Whats Wrong with Australia's Sponsored Drivers
 

Are Australia's Sponsored Drivers afraid they will be beaten and then loss there sponsorship if they help club racers with setup's?

I know 2 people that have brought 1/8 scale buggies from drivers that are sponsored

The first was a Hong Nor it was in excellent condition but the set up had been messed up completely.

The second was an Associated which again was in great condition but the set up of the car was all over the place.

Both cars were almost undriveable in there arriving condition, both cars were from sponsored drivers.

Aren't sponsored drivers representatives of the brand they run and meant to help out the fans of those brands.

US and Euro drivers are always helping out club racers so whats the problem in Australia.

Now I open the floor to every one that disagrees with me :D

Side Note: I do not say all sponsored drivers are like this I know of several that have been more than happy to help out other drivers it just seems like a growing trend.

Flame away :D

Dear oh dear Mick, what a thread to bring up.

But, you got me wanting to have a say. Just about every sponsored driver I have spoken to, online and in person, in oz and os, have been willing to offer their insights into RC.

Also, setups are rather personal, what suits one person may not suit another.

Cheers All

Perhaps they have raided parts off that they wanted to keep,simply slapping replacements or original bits in place ?
You are being a bit wishful in thinking that someone will sell you the goose that lays golden eggs, lol.

It ALWAYS pays to check with the kit setup,before attempting to use the vehicle.
Maybe the guy was just being an ar$ehole ? Assume nothing,check everything.
Simple really, unless the seller promised it race tuned !

I agree what suits one person may not suit another but is that any reason to go over the car and adjust everything so you can't drive it until you have put it on a hudy?

I also agree Just about every sponsored driver I have spoken to, online and in person, in oz and os, have been willing to offer their insights into RC. but there are those in Australia that will not help out and it seems to me a bit sad that drivers whiles seeming to help out by selling one of there cars have to go and change every thing so you have to spend hours getting it ready to use.

I have found this also in Kart racing and speedway from sponsored and non sponsored sellers.I think it comes down to this.If they have built a new car and not had much track time for set up etc and someone beats them with their old car it wouldnt look good.It can take many hours as Im sure you would know and especially with 1.1 cars to get correct set up etc and people mustnt want to pass all this on.I think it really stinks and would much rather see someone doing well in a car that I have sold them.

Mick, the setups of the 'sponsored drivers' I know of are rarely all that far from the kit setups and those openly published by the US sponsored drivers. There are no big secrets.

So that emphorsizes my point why go and adjust everything on a car i.e. camber toe etc. to the point that each side front and back are completely out by miles wouldnt this be a waist of time for the driver and just giving the new owner lots of extra work to do?

alot of sponsored drivers have multiple cars, the seller in question may have been ratting one for parts and just slapped the parts required back on it with no setup given to it in order to sell it. Has the seller been contacted for a setup to run?

Typically the case....however, helping out others that buy 2nd hand cars or car as driven by the sponsored driver has always been part of the sponsorship deal ;)

You should also consider that often sponsored drivers will drive at more than one track. The car might simply have been set-up for another location when they decided to sell it.

I thought it was part off your sponsered deal to promote your product you are driving if you sell a car on would not you want it to be best as it can be to promote your sponsors car. In my experance with racing I would say sponsored drivers think they are above the rest of us and dont help at all. As has been said what is wrong with a sposored driver giving you his setup nothing as we still wont be able to drive as fast as them, thats why the yanks and euros are free with there setups promots there cars (part of there sponsorship deal) and they now that even if avrage Joe uses that setup he still wont beat them takes years of driving every day to get that good not just a good setup.
I think sponsored drivers in Aus need to pull there finger out and do what they get paid for and promot there goods by not just winning but helping out avg Joe. Hell most sponsored drivers I now dont even do there setups and stuff they have mechanics for that all they do is drive what a life that would be.

Hey Mick

I wouldn't mind knowing which AE drivers car was bought...

Seeing as i am one of those lucky guys who has been sponsored ( AE ) i know that we're always willing to help out others where/if we can... You will normally find us pitting together and sharing ideas around... if you want the info you need to ask tho...

All of the current AE guys are really helpful.. Currently they are Matt Griffin, Josh Pain, Jason Dychhoff, Andrew Abbott are the factory guys and then Kyle McBride and myself are on the next level down.

If anyone ever needs any help just ask at the track!

Glenn

In 25 years of racing, and the only time I have seen this is when a driver changes manufacture, and only once. The had all the trick bits removed and just slapped the car back together. I've driven about 6 brands in this time, and personally, never had an issue. Information is just a phone call, or an email away.

Usually, you get this problem from guys who wish they were sponsored, and they strip the car before sale, and the poor purchaser has a bucket of crap to drive and sometimes the bits that make it quick, are missing.

Andrew

Dude, I gotta get me one of these deals. Mechanics, paychecks- awesome!!! Must be one of those Hobao setups. ;)

Must be an OFF road issue as this thing doesn't happen to onroad :lol: