sorry if there is another 540 thread

but with a fair bit of talk around at the moment about hand out motors at the QLD titles i thought it would be good to start a 540 class thread

first of all myself and my 11 year old son race 540
we both race $300 (schumacher mission ) cars
stick pack batteries and lower end speed controlers

here in brisbane we are lucky enough to be able to dyno and seal our 540 motors (and use them as hand out motors for the QLD titles )
what this has done is make people complain about the extra cost
they say it is a beginner class keep it cheap
this coming from people that run HPI pro4 s yokomo sds TRF 415S MI2
these are $600 to $700 cars they use matched batteries they use unlimited turn speedies and comlain about $25 motors

i think it is great that with my limited budget i now know that i have the same motor as the big budget guys (now just have to get matched packs )
but maybe to keep it an entry level classs we have to go further ?
control batteries limited speed controllers
maybe even control cars pro 2 mission tao 2 3
cars that the more serious guys have in there cupboard
what this might do is get more kids into the sport by keeping costs down
how good would any of us be if we started at 10 or 11 rather than 34 in my case when i could fund my own racing

anyway thats my 2 bobs worth what are other peoples thoughts

cheers
richard

Good on ya for your comments. Anybody whinging about $25 handout 540 motor at a state titles has gotta be joking?

I suppose the ultimate 'control' racing is tamiya Mini or Hornet racing with good ol' stick packs, but even then people will make their own from matched cells.

BTW you can pick up good batteries (matched in Oz) at very good prices if you shop around (see for sale thread).

not all 540 motors are the same, some are duds, i think that handout motors are a fantastic idea, but they should at least put the entire batch on a dyno and get rid of the top & bottom 10% of results, keep the tolerances of the motors to roughly the same across the board, after all the point of handout motors is to keep everyone racing with the same motor.

that being said, 540 cans are sealed & stock anyway, handout motors are more suited to stock & 19t events, where you have controlled motors that can actually be tampered with easily.

Richard,

Lets see, Yokomo SD hey, i can only think of one person who is currently running a SD in 540 consistantly, and thats me. I have not complained once about a hand out motor, i think it is the best news i have heard for a while for this class. Maybe get your facts correct, singling out cars is almost as good as saying the person, when there is not many people running certain cars. If you are looking for friends down at the track, this is a not a good way at going about it.

B1

another lesson learnt the hard way
to any one that drives one of the cars that i mentioned
i offer my appologies

richard

Handout motors in 540 should be the norm for state titles, IMHO. In fact, I would have no problem with handout motors in stock either, but that's just my opinion, and a complete different kettle of fish

A great initiative by ORRCA for 540 - well done to all concerned.

And as for whinging - if it's happening, people need to take a good look at themselves. Who has the most to lose from using handout motors? The ones who cheat. Wonder if they're the ones whinging.... (for the record, I don't know who's complaining).

And anyhow, motors cost $20ish anyhow, like $5 is going to make a difference. And if you're planning on using a non-new 540 at the titles and want to do well, you would want to either a) be prepared to get hammered, or b) cheat.

I think that the 99% (or thereabouts) of all racers who play fairly and above the rules will have the same reaction as the rest of us - "thank God - it's about time".

-Scott

it seems that this thread is being taken out of context a little
for the record i too am in favor of hand-out motors
what i was trying to get across is that maybe we dont have to stop with just the motors ?
a few tracks i race at have a novice and a pro 540 class
why because there are 2 types of 540 racers

the up and coming with limited experiance
the up and coming with limited budget

then you have the good 540 racers that either dont want to or cant afford to go up to stock

all i was trying to say is maybe we could have 2 540 classes
540 novice control motor limited ability cheap batteries and older style cars eg missions pro 3 and the like
then you could have the same rules as now for 540 pro

cheers
richard

.

Good comments on all concerned but richard the mission is also classed as a high end car so limiting cars may not be the way to do it.A tlo1 or such will never keep up im afraid.I dont think there is any real way to make the class any fairer as i too have run 540 and also been accused of cheating cause i won.

