orcadigital

iTrader: (61)

I would add (and there is a strong personal bias here) that offering an onroad facility in some shape or form would be a great addition to GA. Offroad is bigger, but we also have 4 outdoor 8th scale tracks, and an indoor 8th/10th track. The nearest actual onroad facility is in Nashville. Especially if something was designed multi-purpose (indoor carpet track) which could be setup for road course and drifting, add jumps to make it a euro style offroad track, or change the barriers to run oval. You could do something similar outdoors as well depending on the surface (only seen setups on asphalt).

I know there is a mini group that runs in parking lots and more recently at Sugar Bowl. I see drifters at sugar bowl all the time, and there is definitely still an onroad crowd still around, we just have no place to run that is close. I know the push is against racing, and frankly that is fine, as many of the onroad guys are just looking for a place to run laps and test and tune for larger races outside GA.

I would also add that the quadcopter scene is growing also in GA, with FPV especially. Setting up a course for FPV quads would be very cool as well, and with the idea in mind of setting up workstations and people to help, that fits in very well with the quad community.

Thanks for the effort on this. I'll support especially if some onroad happens!

Grant

orcadigital

iTrader: (61)

Oops.

RCPlayground

Thanks, Grant -- these are all great ideas. We haven't been able to find out a whole lot about racing on concrete, but it's looking like for the first event, we want to set up a large road course in the parking lot.

So we've had lots of positive feedback on the concept -- time to get moving! Anybody want to come out to the venue and do some driving/testing/planning (road, dirt, rock, whatever!)? We can meet you there most any time (even at night) for a tour and some driving. If there's sufficient interest, we can do a group meeting at the property, maybe even this weekend. Hell, bring your coolers and we can make a day of it (and play with our stuff -- we'll have power

Anyone up for it?

Thanks again!

Jimmy

daddyd

Hey Jimmy. I'm so glad I happened to stumble across this. I'm not a regular RC Tech member, but had to create an account just to voice my support. I live in Duluth and got into RC a few years back with my kids and we are starving for a place to meet up and just go bashing with other enthusiasts. We've been out to the sugar bowl a few times, but it would be nice to go somewhere clean that I could bring my wife and kids to.

We've also been over to hotshots and loganville a few times, but I think you're spot-on with the race environment being a little intimidating for people that just like to have fun.

I'd love to participate and help out in any way I can. I'd build my own track if I had the real-estate, so I'm really excited about what you guys are doing.

I know a lot of the people on this site are recommending track layouts, be it offroad, onroad, but I've seen in some RC videos bashing areas that look like they have big moguls that you can drive on, jump off of etc. Also, a scaler/rock course would be a blast too.

Good luck and you will have whatever support I can offer.

RCPlayground

Howdy daddyd -- really great to hear your positive comments and awesome to have your support! We're finding that the r/c community is really coming together in the few short days since we've announced our plan, and we've already had several groups come out to the property to check it out and play a little.

Speaking of which, I'll be meeting some a few new friends from Atlanta Drift Kings at the place this evening so they can try out the concrete parking lot...since you're in Duluth, come on out (and bring your truck!) to check it out. We can discuss other ways you can get involved, too! Email me (address in sig) and we'll trade contact info

We're starting to make it happen, guys! Let's keep it up!

Thanks,

Jimmy

RCPlayground

Howdy all...I'll be meeting folks at the property starting from 6pm, just a casual meet/greet and a chance to get a lay of the land. Come by after work and bring your vehicles -- we'll try to get a little time in before dark!

PM me for my number and the venue address.

Thanks all,

Jimmy

RCPlayground

Howdy all -- first, we had a great time meeting lots of new folks today, including several RCTECH members!

So, in a nutshell, as a result of the great support everyone has shown, we're ready to push forward with implementing a plan for the first event! Our website has been updated with a tentative list of tracks and other features that we'll showcase in Event #1, targeted for the 2nd or 3rd weekend in March. More details at our site, but briefly, we're planning:

- Large outdoor road course (cement) -- 120'x120'
- Large outdoor off-road course (maybe space for two!) -- 1-2 acre lot
- Indoor carpet course (w/ jumps) for micro and up to 1/18th scale -- 60'x35'
- Indoor drift course on smooth concrete -- 60'x35'
- Outdoor crawler/basher playground and track
- Large, secure pit area with tons of table space and power for everyone
- Prize giveaways (with real prizes, like actual vehicles and RCP swag!)
- Music, food, local vendors, and more!

We know it's ambitious, but with everyone's help, we're confident we can make it happen! We'll be scheduling work/play parties soon (and offering REALLY cool perks to early supporters) -- so please let us know if you want to help.

