
2WD Buggy Modified
4WD Buggy Modified
2WD Truck Stock
2WD Truck Modified
1st Half Schedule
Saturday 8/11/12 – practice
Sunday, 8 /12/12 – day one, qualifying
Monday, 8/13/12 – day two, qualifying
Tuesday, 8/14/12 – Mains
Wednesday 8/15/12 – Day Off
Classes:
SC Buggy Pro Spec – Provisional, only stock drivers, no sponsored drivers
2WD SC Truck Stock
2WD SC Truck Modified
4WD SC Truck Modified
1/8 EP Buggy
1/8 EP Truck
2nd Half Schedule:
Thursday, 8/16/12 – Practice
Friday, 8/17/12 – Qualifying
Saturday, 8/18/12 – Qualifying
Sunday, 8/19/12 – Mains
Source: www.roarracing.com
The choices of how to accommodate all the classes that have emerged in recent years as lipo batteries and brushless motors have increased the popularity of electric racing, are limited and challenging. The Short Course categories added more entries to the already-popular Electric Off-Road Nationals, and the EP 1/8 buggies and trucks were either on their own, or adding too many entries to a sold out Fuel Off-Road Nationals. Having run the EP 1/8 Nationals for three years on its own, it’s clear that adequate attendance was difficult. The other two obvious choices to combine with 1/8 EP were already popular enough to sell out without the pressure of additional entries.
Through consultation with a number of drivers from all levels that are likely to attend, the ROAR Executive Committee establishes this year as the first of what is hopefully many to come – the “2012 Electric Off-Road Supernationals” as the best solution to accommodate all the classes in a manner that allows full participation in all classes, and gives the drivers enough time to participate in as few or as many classes as they desire. Below are the details of ROAR’s first Electric “Supernationals.” As you can see, the traditional classes of 2WD Buggy, 4WD Buggy, and 2WD Racing Truck, are run in the first half of the event with one day of practice, two days of qualifying, and the mains on the last day. Then, after a break to change and groom the track, practice will resume on Thursday, with two more days of qualifying and the mains on Sunday for the remaining classes.
This new format puts all the electric classes together in one event. This is a worlds qualifying year, so the drivers who place highest at this year’s nationals in 2WD and 4WD mod will earn invitations to the 2013 IFMAR World Championship, which will also be held in the USA. At the culmination of this event, there will be a break on Wednesday, and the second half of event will resume on Thursday and finish on Sunday.
Drivers who only want to compete in one half of the event won’t have more expenses than usual, but drivers that wish to participate in the entire event will spend far less than attending two separate events. ROAR hopes that, even though the event format will be new for everyone, that the long time and consideration taken to ensure that it’s done with the driver’s best interests in mind, will be the spirit in which it’s received.
Track: West Coast RC Raceway
15905 Canary Ave., La Mirada, CA 90638
714.739.4298
[email protected]
www.westcoastrcraceway.com
Schedule: August 11 – 19
Classes:
2WD buggy stock
2WD Buggy Modified
4WD Buggy Modified
2WD Truck Stock
2WD Truck Modified
1st Half Schedule
Saturday 8/11/12 – practice
Sunday, 8 /12/12 – day one, qualifying
Monday, 8/13/12 – day two, qualifying
Tuesday, 8/14/12 – Mains
Wednesday 8/15/12 – Day Off
Classes:
SC Buggy Pro Spec – Provisional, only stock drivers, no sponsored drivers
2WD SC Truck Stock
2WD SC Truck Modified
4WD SC Truck Modified
1/8 EP Buggy
1/8 EP Truck
2nd Half Schedule:
Thursday, 8/16/12 – Practice
Friday, 8/17/12 – Qualifying
Saturday, 8/18/12 – Qualifying
Sunday, 8/19/12 – Mains
Source: www.roarracing.com
12-16-2011, 07:52 AM
#3
Seems reasonable. But I thought the nats alternated east coast, west coast. What gives there?
And more importantly, what tires work for buggy on the track?
And more importantly, what tires work for buggy on the track?
Last edited by mjk1210; 12-16-2011 at 08:53 AM.
12-16-2011, 08:49 AM
#6
They've just turned a long weekend into a long week for anyone who's not a full-time pro and usually races both a buggy and SC class and wants to attend the Nationals. Or said racer will now have to chose and if you're like me and race one of each type of car regularly (I race 2wd buggy and 4wd SC) and might have wanted to attend if the scheduling/venue worked out, coming all that way to run one class is probably not going to be justifiable.
12-16-2011, 08:58 AM
#7
Good job ROAR. In this tough economy companies and organizes like your self have to look at ways to save money and this format is a very good way to cut down on travel cost for both ROAR RMT and the race teams. Do not feel like you guys are the only ones hurting money wise these days, I recently spent 3 weeks living at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas covering the World Series Of Bowling for the PBA. The PBA held 7 bowling tournaments over those 3 weeks and taped 9 tv finals the last four days all in an effort to cut cost.
12-16-2011, 09:01 AM
#8
I'm on the fence...I see where its good, but I think I see where it can hurt the race to.
