I dont think the two issues are being confused, I think they go hand in hand

Try to see this as an opportunity, not an obstacle.

If monster truckers and 1/8th buggy backyarders are finding their way to your track - that is potential NEW members for your club.

Run some classes to encourage these guys to come to race meetings. They soon will get hooked and get into the smaller 1/10 scale that suits the track better - or they will lose interest and not be back! Problem gone. Everyone wins!

Just got to get the track a little stronger...

This is almost completely incorrect. Until last weekend our tracks have been so dry and hard that no pushbike could ever damage them. Given, when the tracks get wet you always have the pushbike problem, however it usually takes some small amount of work to correct. The 1/8th cars however are a different kettle of fish. They are heavier and are putting down far more power than any of our cars and on our hard dry tracks it just tears holes. Castle Hill and St Ives developed holes big enough to lose a 1/10th car in.

I don't have any problem with 1/8th or any other scale of RC car, what I do have a problem with is peoples lack of respect for others property. Right, we may not own the land but we do maintain it and spend money on making a half decent racing surface.

Your comment about hassling a legitimate 1/8th buggy club I would have found valid, until they started deleting a polite post requesting their help. The only reason I posted on their website was because someone suggested that their members may be able to help the situation by educating people around their track or putting some mild peer pressure on these guys not to run at our tracks.
However, after getting comments on their forum that show they are using our tracks and having them delete my posts twice, and ban 2 different usernames and my IP address from their forum, I would suggest that it is the members, and probably even senior ones at that (ie moderator of their site) that are causing the issues.

We recently spent a bit of time smoothing out our surface and building a few more jumps. The jumps lasted 3 days while they were still wet without any pushbikes etc. We had one race day on them, then a group of 1/8th guys began running on our track and basically destroyed the third triple. Don't try and tell me that they are being reasonable or that they aren't causing damage.

There are a few problems with this suggestion also.

1. Insurance. We aren't insured for this type of vehicle and this will cost us more money each year.

2. Track condition. The track simply won't hold up to the punishment of the 1/8th scale cars and we can't afford to lay the surface required to withstand this punishment.

3. We don't want them at our track. Castle Hill are primarily an electric club, although we cater for a small 1/10th gas truck class, and don't really want to be racing 1/8th gas cars.

4. Sure anyone who has just spent sh&tloads on their 1/8th gas cars are just going to up and buy a whole load of 1/10th electric kit. More than a little optimistic don't you think...

Well that sums it up.

Given the name of the thread and the comments posted over the last few days I would have thought this to be obvious to those who are at least a little intuitive. If we wanted 1/8th guys to run with us then we would have built a track to race 1/8th on...

Others may tippy toe around the issue but I think it's gone a little beyond that...

I think a few tracks around the area may be a bit different but I'll leave it to their members to comment.

This is exactly the point, if any of us wanted 1/8th scale to run at our tracks, we'd have built a track to suit in the first place.

Basically we are in the same situation here in Adelaide.

We are
1:not insured for them
2:not zoned for IC (gas) noise
3:dont have the money to build at track that will withstand the abuse these cars give out.

We get complaints sent to the local council about them when they decide to go and destroy our track. None of them want to help repair the dry when they have finished destroying it.

Brusharc do u see why NONE of us want 1/8th scale at our tracks!! and yes we have asked them to help fix up the track. about 5 or 6 of them saw us working on the track, while it was raining. Unpacked all their gear and as soon as i said, no ur not going on here today in the rain, but u can help us fix the track, they were off like a shot!!!

I'll come and right now and say, i do not like 1/8th scale, i never will like 1/8th scale. All i have seen from 1/8th scale owners is a complete lack of respect for other ppl hardwork and the club's hard earned savings. These guys have even rocked up at meetings, waited until we have all left and then gone nuts, even after being told they are NOT allowed to run there. I know i live within view of our track!


Sorry guys.

Glenn

just got to add my 2c worth.
good luck trying to keep these alcohol powered morons off your tracks -they seen like the type that sop up abuse and only become more determined to kcuf things up.

If you know its the guys from the shop your club members should go to the shop during their busiest time and talk directly to their perspective customers and tell them that another shop is cheaper-ie screw up their sales-then they may get the message.

Banned again...ho hum this is getting a little boring now. Might just hack them instead...

And again...maybe I should drop it...

make some sheet metal covers for all the parts of the track that are being wrecked by the 1/8th buggies, take them off before the club meet and put them back on after racing is done. maybe secure them with tent pegs so they are hard to remove

if you can make some kind of obstacle to go on the track that 1/8th buggies can't get past, but 1/10th will have no trouble with, that would be a perfect solution

i don't know how much the height difference between 1/10th and 1/8th buggies is, but if you can put a bar across the track at such a height that 1/8th will hit it and 1/10th will miss it, then can take it off for race days, that might work? That way 1/8th couldn't use the track at all, and 1/10th could practice whenever they wanted (albeit with a slight inconvenience i guess)

A Thug with a .22 comes to mind...

Bit hard to make something that 1/10th can and 1/8th can't get past. Just have to block everyone when club days aren't on.

Its always a case of the few ruining it for the many...

Yeah this is the option that Castle Hill is probably going to have to use, however St Ives Council won't let them do this as they still want to allow the kids with their Tamiya Jet Hoppers etc to play there.

I was at St Ives when a few guys with 1/8th scales were running, I asked one of them if they ran at Liverpool and he said yes, so I think its entirely legitimate for Andrew to post a topic on their forum.