1/8 vehicles, have they killed the RC industry?
08-28-2009, 09:38 AM
#1
What are the impacts of the popularity of 1/8 scale vehicles on the hobby?
Last edited by Sylvain; 08-28-2009 at 03:18 PM.
08-28-2009, 09:48 AM
#2
I sure hope so cause my 1/10 scale days are way behind me.
08-28-2009, 09:52 AM
#3
while outdoor racing is almost all 1/8th scale, there are still areas that run winter elctric programs Traxxas also most likely sells 6 slashes and three revos to every eigth scale out there.
Gas truck is dead as many people find them to difficult to drive and very fragile, the same is with 1/10th 2wd mod buggy.
The slash class is where people should look to bring back 1/10th racing, fun and durable are all you really need to have to attract people.
Gas truck is dead as many people find them to difficult to drive and very fragile, the same is with 1/10th 2wd mod buggy.
The slash class is where people should look to bring back 1/10th racing, fun and durable are all you really need to have to attract people.
08-28-2009, 09:56 AM
#4
I know its killing a lot of on road tracks over in pa around the philly area a couple of on road tracks are closing but now the off road tracks are flourishing theres a track that gets 50 racers a week and idk if off road racing is the reason but recently 301 raceway closed down and they hold some huge races like the capitol classic
08-28-2009, 10:02 AM
#5
That's a pretty dumb statement (the statement, I am making no comment about the OP or attacking him in anyway, just to avoid another flame war).
Why?
One class going up while another goes down equals no average change to the industry as a whole. Yes some companies, tracks and classes go under but others begin to thrive.
1/10th TC racing pretty much killed the 235mm 1/10th cars in electric and nitro. But TC racing lead to an explosion in total racers so you actually had a net gain to the industry. Now with people getting tired of the rising costs in TC racing you are seeing them move to 1/12th, WGT or VTA. They aren't quitting, just switching classes which means more new sales for the industry.
Why?
One class going up while another goes down equals no average change to the industry as a whole. Yes some companies, tracks and classes go under but others begin to thrive.
1/10th TC racing pretty much killed the 235mm 1/10th cars in electric and nitro. But TC racing lead to an explosion in total racers so you actually had a net gain to the industry. Now with people getting tired of the rising costs in TC racing you are seeing them move to 1/12th, WGT or VTA. They aren't quitting, just switching classes which means more new sales for the industry.
08-28-2009, 10:03 AM
#6
08-28-2009, 10:15 AM
#7
1/8th scale didnt kill the industry it took it in a whole new direction....one I personally love 
08-28-2009, 10:20 AM
#8
I still like 1/10 electric, especially indoors. It's a viable class because it requires less space to run. 1/8th is popular because people like running nitro, the vehicles are easier to drive and they can be driven well on a track that isn't as well groomed. 1/10 also suffers because if you run a 1/10 buggy on the same track as 1/8 runs on the track becomes too rough for 1/10 to be much fun.
If you look at the entries of the 1/8 nats and the 1/10 electric nats it's easier to see which class people are more excited about though.
If you look at the entries of the 1/8 nats and the 1/10 electric nats it's easier to see which class people are more excited about though.
08-28-2009, 10:32 AM
#9
Problem with 1/8th scale is that usually only one event a month to attend and it costs a ton of money...
Personally love the class , but quiting it just because of the once a month race thing , have to travel , spend hundreds & hundreds of dollars on tires & spare parts ....
cus if you break , no facility to buy a spare anywhere...
1/10th club racing is just as fun and cost way less to play .
and I can race every week two or three days a week ....
No mass spares needed because the part is hanging on the wall...
Personally love the class , but quiting it just because of the once a month race thing , have to travel , spend hundreds & hundreds of dollars on tires & spare parts ....
cus if you break , no facility to buy a spare anywhere...
1/10th club racing is just as fun and cost way less to play .
and I can race every week two or three days a week ....
No mass spares needed because the part is hanging on the wall...
08-28-2009, 10:43 AM
#10
Problem with 1/8th scale is that usually only one event a month to attend and it costs a ton of money...
Personally love the class , but quiting it just because of the once a month race thing , have to travel , spend hundreds & hundreds of dollars on tires & spare parts ....
cus if you break , no facility to buy a spare anywhere...
1/10th club racing is just as fun and cost way less to play .
and I can race every week two or three days a week ....
No mass spares needed because the part is hanging on the wall...
Personally love the class , but quiting it just because of the once a month race thing , have to travel , spend hundreds & hundreds of dollars on tires & spare parts ....
cus if you break , no facility to buy a spare anywhere...
1/10th club racing is just as fun and cost way less to play .
and I can race every week two or three days a week ....
No mass spares needed because the part is hanging on the wall...
As to the question, I think it has more appeal because of a few reasons.
1.) Compared to 5-10 years ago, the engines are easier to tune and there are even "budget engines" that you can be competitive with, allowing average Joe's to stay running for a whole 30 minues. I remember you had to be an expert racer just to get an engine to run OK.
2.) They are durable, period. Most hard crashes with 1/10 offroad or TC leads to broken parts and DNF's. So as a novice and learning driver, you can crash the cars alot have have a much better chance of finishing the race.
3.) Much, MUCH, easier to build a track and less money to run one as opposed to TC or indoor electric offroad. Any Joe Guy Racer with a skid steer can build a good track at his house and get people to come race. Literally half the tracks I race on are at peoples houses, and they are great tracks. It took a machine, a days work, and some spare land, not a brick and mortar building, or an expensive slab of ashalt that you have to gain the money back out of.
