Future of Nitro On Road Racing
01-23-2008, 04:20 PM
#47
Quite right. And we are always open to help. The perfect example in our local area in southern cali is that boy Christian and his father. They asked questions first, and exposed themselves to the track and drivers and we all were more than willing to help with answers to questions, loaning tools and parts and now look at them, they are there all the time and he IS getting fast. Go figure.
I can tell you this. Working for Fabtech Motorsports and being in the real Off-Road racing scene. It takes one major element to get noticed. EXPOSURE. When I first got back into RC in 2004 I picked up magazines every other week and it was 50/50% off-road, and on road. It didn't take me long to choose over my old electric off road to the awesome scene of nitro on-road. The parts were available at my local hoby shop, but mainly for the parking lot bashers. You have to look for the specialized shops like "Kamikaze" and "The Speed Shop." If everyone went back to being biast and the media offering exposure to on and off road equally as well as the local shops that just stock up on the currant cash cow fad, we would start to prosper again. Yes price is an issue also, and props to OFNA and PICCO with their new line of inexpensive moters that are just as fast as the high dollar ones. Tires could be a little cheaper, yes, but exposure, exposure,exposure is the answer. I don't even subscribe to any magazines anymore cust it is ALL about the RTR's and the off road fad. No one is ever going to be able to educate themselves on what the Nitro on road side of the hobby has to offer unless there is more coverage. Beginners arent going to told of "RC TECH" they are just going to their local hobby shops just get pushed into "whats cool now" Off Road.
Ok, I've said my peace.
I can tell you this. Working for Fabtech Motorsports and being in the real Off-Road racing scene. It takes one major element to get noticed. EXPOSURE. When I first got back into RC in 2004 I picked up magazines every other week and it was 50/50% off-road, and on road. It didn't take me long to choose over my old electric off road to the awesome scene of nitro on-road. The parts were available at my local hoby shop, but mainly for the parking lot bashers. You have to look for the specialized shops like "Kamikaze" and "The Speed Shop." If everyone went back to being biast and the media offering exposure to on and off road equally as well as the local shops that just stock up on the currant cash cow fad, we would start to prosper again. Yes price is an issue also, and props to OFNA and PICCO with their new line of inexpensive moters that are just as fast as the high dollar ones. Tires could be a little cheaper, yes, but exposure, exposure,exposure is the answer. I don't even subscribe to any magazines anymore cust it is ALL about the RTR's and the off road fad. No one is ever going to be able to educate themselves on what the Nitro on road side of the hobby has to offer unless there is more coverage. Beginners arent going to told of "RC TECH" they are just going to their local hobby shops just get pushed into "whats cool now" Off Road.
Ok, I've said my peace.
01-23-2008, 07:22 PM
#48
Tech Initiate
Just a thought
Why is golf so popular?
We know it is expensive and probably more difficult.
The facilities are more difficult and costly to set up and maintain.
Is it the handicap system or the 19th hole?
I would guess the handicap. It lets you measure your performance against others. You are not just a loser while you learn.
Perhaps by studying other more succesful and costly pastimes we could learn from them.
We know it is expensive and probably more difficult.
The facilities are more difficult and costly to set up and maintain.
Is it the handicap system or the 19th hole?
I would guess the handicap. It lets you measure your performance against others. You are not just a loser while you learn.
Perhaps by studying other more succesful and costly pastimes we could learn from them.
01-23-2008, 10:23 PM
#51
IMO I would just worry about racing locally before making big plans for all this nationally covered tv events. Just support your local clubs on a consistent basis since newcomers come and go, the most anybody can do to promote the hobby is just to have fun while your out racing on weekends and help out newcomers with out overwhelming them by telling them they need all the equipment that took years for most of us to aquire.
01-24-2008, 10:27 AM
#52
IMO I would just worry about racing locally before making big plans for all this nationally covered tv events. Just support your local clubs on a consistent basis since newcomers come and go, the most anybody can do to promote the hobby is just to have fun while your out racing on weekends and help out newcomers with out overwhelming them by telling them they need all the equipment that took years for most of us to aquire.
