viking252200

Hi guys,
A simple question...Why are we still running 5 min mains?
Back when we were running 1700mah ni-cd batteries, it made sense, but with todays high capacity lipo packs our run times are much longer.

I understand that the different classes have different power consumption i.e. *a 2wd buggy is easier on the batteries than a 4wd sct, but still a 10 min main should be doable...
I for one, would like to have longer mains, but what are your thoughts on this?
*

MayorRC

iTrader: (23)

Depends on the club. I've been to events with 8 to 10 minute electric mains, all depends on the racing program.

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

I can hardly believe there's still 5 minute mains. I'd support 3 minute heats though so I wouldn't have to be at the track 6:30am to 8:30pm...... (we have a lot of people show up, last time was 172 entries for a regular club race!)

Wild Cherry

Has nothing to do with battery or run time.

only a matter of time

Easy to host a race with 30 entree's in 10 min heats

Impossible to do in reasonable time with 45 entrees.

So it's the race program that limits how long we race .

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

Exactly. And we are always over 160 (more when you guys venture up here) so it's a darn long day!

tc5 man

5 Min mains ? I cant say i been in a short main like that.

I guess is if its a big race and its the lower mains it was a time in the day issue so it was only 5 minute mains .

tc5 man

172 entries on a club race ive never been at a track indoor or outdoor with that many on a club day !

Yea i cant blame you on less minutes on the heats.

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

We run more than 5 minutes and the race directors are way too nice for corner marshalls, etc. We did a race day with shorter race times and it was good. But yeah, we get a club turnout as big as many of the large races do. Good for the competition, not so much for when I get home and my wife is like "WAT"?

henry

It all depends on the track. If you just have a handful of guys that show up then yeah you can easily run longer mains.

If you have a track that has big turnouts then it makes zero sense to run mains longer than that.

The last race I was at had 3 mains of 17.5 SC, 5 mains of mod buggy, 2 mains for wheeler and mod SC.

This was just a club race.

Longer mains aren't a big deal when most of your drivers come from nearby. If that track is dependant on a decent portion of their clientele having to travel, it becomes a turn off for them.

tc5 man

Ive been to diffrent tracks there all diffrent with the main times some are 8 mins others are 6 min , 10 min .

2WD usually from exprience i only ran a 10 min main once in a big race with a T4.1 . But usually its 6 to 8 min . So yea 10 min main are easy on them but it has to do with time in the day .

kahuna2793

Where are you located? I would like to see that 172 entries.
Lots of competition. I live in so California.

gticlay

iTrader: (14)

C'mon up to Mike's RC world in Bellingham, WA. We have a nice airport you can easily get to through Vegas (direct flights). You can verify that in the NW section here where Monty posts the race results. We have a ton of factory drivers and here's our page on rctech here: http://www.rctech.net/forum/northwes...gham-wa-6.html and here's a fun video of our track:

+ YouTube Video

1967Typhoon

iTrader: (35)

I would be down for 3 minute mains and a shorter program. I love racing, but it is so hard to make enough time to do it. If I could be gone for 3-4 hours at a time instead of 6-7 I could probably race a ton more often.

chevmaro

iTrader: (25)

My local track does 6 min qual and 6 min main. I always thought it would be cool to do 5 min qual and 7 min main. Would be the same amount of race time.

But yes 10 min main would make for a very long round and on a wed. night when I have to work tomorrow I wouldnt be able to stick around.

kcooper273

iTrader: (62)

A lot of the tracks I race at are 5 min. heats and 7 minute mains. I wouldn't mind a little longer mains, but I understand it's to get people out at a reasonable time.

The other thing is when I go to the track I know I'll be there all day, so I don't get bent out of shape if it runs for a long time.