It sounds as if a few of us may have forgotten why we play this game..... FUN.
The notion of two 540 classes is a good one. My local club now uses two classes ( 540 Pro and 540 Sport ) which allows those just starting out to work on learning their racecraft without needing to worry about guys racing for sheep stations charging thru. It also is beneficial for the serious guys cos the traffic is not as intense!
540 is such a good class because close racing is gauranteed, which is what makes it so much fun. Let's keep it that way!!

Richard,
I agree with some of your comments. I do think at times it would be better for begginners to be racing with only beginners to give them a chance but when does a begginner stop becoming a begginner. The hardest thing is if someone starts the season as a begginner catches onto the driving skills quickly and starts to win every race do you leave him in begginers where he can win the championship or send him to the next level where he cant win the champ cause it is half way through the season. Alot can be learn't from driving with people better then you.
Don't get caught up in this you must have the latest gear to win scenario. Yes i do drive a 415 myself which is not a begginers car but i do use a $80 dollar hand control which is held together by tape. I use a $40 esc which is about 3 years old, and untill recently till they died i was using 1 1/2 year old batteries. The thing is with new car and new batteries i am no faster then before.
people worry about winning when really all you should be doing is thinking how you can improve your own times with stuff you have and the practice time you've got. whilst this won't garantee winning you will definetly get near the pointy end and best of all you will enjoy your own improvment regardless of where you finish.
That ends this episode of Doctor Phill.
Till next time
Barry

Hi Richard

I agree with your comments about 540's. I think the original concept of 540 racing has been lost. It is basically a beginners class for fun & enjoyment for first timer kids & maybe Dads who tag along RC racing could be compared to Motorsport where would the likes of all the top drivers be if they only stayed in go carts just to win trophys. When one class has been mastered it is time to step up a level to show your strength and ability. Having 540's in a high end chassis with matched batteries is like having a V8 Supercar with a bog stock V8 and racing it around all the V8 circuits. Like the 540 they JUST DON"T GO HARD ENOUGH to utilise the maxiumum performance of high end chassis.

Cheers Andrew

"JUST DON'T GO HARD ENOUGH"
why is it some people in 540 do the same laps as people in stock if these cars don't go hard enough. If you think we are just trophy hunters come down to bayside and give 540 a go. You will see winning is far from a certainty. 540 is just like "any" class you have your begginners and your experienced.
On your theory above Mark skaife should have moved to Formula 1 after winning the championship 2 years or so in a row. He is flat out finishing a race at the moment.
540 can still be for first timers and in some clubs they have a junior and pro class which is great. But at the end of the day it is a class which anyone can race and we shouldn't be forced to "show our skill in other classes"
If there are any begginers reading this DO NOT believe you can not win in this class as some people believe. It just takes practice then a little more practice and then when your finished have a little more practice.The car, batteries speedy and chargers might help but at the end of the day it comes down to you.

it has been told to me more than once practice makes for a better driver
so i have taken that on board and now looking at ways to better my racing
knowing that here in brisbane we have dynoed motors
most run on the same tyres what would be the next most important thing ? batteries speedies or car?
as for the comments of trophy hunters i know of none
we race what we firstly can afford secondly what we want to race
whats the point of racing stock if you cant afford to skim the com or buy new brushes (your just wasting time and money in the long run )
but if they are a good driver why should they be bagged out or told go to stock
i know guys that at the moment cant win a trick but they are working hard on there racing (some spending a little more money )and there time will come including mine
this tread has helped me and others i hope that top equipment is not needed to be near the front but patience and pratice
go a long way
these cars are not toys but peices of highly tunable machines
it takes a while to learn how to tune and tweak
which up till now i took for granted and blamed it on my car
sorry for the long winded post but i hope buy me asking these questions and writing these posts more ppl will get to the pointy end and also enjoy there racing more
cheers
richard