Future of 200mm Racing
03-03-2002, 01:36 PM
#1
Future of 200mm Racing
Over the last several months, there has been an ongoing debate about which direction the future of sanctioned 200mm racing should take. Specifically, should sanctioning bodies (ROAR, IFMAR, etc) sanction an on-road 200mm fuel "Outlaw" class at Regionals, Nationals and Worlds level events?
For those of you not familar with the present rules, please visit http://www.roarracing.com/ , and http://members.ozemail.com.au/~ifmar/ for examples of present rules.
ROAR provides rules for sanctioned 200mm racing from the club level through the national level, however, many people think these rules are too restrictive and should be encouraged for "beginners" and budget minded racers, thus making a need for an additional 200mm fuel class with less restrictive rules for those that want to push their 200mm sedans to the limit. However, many people think the current class/rules is all that is needed and people should build their cars to meet the rules if they are interested in sanctioned racing.
Here's where part of the problem arises. Under current ROAR regulations, local clubs can run basically any rules/classes they feel will be supported by the local market. They do not necessarily have to abide by the letter of the ROAR law. However, at regional and higher level races, ROAR rules must be followed. This means that many people would have to change some parts (engines, mufflers, tires, etc) in order to meet these rules if they decided to compete in those events. In essence, many people would have to downgrade the performance of the car to compete at an "advanced" level of racing.
For the majority of racers (parking lot bashers), this isn't necessarily a big deal, unless you plan to "advance" your level of competition. However, think about this. For whatever reason, one day your local club or shop decides it is going to join ROAR (for whatever reason they choose) and classes will be run according to ROAR rules. Now what do you do? Spend more money to convert your car, just find a lot somewhere with a few friends to race against, quit the hobby all together, what? If an outlaw class was sanctioned by ROAR, you would simply run in that class, instead of having to change your car to meet more restrictive rules or quit running.
Several other classes of racing have evolved over the years into highly competitive classes that would basically fall under an "outlaw" class/rules. Far from the original rules and concept of the class. However, for various reasons, many officials and members of some sanctioning organizations feel the need to keep 200mm on-road fuel restricted instead of letting it grow and develop as other classes have. The propossed outlaw class would follow the basic weight, width, body restrictions as are already in place. What would make the class different would be the use of wider tires, unlimited internal mods to the .12 engines, and the use of one-ways, solid rears, etc. Some people would like to see the use of Lola, GTP, GT style bodies on the touring cars, but that is a discusion all to itself.
IFMAR is in the process of developing rules for a 200mm fuel on-road class for possible (more likely probable) future class at Worlds events.
If you notice, IFMAR's rules are much less restrictive as compared to ROAR's rules. Thus, someone reaching the Worlds level racing from the US will be at a disadvantage as compared to racers from other countries that are used to competing under the more relaxed IFMAR rules.
While most people on both sides of the discussion agree there is no way to make everyone happy, everyone agrees more opnions are need to make an informed decision of what racers actually want. An iformal poll has been created at http://www.rcrcnt.com/survey.htm . I encourage everyone to vote, regardless of affiliation. If you need more info, please check out the Starting Grid http://www.rc-racing.com/ and look in the "ROAR Fuel Conference, 2001". Anyone can read the info, but you must be a ROAR member to post. Or anyone can post in the ".12 Nitro Touring Car Rules" conference or the ".12 Nitro Turbo Rules" conference (Renegade conference). Any opinions/ views in either of those 2 conferences will be passed along to people making decisions in ROAR. I've only touched the tip of the iceberg here, there is tons more info in the conferences listed above. Please take time to read the info and make your opinions/ known.
For those of you not familar with the present rules, please visit http://www.roarracing.com/ , and http://members.ozemail.com.au/~ifmar/ for examples of present rules.
ROAR provides rules for sanctioned 200mm racing from the club level through the national level, however, many people think these rules are too restrictive and should be encouraged for "beginners" and budget minded racers, thus making a need for an additional 200mm fuel class with less restrictive rules for those that want to push their 200mm sedans to the limit. However, many people think the current class/rules is all that is needed and people should build their cars to meet the rules if they are interested in sanctioned racing.
Here's where part of the problem arises. Under current ROAR regulations, local clubs can run basically any rules/classes they feel will be supported by the local market. They do not necessarily have to abide by the letter of the ROAR law. However, at regional and higher level races, ROAR rules must be followed. This means that many people would have to change some parts (engines, mufflers, tires, etc) in order to meet these rules if they decided to compete in those events. In essence, many people would have to downgrade the performance of the car to compete at an "advanced" level of racing.
