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F1 or Touring Car? Tough decision

F1 or Touring Car? Tough decision

Old 04-17-2013, 12:30 PM
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Default F1 or Touring Car? Tough decision

Hi guys,
I just back into off-road racing last year after about 15 years or so, and now I'm itching to try on-road again. In my area 17.5 TC is real popular, but F1 is gaining a lot of steam as well. I have read that F1 racing is similar to running 2wd buggy, which is what I usually run, in off-road in that it is truly a drivers' class. TC obviously easier to drive because it is 4wd and can carry more corner speed, but more complex to tune because of its adjustability?

Since I would be getting back into on-road as pretty much a newbie all over again, what class would you suggest to get into first and why?

Thanks for your feedback in advance.
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Old 04-17-2013, 12:41 PM
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I just bought a touring car after getting back into off road after 15 years of being away. I use to only drive on road 1/8 gas and 1/10 electric. The new electric touring cars rip and are easy to drive. Super happy I got one. I still love off road but the shear speed of on road is amazing.
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Old 04-17-2013, 12:58 PM
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Default why not both? :P

Seriously, I would take a look at the crowd where you would be racing and see what the classes/competition are like.

At our local track (in FL) TC is more competitive than F1 currently, so F1 might be a better place to start?

Good luck!

-Rich
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Old 04-17-2013, 01:10 PM
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F1...
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Old 04-17-2013, 01:23 PM
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Originally Posted by mxgregg
I just bought a touring car after getting back into off road after 15 years of being away. I use to only drive on road 1/8 gas and 1/10 electric. The new electric touring cars rip and are easy to drive. Super happy I got one. I still love off road but the shear speed of on road is amazing.

Nice! Tally one up for TC. I see your from Nor-cal. You race at Norcal Hobbies? I usually race at Delta but have raced at Norcal before too.


Originally Posted by Rich Valente
Seriously, I would take a look at the crowd where you would be racing and see what the classes/competition are like.

At our local track (in FL) TC is more competitive than F1 currently, so F1 might be a better place to start?

Good luck!

-Rich

The local track has a sportsman 17.5 class along with an expert 17.5 class. I'd definitely start in the sportsman class. The F1 class is usually a one main class and it's a mix of couple fast guys and the rest are usually a couple laps down from those guys.

Might just make sense to jump into TC first since they have a sportsman class.

Last edited by eddiemoney13; 04-17-2013 at 01:59 PM.
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Old 04-17-2013, 01:43 PM
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Get both and your sure to have all the fun !!!
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Old 04-17-2013, 01:45 PM
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Simply..... Love both!.....
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Old 04-17-2013, 02:08 PM
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F1 is kind of an expert class. I hadn't raced in a long time but jumped into the F1 class first at Norcal, and then went to TC. I'm still no where close to the fast guys, usually down two laps. Does teaches you to be a better driver, like 2WD buggy does (which I run too). So when I do a TC race with hardly any practice or setup, I usually am up near the top of the Sportsman class pace.

I'd say F1 is also a bit more expensive to run competitively. The Shimizu tires add up...

But like others have said, F1 can be fun. Nothing like seeing a scale F1 car going around the track.
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Old 04-17-2013, 02:25 PM
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Originally Posted by eddiemoney13
Hi guys,
I just back into off-road racing last year after about 15 years or so, and now I'm itching to try on-road again. In my area 17.5 TC is real popular, but F1 is gaining a lot of steam as well. I have read that F1 racing is similar to running 2wd buggy, which is what I usually run, in off-road in that it is truly a drivers' class. TC obviously easier to drive because it is 4wd and can carry more corner speed, but more complex to tune because of its adjustability?

Since I would be getting back into on-road as pretty much a newbie all over again, what class would you suggest to get into first and why?

Thanks for your feedback in advance.
Just some of my experience between the 2. May not all be applicable to your situation or your local track(s).
  • F1 seems to go in cycles. It will be really big, then die off, then come back. TC is always there.
  • TC chassis can be used in 17.5 TC, USGT, VTA, mod TC, etc. It gives you more options down the road.
  • TC is more complicated from a setup and tuning perspective, but it also has more adjustability for your driving style.
  • I see a lot more ill handling F1's then TC's.
  • Spec tire may or may not have an impact to you on one or both classes.
  • F1's seem more fragile, but are usually moving at a slower speed so breakage is less. A lot depends on the chassis choice for both F1 and TC when it comes to durability.
  • F1 seems to be a base kit requiring a lot of upgrades to be competitive. A quality TC is usually more expensive, but depending on the choice, may need little to no upgrades to be at the same point. Example would be a stock F104 as a relatively inexpensive kit, but a lot of breakable plastic parts (rear pod) compared to even an entry level Spec R1 or even the full competition version.
  • Motor and ESC should be similar (17.5 vs 21.5 probably) both running blinky.

