Why are so many leaving the hobby?
#62
Originally Posted by dr_hfuhuhurr
Buying and selling cars you never run can get expensive Jason...
Something about this arrangement doesn't seem right...
#63
Actually, some funny stuff here!
Sorry,I dont mean to hijack the thread but were missing something here.
Like,
Why do we race?
Sorry,I dont mean to hijack the thread but were missing something here.
Like,
Why do we race?
#64
I have to ask the question, do you believe that more are leaving the sport than joining? How are your clubs?
#65
Tech Elite
iTrader: (41)
I haven't been in this game for very long, but around here, it's not a deal where people are "leaving", they're just moving on to different parts of the hobby. Offroad has gotten HUGE around here...lots of "asphalt refugees" have gone to the dirty side.
There's still a lot of hardcore onroad guys around here, but there are always new people showing up at the track with RR monster trucks, buggies and other stuff and they seem to come back.
There's still a lot of hardcore onroad guys around here, but there are always new people showing up at the track with RR monster trucks, buggies and other stuff and they seem to come back.
#66
Tech Elite
iTrader: (44)
Originally Posted by AdrianM
I think people need to stop thinking about what "someone else" can do to help racing and get toghter with other like minded racers and make something happen. I think what we need more than anything is for racers to organize locally and form clubs to push for racing facilities and in their area, get the word out to the shops and get new people to see the racing happening.
Right now hobby shop run most race programs in parking lots. One or two guys setup the track, run the races and tear down the track. When these guys get fed up due to lack of help the racing dies.
Clubs need to work hand in hand with shops to help maintain the tracks and run the race programs.
I belong to an R/C plane club. We have 300 members and $100K in the club account. We got our flying field by lobbying our State water management department. We now have a 30 year lease on 600 acres of conservation land for $1 per year.
There is no reason why a group of racers anywhere couldn't do the same thing.
There are guys all over that have taken the time to talk to city governments, gone to dozens of comitee meetings and have gotten them to pave tracks, build off road tracks or make parking lots available. It take a long time to get this done but it is possible with a moderate effort.
Right now hobby shop run most race programs in parking lots. One or two guys setup the track, run the races and tear down the track. When these guys get fed up due to lack of help the racing dies.
Clubs need to work hand in hand with shops to help maintain the tracks and run the race programs.
I belong to an R/C plane club. We have 300 members and $100K in the club account. We got our flying field by lobbying our State water management department. We now have a 30 year lease on 600 acres of conservation land for $1 per year.
There is no reason why a group of racers anywhere couldn't do the same thing.
There are guys all over that have taken the time to talk to city governments, gone to dozens of comitee meetings and have gotten them to pave tracks, build off road tracks or make parking lots available. It take a long time to get this done but it is possible with a moderate effort.
A good posting to start, is "What we did to grow racing in our area", not "what is wrong with R/C".
I think we all remember this one: "If are not part of the solution, then you are the problem."
To the people that do have a lot of money, offer to help in labor form, to the people with pull in the community, help by using your network. I still say the best place for a track is provided by the community.
#67
Originally Posted by bvoltz
A M E N D !!!!!!!!! It is getting old, start a post about what is wrong, bitch about it, and then do nothing to improve it in your area. If you enjoy this hobby, it is up to you to get a group together, and work towards a common goal. What works in the South, will be different in the Northwest.
A good posting to start, is "What we did to grow racing in our area", not "what is wrong with R/C".
I think we all remember this one: "If are not part of the solution, then you are the problem."
To the people that do have a lot of money, offer to help in labor form, to the people with pull in the community, help by using your network. I still say the best place for a track is provided by the community.
A good posting to start, is "What we did to grow racing in our area", not "what is wrong with R/C".
I think we all remember this one: "If are not part of the solution, then you are the problem."
To the people that do have a lot of money, offer to help in labor form, to the people with pull in the community, help by using your network. I still say the best place for a track is provided by the community.
Can you give us some examples of what yall do to promote the hobby in your area?
#68
Originally Posted by Iceracer
I have to ask the question, do you believe that more are leaving the sport than joining? How are your clubs?
#70
Tech Apprentice
I'll jump out there and say something that will probably get me flamed, but FWIW these are really my feelings and I'm not trolling...
What this hobby needs more than anything is for more clubs to put the "stock" back in "stock" racing. Why oh why did we ever open up that endbell? That was like pandora's box man. Today, if you're going by ROAR rules, stock is basically just modified with a couple armature rules! There's nothing "stock" about it, it's about as "stock" as NASCAR.