1 - if you run the whole week you've got to take at least 6 working days off if you are traveling in from out of state. Thats a lot of time off for guys that aren't paid to do this for a living.
2 - if you run just say 2wd buggy and 2wd SC, you're stuck there for 9 days to race two classes....on separate race schedules. That's alot of waiting around.
3 - if you say only run SC or 1/8e and show up to race on the second half of the Nats schedule, you might have a distinct disadvantage in track time against those that may have raced the first half of the schedule already.....Now, it does say that Wednesday will be a day "to change and groom the track", so I'm assuming that it may be enough so that those attending the first half might not have an advantage.
4 - What about family members that race with their kids......what if dad races 2wd buggy and his 8 year old races Short course.......They're there for 9 days for two classes. Why should either of them have to change what class they race just so they don't have to be there for that long?
I see where they're going with it, but I'm not sure this is the way to do it. I like to support ROAR as much as possible and I will attend the Nats but I wont be running any SC class as I can't afford to take that much time off. I do sincerely hope it works out though....only time will tell.
1 - if you run the whole week you've got to take at least 6 working days off if you are traveling in from out of state. Thats a lot of time off for guys that aren't paid to do this for a living.
2 - if you run just say 2wd buggy and 2wd SC, you're stuck there for 9 days to race two classes....on separate race schedules. That's alot of waiting around.
3 - if you say only run SC or 1/8e and show up to race on the second half of the Nats schedule, you might have a distinct disadvantage in track time against those that may have raced the first half of the schedule already.....Now, it does say that Wednesday will be a day "to change and groom the track", so I'm assuming that it may be enough so that those attending the first half might not have an advantage.
4 - What about family members that race with their kids......what if dad races 2wd buggy and his 8 year old races Short course.......They're there for 9 days for two classes. Why should either of them have to change what class they race just so they don't have to be there for that long?
I see where they're going with it, but I'm not sure this is the way to do it. I like to support ROAR as much as possible and I will attend the Nats but I wont be running any SC class as I can't afford to take that much time off. I do sincerely hope it works out though....only time will tell.
12-16-2011, 09:09 AM
#9
Seems reasonable. But I thought the nats alternated east coast, west coast. What gives there?
They alternate as long as an adequate facility able to hold a Nationals level race bids on it.......or if no one bids from the midwest or east coast, then they go to where someone did.
And more importantly, what tires work for buggy on the track?
Pretty much all the clay compound tires work well at WCRC, the Reedy race coming up is requiring a spec tire which is PL Version 1 MC Suburbs for the rear and JC Gold Barcodes for the front....its a really good combo to run there.
They alternate as long as an adequate facility able to hold a Nationals level race bids on it.......or if no one bids from the midwest or east coast, then they go to where someone did.
And more importantly, what tires work for buggy on the track?
Pretty much all the clay compound tires work well at WCRC, the Reedy race coming up is requiring a spec tire which is PL Version 1 MC Suburbs for the rear and JC Gold Barcodes for the front....its a really good combo to run there.
12-16-2011, 09:40 AM
#10
Sounds fun. Plenty of time to save up money and scedule the time off. Mite have to run some 1/8 electric to go with SCT.....
12-16-2011, 10:11 AM
#11
Seems to me that the class grouping is quite logical. You've got the IFMAR classes running in one group and the "new age" electric classes running in a second group. Short course seems to be borne out of the age of 1/8th racing, so it would seem that more 1/8th racers would also race short course instead of 2wd buggy.
12-16-2011, 10:13 AM
#12
I think overall the idea is solid...but not sure about the split of classes.
-> IMO <-
seems like there should have been more of a Stock Vs. Mod approach, like the old stock nats and mod nats seperation.....
Run all the stock classes the first half and the mod classes the second half because now you are stretching guys for 9 days in some cases if they run 2wd and SC (which has basically replaced mod truck in the east)....
but whatever, it is what it is I guess
-> IMO <-seems like there should have been more of a Stock Vs. Mod approach, like the old stock nats and mod nats seperation.....
Run all the stock classes the first half and the mod classes the second half because now you are stretching guys for 9 days in some cases if they run 2wd and SC (which has basically replaced mod truck in the east)....
but whatever, it is what it is I guess
12-16-2011, 10:14 AM
#13
Only bad thing which has already been mentioned is the guys who race 2wd and sc.(basically the time frame) Also that's a lot of time away from work and a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$. Imagine my luggage fee if I was running 3 electric classes and e-buggy/e-truggy. For the average guy imo it isn't the best idea.
12-16-2011, 10:24 AM
#14
I like the SC and 1/8 grouping. Putting this on the calendar.
However, I can see where folks who might race the standard 1/10 classes as well as SC & 1/8 may have some issues with the time commitment. No way I could take a week off work for an RC race.
However, I can see where folks who might race the standard 1/10 classes as well as SC & 1/8 may have some issues with the time commitment. No way I could take a week off work for an RC race.
12-16-2011, 10:27 AM
#15
SCT is popular enough to stand on it's own as a national event.
The split program addresses the need for there to be two separate events without requiring two venues and travel arrangements so that's a good idea.