Solution for the stock class problems
#181
is there a problem in stock class? Or is it just the OP that has issues with stock classes?
I hang out at a very friendly indoor carpet local club, any 13.5 goes, and the racing is always very close.
But the track is only 10x15m so there is only so much power you can lay down, any more is just wasted and heats up your motor, or you find the boards.
Mod is very different to 13.5, as you are taking different racing lines and braking zones, harder tyres sometimes as more motor power heats them up quicker, etc etc.
It mod also much less supported as a class in general, espcially in club level, but if thats what you need to do, then cool, racing is racing imho
Sometimes in stock, you have bad equipment, sometimes it is lack of skill to be consistant lap after lap to stop you from winning or doing well.
If you're not enjoying racing, sometimes you have to ask yourself why.
I hang out at a very friendly indoor carpet local club, any 13.5 goes, and the racing is always very close.
But the track is only 10x15m so there is only so much power you can lay down, any more is just wasted and heats up your motor, or you find the boards.
Mod is very different to 13.5, as you are taking different racing lines and braking zones, harder tyres sometimes as more motor power heats them up quicker, etc etc.
It mod also much less supported as a class in general, espcially in club level, but if thats what you need to do, then cool, racing is racing imho
Sometimes in stock, you have bad equipment, sometimes it is lack of skill to be consistant lap after lap to stop you from winning or doing well.
If you're not enjoying racing, sometimes you have to ask yourself why.
#182
Tech Regular
if the good drivers at my club move to, say a silver can class, be assured to find me racing there...
but wait... if everyone thinks like me, there will be too much sandbagging and not enuff guys moving up to the faster classes...
#183
Tech Regular
actually, the best solution for the stock class problem is to not have any other classes but one... one open esc/motor class...
do what the nitro guys do, one scale and open engine(nitro engines are fairly close in performance anyways) and how fast and consistent you can run for a fix periodr of time determines your "main" and who you race with... the bottle-neck now will be your skill and not the equipment...
if you can handle handle a low turn motor, just go ahead and slap one in... if you cant get past a couple of laps without crashing, get a higher turn motor and go slower....
yeah, one might argue that this might put off noobs as they will be racing with faster and perceived "unfair" competition but this is the best way to learn... i raced my way up the mains with my ass whooped but this was the best training i could ever receive from the hobby... suck up your pride and start low down in the mains... its more humbling also...
seems like the creation of a stock/novinced class has over time lost its intent... if this is true and causing the heartache, why not just scrap it?
do what the nitro guys do, one scale and open engine(nitro engines are fairly close in performance anyways) and how fast and consistent you can run for a fix periodr of time determines your "main" and who you race with... the bottle-neck now will be your skill and not the equipment...
if you can handle handle a low turn motor, just go ahead and slap one in... if you cant get past a couple of laps without crashing, get a higher turn motor and go slower....
yeah, one might argue that this might put off noobs as they will be racing with faster and perceived "unfair" competition but this is the best way to learn... i raced my way up the mains with my ass whooped but this was the best training i could ever receive from the hobby... suck up your pride and start low down in the mains... its more humbling also...
seems like the creation of a stock/novinced class has over time lost its intent... if this is true and causing the heartache, why not just scrap it?
#184
Tech Lord
iTrader: (3)
And there's the problem. Why you're not having fun is different for everyone.
The way you solve the problem with stock is to eliminate it. It's not really stock anymore, and hasn't been for decades now.
Stock is a word that comes from full scale racing. Stock means "as it came from the factory." In SCCA there's showroom stock, which means just that, you race the car as it came from the showroom, save a handful of safety modifications. NHRA has a stock and super stock class. The rules there go so fas as to say if the car came with a jack that jack needs to be in your race car. The engine rules are specific for each engine and car, and there's a separate rule book for each car/engine. Super stock are the same rules except you can change the camshaft.
And you can't use stock car racing. In the '50s NASCAR was stock cars, but as speed and safety bacame issues they moved to tube chassis cars.
Since most RC cars don't even come with a motor any more, it's hard to say what is a stock motor. Spec motor would be more accurate. The problem with spec motors is if your motor is just a little bit faster than someone else's, you have a big advantage.
So the problem becomes who do you want to race with? Some want to race with the best because that's the best way to improve your skills. But not everyone is interested in becoming that level racer. They just want to go to their local track and hang out with their buddies. They don't care about the snowbirds, the ICC, or whatever big race of the week is going on. They're just looking to have fun. Forcing them to race with the fast guys loses some of the fun. First you spend too much time moving over for the better drivers, and then if you make a small mistake the fast drivers are in your face about driver etiquette. That's the point where the fun racers say screw this and find something else to do.