01-24-2008, 03:20 PM
#53
Tech Regular
Sorry if this is a little long, but:
I am way older than most RC guys so I have seen many sports and hobbies come and go. When I was a young man my family sailed so I did as well, when I turned 16 I discovered cars and women. That ended the sailing. The sailing club we belonged to had over 100 members, and their families, we also raced ice boats which had as many as 50 boats on many weekends. Darn near every house around the lake had an ice boat in the winter and a sail boat in the summer. After the sailing on the weekends most families stayed at the lake and hung out, sailed more, or played in the water.
I returned to sailing after nearly 30 years racing other things and there were almost no ice boats, the sailing club was still there but trying to survive with maybe 50 members, and they ran for home after the Sunday morning races. No social time with other sailors and the kids. Totally different and much smaller.
I started racing RC cars with my kids about ten years ago when they got to the correct age, Bobby was about 11, he is the only one still racing. When we started there were many days when we had nearly 100 entries on a normal weekend race. Not at all like today.
My point to these stories is that the world has changed, people say they have too much to do, blah, blah . You have all heard it or said it. Well I just gave you two examples of totally different sports that have lost a lot of people.
I have to think the TV with 100 channels, video games, Internet, and even things as simple as air conditioned houses is what has changed what people want to do when they aren't at work.
Have you guys noticed things like sub division groups and parties have disappeared too, no time I guess!
Of course the cost is high but when you count inflation it isn't as bad as you may think.
And finally this stuff is hard! Most people are not as stubborn as all of us. People try it, see that it is hard and go back to watching a race on TV in the nice comfy house and read the Internet or play video games.
I am way older than most RC guys so I have seen many sports and hobbies come and go. When I was a young man my family sailed so I did as well, when I turned 16 I discovered cars and women. That ended the sailing. The sailing club we belonged to had over 100 members, and their families, we also raced ice boats which had as many as 50 boats on many weekends. Darn near every house around the lake had an ice boat in the winter and a sail boat in the summer. After the sailing on the weekends most families stayed at the lake and hung out, sailed more, or played in the water.
I returned to sailing after nearly 30 years racing other things and there were almost no ice boats, the sailing club was still there but trying to survive with maybe 50 members, and they ran for home after the Sunday morning races. No social time with other sailors and the kids. Totally different and much smaller.
I started racing RC cars with my kids about ten years ago when they got to the correct age, Bobby was about 11, he is the only one still racing. When we started there were many days when we had nearly 100 entries on a normal weekend race. Not at all like today.
My point to these stories is that the world has changed, people say they have too much to do, blah, blah . You have all heard it or said it. Well I just gave you two examples of totally different sports that have lost a lot of people.
I have to think the TV with 100 channels, video games, Internet, and even things as simple as air conditioned houses is what has changed what people want to do when they aren't at work.
Have you guys noticed things like sub division groups and parties have disappeared too, no time I guess!
Of course the cost is high but when you count inflation it isn't as bad as you may think.
And finally this stuff is hard! Most people are not as stubborn as all of us. People try it, see that it is hard and go back to watching a race on TV in the nice comfy house and read the Internet or play video games.
01-24-2008, 04:24 PM
#54
I think you should promote an RTR class, these are not expensive to run, Give the new drivers with these the respect they deserve and not shun them when they turn up at a track wanting to run, after all they have parted with the cash and to them it's there pride and joy, this is the perfect stepping stone to advance to a higher end car, let them loose on the track and guide them NOT TELL THEM where there doing things wrong, make it fun and not as if your going to loose your house over it, gradually they'll come to terms with it and then when there ready progress to better cars along with there driving skills, it's very intimidating to turn up to a track and be told that your car is not suitable to race with or this and that is not right, right there and then you have lost new injection into the hobby, the thing to remember is you can make it as cheap or expensive as you like, you don't need all the best gear to enjoy yourself, RTR is the stepping stone as most buy these as there 1st R/C so it makes perfect sence to promote these as well, not everyones cup of tea but when at the track and you hear all the little sniggers from more seasoned drivers that the car you have is a cheap POS i wonder why the hobby is in decline
01-24-2008, 07:17 PM
#55
The RTR class is fine to promote but the one problem is with most people that when they see fast they want fast too they dont wanna hear about learning to setup the car and learn to drive and race eticate. Come on guys get those e-mails out to SPEED tv
01-24-2008, 09:04 PM
#56
Tech Addict
iTrader: (1)
Guys,
I think Ted has it right ... Instant gratification ...Video games ...
