211LikesA CRY FOR HELP (RC tracks Closing)
01-30-2019, 07:24 AM
#106
Tech Master
indoor nitro.. went to view once.. indoor unheated fairground building...
10 minutes I departed.. fumes are BAD.. and I lived with car exhaust all my life.. mechanic.
10 minutes I departed.. fumes are BAD.. and I lived with car exhaust all my life.. mechanic.
01-30-2019, 09:08 AM
#107
I see it all the time. All the racers buy their stuff online to save 10%, they complain about a $15 practice or race fee and if everything is not perfect for the whole $15 they gave, they complain like little sissies. My local track is small but is going on 5 years now. I encourage people to buy stuff there as long as it is not unreasonably priced. If the track goes away I am screwed! Nowhere to race!
01-30-2019, 10:50 AM
#108
At my track in San Jose Ca. We pay 17 to practice. I would gladly pay 25 to practice and im sure almost everyone else that runs there would to. We have way to much tied up in our gear to let a track go. Its time to increase the dues. They do offer a card that gives so many races or practice days on a discounted price. I want to say its a 7 day card. There should also be real clubs where members pay dues and the clubs have special club members races, Only club members get awards but anyone can race. They should also look into having club races between tracks.
With Bass fishing we have so many clubs in California. We pay dues of over 150.00 per year. We have a club tournamnet once a month where you also kick in like 5.00 for big fish. I have seen that pot go for over 200.00 in just a club event. Whoever has the biggest fish for the event gets the pot. We also have a event where all the bay area clubs do a tournament. Entry for the club is 600.00. Its limited to the top 6 teams from each club. So each boat pays 100.00 to enter or 50 per person. Winner receives a sizable award. This is just club level stuff.
I know we will never see cash awards but I think it would help if the tracks mixed it up a little. I also believe these tracks should be charging more. They could also charge minimum for the kits then make there money on spares and repair parts as well as track time.
With Bass fishing we have so many clubs in California. We pay dues of over 150.00 per year. We have a club tournamnet once a month where you also kick in like 5.00 for big fish. I have seen that pot go for over 200.00 in just a club event. Whoever has the biggest fish for the event gets the pot. We also have a event where all the bay area clubs do a tournament. Entry for the club is 600.00. Its limited to the top 6 teams from each club. So each boat pays 100.00 to enter or 50 per person. Winner receives a sizable award. This is just club level stuff.
I know we will never see cash awards but I think it would help if the tracks mixed it up a little. I also believe these tracks should be charging more. They could also charge minimum for the kits then make there money on spares and repair parts as well as track time.
01-30-2019, 11:21 AM
#109
One other thing I have witnessed first hand is alot of racers at the rc tracks are not friendly and don’t want to be bothered with talking to new people that are interested in the hobby. They hide in trailers or air conditioned canopy’s and pretty much ignore everyone until it’s there turn to race. Add in the fact that you often see grown adults acting like babies on the driver stand when things don’t go thier way or they break down and you start really understand why the hobby is not growing. I even would run into trouble with trying to find people to help me pit. I remember one occasion at a club race mind you, I took my car down to pit lane and asked the guy next to me if he would throw my car on the track and refuel later. Dude straight up said, no I am only pitting for my son, who evidently was going to be the next Ty Tessman after being the C main. I was like okay well can you just throw it on the track once I go up. Made some eye contact and just ignored me. For that race I literally put my car on the track started the race and midway ran down the drivers stand refueled my own buggy and ran back up. There was also like 6 other drivers with people pitting for them. They were all completely oblivious to me and the fact that was I having to race and pit for myself. Which after that I seriously wanted to sell my stuff and quit from people being straight up dickheads. This was also my 4th time at the track, so I had seen and met a lot of people.
The other fun topic is marshelling and how none of the fast guys/regulars want to do it or they disappear when it’s there turn. What’s funny is if your really pay attention to them they will try to get out of it by pitting for someone, just not me haha. So yeah new racers show up and they get stuck marshing more because the fast\regulars all hook each other up.
As for the money side of things, it’s a hobby and most people will order online if it’s cheaper even at the expense of not supporting the track hobby shop or in some cases they are sponsored so they Make the excuse that they must buy online. Speaking of this I am always amazed at how many people at my local track are sponsored and therefore only buy online.
Anyway if read that far congrads, that’s just the tip of the iceberg all the other comments I read in hear are dead in as well.
The other fun topic is marshelling and how none of the fast guys/regulars want to do it or they disappear when it’s there turn. What’s funny is if your really pay attention to them they will try to get out of it by pitting for someone, just not me haha. So yeah new racers show up and they get stuck marshing more because the fast\regulars all hook each other up.
