RedBullFiXX

iTrader: (34)

Most tracks are smart enough to run spec tires for Touring cars
These last weeks, if not months, depending on how often you race

At the Snowbirds last year, One set of spec tires lasted the entire event, with plenty of life to go

Off Road racers I talk to in Cali say, OnRoad is less expensive, go figure

ALLSPEED

iTrader: (4)

On road racing is by far more expensive than off road. The biggest cost is tires. At 30 to 40 dollars a set the average club racer will go threw two or three sets in a day. Depending on the number of qualifiers they run. Now a big event or a two day race. Multiply that by three.

The other thing is most tracks run electric classes in blinky mode. They say "it keeps it competitive" that's bs. Now we have two experiment with motors. Boosted you can take any motor to the pit and make it competitive.

samnelso

iTrader: (1)

say wat You racing on sandpaper?

Even at a big race maybe 3ish sets, then those are still good for multiple practice sessions or club races thereafter. Usually only $25-30/set also.

skeasor

I race off road and would love to get into touring cars but the hobby shop said there aren't any tracks in the area...

edit: I take that back...I forgot they just opened one about an hour from me.

theproffesor

iTrader: (66)

When was the last time you raced on-road. This hasnt been the case for years with the exception of large outdoor national/worlds level competition. Most indoor tracks are spec tire now as are USVTA and USGT. Those tires last several race days and range from $25 -$50 a set. Thats not that bad.

As far as kit prices. ANY race level 1/8 or 4x4 SCT cost as much if not mor than a touring car kit. Electronics cost more, and tires, well on what is becoming the norm of sugar tracks, you can go through 2 sets a day. I did before I quit 1/8 offroad. And those tires start at $80 a set.

It comes down to speed and cool factor. I love TC, but still have to admit big jumps outdoor super fast 1/8 scale has a serious cool factor that TC just cant really compete with.

FrostyDude

Sure... a long time ago (late 1990's) when touring race racing started, an HPI RS4 or a Losi Street Weapon sold for only a little bit more than a RC10B2 or Losi XX buggy. Associated had not released a touring car kit yet, and the Tamiya (TA01 and TA02) kits were still kind of a joke at the time.

The price of a Losi or HPI touring car kit was a little more than a 2WD electric race buggy($180), and a little less than a 4WD ($250) electric race buggy.

Back then 1/8 scale nitro buggies were considered insanely expensive. The fact that people in this thread consider 1/8 nitro buggy costs to be "normal" is part of the reason why tracks are closing. Most people can't justify the costs of racing at that level. Plenty of them (including me) could "afford" it, except I can't justify the cost. I would rather race full-size cars for that kind of money.

For all the time I raced from the mid 80's to the late 90's , in both off-road and on-road (1/10 and 1/12th scale - all electric), there was an even mix of kids and adults racing at the track.

Today when I go to the track I only see adults. It is way too expensive for most kids. That is part of the problem.

patorz31

Up here (Edmonton Alberta Canada) On-Road does well in the winter, Our Club runs 100-110 entries on Friday nights. We have down to D or E mains in TC with 12 or more car heats every Friday night. We get as many in Tamiya mini and usually 20 to 25 entries in 12th scale. WGT seems to be making a comeback up here too. On- Road does is doing fine in the Great White North.
As for beginners we have what we call "Open" where most start out in. The run there HPI sprints, other RTR's or what ever else they have for awhile. Then the tend to move up to Mini or straight into TC. We have a bunch of kids at our club and we grow every year.
My Previous experience with Clubs was in Ontario and I watched them die after starting to just catering to the hard core racers. Every time a club does that it will die. The not so hard core get fed up and quit; the Newbies are too damn scared to even try. Tracks have to be balanced where everyone can drive them and everyone wants to drive them. The costs of the hobby can be high but compared to other hobbies I have or had they ain't that bad.

Dan

iTrader: (75)

LOL. 2 or 3 sets in a day for an average club racer? Even fast wearing tires, I could use one set for 2 race days at least.

Try running 4WD buggy on an outdoor sugar track. My brand new set of tires were nearly done by the end of the day.

2uzferunner03

There's lots of things wrong with touring car but it's not dead. It does need a serious overhaul though along with most of the other racing classes.

Problem one is manufacturers cater to the top level drivers. This is a hobby and for fun. This isn't nascar or indy car racing. THESE ARE WELL BUILT TOY CARS! Club level racing should be priority number one.

The second problem is roar. It's obvious that they just don't get it.

Roar and manufactures combine to drive costs up to insane levels. This keeps kids and alot of other people out of the loop and what you end up with is a bunch of dbags who spent way too much on their toy car who wanna try to fight you bc you didn't get out their way and scrubbed .5 seconds from their lap time.

This is all obviously my opinion and I've met alot of nice people at tracks but there's always those other guys too.

locked

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I read that comment and said out loud "Huh?" . In 17.5 TC I easily get 2 full race days out of a set, sometimes more. Sometimes I get 2 full days out of a set in mod TC, but they are less than great on the last run usually. This is open tire, on carpet. Asphalt can eat tires much faster of course.

USGT tires last for months for most people I know. They look like motorcycle tires near the end, but they still seem to perform fine.

Sugared offroad, you're lucky you got a full day out of a set. lol.
I don't want to think about how much I spent on offroad tires last summer.

RedBullFiXX

iTrader: (34)

There are plenty of sub $200 TC's out there

imo, whatever type of RC is strong in "YOUR" area, has support due to the passion of the folks running it
Different strokes, different folks

If you want to have an On-Road program, start one
Parking lot races are perfectly acceptable

Cost has nothing to do with anything
Time to organize events, cost nothing

mkiiina

iTrader: (71)

And gas was a quarter and a gal of milk was a nickle. Yea yea the good old days of the sanyo's you have in you sig and having to cut comms and new brushes every heat as well right?

Alot has changed in the hobby (some good some bad) but everything is more expensive. You can still find cheap kits (Sakura S Zero will cost you about $100) that are competative (heck we had a guy in VTA that ran a HK sedan with success recently).

Are you going to compete at the upper levels? No, but as your skill and knowledge progress it makes sense that your equipment should as well.

I don't think Jeff Gordon and the like started in Nascar but down in shifter karts and midgets. As they got better they needed better, more expensive equipment.

I would love to see you havea fully spec'd 1:1 race car for $1000 (although there is the 24 hrs of Lemons racing so that might be possible). Risk to life and limb is a little higher I would imagine though.

Yes you can go get a brand new Xray T4 and drop $500 but you don't NEED to. It's a choice.

chensleyrc1

iTrader: (38)

I think he was referring to 1/8 scale. I doubt you can outfit one of those for $1000 or less, with radio gear, nitro OR electric.

DesertRat

iTrader: (2)

Onroad racing is the cheapest racing I have ever done. If Touring is dead it must be a fast zombie, I have never seen more people in a single class/car type or closer racing at the club level than at TQRC in Cali.

Rick Hohwart

I don't do a lot of club racing but when I do I race at Tamiya and I will run a new set of tires starting with round 1 and run them in round 2 and the main. I'll use these to practice with the next time out and start over. If anyone is going through 2-3 sets a day they are doing it by choice, not be necessity.

The bash ROAR for the sake of bashing ROAR post. How exactly do you think they drive up costs?

As far as manufacturers go, none really care what the top level guys do, they give the racers, aka the people that spend money and create profits, what they want to spend money on or at least try to.