For the majority of racers (parking lot bashers), this isn't necessarily a big deal, unless you plan to "advance" your level of competition. However, think about this. For whatever reason, one day your local club or shop decides it is going to join ROAR (for whatever reason they choose) and classes will be run according to ROAR rules. Now what do you do? Spend more money to convert your car, just find a lot somewhere with a few friends to race against, quit the hobby all together, what? If an outlaw class was sanctioned by ROAR, you would simply run in that class, instead of having to change your car to meet more restrictive rules or quit running.
Several other classes of racing have evolved over the years into highly competitive classes that would basically fall under an "outlaw" class/rules. Far from the original rules and concept of the class. However, for various reasons, many officials and members of some sanctioning organizations feel the need to keep 200mm on-road fuel restricted instead of letting it grow and develop as other classes have. The propossed outlaw class would follow the basic weight, width, body restrictions as are already in place. What would make the class different would be the use of wider tires, unlimited internal mods to the .12 engines, and the use of one-ways, solid rears, etc. Some people would like to see the use of Lola, GTP, GT style bodies on the touring cars, but that is a discusion all to itself.
IFMAR is in the process of developing rules for a 200mm fuel on-road class for possible (more likely probable) future class at Worlds events.
If you notice, IFMAR's rules are much less restrictive as compared to ROAR's rules. Thus, someone reaching the Worlds level racing from the US will be at a disadvantage as compared to racers from other countries that are used to competing under the more relaxed IFMAR rules.
While most people on both sides of the discussion agree there is no way to make everyone happy, everyone agrees more opnions are need to make an informed decision of what racers actually want. An iformal poll has been created at http://www.rcrcnt.com/survey.htm . I encourage everyone to vote, regardless of affiliation. If you need more info, please check out the Starting Grid http://www.rc-racing.com/ and look in the "ROAR Fuel Conference, 2001". Anyone can read the info, but you must be a ROAR member to post. Or anyone can post in the ".12 Nitro Touring Car Rules" conference or the ".12 Nitro Turbo Rules" conference (Renegade conference). Any opinions/ views in either of those 2 conferences will be passed along to people making decisions in ROAR. I've only touched the tip of the iceberg here, there is tons more info in the conferences listed above. Please take time to read the info and make your opinions/ known.
Last edited by tekrsq; 03-03-2002 at 01:47 PM.
03-03-2002, 06:13 PM
#3
Tech Adept
I think that Tekrsq is on the money. In electric racing, you have stock and modified classes. Why don't they do the same for nitro? Most of the sponsored guys run the modified classes while the unsponsored and scrubs like me run in the stock class. It's very dissappointing to go the a big race and only race against the sponsored guys who have unlimited resources. My resources are limited by my bank account. That is why I choose to run stock electric classes because I don't have the money for batteries and motor.
In nitro there is only one class. I think that this intimidates many of the first timers going to a big race. That is why at many local tracks you usually have a sport class and a pro or mod class. The newbies can stay in the sport class and concentrate and just driving. I've seen some guys get the fastes engine thinking that they can hang with us more experienced guys and get frustrated that they can't tune the motor. Then they get frustrated why they are always chunking foam tires. They get so caugt up in trying to gave the same equipment that we run that they don't concentrate on just improving their driving skills. Hopefully, ROAR takes a good hard look at the 200mm class.
It seems to me that the more restrictive you make the rules the less people are interested in participating. At the Snowbird Nationals there was an ungodly amount of entries. WHY? I think it's because they kept the rules simple. From experience, I have always seen more people running electric than nitro. And I think it has to do because electric is diviided into 2 categories unlike Nitro.
Jeff
In nitro there is only one class. I think that this intimidates many of the first timers going to a big race. That is why at many local tracks you usually have a sport class and a pro or mod class. The newbies can stay in the sport class and concentrate and just driving. I've seen some guys get the fastes engine thinking that they can hang with us more experienced guys and get frustrated that they can't tune the motor. Then they get frustrated why they are always chunking foam tires. They get so caugt up in trying to gave the same equipment that we run that they don't concentrate on just improving their driving skills. Hopefully, ROAR takes a good hard look at the 200mm class.
It seems to me that the more restrictive you make the rules the less people are interested in participating. At the Snowbird Nationals there was an ungodly amount of entries. WHY? I think it's because they kept the rules simple. From experience, I have always seen more people running electric than nitro. And I think it has to do because electric is diviided into 2 categories unlike Nitro.
Jeff
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