My son is 13, He thinks R/C is cool but he has NO interest in racing an R/C car. Plays the hell out of VRC ...But he plays it like a video game, not like you are standing on the driver's stand but racing viewing from behind the car.
He doesn't want to get up at 6:30 in the morning to drive an hour to the track, set up tent and tables and then wait until your race is called and you go race for 5 mins. Too much time invested compared to flipping on the TV and playing. ( Why do we do this anyway )
We R/C racers are an interesting breed, we love to tinker, we enjoy getting away from the daily grind to chat with our friends and fulfill that competitive bug, not everyone is like us.
But I think that we could do some things to bring more interested parties in without the major sticker shock. Quit telling the people who ask the top dollar price for getting into R/C racing, I did not go out and buy a new R/C car and Radio when I got in. I bought used, and for quite a while bought just about everything I needed on EBAY, tell them that price. Hell tell them to go talk to the guy you know that is selling some stuff. Then we can let the fun set the hook !!
I think Ted has it right ... Instant gratification ...Video games ...
My son is 13, He thinks R/C is cool but he has NO interest in racing an R/C car. Plays the hell out of VRC ...But he plays it like a video game, not like you are standing on the driver's stand but racing viewing from behind the car.
He doesn't want to get up at 6:30 in the morning to drive an hour to the track, set up tent and tables and then wait until your race is called and you go race for 5 mins. Too much time invested compared to flipping on the TV and playing. ( Why do we do this anyway )
We R/C racers are an interesting breed, we love to tinker, we enjoy getting away from the daily grind to chat with our friends and fulfill that competitive bug, not everyone is like us.
But I think that we could do some things to bring more interested parties in without the major sticker shock. Quit telling the people who ask the top dollar price for getting into R/C racing, I did not go out and buy a new R/C car and Radio when I got in. I bought used, and for quite a while bought just about everything I needed on EBAY, tell them that price. Hell tell them to go talk to the guy you know that is selling some stuff. Then we can let the fun set the hook !!
01-24-2008, 09:09 PM
#57
I think you should promote an RTR class, these are not expensive to run, Give the new drivers with these the respect they deserve and not shun them when they turn up at a track wanting to run, after all they have parted with the cash and to them it's there pride and joy, this is the perfect stepping stone to advance to a higher end car, let them loose on the track and guide them NOT TELL THEM where there doing things wrong, make it fun and not as if your going to loose your house over it, gradually they'll come to terms with it and then when there ready progress to better cars along with there driving skills, it's very intimidating to turn up to a track and be told that your car is not suitable to race with or this and that is not right, right there and then you have lost new injection into the hobby, the thing to remember is you can make it as cheap or expensive as you like, you don't need all the best gear to enjoy yourself, RTR is the stepping stone as most buy these as there 1st R/C so it makes perfect sence to promote these as well, not everyones cup of tea but when at the track and you hear all the little sniggers from more seasoned drivers that the car you have is a cheap POS i wonder why the hobby is in decline
plus 1......
01-25-2008, 07:04 AM
#58
The Future Of Nitro Rc
The Future Of Rc
Over the last few years Rc has been decreasing in popularity, in my area there used to be at least 7 Rc tracks that I know of and only 1 of them are left. If Rc companies want to stay in buisiness they have to get the public aware of these Rc. When I drive my Rc in a parking lot everyone stares because they have never seen a REAL HOBBBY RC. Companies also have to make it cheaper and less complicated to newbies at the hobby. They also have to advertise more, if you think about it have you ever seen a HOBBY RC COMMERCIAL on T.V? The only Rc you see on T.V is a TOY RC made by Tyco! Rc has also gotten less popular because of Video Games, I love video games and you know why? Because I don't have to toy around and have special experience and a talent to play it. My T-Maxx 3.3 = $600.00USD my X-Box 360 = $300.00USD! So I think that the price is one of the biggest things, and people don't want to have to tune and clean a Rc after every run!
Well Thats Just My $0.02
stoptherockets3
01-25-2008, 08:01 AM
#59
01-25-2008, 08:45 AM
#60
