Originally Posted by wkderf

My local track has started a "new to racing" class with the Vaterra V100. For an entry price point of only $250, it comes completly ready to run, with a battery and a multi-chemistry peak charger, as well as a spektrum radio, and brushed motor / esc combo.

The class allows only genuine Vaterra brand upgrades (shocks, springs, pivot balls, pinions, spurs), with exception for the tires and bodies, for which they allow USGT bodies and tires. This really helps prevent the "pay to win" that seems to overtake every class of racing, as the upgrade options from vaterra are limited, and only offer minor tuning and durability upgrades, as opposed to power gains or weight shedding. The ONLY means of power gains comes from gear ratio tuning, which is an important skill to learn for RC, and teaches the balance between performance and motor longevity.

The motor is a closed end bell brushed motor, and replacements cost $20. While its certainly not the fastest around the track, its plenty fast enough to require throttle & brake control to get it around the track smoothly.

The only open option right now is battery choice, but the track is deciding on a spec lipo battery to use going forward, and will maintain a strict sub $40 price point. The charger that comes with the car is multi-chemistry, and can charge lipo batteries, so an upgrade isn't a requirement.

its has taken a bit of time, but is starting to show some progress, and attracting enough people to hold weekly club races.

While the chassis isn't as adjustable as a typical touring chassis, it does have some points of adjustment, and is a 1/10 scale 190mm 4WD chassis, so moving from this to a more standard touring chassis for USGT racing is less dramatic a change in driving style than a mini or pan car for example.

the advantage to this entry point, is not only the similarity of driving style, but that the radio, receiver, tires, body, and charger are all upwards compatible for other racing classes like USGT. Even the chassis - while not nearly as adjustable as a spec touring chassis, can be competitive in USGT with a skilled driver behind the wheel, and a 21.5 brushless powerplant.

Several of the local Vaterra guys have swapped the brushed motors for 21.5 brushless, and turned competitive laps in the USGT class using the V100 chassis. One was even able to turn USGT pace lap times on the stock brushed motor, showing everyone how much driving skill and practice can really impact your times.

im not saying this is thee solution to entry level racing, but it is showing signs of success locally.

Originally Posted by Nerobro

I like this. And it ~forces~ interaction, and participation. Friends will be made.

It's never bad for the shop to have ~something to sell~. Provided the supply chain is there. M05, that's easy. TD10, that's hard.

*snip*
I can't turn to my coworker and have them do that.

I suppose I'm trying to disconnect the builder from the driver.

Originally Posted by CTRJ

So is the RJ Speed pan car that bad of a car? I mean, you can get into one of those for really cheap, even if you had nothing. Tamiya has the TT02 line of touring cars with some right at the $100-$110 mark. If everyone has the same car it doesn't really matter if they suck right? Everyone deals with the same handling issues/flaws?

Originally Posted by pgaert

I would have to argue the concept of not counting laps. If you want to get people hooked through loaner cars, etc, at least some people will need the data from actual counted laps. See that improvement of 0.2 a lap average from last week, and besting your own hot lap by 0.263, and losing to the same guy but you were 0.740 seconds closer than last time.

If someone ISN'T interested in tracking this sort of thing IMX they are much less likely to become a regular.

Originally Posted by Jochim_18

On our track we have a rookie class.. it's like race what you have..

Originally Posted by howardcano

Yes! The cheapest race car is the one you already own, whatever it is.

Originally Posted by Dan

Our local track recently started up a Tamiya Team Hahn (big rig truck) race class. Everyone must run it box stock with the exception of ball bearings and a spec battery. It is really affordable and lots of interest in it so far.

Originally Posted by Missionht

So one of the things that I keep hearing about is a lack of "adjustability" but IMHO, that is PROBLEM with bringing new people into the hobby. As a parent that also wants to race with my boys do I want to deal with setting up caster, camber, ride height, front and rear diff adjustments, soft front springs, hard rear springs.... Oh, and multiply that by 3 so we can enjoy it as a family!

I truly think that a simple spec rubber tired, whatever body you love, pan car class with retail dollar limits set on electronics (battery, esc, and motor) would get people out to race. Limited adjustments, easier to maintain than TC, charge a battery and race kind of mentality. That would also allow people who's skill, budget, or desire increased to easily move into WGTR where they could play with all of the setup and spend go fast electronics.

Originally Posted by 30Tooth

You want to make them hooked with the least money possible, the long-term doesn't mean anything.

Originally Posted by bertrandsv87

Most would have quit a long time ago, but not me.....

Originally Posted by bertrandsv87

You will always have more racers that quit after a short time than racers that stick to it for decades. That's just the way it is, but you can only hope to slightly increase the percentage of those who stick with it by producing a 1/10 scale rtr that is already down to 1350grams with a roar legal 17.5t motor/esc combo and 2.4ghz radio... Racetracks can then find a way to get these newbies to buy their transponders after X amount of racedays. The problem is that manufacturers don't produce rtr's that can be raced at roar events straight out of the box...I bought my tc4 rtr to race stock, only to have everything changed and modded to make weight and participate. Most would have quit a long time ago, but not me.....