Future of RC
06-20-2007, 03:14 PM
#151
I never said that we didn't need some change, what I said was slowing things down isn't the answer. New Blood isn't attracted by good close racing, it's attracted by SPEED. You slow the cars down and you've still got the same 20 guys at the track every week, but now they're just running slower cars. It does nothing to encourage new blood to enter the hobby, and the fast guys are still gonna trounce any new folks just as badly as they did when the cars were faster, so the discouragement factor for newbies is still there, but the allure of speed is now gone.
.
Racing is still a competition, but there's a difference between losing and not having a chance.
In RC airplanes, you start out with a slow easy to fly trainer. As you gain experience, you move up to faster and more manuverable airplanes. If you're good enough you go all the way to competition aerobatics (talk about money, eyow).
There is no equivalent in RC cars. I'm saying there should be.
06-20-2007, 03:46 PM
#152
I say at every national level event, ROAR has a dustbuster race for the Noobs. Both for sedan and 12th. You can race with nothing but the contents of the dustbuster and the retail available pan car of your choice.
06-20-2007, 05:16 PM
#153
the future of rc is to retain the middle group of racers , meaning , when we race , we race at many tracks , theres allways a group thats been doing it forever , a bunch of new faces , but not much in the middle , of that new group not many of them stay around after 1 , 2 years , how can we get a larger percent of new people to stay around and become part of the been around forever group ? just my observation , ray
06-20-2007, 11:37 PM
#154
For ME, being at the races is RARELY boring
If it's a race I'm directing/promoting....or helping with the directing...I'm wrenching on 2 cars - running the races - spend most of a 10 hour day behind a computer screen with a Microphone in my face...yelling and selling that particular race as THE BEST RACE you've ever seen (nothing makes a race more boring than NOT being able to hear the announcer...and/or an announcer who doesn't talk.)
If it's a race that I'm 'JUST A RACER' at - boredom usually doesn't come, because I'm too busy wrenching and B.S.ing with FRIENDS
However, I LOVE RACING
DIRT LATE MODELS
STOCK CARS
NASCAR
INDYCARS
DAYTONA PROTOTYPES
F-1
it pretty much doesn't matter - hell I'll watch a Soap Box Derby - if it's On T.V.
BUT - for a 13 year old - or a 16 year old - I see a lot of them bring a LAPTOP or GAME SYSTEM to the track (on the rare occasion I see anyone that YOUNG at a track)
If it's a race that takes 2+ hours between rounds - and they've only got 4 or 5 minutes worth of work to do...I can easily see how a race day can seem boring to a KID - especially if there ISN'T a DOZEN other racers his/her age.
KIDS + OLD FARTS have little in common.
My 15 year old has been racing for 6 years now - although since having a girlfriend he goes a little less these days. He's a VIDEO GAMER - and a COMPUTER GAMER. He LOVES RACING GAMES and FIGHTING GAMES. He's told me he can have so many more hours of fun on a VIDEO GAME and NEVER have to worry about charging his batteries.
On that same note, when he is COMPETITIVE on the track - HE LOVES R/C Racing too. He's won 1/2 dozen races in the last 3 years against some pretty decent drivers - and that excites him...and he's made a few friends (Who are OLD guys) who they can pick on each other with some smack talk.
I Started racing 22 years ago, when I was 21 years old. From 18-21 I was a DRUNK - I quit drinking and started spending my drinking money on RACING - now 22 years later - I still love it just as much as i did the very first day. (I STILL SUCK AT IT....I think WORSE than back then - but it's still FUN)
If it's a race I'm directing/promoting....or helping with the directing...I'm wrenching on 2 cars - running the races - spend most of a 10 hour day behind a computer screen with a Microphone in my face...yelling and selling that particular race as THE BEST RACE you've ever seen (nothing makes a race more boring than NOT being able to hear the announcer...and/or an announcer who doesn't talk.)
If it's a race that I'm 'JUST A RACER' at - boredom usually doesn't come, because I'm too busy wrenching and B.S.ing with FRIENDS
However, I LOVE RACING
DIRT LATE MODELS
STOCK CARS
NASCAR
INDYCARS
DAYTONA PROTOTYPES
F-1
it pretty much doesn't matter - hell I'll watch a Soap Box Derby - if it's On T.V.
BUT - for a 13 year old - or a 16 year old - I see a lot of them bring a LAPTOP or GAME SYSTEM to the track (on the rare occasion I see anyone that YOUNG at a track)
If it's a race that takes 2+ hours between rounds - and they've only got 4 or 5 minutes worth of work to do...I can easily see how a race day can seem boring to a KID - especially if there ISN'T a DOZEN other racers his/her age.
