rcgod

iTrader: (33)

Wanted to get some feedback/thoughts about safety in general at the track.

We have a lot of new racers this year at my local track. That's a good thing. We all want to see this hobby grow. But turning someone loose who is just starting out with an ebuggy or 4x4 SC truck is asking for a corner Marshall to get hurt. We have 20+ entries in the rookie class, most of them either ebuggy, SC, or 4wd mod buggy. It's crazy. Cars flying everywhere. Corner marshalls getting hit. I realize it's a free country and all, but what happened to common sense? Is it going to take someone getting seriously hurt or killed before someone does something about it?

I had 2 close calls last race in practice. I was driving my ebuggy, and a guy stepped out onto the end of the straight with his back to traffic, and I barely missed him. And he continued walking in the straight like it was no big deal. And a couple laps later I hit the big triple jump which takes a lot of speed to clear, and as soon as I left the face of the jump a girl about 14 years old walked into the track without looking and I missed her head by less than a foot. I was shaking like a leaf coming off the stand. I asked the Rd to say something because someone was going to get seriously hurt.

I think people don't realize what can happen if they get hit by an 8 pound buggy going 40mph.

And I don't know what the solution is. Tracks aren't going to turn people away. And people want the fastest car they can buy. I hope I'm wrong when I say someone is going to get killed, but I've seen too many close calls to say otherwise.

Rant off. 😁

bubbaslash

iTrader: (1)

1/8 buggies and truggies at 100% in the hands of inexperienced racers are one of the hot topics among race directors these days, I'm sure. Not too long ago, the novice classes were filled with brushed 2wd Slashes, so this is a fairly recent problem. Some indoor tracks have banned big cars for liability reasons, while others require turning them down to 80% for the classes and 50% for novices. A lot of tracks won't permit kids to marshal big cars, and you addressed a good point about inexperienced marshals. Maybe have the more advanced classes marshal the big car races, and even the novice races. But then you'll have people in Mod 2wd buggy or even A-main SCT drivers getting mad because they aren't being marshalled properly when it's their turn to race. So there is no easy solution. The running order of some classes can be altered to prevent some of this though.

xxx123

iTrader: (22)

Track owner is 100% liable..

I tried to provide friendly comments to the kids at the tracks, they listen but don't understand the consequences and con't to do the same..

RazorRC

iTrader: (5)

Personally I think it helps if the races are structured so that the more experienced racers (2WD buggy expert or whatever class it tends to be) are racing before newbie races, so that they are marshalling them.

Race directors should also make sure kids are not marshalling the most dangerous corners IMO.

a1

iTrader: (9)

part of the solution could possibly be for you to be a little more cautious. When I see any one near a big jump or anywhere I could hit them PRACTICE ill slow down, adult male to 7 year old kid. The local track has gotten better warning parents who let little ones run on the track. I have seen adults blindly walk out in front of the cars, I think folks get tunnel vision and forget about everything around them but their toy car. I myself have been hit in the back by a 8th scale nitro, full speed in the air. The fool, jumped a huge jump and hit me marshaling in another lane from the one he was driving on. Now that is just messed up and no respect for anyone . I guess we could be more cautious and inform folks where the bad spot to be are. Cant leave it all to the race director, they are to busy drinking coke and eating doughnuts.lol

Cain

iTrader: (294)

Took a truggy to the face once so got some opinions on safety ...

I would love it if you could implement something like what you see at go cart tracks where if the driving is rough or you need to clear a straight you can just hit a button that cuts the power (or limit it) to all cars at the same time. A device that you can just say plug inbetween the battery and ESC maybe .

When everyone has to be affected by the actions of a few, seems to get the message across to cut the crap.

Outside of that, gotta slow down the classes for these drivers.

Evoking1230

iTrader: (8)

newbies marshall newbies and only allowed on the track with other newbies until they learn? Hopefully not the hard way!

rcgod

iTrader: (33)

I get your point, but what's the point of practice if you're going to cruise around the track and roll the jumps? Do you always expect someone to walk between a big jump without looking? I expect people to have more common sense than that, but now adays common sense isn't common anymore.

