If you build it, will they come?
10-23-2014, 11:25 AM
#16
I grew up with a temporary RC track run through a club at the local middle school. They roll out carpets on the gym floor and put down crc click track about twice a month.
Being through the school it got many young kids involved in RC racing. It has a program where they can buy a car at a discounted cost (cars donated by companies (Tamiya, HPI, ECX)) and race it in a class for the year. Not only is it for kids, but it gets many dads involved too. Its also open to any other adult RC racer in the area to come and pay the $5 race fee. Its split up with kid classes and adult classes. Runs both onroad, and offroad with a jump or two. So it does a great job of getting kids/families hooked.
While some drop out, I am just one of the few examples of kids who have stuck through all the way to college (Some have gone on to become sponsored drivers too (We've also had Paul Lemieux come and race/mentor us on a couple occasions)). It also brings more business to the other permanent tracks in the area where kids can race over the summer months and be exposed to really good drivers/world class facilities like Leisure Hours raceway. If you have a connection in the school district around you, look into trying to start something like this for a nice long-term growing club.
Here's the website: http://www.hadleyrcclub.com/
Here's an article written by Paul on his website: http://www.teamgravityrc.com/589-2/
Being through the school it got many young kids involved in RC racing. It has a program where they can buy a car at a discounted cost (cars donated by companies (Tamiya, HPI, ECX)) and race it in a class for the year. Not only is it for kids, but it gets many dads involved too. Its also open to any other adult RC racer in the area to come and pay the $5 race fee. Its split up with kid classes and adult classes. Runs both onroad, and offroad with a jump or two. So it does a great job of getting kids/families hooked.
While some drop out, I am just one of the few examples of kids who have stuck through all the way to college (Some have gone on to become sponsored drivers too (We've also had Paul Lemieux come and race/mentor us on a couple occasions)). It also brings more business to the other permanent tracks in the area where kids can race over the summer months and be exposed to really good drivers/world class facilities like Leisure Hours raceway. If you have a connection in the school district around you, look into trying to start something like this for a nice long-term growing club.
Here's the website: http://www.hadleyrcclub.com/
Here's an article written by Paul on his website: http://www.teamgravityrc.com/589-2/
10-23-2014, 11:43 AM
#17
We HAD a hobby shop that rented out 1/12th scale cars for birthday parties and the like...cars were always broken, batteries were never ready fast enough, 'drivers' always going out of their way to TRY and break the cars (after 5 minutes of 'driving', the demolition derby would start). They got rid of the track and now do the same with slot cars...and they have a rock crawler track for RC.
YEARS ago in So Cal, a group of people convinced the local rec department to allow part of a park to be converted into an R/C race track (fenced and everything). It worked well for awhile, but with no shop there was no way for new people to really get started and it finally dried up and was removed after 3-4 years.
Best series I was ever involved with and WISHED would be done again was there was the R.J Kenning car show in So Cal. Had one car show (usually at the local fairground) a month and moved from county to county (to keep new people coming). Had a base group of exhibitors showing their cars and the area locals would bring out their rides as well. One of the attractions was a 1/12th scale carpet race track (LONG time ago when on road racing was only either 1/8th gas or 1/12th electric). It was VERY popular with the attendees with usually several HUNDRED spectators watching the racing all day long. That was FUN, having 300-400 people cheering during every race. Every event was a different style of body/track. One month was GT, next was Indy bodies, next was NASCAR on an oval, then GTP. It was the only time that winning a r/c car race really brought a roar from the crowd.
YEARS ago in So Cal, a group of people convinced the local rec department to allow part of a park to be converted into an R/C race track (fenced and everything). It worked well for awhile, but with no shop there was no way for new people to really get started and it finally dried up and was removed after 3-4 years.
Best series I was ever involved with and WISHED would be done again was there was the R.J Kenning car show in So Cal. Had one car show (usually at the local fairground) a month and moved from county to county (to keep new people coming). Had a base group of exhibitors showing their cars and the area locals would bring out their rides as well. One of the attractions was a 1/12th scale carpet race track (LONG time ago when on road racing was only either 1/8th gas or 1/12th electric). It was VERY popular with the attendees with usually several HUNDRED spectators watching the racing all day long. That was FUN, having 300-400 people cheering during every race. Every event was a different style of body/track. One month was GT, next was Indy bodies, next was NASCAR on an oval, then GTP. It was the only time that winning a r/c car race really brought a roar from the crowd.
10-23-2014, 01:03 PM
#18
Club Tracks!
In all seriousness, clubs and temporary tracks are a fantastic, financially durable proposition. Seattle is not an inexpensive city. There simply is not affordable industrial or warehouse space to be leased in the metro area. And everything points in the direction of continued rising costs for the near and far future. So, we share public spaces in the parks department. Parks has been our best possible ally over time. We rent our spaces for the hours of our use and we enjoy free or nearly free storage for our stuff when we're not using it. We are able to set up our tracks in 30 to 45 minutes and tear them down in the same or even less time.