Look at off road and the slash/short course trucks. No one is racing those because they're faster or handle better. They're racing them because it's fun.
The way you solve the problem with stock is to eliminate it. It's not really stock anymore, and hasn't been for decades now.
Stock is a word that comes from full scale racing. Stock means "as it came from the factory." In SCCA there's showroom stock, which means just that, you race the car as it came from the showroom, save a handful of safety modifications. NHRA has a stock and super stock class. The rules there go so fas as to say if the car came with a jack that jack needs to be in your race car. The engine rules are specific for each engine and car, and there's a separate rule book for each car/engine. Super stock are the same rules except you can change the camshaft.
And you can't use stock car racing. In the '50s NASCAR was stock cars, but as speed and safety bacame issues they moved to tube chassis cars.
Since most RC cars don't even come with a motor any more, it's hard to say what is a stock motor. Spec motor would be more accurate. The problem with spec motors is if your motor is just a little bit faster than someone else's, you have a big advantage.
So the problem becomes who do you want to race with? Some want to race with the best because that's the best way to improve your skills. But not everyone is interested in becoming that level racer. They just want to go to their local track and hang out with their buddies. They don't care about the snowbirds, the ICC, or whatever big race of the week is going on. They're just looking to have fun. Forcing them to race with the fast guys loses some of the fun. First you spend too much time moving over for the better drivers, and then if you make a small mistake the fast drivers are in your face about driver etiquette. That's the point where the fun racers say screw this and find something else to do.
Look at off road and the slash/short course trucks. No one is racing those because they're faster or handle better. They're racing them because it's fun.
#186
That's a pretty good idea for more of a spec/budget/recession fighter class. That said, I think a TC class for the new guys is needed to bring in the guys who want to get to the higher levels of racing without having to buy another car to do it. My local track has no Novice class for TC. Everybody runs in 17.5 sedan and it's not unheard of to see anywhere from 16 to 21 laps in the same heat.
#188
#189
Tech Elite
iTrader: (4)
There is nothing wrong with racing against sponsored drivers. Many of them are good for an individual to use to set their racing bar (if they pursue racing on a more serious level) and get some helpful racing tips to help you improve your driving skills. But it doesn't make a difference what car you drive, ESC/motor/battery you use, if you don't put in the time on the track (practice laps between races), you will never get better.
#190
Tech Lord
iTrader: (3)
Different people find RC racing fun for different reasons, but everyone wants to focus on "The Racer." We've left behind the people who don't care about their lap times and just want to drive around the track. We've narrowed the field down so much there's no room for anyone else.
#191
Cup drivers shouldn't be able to run the nationwide series or the truck series either huh. They race those classes to keep their skill level up and gives them feedback for the cup race on Sunday. Most of all they do it for fun. Mod doesn't look like a whole lot of fun to me.
Some what true. Nationwide series drivers are PRO with a lot of money put into them. Comparing them to budget short track classes is again a mute point.] Sure, a lot of drivers do dirt oval (Kahne Stewart etc) but they do the top level. They don't just jump into there 410 at Southern Oregon Speedway and kick everybody's butt. They go to Eldora or Knoxville and race with big dogs.
Have you even driven a mod car? Seriously driven one?
Have you even driven a mod car? Seriously driven one?
winston cup, busch, and craftsman truck seriers all run the SAME tracks, SHOULD winston cup drivers be banned from the busch series and craftsman truck series. thats what he was saying. he didn't compare anyone to budget short track racers...
#192
#193
Tech Master
iTrader: (10)
I've meet a lot of those types. They don't stay in the hobby very long because all they care about is winning. I'm willing to bet, when it's time, they will resist being bumped up to your new higher skilled classes.
Yes, you have fun. Not everyone looks at it that way.
Different people find RC racing fun for different reasons, but everyone wants to focus on "The Racer." We've left behind the people who don't care about their lap times and just want to drive around the track. We've narrowed the field down so much there's no room for anyone else.
Different people find RC racing fun for different reasons, but everyone wants to focus on "The Racer." We've left behind the people who don't care about their lap times and just want to drive around the track. We've narrowed the field down so much there's no room for anyone else.
#194
Actually, stock cars that became the NASCAR racing series were actually highly modified moonshine wagons that bootlegger delivery guys drove on midnight runs. Every year the different boot leggers would challenge each other to a race to see who's rig was faster. Stock car racing was never stock.
#195
There's nothing stock about a stockcar!
-Harry Hogge
-Harry Hogge