Team Durango re-focus on local club racing
11-04-2014, 08:54 AM
#31
It doesn't sound like TD is going away from a race company, so I don't think we need to worry about them turning into the next Traxxas. Their announcement is pretty vague about what they plan to do, so it's hard to say if it's better or worse than what any of us might have expected or wanted to hear.
With 5 new releases coming out, and the two main buggies already having their latest versions released this year, I'd put money on 2 of those 5 releases being updates to their SC line.
With 5 new releases coming out, and the two main buggies already having their latest versions released this year, I'd put money on 2 of those 5 releases being updates to their SC line.
I've been down this Durango road before. Unless they start killing at my track, I'm not going back. Fool me once/twice sort of thing.
11-04-2014, 08:55 AM
#32
While that may be true, think of it this way. At my track, 1 out of 30 guys has a durango. If switching to 12mm hex attracts 4 of those non TD guys to switch, it's worth pissing off that 1 driver they already have. Plus, in my case, I'd be happy to have a TD option to run 12mm hexes.
11-04-2014, 09:01 AM
#33
I have to side with the others who feel that this is a bad thing. With the resources of Hobbico behind them, it would not be difficult for Durango to improve their parts distribution without getting out of high level sponsorship. This is either a cost cutting decision, or a brand-refocusing decision, neither of which is good for folks that want to race Durango.
11-04-2014, 09:04 AM
#34
I think the whole excuse about a car not being updated for 3 years is pure bs. It's a non-issue. Associated hasn't fundamentally changed their suspension geometry in 17 years! Go compare a B3, B4, and B5 arm. Heck, go compare them to a B44. Same length. Same shock mounting points. This was a geometry they first learned in 1989! They've moved some things around and changed looks but the B3, B4, and B5 aren't terribly different fundamentally. Sure there are changes that do make a difference but they and everyone else just rely on the fact that most people don't understand mechanical design. Give it a looks update and a new box and most people think it's a new car! The DEX210 has the exact same suspension geometry by the way.
11-04-2014, 09:40 AM
#35
I think the official TD press release should answer all the questions
http://www.team-durango.com/blog/201...ture-with-you/
but in summary...
Creating race cars capable of winning at any level (We already do this, we will continue to do this, but we will also take note to make sure they work for 'everyone')
Spending money on developing cars for customers rather than developing cars for one driver for one race track that never make it into customers hands.
Spending R&D resources on developing cars rather than preparing special parts/cars for big events and attending big events to supply and support these special parts.
Spending more resources to ensure supply of parts is as it should be.
Working with distributors and them working with Hobby shops to ensure that products are available in your local area.
All of this is said in the TD public statement. of course everyone is welcome to their opinion and as someone mentioned, only time will tell if this is the correct strategy.
but essentially we move our focus to 98% of the people reading this thread instead of the 2% of paid professional RC drivers.
http://www.team-durango.com/blog/201...ture-with-you/
but in summary...
Creating race cars capable of winning at any level (We already do this, we will continue to do this, but we will also take note to make sure they work for 'everyone')
Spending money on developing cars for customers rather than developing cars for one driver for one race track that never make it into customers hands.
Spending R&D resources on developing cars rather than preparing special parts/cars for big events and attending big events to supply and support these special parts.
Spending more resources to ensure supply of parts is as it should be.
Working with distributors and them working with Hobby shops to ensure that products are available in your local area.
All of this is said in the TD public statement. of course everyone is welcome to their opinion and as someone mentioned, only time will tell if this is the correct strategy.
but essentially we move our focus to 98% of the people reading this thread instead of the 2% of paid professional RC drivers.
11-04-2014, 10:03 AM
#36
I have to side with the others who feel that this is a bad thing. With the resources of Hobbico behind them, it would not be difficult for Durango to improve their parts distribution without getting out of high level sponsorship. This is either a cost cutting decision, or a brand-refocusing decision, neither of which is good for folks that want to race Durango.
Don't get how it is a bad thing for people who race Durango there is still parts support at two big online stores and if it spreads to more stores the better ! Why do you really need Pro drivers most of them don't even run completely stock anyways . And if your a club racer who depends your decision on who won with the car and not the quality and support first i don't know what to say to you than lol.
11-04-2014, 10:08 AM
#37
I think the whole excuse about a car not being updated for 3 years is pure bs. It's a non-issue. Associated hasn't fundamentally changed their suspension geometry in 17 years! Go compare a B3, B4, and B5 arm. Heck, go compare them to a B44. Same length. Same shock mounting points. This was a geometry they first learned in 1989! They've moved some things around and changed looks but the B3, B4, and B5 aren't terribly different fundamentally. Sure there are changes that do make a difference but they and everyone else just rely on the fact that most people don't understand mechanical design. Give it a looks update and a new box and most people think it's a new car! The DEX210 has the exact same suspension geometry by the way.