HeavyD99

iTrader: (15)

There's no easy answer other than to acknowledge it as the more experienced driver and try to avoid or help minimize accidents happening without yelling at the new drivers/marshals like they're idiots, even though they are, lol. Kids are just kids, they don't know any better either. We don't allow kids to marshal ebuggy, but we're a small group. Larger clubs, and those that bring their kids or have siblings that don't understand the 'danger' around them need to stay behind the 'race wall' if such a thing can be established. A drivers meeting each week pointing out that once you've past the race line or pit wall or whatever, means to stay sharp and keep aware of fast traffic, and ya, maybe a Rules board posted could help, but I'm not sure if it would - this also means you need a Race Director with a bit of tact, brains and backbone to run things and enforce things properly. It usually takes an unfortunate event to wake people up.

I wish RC had graduated licensing! You can't buy an ebuggy until you've somewhat mastered 2wd 1/10!

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

To help combat this our local track has started rookie classes and races on Tuesday and Saturday nights where they teach kids about marshalling, track etiquette, tuning, taking the right lines etc. I think it did help a bit. You do still get days where the track more or less resembles a destruction derby but the kids at least are a lot more careful. I've seen a lot of guys that aren't rookies completely ignore any callouts on the track when someone wrecks. So it's not always the inexperienced. Sometimes it's just laziness.

Big_Show

iTrader: (3)

I come from a MX background. In MX you must be 16 years old to race a 450cc bike or quad. Maybe RC needs to implement say 14 years old and x amount of experience racing a 2wd 1/10 buggy prior to being turned loose with a 1/8 scale. I say 1/10 2wd buggy so the driver can learn finesse and racing etiquette. I took a 12 year break (quit at the end of 04 and started back Aug of 16), came back and jumped into ebuggy and truggy. 1 thing I learned real fast is, 1/8 is a hack fest if you are not in the A main. People just slam you, try to run over you, just no courtesy at all. Why run IFMAR qualifying if it is a hack fest. 1/10 4wd SC is about the same way, drivers out of control most of the lap. WTH most 1/10 4wd SCs are 1/8 ebuggy instead of a 1/10 4wd buggy with longer chassis and a arms like they should be. No wonder they are thrown in with 1/8 programs. I am by no means against 1/8 scale, but something needs done before we loose people and tracks to injury's.

olds45512

iTrader: (5)

My local track has a rule that nobody under 10 can turn marshal alone. My son is seven and when he need to turn marshal i have to be in the corner with him which i don't mind at all. I coach him on how to handle the cars and when to run out or wait to avoid getting in the way of oncoming traffic. He races an old sc10 in novice and i have the throttle turned down to 65% to avoid damage to the truck as well as the turn marshal's.

dhc8guru

iTrader: (2)

Frick'n e-buggy! I dread marshalling them. More power and traction then most drivers can control. I swear that they just point and shoot and hope for the best. Not to mention, when you get hit by one of those sleds, it does some serious damage.

lowspark

iTrader: (7)

I take the time to talk to the new turn-marshal (not always just kids) if he is out on the track with me, and give him the heads up about not turning you back to the traffic and to watch for oncoming traffic... basic stuff.
And I take the time to talk to other racers, newbies and what not while we are sitting in the pits between racing... a lot of new people just do not have a clue, and you see the light come on in their eyes when you point out the possibility of getting hurt.

fredygump

iTrader: (1)

This kill switch idea is something that could easily be a feature of a transponder. If the power switch to the ESC went through the transponder, the transponder could kill power power to every vehicle on the track. Or there could be a "black flag" option where an out of control car can get a time out. It could be triggered by a radio frequency, or maybe through the timing loop? It's totally possible.

But of course it would rely on the transponder being designed, ESCs being built to be compatible with the transponders, tracks upgrading their timing system (again!), and all racers buying new transponders (again!).