We're an all-volunteer, nonprofit club. No one pockets a dime of entry fees. To be sure, we rely on a core group of energetic guys who keep the program vital, but it's also true that we've been able to cultivate new racers and keep the "strong backs" from wearing out from overuse. I would say on a given night, nearly a third of the racers in the house were not with us in 2009.
To be honest, and not everyone in the club would agree with me, but I really appreciate the relative absence of overhead. Yes, a place to regularly practice would be nice, particularly for a highly motivated corps of our guys. But, it's also true that our clubbies can be found in regular attendance at other tracks in the region. We're not hogging all the energy for ourselves, and enthusiasm for our race nights stays high from tone to tone in our seasons. And, blessedly, no one is leveraged out in terms of money or life energy trying to keep a facility running where 4000 to 5000 square feet (minimum) of space is consigned to non-performance on a net income basis. Like I said up top, that won't work in a high rent market.
It's not all roses. We fight and bicker amongst ourselves. But, time away tends smooth out the angst and come race night, there's the crew in the parking lot chomping at the bit.
Don't write off the temp track and club as half-assed or something to be suffered until better arrives. Just get started. Believe this instead. " If you come, it will build."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VERJgg0Pp4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnM1aSqHhEM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRjHAT45QMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5Uc...9-GqhLXyvvH11O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaPxc...vL3N_e6cjnk1JO
We're an all-volunteer, nonprofit club. No one pockets a dime of entry fees. To be sure, we rely on a core group of energetic guys who keep the program vital, but it's also true that we've been able to cultivate new racers and keep the "strong backs" from wearing out from overuse. I would say on a given night, nearly a third of the racers in the house were not with us in 2009.
To be honest, and not everyone in the club would agree with me, but I really appreciate the relative absence of overhead. Yes, a place to regularly practice would be nice, particularly for a highly motivated corps of our guys. But, it's also true that our clubbies can be found in regular attendance at other tracks in the region. We're not hogging all the energy for ourselves, and enthusiasm for our race nights stays high from tone to tone in our seasons. And, blessedly, no one is leveraged out in terms of money or life energy trying to keep a facility running where 4000 to 5000 square feet (minimum) of space is consigned to non-performance on a net income basis. Like I said up top, that won't work in a high rent market.
It's not all roses. We fight and bicker amongst ourselves. But, time away tends smooth out the angst and come race night, there's the crew in the parking lot chomping at the bit.
Don't write off the temp track and club as half-assed or something to be suffered until better arrives. Just get started. Believe this instead. " If you come, it will build."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VERJgg0Pp4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnM1aSqHhEM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRjHAT45QMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5Uc...9-GqhLXyvvH11O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaPxc...vL3N_e6cjnk1JO
10-23-2014, 01:21 PM
#19
Tech Master
iTrader: (3)
My original thought was to build a Pizza/sub/burger shop with a hobby shop and track attached and hope the food paid for the track eventually. Make the restaurant the primary focus and draw not just racers, but the whole community.
My second hobby is pizza.
I used to be in that line of business 20 years ago.
My second hobby is pizza.
I used to be in that line of business 20 years ago.
10-23-2014, 02:15 PM
#21
10-23-2014, 03:26 PM
#22
Yes ..
5280 Raceway - Club run, no hobby shop backing, year round, permanent indoor facility funded solely by it's members .. and IMO one of the best tracks in the country.
http://5280raceway.com/
5280 Raceway - Club run, no hobby shop backing, year round, permanent indoor facility funded solely by it's members .. and IMO one of the best tracks in the country.
http://5280raceway.com/
Club run, working bees etc.
My club runs everything from 1/10 IC&EP to 1/5th scale.
We have >>100 members who pay over $100 a year each membership and would average another $200 in fortnightly race fees.
Our facilities are not glamorous, but our track is awesome (bit bumpy for pan cars, but hey it's outdoor and has elevation changes!) and we have everything needed to run events with 50-100 starters. Events if done right can make a little money to cover improvements as well.
As we are a community not for profit, we don't have a massive rent bill either - the track is on land that no one would want to develop anyway (too close to a freeway) but suits us fine.
Running a track as a business without a popular shop attached to make coin sounds like a tough gig - no matter what country/city.
10-23-2014, 04:24 PM
#23
If you want a pizza joint at the track, so you can do birthdays, that is your best bet. A small oval with Mardave cars off to the side of the race track would be perfect. Since the point of bangers is crashing, its perfect for kids. Throw a bunch of HobbyKing electronics in there and you could outfit a bunch of cars for cheap. You get income and you are not breaking down the main track all the time...win win.
10-23-2014, 05:14 PM
#24
my experience: i want to track always after work normally weekend. And i want to bring my wife there, but she has no interests on there. For the 1-2 times is okay, but most of time she has nothing to do just wait for me. Now we have baby son, i hope we can go to track on weekend together. so i hope maybe there will be a track with something which is for wife and small kids. Pizza restaurant sounds good. They have place to stay...