One thing at least Durango does not do and that's copy off or similar designs of other brands they design there own . That i know of but you know how them Chinese are copying rolleyes.
11-04-2014, 10:17 AM
#38
I own many durango cars including the dex210, dex410, desc210 and desc410. The only one that is superior in its class is the desc410 and that is because it is a 1/10 based 4wd sct, versus the 1/8 based competition. It is lighter and much more nimble than other 4wd sct's, but at a cost of durability. None of the kits have had any new major revisions in close to 3 years (I am not counting the new body clips in the dex410v4.)
Durango made a decision to go after the lower end of the market with lower priced kits and rtr bundles (like traxxas, but at a lower price point.) I believe great planes owns durango, and now durango kits are discontinued on towers web site. Since tower is great planes, this is not a good sign. Couple that with the end of the durango factory team, and what you are left with is aarma (durango's lower level, rtr brand.) The question about the new kits are whether they will be race level or basher level. I get the feeling they will be basher level (again, like traxxas.)
You have to remember that durango was only started in 2009, so they lasted for 4 years as a race level brand.
To me, this refocus on the club level is not just a cost cutting move (because I don't think the "team" cost that much,) but it is a refocus for the company away from racing and back to bashing (which as traxxas has shown, is where the money is.)
I expect to see even more durango cars in the for sale section at fire sale prices.
Durango made a decision to go after the lower end of the market with lower priced kits and rtr bundles (like traxxas, but at a lower price point.) I believe great planes owns durango, and now durango kits are discontinued on towers web site. Since tower is great planes, this is not a good sign. Couple that with the end of the durango factory team, and what you are left with is aarma (durango's lower level, rtr brand.) The question about the new kits are whether they will be race level or basher level. I get the feeling they will be basher level (again, like traxxas.)
You have to remember that durango was only started in 2009, so they lasted for 4 years as a race level brand.
To me, this refocus on the club level is not just a cost cutting move (because I don't think the "team" cost that much,) but it is a refocus for the company away from racing and back to bashing (which as traxxas has shown, is where the money is.)
I expect to see even more durango cars in the for sale section at fire sale prices.
I still see many parts for the Dex210 V2 at Tower and Amain . Im guessing your talking about the 2wd SC and 4wd SC .
Im still keeping my buggy as long as there is a shop that carrys the parts no reason people should sell them. The Dex210 V2 has updates on it from the V1 .
Tinman: Yea that would be dumb if they did that all companys have basher cars and race models .
11-04-2014, 11:39 AM
#39
Don't get how it is a bad thing for people who race Durango there is still parts support at two big online stores and if it spreads to more stores the better ! Why do you really need Pro drivers most of them don't even run completely stock anyways . And if your a club racer who depends your decision on who won with the car and not the quality and support first i don't know what to say to you than lol.
11-04-2014, 11:42 AM
#40
You're not seeing my point. I agree that you don't necessarily need a pro driver to make a good car, but you do need a good marketing strategy to sell cars, and that's where pro driver sponsorship usually comes into play. Durango isn't telling us the real reason why they're cancelling that sponsorship, unless you believe that nonsense about them doing it to re-focus their efforts elsewhere. Hobbico has the resources to improve on Durango's shortcomings without pulling funding from sponsorship, which means the sponsorship was pulled for another reason. We're now left to speculate what that reason is, and my personal opinion is that Durango, as a business, doesn't have a market share that Hobbico wants it to have, so they're either going to stop pumping money into it and are going to let it die a natural death, or they're going to take the brand in a different direction in which top tier racing is not their primary focus.
Odds are its because of money with traveling etc with team drivers. I believe them for now that they are focusing on local club racers and a driver program which Tekno does the samething. And if that improves parts support in more people running there trucks/buggys im for it, i don't think they have Factory drivers and there a small business but growing.
But like it was saying though it would be odd to not have Durango as the raceing brand since they have Arrma for that.
11-04-2014, 11:50 AM
#42
11-04-2014, 11:53 AM
#43
It sounds like they want to make sure to have a strong social media and forum presence for help and info. That could work for them. There's a lot of companies that have a strong following without having top pros,simply because they have have a strong relationship with their customers. Sorta like Tekno .
11-04-2014, 12:58 PM
#44
Interesting move,
Not sure if I fully understand it or agree with it.