KIDS + OLD FARTS have little in common.
My 15 year old has been racing for 6 years now - although since having a girlfriend he goes a little less these days. He's a VIDEO GAMER - and a COMPUTER GAMER. He LOVES RACING GAMES and FIGHTING GAMES. He's told me he can have so many more hours of fun on a VIDEO GAME and NEVER have to worry about charging his batteries.
On that same note, when he is COMPETITIVE on the track - HE LOVES R/C Racing too. He's won 1/2 dozen races in the last 3 years against some pretty decent drivers - and that excites him...and he's made a few friends (Who are OLD guys) who they can pick on each other with some smack talk.
I Started racing 22 years ago, when I was 21 years old. From 18-21 I was a DRUNK - I quit drinking and started spending my drinking money on RACING - now 22 years later - I still love it just as much as i did the very first day. (I STILL SUCK AT IT....I think WORSE than back then - but it's still FUN)
06-21-2007, 01:25 PM
#155
OK scary post 
I just switched out of nitro TC into electric and I just went through all my receipts for everything I have bought to run TC stock and 19t and the total was
$6,200.00
Highlight the white space between this line and the last one above
Dont tell the wife
Thats a very competitive setup Losi Type R, 3PKS radio, full pit equipment, 2 power supplies, 2 charges, lathe, tire warmers, spare parts enough to build another kit, selection of pinions and motors, selection of rubber ranging from carpet to aggressive asphalt and tools including airbrush and compressor.
I did also include the cost for my tool box, dolly, ez up canopy, folding table but then its all part of the same thing.
Now Im not saying that anyone new to this hobby is going to spend anything like this but it gives you an idea what a full setup is for competitive racing. Not exactly cheap
I just switched out of nitro TC into electric and I just went through all my receipts for everything I have bought to run TC stock and 19t and the total was
$6,200.00
Highlight the white space between this line and the last one above
Dont tell the wife
Thats a very competitive setup Losi Type R, 3PKS radio, full pit equipment, 2 power supplies, 2 charges, lathe, tire warmers, spare parts enough to build another kit, selection of pinions and motors, selection of rubber ranging from carpet to aggressive asphalt and tools including airbrush and compressor.
I did also include the cost for my tool box, dolly, ez up canopy, folding table but then its all part of the same thing.
Now Im not saying that anyone new to this hobby is going to spend anything like this but it gives you an idea what a full setup is for competitive racing. Not exactly cheap
06-21-2007, 02:13 PM
#156
The future is not clear for sure.
I really think a non expensive general class, basic chassis, same capacity electronics, same power motors, same tires, etc, would work great for newbies. Not exactly minis, but more like racing cars would be the best.
The whole bunch of brands existing right now should meet and agree something like this, and if not, ROAR should draw the first line. After all, if this hobby keeps shrinking all this guys are gonna suffer more than us.
I really think a non expensive general class, basic chassis, same capacity electronics, same power motors, same tires, etc, would work great for newbies. Not exactly minis, but more like racing cars would be the best.
The whole bunch of brands existing right now should meet and agree something like this, and if not, ROAR should draw the first line. After all, if this hobby keeps shrinking all this guys are gonna suffer more than us.
06-22-2007, 05:57 AM
#157
The future is not clear for sure.
I really think a non expensive general class, basic chassis, same capacity electronics, same power motors, same tires, etc, would work great for newbies. Not exactly minis, but more like racing cars would be the best.
The whole bunch of brands existing right now should meet and agree something like this, and if not, ROAR should draw the first line. After all, if this hobby keeps shrinking all this guys are gonna suffer more than us.
I really think a non expensive general class, basic chassis, same capacity electronics, same power motors, same tires, etc, would work great for newbies. Not exactly minis, but more like racing cars would be the best.
The whole bunch of brands existing right now should meet and agree something like this, and if not, ROAR should draw the first line. After all, if this hobby keeps shrinking all this guys are gonna suffer more than us.
I think the decisions need to be made locally, we can't wait for the manufacturers or wait for ROAR.
I think we need to look at existing product options, that's why I mentioned the Tamiya mini as a perfect beginner class, but, I guess I understand that it doesn't look like a race car, or doesn't look like what the fast guys drive.
So, if I owned a track and wanted to grow the number of beginners (and they didn't want to race Tamiya minis), here's what I'd do:
Copy full size racing and have "feeder leagues", I'd call them:
Truck Series
Bush Series ("bush league")
Cup Series
Truck series races on Thursday nights and drive 1/10 scale stadium trucks on your usual touring car track (I know they're not touring cars, but they're cheap and tough). Have some of your experienced racers around to help the newbs set up and run their trucks. Some kid can show up with his $160 Evader he got from Tower Hobbies and not feel intimidated.
