San Luis Obispo Raceway???
 

Taking a poll to see how many people on the Cental Coast would want an indoor off road track? We're looking to model it after OCRC down in Huntington Beach.

I lived in Los Osos for a year or so. The problem with SLO is there is simply no enough people and then from the people there would not be enough racers. Same problem occurs in SB. The college kids are to busy or focused on other things. An indoor raceway in SLO is just going to set you back 40k in materials. If you are already a successful business man willing to start another... breaking even is winning in this hobby. I think SLO would have a market for outdoor track (low overhead & nitro) so you can have 5 heats and come close to breaking even. Trust me I would love to see a solid track in the 805 but they don't make it for a reason... not enough racers to support it. Look at LA we have over 3 million in the county there are 1500 offroad racers and 95 onroad racers. So if you base that average on the POP of SLO and surrounding areas lets say SB to KING CITY your looking at 500,000 people...of which what 5 out of a 1000 have an rc car? I would say go for it but I would be bluffing. Indoor is simply going to cost you so much overhead you will never see BLACK. I say breaking even is winning for the INDOOR MARKET; unless you can find a 13,000 sq foot building for cheap... and create a racer base of 50 people per day. A common mistake that guys do is get to small of a building and then they don't have proper pit space. PM me if you want other insight... I have been working with all southern california tracks for 10 years.

Well Id be down Ive been out of the hobby for a few years and looking to get back into it. And Im sure some of my CO-Workers would like to race also.

Ive never been to OCRC is it just a track or a full on hobby shop also, What classes are you planning to run?

And I may have some dirt, and track Piping I could donate if this all works out.

SLORC

Who are you? (Is this Donna or MATT?)

NJohnson has serious valid points -

The only hobbyshops we've got right now - Hobby HQ in Atascadero, and OG in Lompoc

I did parking lot races for a couple years at the high school in Nipomo - (hoping to bring something similar back again in 2012) - but even that was had to cover the expenses w/ what we had for locals - and you can't get cheaper than what we had. LHS sponsored us by providing us the 2 Million dollar insurance the school required, and really all we had to pay for was

School Rental Fees (about $100.00 a day or so)
Outhouse Rental (until one was donated to us - then it was just pumping fees)
Generator Gas
plus any other misc expenses.

we'd get 12 - 25 racers at a once a month club race.

We had a BLAST doing it though...

Prior to that - the old Fastlap Hobbies did Nipomo High, and Arroyo Grande High after moving from SLO to AG...and did some parking lot at the SLO High, and had a very small (mostly 1/18th scale) Carpet Indoor track in SLO on Monterey before they moved. (That was a kick)

The last INDOOR OffRoad track we had up here I believe was the old HOBBYCRAFTERS track after they moved from where the PISMO OUTLETS are, out to Highway 1, across from the Rock n Roll Diner

What do YOU have in mind?

Having been born and raised in SLO and into the racing side of the hobby for the past 25 years, I can honestly say, as much as I would love a local indoor off-road track, I do not see the area being able to support it.

All of the tracks that have had relative success (i.e. the first iteration of the San Miguel track, the original Hobbycrafters location in Pismo and Big Boys' Toys @ the K-Mart plaza in AG) have had one thing in common; their level of competition and racing programs were very friendly to newcomers. In each of those cases, and several others, the racing programs evolved in such a way that new racers were no longer returning racers.

Echoing what Notch said, I believe about the best opportunity for a track to be successful in/around SLO would probably be something out by the airport, where noise should not be an issue, on 227 with a street-facing store front and track out(side) back. It might even be worth considering doing the oval/off-road combo track.

Joe,

There was also a track at at the SM fairgrounds for a while wasnt there, I do kinda remember it( it was outdoors) in the late 90's. I was stationed in Hawaii when that track was open. And Im sure alot people besides me or Joe didnt even know there was a off road track in Nipomo. It lasted maybe 4months I believe. It was way easy for the good guys and way to hard for beginers so everyone just quit.


It could work with a full hobby shop, spec classes and a few other ideas I got in my head. But it would be a long uphill battle for awhile but it could work with the right marketing, but the key would be having kits there to buy so when mom and dad show up with little Johnny he sees it he likes it Boom he can buy a RTR and race the next heat( nence the spec classes).

Ryan

The offroad track @ the SM Fairgrounds was also a Big Boy's Toys track...

Hey GEORGE - glad to see you still watching and lurking! You racing anywhere?

Hi Joe - Hope all is going well. Yeah, I am around, I have just been saving for a house so RC has been limited to SoCal tracks on my visits to/from San Diego to see family a few times a year.

Actually, on my last trip, I saw Ed Garcia at SDRC. I have also seen Robert George and Rob (last name escape me, but used to work at Horizon outside of Paso) at OCRC over the years.

I have a new FTSC10 sitting around 90% assembled and waiting for a place/time to race. It would be great to have something local.

Hey GW, hows it?

Quite the topic, and I too am interested in who SLORC is???

I am on the same wavelength to all those who have chimed in about the attendance in a Indoor offroad track. Its tough to support and as all had said as much as I'd love to see something like this happen..........it's very tough to do.

Mike Atherton Sr.

Yo Mike, what's the word!? Kicking it here in SLO, or as I like to call it - RC Siberia.

I see your name popping-up in the Roadrunner's results pages. It looks like their turnouts are still really strong. Also seeing several other SB alums (Orrin, McBeths, etc.). May just have to bust out the TC3 sometime!

Gotta go through parks and REC
 

I think it has to be done on city or county property for a buck a year- or someone farm... but neighbors will complain. My friend Mike Fisk from FHF Racing in Minnesota had events on his 5 acre plot but that lasted two races and the neighbors were over it. I think that the nitro element is what might help carry it. But when I look at the SB track with no upward growth in the last 3 seasons Im affraid it will be 3 heats MAX (thats what they get) and thats 45 min from Hot Rod and 30 min from Ventura Road Runners...

I would agree with what everyone here has said. Unless the building was paid for and something that you wanted to do for your own fun it just wont work in that area. Rent in SLO is super high and the racers just arent there. I would love to see it so that when I went back to see the old man I had a place to go run but knowing what it costs to run a track I just don't see it working out.

Good to see everyone from there that does run though all in one thread! Hey everyone.

I wonder who SLORC is as well.

remember indoor tracks are nice people wanna race em they will come from all over to try it, id go every day.

This is an old thread I would like to bring back to life with new and serious interest in getting some people organized.

that would be awesome the central coast needs this so bad!