As for the money side of things, it’s a hobby and most people will order online if it’s cheaper even at the expense of not supporting the track hobby shop or in some cases they are sponsored so they Make the excuse that they must buy online. Speaking of this I am always amazed at how many people at my local track are sponsored and therefore only buy online.
Anyway if read that far congrads, that’s just the tip of the iceberg all the other comments I read in hear are dead in as well.
I really enjoyed the racing part. There is a track an hour north of me that is suppose to be even nicer, I may try there before I judge the hobby, maybe it's just the guys at the local track.
01-30-2019, 11:50 AM
#110
Marshaling has forever been a big thing. When your race is done your suppose to drop your car off at the tech table then marshal. Too often I see these guys wonder off top there pits and sit. Last race i was at the director knew most of the people and he would check for who was marshaling. If you wernt out there he docked ya. He was serious and he did what he said. I even saw this guy tell him personally to not go to his pit till he was done marshaling. The race directory know pretty much who is out marshaling and who is not. Too many times they let the fast guys go and this is how you loose people. Allot of tracks cater to there faster drivers.
It used to be like over 20 years ago in paved ovla everything was a secret. I dont see that so much in onroad and off road. Yeah youll get the one word answer now and again but allot of times its just that the person is very busy and if you wait and ask again youll get a better answer. The people are different between onroad and offroad. Onroad seems to have more helpful people where offroad ya really got to ask the right people.
Example. This last weekend i was racing a 2 day event at the 209 rc raceway in Stockton Ca. Had a friggin blast. This was my first on road race after taking a 23 year break from oval racing. I had no practice no nothing and went in as a huge cherry. My buddy had setup my car and we spent all afternoon friday dialing in our cars. . Ran into a friend that I knew from my offroad track that I jus run around on now and then and he asked me if I had ground down my usgt tires. Great tip from hjim. He saw I was some issues and came to me with advice. Great guy. Another guy saw that my car was not smooth on acceleration. It was a rocket at the end of the staright away but out of the courners it was hard to control. He asked one of the Hobbywing drivers to check out my speed control which he did no problem. Problem wasnt there. Turned out my EPA on my transmitter for throttle was way too much. That really helped out a bunch. Finally my friend that mentioned to grind down the seam on my tires mentioned that if i turned down my steering it would be easier to drive. I had been looking for this on my radio but couldnt find it. I have a Sanwa M12S and it has so many functions its hard to find some of the basic things.My buddy showed me and that heleped also. So with all the help from people at the track and my Buddy Bob C I had a great time and went from 18-19 secon laps to 13 second laps. Top guys were below 12.
Offroad guys ya gota go hit them up for info.
People also complain about costs. For three nights in stockton and three days of RC It cost me over 200.00 for hotel 4o-60 per dau for food 40 to enter the race and a tank of gas, So when somone pisses and mones about a 15 dollar practice fee I dont even bother with them especially when they hav over 2 fgrand in stuff at the pit.
It used to be like over 20 years ago in paved ovla everything was a secret. I dont see that so much in onroad and off road. Yeah youll get the one word answer now and again but allot of times its just that the person is very busy and if you wait and ask again youll get a better answer. The people are different between onroad and offroad. Onroad seems to have more helpful people where offroad ya really got to ask the right people.
Example. This last weekend i was racing a 2 day event at the 209 rc raceway in Stockton Ca. Had a friggin blast. This was my first on road race after taking a 23 year break from oval racing. I had no practice no nothing and went in as a huge cherry. My buddy had setup my car and we spent all afternoon friday dialing in our cars. . Ran into a friend that I knew from my offroad track that I jus run around on now and then and he asked me if I had ground down my usgt tires. Great tip from hjim. He saw I was some issues and came to me with advice. Great guy. Another guy saw that my car was not smooth on acceleration. It was a rocket at the end of the staright away but out of the courners it was hard to control. He asked one of the Hobbywing drivers to check out my speed control which he did no problem. Problem wasnt there. Turned out my EPA on my transmitter for throttle was way too much. That really helped out a bunch. Finally my friend that mentioned to grind down the seam on my tires mentioned that if i turned down my steering it would be easier to drive. I had been looking for this on my radio but couldnt find it. I have a Sanwa M12S and it has so many functions its hard to find some of the basic things.My buddy showed me and that heleped also. So with all the help from people at the track and my Buddy Bob C I had a great time and went from 18-19 secon laps to 13 second laps. Top guys were below 12.
Offroad guys ya gota go hit them up for info.
People also complain about costs. For three nights in stockton and three days of RC It cost me over 200.00 for hotel 4o-60 per dau for food 40 to enter the race and a tank of gas, So when somone pisses and mones about a 15 dollar practice fee I dont even bother with them especially when they hav over 2 fgrand in stuff at the pit.
