ob1n

iTrader: (4)

Hello. I would like to present a thought-invoking question.

Is winning a race mainly parts, setup or skills?

I have been racing a TRF201 for quite some time. I'm getting better; but, honestly, I feel that my car is not keeping up with my skills. I realize that off-road racing is supposed to be challenging. I understand that you can't win them all. But I feel myself turning the car when it needs to.....only to disappointed with the fact that it's NOT turning as I would like! I have tried all the advice from the team-sponsored drivers, local drivers, and people here on this forum. I have changed pinions, spurs, tires, shocks, oils; added weights, shifted batteries, remounted the ESC; adjusted the ESC programs, adjusted my radio parameters; played with ride height, camber, toe, caster.......the list goes on!

I have not done them all at once....just some changes at a time. The big bore shocks help with the bumps and jumps. The camber adjustments don't seem to do anything. The toe adjustments help a little. Some tires work better than others. I've studied the the fastest driver's cars.....they don't look any different than mine. Why do they look like they are glued to the track at a faster speed? I can use the same tires, oils, motor, etc.....and still not be able to turn when I give the radio input! I've seen video of other guys running the same car as me....and they make it look easy! Admit it.....most of these cars look the same no matter what brand! I just refuse to believe that there is that much difference!

I'm probably gonna hear, "more practice" or "x brand is better than y brand". I dunno...between my 3 kids and myself each running a different vehicle(and I've driven them all), there just doesn't seem to be a noticeable difference. I can make the same lap times at our track driving any of them. I'm going nuts trying to pick up 1-2 more seconds off my lap times.

Thanks in advance for your responses!......keep it classy or keep it to yourself.

shagino

iTrader: (57)

I think skills is obviously the biggest one. Let a local fast driver drive your car. If they can drive your car just as fast as they can theirs, it ain't the car.

punkracer24

iTrader: (13)

in response to your question, All 3.

If you have the package (parts & setup) but no skill..... but if you have skill and not the right package... You see where that is going.

That said. There simply are cars that just aren't as competitive for some reason or another, no matter how good of a driver you are. But if you have a the right package and the skill to match then you should have no problem.

naturally, though, I am always going to lean the way of the setup ;-)

tc5 man

Setup and skills mostly not parts. Also what im learning is to tune the suspension and steering to my liking not others that's what i recommend .


And its hard to accept it but not everybody is super fast some are Front pack drivers, Middle, Rear of the field in some a lot better at setups. Im a middle pack driver will i ever win a A-Main likely not but other mains i can win if i keep the wheels on the ground and running the right lines.

skeasor

Depends...I think "racing" in general is about personal skill....Improvising if parts break, repairing them on the fly, figuring out when to change gear ratio, etc. Getting the car around the track quickly is really about driving skills.

CaseyD

iTrader: (2)

Skill and setup, but not just a set up, learning to set a car up for you. Letting a fast guy at your track drive your car won't do anything unless he drives just like you. Your car might feel like $h@t to you, hand your Tx to a "fast guy" and he might tell you it feels great. You have to learn how to tune your car to do what you want it to do. For example, I used to use Maifields set ups on my B4.2 and it felt great, guess what I am not even 1/1000th the driver maifield is. Now with my SC6 I've tried all of Cody Turners set ups, my truck is freakin horrible but his looks like it's stuck to the track? His set up is for him and it doesn't mesh with me. You say your car isn't turning when you want, maybe the better drivers are flicking the brake just a little to get the cars rotation started, a skill you may have not mastered. Not trying to assume your skill just using that as an example.

303slowdown

iTrader: (24)

I think skill comes first, cause I've seen some drivers win big races with very poorly setup cars. Then I think setup comes second, if you have some skill then working on setup can get you to the next level. Parts I really don't think matter to much cause I've seen drivers win with box stock cars, but they had skill and setup.

To the op ,i don't think you've surpassed your cars abilities I think you need to spend more time on getting your car to do what you need it to do.

CTRJ

iTrader: (13)

I raced a TRF201 for a full year, having switched from a B4.1. I really struggled with the car. I just couldn't get it to be consistent for me. I have all the hop ups. I ran all kinds of setups. I even raced with one of the team drivers. I am a mid pack sportsman driver so having a car drive consistently in the same manor is important to me. At one point, my TRF201 broke something and I had to order the part. In order to keep racing, I pulled my old B4.1 out, rebuilt it and raced it the next weekend. I had the best race I'd had in a really long time.

I still have my TRF201. My youngest son will learn to race with it. I'm not saying it's a bad car. I just could get it to work well FOR ME. After the TRF201, I bought a B5 and (again for me) it was so much better. Not even in the same zip code. Heck, now I race a B3 and it seems to suit my driving style better than the TRF201 did.

Maybe all that to say that just maybe the car isn't the right car for you.

3D-Seth

iTrader: (36)

I think skill is definitely number one. Something else that is not exactly on your list is patience. Patience in general. In the sense of making a single change at a time, even if you only have an hour at the track; in the sense of taking your time and letting your skills develop in the time they need to develop (don't try to be fast, speed will come with track time) patience in maintaining cars, gluing tires etc etc.

In general, I agree with what others have said. I'd say about 75% is skill, 20% is setup (including proper tires), and the other 5% is equipment.

Just my .02

Seth

ob1n

iTrader: (4)

Great responses!

BTW, I did have the fast driver try my car(he asked me if he could try it). He handed back the TX and said, "....yeah, it doesn't feel right. But I think it has potential".

I'll keep trying

fredswain

iTrader: (1)

The actual vehicle itself is the least important of the three yet is typically given the most value. If you don't know how to set it up and can't pilot it well, it doesn't matter what you are driving.

MPisterzi

iTrader: (25)

Here's my .02, I have just returned to racing after a long hiatus, so long in fact that RC racing is almost new to me again. I got myself a B4 and went to the local track and started practicing, along the way I listened to all the local racers and bought all the "necessary" hop ups and rebuilt the car just to find out I wasn't any faster or more consistent. So I rebuilt the car again, but using the kit setup and I got better. Since, I have made one adjustment at a time and found out how the car works for me, which by the way is completely wrong according to the local "fast guys". I've gone from c mains to a couple a mains. I agree with those who have said that patients and practice will pay off way before parts and hop ups will.

WagwanBumba

iTrader: (1)

Its mostly about having fun (Unless you're a pro and doing it as a job)

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

Yes, racing is skills, setup, and parts (in that order). Skills trump everything. Setup enhances your skills and in in fact, a skill. You have to have the right parts and on top of that, sometimes there is a part (TLR short -2.5mm chassis is a good example) you can't get that matters quite a bit.

samnelso

iTrader: (1)

I agree with the consensus here that skill is #1, but will add that a well setup car is a big advantage. A poorly setup car can be a big hindrance to a driver looking to improve. It can help to let a more experienced driver take a lap with your car to flesh out any obvious handling issues. Having a well setup car gives a driver a strong and consistent foundation on which to improve their skills.