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what's the matter with American racing?

what's the matter with American racing?

Old 10-12-2014, 11:21 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by kewdawg
Two major issues:
1. The aforementioned 17.5 class - racers want to go as fast as possible in a slow class. Bending and breaking the rules, swapping out rotors, overcharging batteries.The whole idea of calling it spec or stock is ridiculous, now.

2.Race track owners have gone out of their way to continually promote 17.5 and not mod. They even build permanent tracks with lanes too tight for anything but a 17.5 TC and 12th Scale. Mod is not pushed or promoted. In fact, people are discouraged from running it. The tracks big enough to hold Mod TC racing are bypassed because Electric TC racers want to label them "gas tracks". As if the two classes can't coexist on the same track or you can't gear the cars for the larger track. For some reason, we need to have separate tracks. In reality, if, racers were running mod throughout the U.S., it wouldn't even be a thought and we hold have a lot Americans attending and making the show at the World's
This whole "blinky" thing is just nonsense. Doesn't make anything cheaper for anyone, in fact it is just the opposite, sending us back right into the brushed era. Only we are stupid enough to buy into this whole "spec" idea that never works out in the end thanks to tweakers. The rest of the world is all about boosted. Must be fun being left behind in progress. /end rant
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Old 10-12-2014, 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by trackdesigner71
the Yanks havent won an electric onroad title since 1996
You talking about David Jun and his Tamiya TA03? I'm certain that other Americans have won a world onroad title since then. Joel Johnson? Pavidis? Cyrul?
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Old 10-12-2014, 11:37 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by redbones
This whole "blinky" thing is just nonsense. Doesn't make anything cheaper for anyone, in fact it is just the opposite, sending us back right into the brushed era. Only we are stupid enough to buy into this whole "spec" idea that never works out in the end thanks to tweakers. The rest of the world is all about boosted. Must be fun being left behind in progress. /end rant
Blinky is supposed to be the feeder, not the top.

ETS has both 13.5 blinky and Mod as an example.
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Old 10-13-2014, 12:26 AM
  #49  
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If this is correct (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...el_Auto_Racing) an American has never won touring. 96 was Pro 10, and 92 was the last someone won 12th.
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Old 10-13-2014, 04:41 AM
  #50  
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Yep, Swauger in Pro10 in 96 last American electric onroad winner. Burch in nitro TC in 2010.
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Old 10-13-2014, 05:08 AM
  #51  
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The US aren't alone, I think I'm right in saying this is worst showing for UK drivers at a 1/10th TC Electric worlds ever. I think it's the first time we haven't had a single driver in the A final!

I suppose the track is quite different to traditional UK type of tracks and the heat wouldn't have helped.

As for the US racing scene in general, I'm not sure anything is 'the matter' with it. There's a diverse range of classes and from the outside looking in, it looks a lot of fun. VTA in particular.
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Old 10-13-2014, 05:52 AM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by cplus
Blinky is supposed to be the feeder, not the top.

ETS has both 13.5 blinky and Mod as an example.
Red is pretty much on the money.

Asia, UK and Europe typically run: MOD, boosted often called Super stock using 13.5T motor, and blinky often called stock often using a 17.5T motor occasionally a 13.5T motor.
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Old 10-13-2014, 06:18 AM
  #53  
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It's a similar thing here in Portugal regarding Mod, but Stock motor here is 10.5T blinky. Mod suffered with very low turnouts and we run mainly in former nitro TC tracks. Something is working right here because Bruno Coelho is European and World Vice-Champion
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Old 10-13-2014, 06:25 AM
  #54  
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Nothing wrong with US racing, truth is I don't believe we're as hardcore as other countries. Most classes we race is mainly pure fun. Very few will even think of racing an event. I'll give you an example, we run a series here in texas that have dwindle in size but if you go to a weekend club races the guys that don't race the event will show up for the club races. On a event weekend they would show up sat and not race Sunday. I believe this are the same people that post their cars on bst "feeler sale" let's see what I can get if I decide to sell my stuff or I'll practice Saturday just to gauge my speed and if I'm off pace I will not race Sunday. Sorry guys, I'm ranting a bit. Lastly, most of us are grown, we have families, we can't take a few days off to race and barely have time to club race.

Last edited by b20btec; 10-13-2014 at 06:27 AM. Reason: I may be wrong about taking time off to race, I don't know how the iic guys do it
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Old 10-13-2014, 09:48 AM
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I think the issues are far more intricate than just a few answers, but I can give you some contributing factors:

1. Mod is hard. It takes time and dedication to get it done. There are few guys that can do it, simply because of either talent, skill, time or dedication. I know many claim a higher price, but I don't buy this. With modified racing, you simply allocate your budget on tires and drive train parts vs batteries and motors.
2.The track is unlike anything we drive on EVER. We simply don't race outdoors on 200ft tracks. We simply have so much catching up to do and learning on tracks the size of the WC track. People in other countries race outdoors on large tracks All the time.
3.The tires chosen sucked. Yeah, it's the same for everyone (but it's not). The europeans especially run on large, unprepped surfaces all the time. They have experience making crappy tires and/or bad surfaces work. We race on high bite carpet for the most part.
4. Asphalt is simply not as popular here. We have 1 big race per year on asphalt (Reedy Race) and then the ROAR nats.

Not making excuses for us, but given the conditions above , how can we have an expectation of performance when we simply are not prepared for it.

Last edited by CristianTabush; 10-13-2014 at 10:08 AM.
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Old 10-13-2014, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by b20btec
Nothing wrong with US racing, truth is I don't believe we're as hardcore as other countries. Most classes we race is mainly pure fun. Very few will even think of racing an event. I'll give you an example, we run a series here in texas that have dwindle in size but if you go to a weekend club races the guys that don't race the event will show up for the club races. On a event weekend they would show up sat and not race Sunday. I believe this are the same people that post their cars on bst "feeler sale" let's see what I can get if I decide to sell my stuff or I'll practice Saturday just to gauge my speed and if I'm off pace I will not race Sunday. Sorry guys, I'm ranting a bit. Lastly, most of us are grown, we have families, we can't take a few days off to race and barely have time to club race.
Yes, I believe the economic state in the US is not helping either. A huge economic shift is taking place now, and Asia will be at the top. I know if I start a family of my own, I probably can't stay in this hobby anymore. Sad, but the truth.
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Old 10-13-2014, 09:58 AM
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^^^It's funny you say that too. This is a big thing. In other countries, RC tends to be an upper class hobby (except for places with similar GDP like Germany, UK, etc) n the US, for the most part is a middle class hobby. That does have some influence on facilities and the ability to attend events.
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Old 10-13-2014, 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by CristianTabush
," but how can we have an expectation of performance when we simply are not prepared for it."
This is it in a nutshell...
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Old 10-13-2014, 11:28 AM
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American tracks are typically pretty small and with stock as 17.5, it take a very good driver to turn a better lap with mod than a good driver in stock. 17.5 is too fast for stock in the States IMO. Talking to offroad drivers they always talk about how fast the stock TCs and 12ths are and I agree. Mod is difficult and it's hard to justify when laps are the same as stock. Mod racers are usually the ones that run mod for the principle of not running stock.

Also, the States do not have the population density of European or Asian countries (except on parts of the East Coast). Hence, racing is not as deep and tracks do not have the income to create and maintain the professional circuits seen elsewhere. So, low cost, low maintenance, dirt tracks in industrial complexes dominate.
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Old 10-13-2014, 12:18 PM
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This is a complex subject. But one thing is clear, if anyone can solve the problem, it's a forum of people with opinions.
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