Randy_Pike

iTrader: (6)

First Ever 1/8 Electric World Champs

EricJ

Watch some liverc of an OCRC Club Race (no joke). The announcer there, Nick Black, is one of the best announcers I've ever seen in RC racing, and certainly the best at the club racing level. Even as a spectator you can follow a race because he'll call out lots of useful stats, like car color scheme, the driver, their position, interesting facts about the driver, how far apart various positions are, etc... He even calls out position changes long before the action crosses the line.


On 1/8th E-Buggy: Down here in SoCal, 1/8th has been very mixed. It basically killed 1/10th 4wd Buggy for all but big races and is mainly run by the most experienced drivers. It was also banned at WCRC, which means there are only a couple indoor tracks remaining that are large enough to accommodate them, so it is far less convenient for those that run both 1/10th and 1/8th vehicles (most that run 1/8th also run 1/10th).

As others have said, cost is definitely a big factor. A car that will easily cost over a grand, sometimes approaching (or exceeding) two with all the extras, is a pretty big investment, even if you have many cars (that together cost more), it's hard to justify for a class that is unreliable. I'd love to have one, but they're just so much more expensive than 4x4 SCs and it's far less likely that there will be a class for it. Go to a track with a 4x4 SC and you'll probably have a class, and it's really the only reliable 4wd class at many tracks.

midwestcajun

and this is where I stop and chime in...nitro vs electric is not necessarily comparable. As it has been stated, nitro guys love the smell and sound which I agree with...there's nothing better than the sound of a single piston flyin at a bazillion RPM's...but there's also nothing worse than chasing a tune all friggin day. Personally for me it could be either nitro or electric, I dont care...I just prefer 8th's..There's no doubt that the initial setup cost is high but after that you are done...no fuel needed and you can run indoors without ventilation. I believe it's all about location as well. I'm lucky enough to live within 15 minutes of a premier indoor track that has this class therefore my SC is for "fun". There's nothing better than hanging a line on a small 10th scale track with an 8th scale. Its tough, but get outside in the summer after running a tight track all winter and you realize how your skills have improved. Once we see the cost of ESC's and batts go down I think it will catch on....this summer is the summer for e buggs.

tc5 man

I can agree on the Associated conversion kit the motor mount is a PITA and the battery tray is to small and narrow for 4s lipos over 5000mah. If you want to lay the battery down insend of sitting the battery on its side which makes the handleing weird.

And the layout are unbalanced on the 1/8 scales.
The positive side is the manf conversion kits are priced good .

The losi conversion kit is pretty good actually i like it.

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

I lived in the Washington DC area and land priced itself right out of the range of this hobby. After a while there was just nowhere to race off road.

Now I live in Wisconsin and we've seen times when there were too many tracks and the racing crowd was too thin for all of them.

jhautz

iTrader: (86)

There are more tracks than that in the Chicago vicinity. But there are only 2 indoor tracks big enough for good 1/8 racing in the winter. During the summer there are quite a few other outdoor tracks around.

Having 2 nice indoor tracks to race at during the winter is great IMO.

jwmustang

iTrader: (11)

Good to hear. Where are they? I may be up there this summer.

sport10

I believe 1/8 nitro has moved into the hardcore area of the sport. This is due mainly to short course though. I only see large turnouts at big events. Here locally 1/8 nitro is mostly gone at club races in favor of electric.

RCHR

Plenty of people are spending thousands on rc stuff, its not the cost.

The reason it hasn't taken off is pretty simple really.

When you buy a 1/8th electric buggy to race, you race on the same tracks as the nitro 1/8th buggies, you still have to listen to nitro sounds, you still have to breath nitro exhaust, you still have to corner marshall nitro races.

All the money you spend on a electric 1/8th is pretty much a waste because you still end up being around the same nitro issues that you attemped to avoid by buying electric.

nv529

iTrader: (53)

Maybe only your region. We have a strong electric 8th scale following here in Michigan I can go to any of the 4 indoor tracks and see full heat of e-buggy on any given club race day. If its a trophy race we usually get up to C or D main.

BobWoodhouse

iTrader: (24)

Are all 8th buggy wheels the same size/offset? You know how SCTs have different hexes/pins, different offsets front/rear and brand/brand.

Krio

iTrader: (159)

Yup, should be all the same.

jwmustang

iTrader: (11)

Must be a truck thing because truggys can be different.

t3gt

iTrader: (6)

My SC8 wheels take the same size tires as my RC8B wheels, except that it's the SC tire, but they all have the same offset....same dimensions too....I use my RC8 wheels on my SC8 sometimes at the track....They should all be the same....of course I haven't bought several sets of different wheels & tires lately.....I am getting the DE RACING SC8 wheels and some PROLINE and AKA tires soon, so I will see how they measure up as well.

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

Most here agree that 1/8 E is taking off, just not at the rate SCT has.

Drivers who choose or convert to electric generally do not do it to separate themselves from nitro. Aside from running indoors, I don't think most 1/8E drivers care about avoiding those things at all. We do it because it is less expensive, performs more reliably, and is less labor intensive to own/maintain.

I didn't want to run nitro indoors when I was running nitro.