01-30-2019, 07:35 PM
#111
I am finding this thread some interesting reading. Lots of good points and some I disagree with but we all have ideas on what would make the perfect track/shop. Having grown up and
raced a lot in the Denver Colorado area, I have seen many a track come and go. Usually very popular at first then the interest fades and they're gone, well, except for one. There is a place in Aurora Colorado, a suburb of Denver that has been in operation since 1986, Mile High Off Road (or MHOR as it is known now)
Their biggest reason for being able to be around all these years, simple, they OWN the building/land they're on, no rent. They run a tight ship and get a good turnout every race night.
I don't have the ultimate answer to this problem, if there is one, but I keep racing even if it means a longer drive. To me, it's worth it.
raced a lot in the Denver Colorado area, I have seen many a track come and go. Usually very popular at first then the interest fades and they're gone, well, except for one. There is a place in Aurora Colorado, a suburb of Denver that has been in operation since 1986, Mile High Off Road (or MHOR as it is known now)
Their biggest reason for being able to be around all these years, simple, they OWN the building/land they're on, no rent. They run a tight ship and get a good turnout every race night.
I don't have the ultimate answer to this problem, if there is one, but I keep racing even if it means a longer drive. To me, it's worth it.
01-31-2019, 06:31 AM
#112
I'm new to this, but have tracks tried a "subscription" model. Meaning you pay $30-50 per month. That is unlimited practice and racing(guarantee a couple club races) . There is a reason most gyms and other requiring you to join and pay monthly rather than every time you go. I feel that encourages people to go.
01-31-2019, 07:12 AM
#113
I just went to my first race on Sunday indoor off road carpet in the Northeast. Felt like a new kid at a new school. The night before I showed up and asked if I could race tomorrow - "sure". Next day I came in for them to tell me I need a transponder. You would have thought they were giving me their first born- I offered to pay for it. I really just wanted to drive my car with other drivers. I joined the mod buggy class with my stock buggy as well just to get track time, and they kept forgetting to add me to the race. I had to keep reminding them. Meanwhile the camaraderie around me was evident. I get that you need time to develop that with people, I'm not looking for that on the first day, but I'm also not looking for one word answers. I almost packed up and went home. I stayed for the mains and finished middle of the pack, but I'm not sure I will go back. I'm an extreme extrovert and found navigating sunday to be challenging. I can't imagine someone that doesn't have extrovert tendencies coming back.
I really enjoyed the racing part. There is a track an hour north of me that is suppose to be even nicer, I may try there before I judge the hobby, maybe it's just the guys at the local track.
I really enjoyed the racing part. There is a track an hour north of me that is suppose to be even nicer, I may try there before I judge the hobby, maybe it's just the guys at the local track.
01-31-2019, 07:40 AM
#114
Just the oposite I feel. Guys were very helpful and frierndly at th9is onroad club race!
01-31-2019, 07:43 AM
#115
I'm new to this, but have tracks tried a "subscription" model. Meaning you pay $30-50 per month. That is unlimited practice and racing(guarantee a couple club races) . There is a reason most gyms and other requiring you to join and pay monthly rather than every time you go. I feel that encourages people to go.
01-31-2019, 08:37 AM
#116
I'm new to this, but have tracks tried a "subscription" model. Meaning you pay $30-50 per month. That is unlimited practice and racing(guarantee a couple club races) . There is a reason most gyms and other requiring you to join and pay monthly rather than every time you go. I feel that encourages people to go.
02-03-2019, 07:02 PM
#117
Tech Initiate
I am lucky to have multiple very popular, world class tracks locally. One is a privately owned indoor off-road 1/10 clay track that has 60+ entries every weekend. The other is a 1/8 outdoor off-road city owned public park track, which also is supported by atleast 60 entries every weekend. A good turnout at a club race has well over 100 entries, and we have multiple larger races with about 350 entries each. Heck one track had a huge turnout AT A CLUB RACE of 215 entries a few months ago. We also have a few popular on road tracks; however, I only race off-road. What I can say is, these tracks are successful because of a few things:
1) Strong club involvement and support at all levels.
2) A top notch LHS supports both tracks, and our club members in turn support the LHS when possible. I always check with the LHS before purchasing online.
3) A surprisingly high amount of competition and skilled drivers in the club. Many drivers are sponsored, and help others with improving their driving skills. These drivers also use their industry knowledge and connections to ensure we have a few large events year after year (going on 16 years now). I would go as far to say the local tracks develop some of the fastest racers in the country.
4) Everyone bends over backwards to ensure novice drivers have FUN, and will be repeat racers.