Bush series races on Friday nights. Any plastic tub touring car to attempt to control costs, rubber tires. Maybe run a stock and an open (19T, brushless, etc.) class. This is intended to be real touring car racing, but with some attempt to control costs.
Cup series races on Saturday nights. This is the usual touring car stuff we all see: $400 cars, $100 batteries, $400 chargers, guys working at their pits in a cloud of solder fumes, etc. These are the fast guys. No offense, but... the smoke the fumes, the intimidating equipment is enough to scare many newbies away.
Tuesday night is open practice but advertised as "beginner night". Wednesday night is open practice for anyone. Track is closed Sunday and Monday.
Whaccha think?
06-22-2007, 06:03 AM
#158
The low-cost, durable, slower cars are already out there and readily available.
06-22-2007, 06:16 AM
#159
Agreed. But a TT-01 looks like any other touring car ($100 or $600) out on the track. So most people will start telling that newb he/she wasted their money on that Tamiya crap, it doesn't even have oil shocks, you should have bougth this $400 car or that $400 car.
The advantage of the truck/bush/cup idea is we'd be making it blatantly obvious to everyone that you should work your way up to those super fast touring cars. It also separates the skill levels so you don't have your new guy racing alongside the "Jeff Gordons". That's intimidating and frustrating.
Just my opinion.
06-22-2007, 06:29 AM
#160
(BTW...you can get oil shocks for a TT-01, and it still fits in the Tamiya Spec rules.
)The hardcore racers need to decide what they really want. We can continue to be a bunch of selfish, hyper-competitive bastards and watch our numbers dwindle....or we can set our own self-serving desires aside once in a while and do what's best for growth.
06-22-2007, 06:39 AM
#161
I think a Tamiya Championship Series - like class structure would be great at local club races:
Spec class for beginners, very limited hop-ups
GT3 - plastic tub chassis for novice or people who don't want to spend a fortune
GT2 - plastic tub chassis, stock motors
GT1 - any chassis, modified motors
The Tamiya Championship Series at Trackside is like Christmas in March for my son and I -- experts, newbies, and everyone in between racing on the same track on the same day, and having a blast doing it.
So there you have it. I just "outed" myself on the internet. The whole world now knows that I'm one of "those people", a Tamiya fanatic.
Spec class for beginners, very limited hop-ups
GT3 - plastic tub chassis for novice or people who don't want to spend a fortune
GT2 - plastic tub chassis, stock motors
GT1 - any chassis, modified motors
The Tamiya Championship Series at Trackside is like Christmas in March for my son and I -- experts, newbies, and everyone in between racing on the same track on the same day, and having a blast doing it.
So there you have it. I just "outed" myself on the internet. The whole world now knows that I'm one of "those people", a Tamiya fanatic.
06-22-2007, 06:47 AM
#162
the hobby needs new blood. get folks in, those that love it will stick with it, get better and move up.. all without having to needlessly abuse a $400 dollar car.. by the way smooth, some fun vids with you in them over in the florida section from "back in the day"..
06-22-2007, 06:58 AM
#163
I was in a local hobbyshop yesterday when a father and son came in. They were carrying one of those Tamiya cars. They had no clue of what it took to get the car to run. They got a cheap radio ,1500 battery and ESC. They wouldn't buy a $40 charger- he had a 6 amp charger for a car battery.After he blows up the battery you'll probably never see the guy again.Now everyone was nice to them in the store and I doubt if he will ever be at the track.They'll problably be disappointed they spent all that money and can't get it to run .
The next customer came in and got an R/C Plane,Helicopter and boat for his 12 year old son.None of that will ever see any organized event either.
The next customer came in and got an R/C Plane,Helicopter and boat for his 12 year old son.None of that will ever see any organized event either.
06-22-2007, 06:58 AM
#164
The products are out there indeed, maybe they just need more advertising.
The tamiya TT01 or TA05 are good options, durable, cheap, spares widely available, etc.
Do you guys know if tamiya is going to release something new this year similar to this products? Or maybe something like the F 103 GT (also a cheap reliable car)?
My fear is that those products have been out there for quite a while, and I would hate to get all the track people into this and have something new in six months.
The tamiya TT01 or TA05 are good options, durable, cheap, spares widely available, etc.
Do you guys know if tamiya is going to release something new this year similar to this products? Or maybe something like the F 103 GT (also a cheap reliable car)?
My fear is that those products have been out there for quite a while, and I would hate to get all the track people into this and have something new in six months.
06-22-2007, 07:14 AM
#165