Some tracks offer "SPEC" classes which is a help. However in most cases you can still open the motor or use bizarre, expensive, destructive procedures to wrest more voltage out of what are supposed to be equal batteries. For me personally, it's when I see people break out the lathes and the hundreds-of-dollars zapping and cycling equipment, that's when I lose all interest in racing. Brushless is an awesome low maintenance option, but costs as much as brushed plus lathing equipment and plenty of places still won't even let you race.
There was a time when a stock motor was $20 or less and you weren't allowed to open it. You oiled the bushings (no bearings allowed) and you stuck comm sticks into the brush hoods and that was it dude, spray it out and get back on the track.
I think it would really benefit the hobby if more clubs started offering some truly "stock" classes. I've read of tracks in other places (makes me jealous) running "all the same kit" classes with sealed generic motors and stock tires and man it just makes me drool.
There's nothing wrong with balls-to-the-wall open modified, it's fun as hell to watch and it's enjoyable as hell to do if you have the money and time and obsession, more power to you. But there need to be classes for people who want to do other things with their life and/or have a more average income.
Modified with a weaker motor isn't stock, it's just slow modified, IMHO.
Okay, flame on I guess...
What this hobby needs more than anything is for more clubs to put the "stock" back in "stock" racing. Why oh why did we ever open up that endbell? That was like pandora's box man. Today, if you're going by ROAR rules, stock is basically just modified with a couple armature rules! There's nothing "stock" about it, it's about as "stock" as NASCAR.
Some tracks offer "SPEC" classes which is a help. However in most cases you can still open the motor or use bizarre, expensive, destructive procedures to wrest more voltage out of what are supposed to be equal batteries. For me personally, it's when I see people break out the lathes and the hundreds-of-dollars zapping and cycling equipment, that's when I lose all interest in racing. Brushless is an awesome low maintenance option, but costs as much as brushed plus lathing equipment and plenty of places still won't even let you race.
There was a time when a stock motor was $20 or less and you weren't allowed to open it. You oiled the bushings (no bearings allowed) and you stuck comm sticks into the brush hoods and that was it dude, spray it out and get back on the track.
I think it would really benefit the hobby if more clubs started offering some truly "stock" classes. I've read of tracks in other places (makes me jealous) running "all the same kit" classes with sealed generic motors and stock tires and man it just makes me drool.
There's nothing wrong with balls-to-the-wall open modified, it's fun as hell to watch and it's enjoyable as hell to do if you have the money and time and obsession, more power to you. But there need to be classes for people who want to do other things with their life and/or have a more average income.
Modified with a weaker motor isn't stock, it's just slow modified, IMHO.
Okay, flame on I guess...
#71
Originally Posted by AdrianM
I am going to start a new thread with a positive title about local promotion of the R/C racing "Tools for Promoting Racing in your Area"
#72
When kids talk about 'pink', anal, and whores in a dam thread. Save it for your friends not an online forum.
#73
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Warning: Thread Hijack in Progress
Irony defined: People posting multiple times directly to santinuchi, chiding him for not using PM's to message someone directly.
ffib, nice to see you posting as always.
Back to the topic at hand. I believe RTR's have brought growth to the racing segment of our hobby. Most of the 'new' (last 3 years) racers that I know had some sort of RTR, ie. T-Maxx, prior to their current kit car.
I also believe cost is a significantly prohibiting factor limiting competitive attendence. The primary reason I see for this is the level of competition, even at a club events, has risen significantly. It's the nature of the beast though. For the most part, racers have shown that they do not want to support 'spec' classes with cost controls. Instead it becomes a case of the haves vs. have nots, with the nots frequently leaving the racing scene in frustration.
Ironically, it is the tracks that have stayed 'sportsman friendly' that seem to stick around the longest (population centers and frozen tundras disregarded).
ffib, nice to see you posting as always.
Back to the topic at hand. I believe RTR's have brought growth to the racing segment of our hobby. Most of the 'new' (last 3 years) racers that I know had some sort of RTR, ie. T-Maxx, prior to their current kit car.
I also believe cost is a significantly prohibiting factor limiting competitive attendence. The primary reason I see for this is the level of competition, even at a club events, has risen significantly. It's the nature of the beast though. For the most part, racers have shown that they do not want to support 'spec' classes with cost controls. Instead it becomes a case of the haves vs. have nots, with the nots frequently leaving the racing scene in frustration.