08-28-2009, 10:55 AM
#12
I don't think so. Look at the IFMAR events like 1/10 ISTC or Offroad (both electrics). In Europe here 1/10 electric and nitro onroad are the most popular classes. 1/8 offroad is smaller. In SPain for example the mini-z classes are popular besides the 1/10 scene.
By the way: click on the website on "my garage"and you'll see that this guy owns himself 1/8 scales so what is he talking about? If 1/8 kills the industry HE is part of it himself
By the way: click on the website on "my garage"and you'll see that this guy owns himself 1/8 scales so what is he talking about? If 1/8 kills the industry HE is part of it himself
08-28-2009, 11:04 AM
#13
If anything they've improved it.
More parts, larger kits, and more support equipment needed in this class.
Plus the racing is way better with longer mains, pitstops. Since the racing is more intense and less "toylike", it also makes traveling to different tracks in a statewide series interesting. I'd feel queer traveling with a Slash or RC10.
Nitro offroad is booming because there are only two classes. So you have plenty off people to race against. The cars don't shatter into dust everytime you crash. They can handle an offroad track that actually seems off road, with dirt, grass, sand, bumps.
Its facinating for people to watch, compared to boring electric tinker toys racing.
1/10th has too many classes. If everyones in a different class, then your hardly racing anyone and the track seems empty. If 20 people show up and they're racing 5 different types of cars thats only 2 per class. Boring.
The only thing thats killing this hobby is tighter belts in a bad economy, and lack of tracks. Build more/better tracks and you'll see more racers. Noone wants to race on a junky track.
Vive la 1/8th scale nitro buggy, truggy, and 4wd onroad.
More parts, larger kits, and more support equipment needed in this class.
Plus the racing is way better with longer mains, pitstops. Since the racing is more intense and less "toylike", it also makes traveling to different tracks in a statewide series interesting. I'd feel queer traveling with a Slash or RC10.
Nitro offroad is booming because there are only two classes. So you have plenty off people to race against. The cars don't shatter into dust everytime you crash. They can handle an offroad track that actually seems off road, with dirt, grass, sand, bumps.
Its facinating for people to watch, compared to boring electric tinker toys racing.
1/10th has too many classes. If everyones in a different class, then your hardly racing anyone and the track seems empty. If 20 people show up and they're racing 5 different types of cars thats only 2 per class. Boring.
The only thing thats killing this hobby is tighter belts in a bad economy, and lack of tracks. Build more/better tracks and you'll see more racers. Noone wants to race on a junky track.
Vive la 1/8th scale nitro buggy, truggy, and 4wd onroad.
08-28-2009, 11:11 AM
#14
I guess that's because of where you live. If I wanted I could race somewhere every weekend, and every weekend be at a different track, not just the same one running over and over.
As to the question, I think it has more appeal because of a few reasons.
1.) Compared to 5-10 years ago, the engines are easier to tune and there are even "budget engines" that you can be competitive with, allowing average Joe's to stay running for a whole 30 minues. I remember you had to be an expert racer just to get an engine to run OK.
2.) They are durable, period. Most hard crashes with 1/10 offroad or TC leads to broken parts and DNF's. So as a novice and learning driver, you can crash the cars alot have have a much better chance of finishing the race.
3.) Much, MUCH, easier to build a track and less money to run one as opposed to TC or indoor electric offroad. Any Joe Guy Racer with a skid steer can build a good track at his house and get people to come race. Literally half the tracks I race on are at peoples houses, and they are great tracks. It took a machine, a days work, and some spare land, not a brick and mortar building, or an expensive slab of ashalt that you have to gain the money back out of.
As to the question, I think it has more appeal because of a few reasons.
1.) Compared to 5-10 years ago, the engines are easier to tune and there are even "budget engines" that you can be competitive with, allowing average Joe's to stay running for a whole 30 minues. I remember you had to be an expert racer just to get an engine to run OK.
2.) They are durable, period. Most hard crashes with 1/10 offroad or TC leads to broken parts and DNF's. So as a novice and learning driver, you can crash the cars alot have have a much better chance of finishing the race.
3.) Much, MUCH, easier to build a track and less money to run one as opposed to TC or indoor electric offroad. Any Joe Guy Racer with a skid steer can build a good track at his house and get people to come race. Literally half the tracks I race on are at peoples houses, and they are great tracks. It took a machine, a days work, and some spare land, not a brick and mortar building, or an expensive slab of ashalt that you have to gain the money back out of.
In Florida you can basically run any week & any class there is just so many tracks out here I don't have enough room in my garage I run 1/8th On-Road & 1/8TH off-road
08-28-2009, 03:40 PM
#15
Yeah, my personal observation is it's probably good for the RC industry. But the frikkin internet thing has caused our LHS to not give a crap about outdoor racing. So he's gonna try to run electric indoors all year round. Unfortunately he only owns one timing loop. So now we're left with no local track for 1/8 if that happens.
LHS has to make money to stay alive and with the internet he isn't even gonna try when the electric scene makes 7 times as much in one weekend as the 1/8 racing does for 4 summer months combined. YIKES!!
So since I might not be able to race 1/8 every weekend I can save some money by only racing 1/8 once a month out of town and not having to have as many spare parts cause the wear and tear will go down significantly.
LHS has to make money to stay alive and with the internet he isn't even gonna try when the electric scene makes 7 times as much in one weekend as the 1/8 racing does for 4 summer months combined. YIKES!!
So since I might not be able to race 1/8 every weekend I can save some money by only racing 1/8 once a month out of town and not having to have as many spare parts cause the wear and tear will go down significantly.