5) Everyone attends club races, whether your a team driver or sportsman class racer. This is so important!!
6) We have FUN. Look, I know we are racing competitively, but at the end of the day, we race because it’s fun. The more fun, the better the atmosphere, and the better the turnout. The better the turnout, the higher probability the club will grow.
7) The clubs are multigenerational. We have grandfathers, sons, and grandsons. For the club to survive, you have to pass it on down to the next generation.
These are simple principles... follow them too and your tracks will stick around.
1) Strong club involvement and support at all levels.
2) A top notch LHS supports both tracks, and our club members in turn support the LHS when possible. I always check with the LHS before purchasing online.
3) A surprisingly high amount of competition and skilled drivers in the club. Many drivers are sponsored, and help others with improving their driving skills. These drivers also use their industry knowledge and connections to ensure we have a few large events year after year (going on 16 years now). I would go as far to say the local tracks develop some of the fastest racers in the country.
4) Everyone bends over backwards to ensure novice drivers have FUN, and will be repeat racers.
5) Everyone attends club races, whether your a team driver or sportsman class racer. This is so important!!
6) We have FUN. Look, I know we are racing competitively, but at the end of the day, we race because it’s fun. The more fun, the better the atmosphere, and the better the turnout. The better the turnout, the higher probability the club will grow.
7) The clubs are multigenerational. We have grandfathers, sons, and grandsons. For the club to survive, you have to pass it on down to the next generation.
These are simple principles... follow them too and your tracks will stick around.
02-04-2019, 05:00 AM
#118
Tech Master
28 years of RC racing... 1991 ( all types ) 1/12 to 1/4... carpet, blacktop, concrete, wood, flat and banked , now dirt.
it has never been any kind of social ( friendly ) events... ( mostly Ohio, Pa, NY )
unless you bring your own friends...
help with racing... is mostly from 1 - 2 year veterans of rc racing.
I help when asked,,, as the ( I can handle it ) attitude gets old quick.
I am new to Texas,,, and Dirt,,,
most racers will not tell what brand and model of tire they run.. weight of shock oil... etc.
it has never been any kind of social ( friendly ) events... ( mostly Ohio, Pa, NY )
unless you bring your own friends...
help with racing... is mostly from 1 - 2 year veterans of rc racing.
I help when asked,,, as the ( I can handle it ) attitude gets old quick.
I am new to Texas,,, and Dirt,,,
most racers will not tell what brand and model of tire they run.. weight of shock oil... etc.
02-04-2019, 06:31 AM
#119
IMO, the attitude and lack of help issue comes from racers taking the hobby too seriously. I have always thought of rc as a hobby in which you can race. It is not a sport, and aside from a small number of racers is often not that competitive (at the top.) I can understand professional rc racers not sharing their setups until after the race (their results are their income,) but not helping new racers only results in tracks closing. In terms of the social aspects of racing, rc does seem to have a clique nature, and many rc racers are not the biggest extroverts.
In terms of solutions, the track owner and race director can do a lot to make the event more social. At my local track, the owner introduces new racers to the existing ones. If a racer or newbie needs help, she brings that racer over to a local racer and asks them for help. Most of the veteran racers are there for the social aspects and are happy to help.
In terms of solutions, the track owner and race director can do a lot to make the event more social. At my local track, the owner introduces new racers to the existing ones. If a racer or newbie needs help, she brings that racer over to a local racer and asks them for help. Most of the veteran racers are there for the social aspects and are happy to help.
02-04-2019, 06:41 AM
#120
Tech Master
IMO, the attitude and lack of help issue comes from racers taking the hobby too seriously. I have always thought of rc as a hobby in which you can race. It is not a sport, and aside from a small number of racers is often not that competitive (at the top.) I can understand professional rc racers not sharing their setups until after the race (their results are their income,) but not helping new racers only results in tracks closing. In terms of the social aspects of racing, rc does seem to have a clique nature, and many rc racers are not the biggest extroverts.
In terms of solutions, the track owner and race director can do a lot to make the event more social. At my local track, the owner introduces new racers to the existing ones. If a racer or newbie needs help, she brings that racer over to a local racer and asks them for help. Most of the veteran racers are there for the social aspects and are happy to help.
In terms of solutions, the track owner and race director can do a lot to make the event more social. At my local track, the owner introduces new racers to the existing ones. If a racer or newbie needs help, she brings that racer over to a local racer and asks them for help. Most of the veteran racers are there for the social aspects and are happy to help.
and the owner is a "SHE".. most females are social .. my opinion...
I ' lost ' my seriousness of RC racing a long time ago...
I race the Clock,, keep all my lap times.. aka I race myself..
only part of racing I am concerned with.. is being on the lead lap with the leaders..
without blocking.