Ironically, it is the tracks that have stayed 'sportsman friendly' that seem to stick around the longest (population centers and frozen tundras disregarded).
#74
Originally Posted by khyron
I'll jump out there and say something that will probably get me flamed, but FWIW these are really my feelings and I'm not trolling...
What this hobby needs more than anything is for more clubs to put the "stock" back in "stock" racing. Why oh why did we ever open up that endbell? That was like pandora's box man. Today, if you're going by ROAR rules, stock is basically just modified with a couple armature rules! There's nothing "stock" about it, it's about as "stock" as NASCAR.
Some tracks offer "SPEC" classes which is a help. However in most cases you can still open the motor or use bizarre, expensive, destructive procedures to wrest more voltage out of what are supposed to be equal batteries. For me personally, it's when I see people break out the lathes and the hundreds-of-dollars zapping and cycling equipment, that's when I lose all interest in racing. Brushless is an awesome low maintenance option, but costs as much as brushed plus lathing equipment and plenty of places still won't even let you race.
There was a time when a stock motor was $20 or less and you weren't allowed to open it. You oiled the bushings (no bearings allowed) and you stuck comm sticks into the brush hoods and that was it dude, spray it out and get back on the track.
I think it would really benefit the hobby if more clubs started offering some truly "stock" classes. I've read of tracks in other places (makes me jealous) running "all the same kit" classes with sealed generic motors and stock tires and man it just makes me drool.
There's nothing wrong with balls-to-the-wall open modified, it's fun as hell to watch and it's enjoyable as hell to do if you have the money and time and obsession, more power to you. But there need to be classes for people who want to do other things with their life and/or have a more average income.
Modified with a weaker motor isn't stock, it's just slow modified, IMHO.
Okay, flame on I guess...
What this hobby needs more than anything is for more clubs to put the "stock" back in "stock" racing. Why oh why did we ever open up that endbell? That was like pandora's box man. Today, if you're going by ROAR rules, stock is basically just modified with a couple armature rules! There's nothing "stock" about it, it's about as "stock" as NASCAR.
Some tracks offer "SPEC" classes which is a help. However in most cases you can still open the motor or use bizarre, expensive, destructive procedures to wrest more voltage out of what are supposed to be equal batteries. For me personally, it's when I see people break out the lathes and the hundreds-of-dollars zapping and cycling equipment, that's when I lose all interest in racing. Brushless is an awesome low maintenance option, but costs as much as brushed plus lathing equipment and plenty of places still won't even let you race.
There was a time when a stock motor was $20 or less and you weren't allowed to open it. You oiled the bushings (no bearings allowed) and you stuck comm sticks into the brush hoods and that was it dude, spray it out and get back on the track.
I think it would really benefit the hobby if more clubs started offering some truly "stock" classes. I've read of tracks in other places (makes me jealous) running "all the same kit" classes with sealed generic motors and stock tires and man it just makes me drool.
There's nothing wrong with balls-to-the-wall open modified, it's fun as hell to watch and it's enjoyable as hell to do if you have the money and time and obsession, more power to you. But there need to be classes for people who want to do other things with their life and/or have a more average income.
Modified with a weaker motor isn't stock, it's just slow modified, IMHO.
Okay, flame on I guess...
I have been in and out of the sport for over the years. currently I race only oval once a month. so I am techically still out of it.
The main reason for me leaving the touring scene, other than cost. was the attitude of the local racers. their are clicks of racers and if you are independent, they can gang up on you and give you the verbal abuse if you happen to hit one of their cars on the start of the race. or I would get run over by a nitro car during practice. damage to my car and a oh well from the peanut gallery. My temper can be short during these circumstances and I will not tolerate taking crap from a click of racers. so it is better to leave them to themselves and I have plenty of other hobbies, oval, rc aircraft, static modeling, rc drift, and still my favorite, mountain biking. I would like to see some of the pale rc marshmellows out on the single track after a 3 mile climb. I'm done ranting. I enjoy racing with an older crowd that is not so agressive (this is with attitude). and I think there should be a spec class for the low income and or beginners.
#75
Tech Elite
iTrader: (44)
Originally Posted by ffiB
Ding Ding! We have a winner!
Can you give us some examples of what yall do to promote the hobby in your area?
Can you give us some examples of what yall do to promote the hobby in your area?