NOTE: For the rest of the week, I will be at the venue every day from 4pm until dark-thirty for course design/layout etc -- this is an open invitation for anybody to stop by after work and check things out (and see how you can help ! Bring your vehicles, share ideas for course layout, just shoot the breeze with us! We've had a blast meeting everyone and want to keep it going! Who's in?!

Thanks, all, for helping to make this happen!

Jimmy

TLR Chipmunk

iTrader: (2)

Its exciting to finally see this coming soon! RC has become to serious and has lost the fact that it is a hobby to have fun! Its great to see this starting up to bring new people into the hobby and bring back the good old bashing days as well as letting people interact in the hobby to share knowledge and tricks. I will definitely be making a visit to catch all the fun on film

RCPlayground

Hi again, all! Got some new pics of the warehouse interior. It measures about 70'x70', but a quarter/corner of it is finished office space (so it's a square "L"). We have TWO of these spaces adjacent to one another (but not connected). As mentioned, we're planning a carpeted short-course type track for smaller vehicles (1/18 and smaller), and the other space is still wide open. We can easily have carpet laid out there, so we're thinking a small road/drift course (lots of interest in this so far!). Let us know what you want!





Also have pics of the rock climb feature that would be great for scale/crawler! Having trouble posting here, but check out the pics on our FB page! There's a crew of crawler folks coming out today at 4pm to play and tweak the terrain -- come on out and get involved!

Thanks everyone...let's build this thing!

Jimmy

snoopyrc

iTrader: (2)

If you want ideas, if you want to know what is possible, if you want to glimpse at an RC place that is so nice that RC people hope to go there when they die, watch this. I hope the link works.

+ YouTube Video

Here's another one

+ YouTube Video

RCPlayground

Thanks for posting these! The first video especially captures what we're going for (obviously on a much smaller scale....for now ) -- a clean, professional, well-maintained, family-friendly, and exciting environment that promotes RC on all levels -- an RC mecca where you want to spend the whole day, building kits, testing/tuning, practicing, holding instructional events and social gatherings.

Unfortunately, we don't have an empty IKEA to work with, but we're doing our best to find a suitable location! Thanks again for reminding us of what is possible, snoopyrc.

Lots of big things coming, folks, but we still have a LONG way to go. Stay tuned!

Jimmy

snoopyrc

iTrader: (2)

Most Americans have never even heard of Yatabe Arena. So I am sure that no one expects something like that to be built here. I just wanted you to see what heaven looks like. But if you can accomplish any one thing they have there then you will be ahead of the game. I think you will have a lot of support to do this. I am almost not even in Georgia and I am excited to see what you come up with.

synap2012

iTrader: (2)

Its super awesome you are going to make this happen!

I have seen a lot of hobby shops/ tracks come and go, so I will give you some things to think about.

For one if you are doing this in thinking you are going to make money anytime soon, bail NOW!!!!! The term hemorrhaging money will mean something

Second the one and only thing that you can do to have consistent revenue is an INDOOR CLAY OFFROAD TRACK AS LARGE AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY MAKE IT!

Rain or shine you will have folks racing!

The sooner you bring in the clay and fill the joint with it, the better! I will show up with a crew the day you want to fill the place with it

Hotshots is prime example, we got rid of the carpet and expanded the offroad track, now we get 35 entries EVERY wed night.

pascalfd

iTrader: (5)

Not sure a venue competing with Hotshot is a good idea. Sure the indoor clay track is a good way to bring revenue in as you explained but, beside the fact that now the 35 entries you refer to would be split in two locations, hardcore racers is not the intended target user group I understand RC playground is about.
Heck.. I've been racing for years and still feel intimidated at Hotshot with folks discussing the best tire compound, foam insert break in, tire sauce, wet or dry track and what not..Not to mention people bitching about larger scale vehicles damaging "their" track.
As the Traxxas business success demonstrates, racers are only a fraction of the RC community so RC playground may be up to something here..

BTW, planning to stop by end of this afternoon with some of my toy cars - I'm only 10min away

orcadigital

iTrader: (61)

Fixed it for you!

+1

Plenty of places for hardcore racers to go. Family and new driver friendly are not part of the current business models at most of the existing tracks.

Regarding the "their" track thing, keep in mind that Hot Shot's specifically relies exclusively on volunteer labor. You spend enough evenings and weekends cleaning, repairing, fixing, etc and you can get some possessive feelings.

I am very excited that there is a place looking to help get new people into the hobby and build an atmosphere that is family and new people friendly.

Grant