10-24-2014, 10:37 AM
#25
Now we have baby son, i hope we can go to track on weekend together. so i hope maybe there will be a track with something which is for wife and small kids. Pizza restaurant sounds good. They have place to stay...
One thing that worked was to give my wife a "spa" day in return for a day at the track. There is a track that is permanently setup about an hour from me (NorCal Hobbies), so I'd go there and get a day of practice in. Although the kids put a damper on my RC fun I was able to still stay involved in the hobby and the kids were a lot of fun, so I didn't mind.
Now that they are a bit older I am back in a club and racing more frequently ...the kids are much easier to watch so my wife and I don't mind at all taking turns watching them.
Hang in there, even if you have to put RC racing on hiatus for a little while.
10-24-2014, 11:58 AM
#26
Your best bet is to look at other successful tracks and see what makes them successful. Many tracks start out with plenty of business because they are new, well-maintained, and satisfy some pent-up desire for racing in the area. However, they slowly (or quickly) degrade over time as poor business decisions, bad management, or lack of upkeep fail to keep people interested in returning.
The two successful tracks that I go to here in SoCal have on-site hobby shops, an established and professional web presence, professional and knowledgeable staff, and maintain their facilities very well. I race on-road at TQ RC Racing in Chino, and off-road at OCRC in Huntington Beach.
The last thing that families want to deal with are shady, dirty facilities, disinterested or creepy employees, and an unfriendly atmosphere that people of all ages use for a babysitting service/escape from supervision. You can put in all the extra stuff that you want (restaurant, video games, etc), but if the core business is not appealing, chances are those things are not going to save you, and are probably being run at the same sub-par level as the main focus - the RC track.
You also have to take into account the population base near you. Everyone knows "a bunch of people who want a track," but the reality is that only a very small percentage of those people will repeatedly come back and invest the time and effort to make it successful. Even here in SoCal many tracks have failed, and there are millions of people here and great, year-round racing weather!
The two successful tracks that I go to here in SoCal have on-site hobby shops, an established and professional web presence, professional and knowledgeable staff, and maintain their facilities very well. I race on-road at TQ RC Racing in Chino, and off-road at OCRC in Huntington Beach.
The last thing that families want to deal with are shady, dirty facilities, disinterested or creepy employees, and an unfriendly atmosphere that people of all ages use for a babysitting service/escape from supervision. You can put in all the extra stuff that you want (restaurant, video games, etc), but if the core business is not appealing, chances are those things are not going to save you, and are probably being run at the same sub-par level as the main focus - the RC track.
You also have to take into account the population base near you. Everyone knows "a bunch of people who want a track," but the reality is that only a very small percentage of those people will repeatedly come back and invest the time and effort to make it successful. Even here in SoCal many tracks have failed, and there are millions of people here and great, year-round racing weather!
10-24-2014, 01:58 PM
#27
..we had an awesome track about 10mins from my house. It was an asphalt track that was overlooking an inlet where boats would come dock. It was picturesque, looked like a mini Monte Carlo track just because of the setting. The track itself had raised red/white striped areas around the track and green astro-terf on the infield. Beautiful. It had a hobby shop attached which catered to cars, boats and planes. The boats could also be run in the water ...yet not sure if they ever had events on the water (as I was mostly into the cars).
Sadly the neighbors in the area complained that it was an eye-sore, and generated too much noise, but ultimately someone found that the owner did not have the required permit needed to build the track on his store property and thus the city ordered it closed.
so another thing to note is that you may or may not need permits to build a track even if on your own leased store property.
Sadly the neighbors in the area complained that it was an eye-sore, and generated too much noise, but ultimately someone found that the owner did not have the required permit needed to build the track on his store property and thus the city ordered it closed.
so another thing to note is that you may or may not need permits to build a track even if on your own leased store property.
10-24-2014, 03:11 PM
#28
Tech Master
Laying carpet is fine. In the uk we race mod in our winter nationals on temporary track.
Our track rents TT01's they are slow but strong and it gives people interested in trying the sport a great way to have fun with no outlay. Some just rent every week, bring friends and have fun, others decide the hobby is for them and then buy their own car. This works really well and we have a mix of young and old racers and has been running for 30 or so years.
I would love a large permanent track and some of us are looking at setting one up. It will have a load of hire cars, children's parties and a cafe. Just need to win the lottery and get the plan in motion.
Our track rents TT01's they are slow but strong and it gives people interested in trying the sport a great way to have fun with no outlay. Some just rent every week, bring friends and have fun, others decide the hobby is for them and then buy their own car. This works really well and we have a mix of young and old racers and has been running for 30 or so years.
I would love a large permanent track and some of us are looking at setting one up. It will have a load of hire cars, children's parties and a cafe. Just need to win the lottery and get the plan in motion.
Last edited by Qatmix; 10-24-2014 at 03:47 PM.