This type of move is what can happen when there are people making decisions that are driven by numbers and the bottom line. It's no secret that the budgets for a fully supported and funded "Race team" are very high. Perhaps in a very disproportionate scale. Still, it's the nature of the beast to an extent, if the racing side is to be taken serious by the Mfg. There is still truth to the old adage of "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday", just like there is still truth in the other adage of "Want to make a million in Racing, start with 2 million". For whatever the reason, it has been deemed by those making the decisions, that there is little value to having or continuing a " Pro Race Team". Which is an easy conclusion to come to if the only thing that matters the most is the bottom line. It's a business decision for sure. One that has been made before by other Mfg.'s and will likely be made again by other Mfg.'s.
There are and have been a number of Mfg.'s that have good products, capable of race wins at the highest levels, but either cannot afford a full "Pro Race Team" or simply choose not to go that route. In that case, it's a hard sell to have high quality race grade kits and products, and not have the results to back up the claims. It speaks to the credibility of the Mfg. What Mfg. in their right mind would knowingly put out products, if they take the Racing side even remotely serious, with a tag line of "Run our brand, because we make the fastest, best, most sought after products in the World, that has never won _____ race"? If the racing is a priority for a Mfg., the short answer to the afore, is none would do that. So to that end, the race results to have a meaning for the Mfg. and unlike some thoughts, the Bigger the race the bigger the meaning or impact for the Mfg. Which if the mfg. is small or new, is an uphill battle for sure because with out the top tier caliber Drivers putting the product in the winner's circle or on the podium at the right races, the general public will tend to pan that Mfg. as being less of a high end product for racing. Like it or not, it is what it is.
Now if a Mfg. decides from the get go that Racing will not be their focus, then much of the above has no real bearing and is no real issue for them to even have to consider. Should a Mfg. decide to get into racing or out of racing, then some or much of the above could apply. it's a tricky path to navigate to be sure. Each with their own set(s) of pros and cons. Hopefully the decisions that have been made or will be made will be the correct course. Otherwise, the Durango brand can easily go the route of Traxxas and leave the racing to others and just focus on the money outside of racing, which they have clearly shown is far more without the hassle. Or maybe, they'll go the Tamiya route and still produce race quality kits and products and let the market decide if its worth using for racing. Time will tell. Hobbico/Durango have plenty of options they could explore, should they choose to do so.
Not sure if I fully understand it or agree with it.
This type of move is what can happen when there are people making decisions that are driven by numbers and the bottom line. It's no secret that the budgets for a fully supported and funded "Race team" are very high. Perhaps in a very disproportionate scale. Still, it's the nature of the beast to an extent, if the racing side is to be taken serious by the Mfg. There is still truth to the old adage of "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday", just like there is still truth in the other adage of "Want to make a million in Racing, start with 2 million". For whatever the reason, it has been deemed by those making the decisions, that there is little value to having or continuing a " Pro Race Team". Which is an easy conclusion to come to if the only thing that matters the most is the bottom line. It's a business decision for sure. One that has been made before by other Mfg.'s and will likely be made again by other Mfg.'s.
There are and have been a number of Mfg.'s that have good products, capable of race wins at the highest levels, but either cannot afford a full "Pro Race Team" or simply choose not to go that route. In that case, it's a hard sell to have high quality race grade kits and products, and not have the results to back up the claims. It speaks to the credibility of the Mfg. What Mfg. in their right mind would knowingly put out products, if they take the Racing side even remotely serious, with a tag line of "Run our brand, because we make the fastest, best, most sought after products in the World, that has never won _____ race"? If the racing is a priority for a Mfg., the short answer to the afore, is none would do that. So to that end, the race results to have a meaning for the Mfg. and unlike some thoughts, the Bigger the race the bigger the meaning or impact for the Mfg. Which if the mfg. is small or new, is an uphill battle for sure because with out the top tier caliber Drivers putting the product in the winner's circle or on the podium at the right races, the general public will tend to pan that Mfg. as being less of a high end product for racing. Like it or not, it is what it is.
Now if a Mfg. decides from the get go that Racing will not be their focus, then much of the above has no real bearing and is no real issue for them to even have to consider. Should a Mfg. decide to get into racing or out of racing, then some or much of the above could apply. it's a tricky path to navigate to be sure. Each with their own set(s) of pros and cons. Hopefully the decisions that have been made or will be made will be the correct course. Otherwise, the Durango brand can easily go the route of Traxxas and leave the racing to others and just focus on the money outside of racing, which they have clearly shown is far more without the hassle. Or maybe, they'll go the Tamiya route and still produce race quality kits and products and let the market decide if its worth using for racing. Time will tell. Hobbico/Durango have plenty of options they could explore, should they choose to do so.