Myself, I would go watch a couple races and see what the people are like. Which crowd (if they are seperate) you mesh with as these are the people you will race with. If they are welcome to new people and/or super competitive, etc. Getting to know those people will help you make the right decision for you, and be a good source of input for which car and equip to get as well.

Just my opinions.
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Old 04-17-2013, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by bertrandsv87
Get both and your sure to have all the fun !!!

I wish I could! I don't think I can convince my wife I need two new RC's right now though lol.

Originally Posted by Dan
F1 is kind of an expert class. I hadn't raced in a long time but jumped into the F1 class first at Norcal, and then went to TC. I'm still no where close to the fast guys, usually down two laps. Does teaches you to be a better driver, like 2WD buggy does (which I run too). So when I do a TC race with hardly any practice or setup, I usually am up near the top of the Sportsman class pace.

I'd say F1 is also a bit more expensive to run competitively. The Shimizu tires add up...

But like others have said, F1 can be fun. Nothing like seeing a scale F1 car going around the track.

I kinda noticed that when I watched a couple races at Norcal that the guys seemed like seasoned vets. I love the realism of these F1 cars though. How long do the tires last you? Off-road tires can add up too pretty quickly, especially in 4x4 SC. Since Delta is opening up a new onroad track, I'd probably be racing there more than Norcal since it's closer to where I live. I would imagine TC would have good turnouts right off the bat. Not sure about F1 since it's more of a specialty class.
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Old 04-17-2013, 02:58 PM
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I race at Norcal. I just got into F1 and it's a blast. I race Nitro TC, 1/8 buggy and 1/10 off-road buggy. I say go with F1 and you can ride around a few laps down like me. This way I won't be lonely haha
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Old 04-17-2013, 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by orcadigital
Just some of my experience between the 2. May not all be applicable to your situation or your local track(s).
  • F1 seems to go in cycles. It will be really big, then die off, then come back. TC is always there.
  • TC chassis can be used in 17.5 TC, USGT, VTA, mod TC, etc. It gives you more options down the road.
  • TC is more complicated from a setup and tuning perspective, but it also has more adjustability for your driving style.
  • I see a lot more ill handling F1's then TC's.
  • Spec tire may or may not have an impact to you on one or both classes.
  • F1's seem more fragile, but are usually moving at a slower speed so breakage is less. A lot depends on the chassis choice for both F1 and TC when it comes to durability.
  • F1 seems to be a base kit requiring a lot of upgrades to be competitive. A quality TC is usually more expensive, but depending on the choice, may need little to no upgrades to be at the same point. Example would be a stock F104 as a relatively inexpensive kit, but a lot of breakable plastic parts (rear pod) compared to even an entry level Spec R1 or even the full competition version.
  • Motor and ESC should be similar (17.5 vs 21.5 probably) both running blinky.

Myself, I would go watch a couple races and see what the people are like. Which crowd (if they are seperate) you mesh with as these are the people you will race with. If they are welcome to new people and/or super competitive, etc. Getting to know those people will help you make the right decision for you, and be a good source of input for which car and equip to get as well.

Just my opinions.
Excellent points here, thanks. I think will all the feedback I'm getting, I think I'll jump in to 17.5 blinky TC. Seems to make more sense for my situation. Funny that you mentioned the Spec-R car because I've been leaning towards either that or the Sakura Zero S to start off.
If I were to go the F1 route, I was pretty much sold on the F104 v2 pro.
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Old 04-17-2013, 04:14 PM
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I run both classes but if I could only run one it would be f1 hands down. its a ton of fun and the drivers are usually cleaner and more courteous because of the open wheels. I break a ton more tc parts compared to f1 but I did upgrade my f1 quite a bit out of the box. The only problem with f1 is that it is usually a smaller class. depending on where you run you may not have enough people on a regular basis. check your local track and ask about turnout. you really can't lose though. both classes are fun. I just like f1 more.
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Old 04-17-2013, 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by eddiemoney13
Nice! Tally one up for TC. I see your from Nor-cal. You race at Norcal Hobbies? I usually race at Delta but have raced at Norcal before too.





The local track has a sportsman 17.5 class along with an expert 17.5 class. I'd definitely start in the sportsman class. The F1 class is usually a one main class and it's a mix of couple fast guys and the rest are usually a couple laps down from those guys.

Might just make sense to jump into TC first since they have a sportsman class.
I plan on running norcal but I live in Brentwood so waiting for delta's new on road track. Im a rookie so get a tc and we can race together.
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Old 04-17-2013, 04:46 PM
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If you enjoy looking at your car, get an F1. If you enjoy actually driving your car, get a TC. Its that simple. Remember the golden R/C rule: The more real it looks, the worse it is.
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