gwilli2001us

i just want to start this discussion and get some opinions and input on what you guys think has caused the demise of 1/8 nitro GT here in Southern Cali whereas in other states, it seems to be flourishing.

At times here at GLARCRC, we would have 2 or 3 heats of these cars easily, now there is ZERO. A lot of people invested a lot of time and money to this class and it's a shame that those cars are collecting dust, lets hear some feedback!!

Robert R

Good question, I have not been to Cali to race since May, so could not say. It’s a great class to run tho.

1evo RRR Driver

iTrader: (11)

Good guess is Same thing happening to this class that happens to almost all "spec" classes. People start bending rules n basically cheating........ Finding any n every way to make a supposedly fun stock class a full blown race class

wkloppen

Exactly like Lance Armstrong most racers want you to have the perception they are playing a fair game but find the glory and honor they receive when winning far more important and they hate to admit it. A painfull watch in the morning mirror reminds them time and again what a cheating little sorry bastard he really is and then comforting himself by checking the last evening results on facebook...he finally made it to the A-final.....I really feel sorry for them as they have to bring the secrets to the grave.

As organisers you need to be independent and totally unforgiving which most of the organisers who race themselves in the same class find very hard to do because they feel "pity" to condemn their fellow racers during the technical scrutineering. This is the beginning of the virus which has killed many race classes. Weakness, inconsistent and lack of leadership. "What do they think about me when I disqualify the last years champion?".....

Roelof

Is it? The ROAR rules are very open regarding the engine so modifying the engine to something faster is within the rules. On this subject I can imagine it is not to the cheating but the lack of rules preventing higher costs.

wkloppen

Hello Roelof..of course true what you say but thats relative to the class you ant to run as there's always room for cheating. Lowering / limiting the costs and the time needed to develop and test things are all valid arguments to keep create a class which has a fair chance to survive but the survival itself ALL depends on the organisation and how they enforce it. Most of them have weak knees....

w.

azeroth

iTrader: (21)

motor costs and outlawing of older chassis' like gtp, gtp 2, dm1, team c, did not help the class at all either here with the MWS

Ren13B

Too many pros running in a class that was meant for beginners.

AHR43

Don't know what killed it in California, but can say what killed it for me here in Texas. Two-speed centax shifter. Went to check out the GT8 class with the idea of giving it a try by adapting my MBX7 to on-road. Soon as I heard the GT8's up-shifting on the back straight, lost all interest. What I though would offer an entry-level way to economically give on-road a try suddenly had the familiar ring of just another money pit.
'AC'

JLock

iTrader: (4)

Hit one of the nails on the head with this statement. Over the years, I have noticed that you have some world-class caliber drivers now running this class. This class was to be to A) bring the parking lot basher to the track, and B) give the beginner in nitro an almost bullet-proof car to run and get familiar with before they jump into 200mm TC or 8th scale Lola-body 4wd pan car.

Roelof

Is it? I believe over here it is just seen as a class between the high tech and very fast 1/8 class and the low tech, too simple flat/classic chassis. It is just another nitro class.....

Beginner classes are competitions like the Tamiya and Kyosho cup but sadly even over there in the real beginners classes you do see experienced drivers taking the wins.

JLock

iTrader: (4)

It is not just that but the whole "run what you brung" mentality. When I helped to get this class started with the Texas State series in 2009, I used the rules that I had assisted in the Memphis, TN and Jackson, MS groups that started running this class with their race programs. Had a spec and a open class with very little gray area and everyone knew what was required to run in each. When a group of racers joined in 2011, that is when the class went another direction. They did not like the spec class and proceeded to kill it entirely with the "run what you brung" rules. Some used onroad 9-port engines, some tried to use centax clutches for a minute, one even custom-made a flat chassis to adapt a MP9 (when that buggy first came out) to race. There were other issues going on as well but in short, much of this made the class almost as expensive as running 8th scale 4wd Lola-body pan car. Until the class can get back to its roots, participation will never be like it was in its early days (2007 to 2009).

Julius

In the end what kills most classes is cost versus reward. Once the hobby racer (every non fully supported racer) reaches the point where the fun of racing no longer outweighs the money spent he will stop.

As with any class, GT has befallen to the ever present desire of some racers to go faster and faster. Not by getting better themselves but by getting better stuff. This creates a market for higher performance parts, engines, bodies and, for gt an important cost aspect, tires.

Especially the new generation of tires that just lasts a main has driven up the cost. Because the added grip creates room, and need, for better engines, better bodyshells and more wear and tear on the cars. Also better tires makes setup more important and this combined with the higher speeds will increase the performance difference between good and not so good racers.

In the end every class that gets too fast for the hobbyist will end up becoming for high spenders and factory supported racers only. One only needs too look at electric racing. The entry numbers of modified and fast stock classes if dropping , where classes like 17,5 and 21,5 formula cars is on the rise.

JLock

iTrader: (4)

Great points. This is why we are doing a 5th scale spec class with the FG Sportsline cars because it is cheaper to get and run one of these over getting into 8th scale GT, 200mm TC, or 8th scale open. Been running the same engine and chassis for two years now. Nothing on the car hardly breaks. Fuel to run it is cheap. The biggest costs we have are bodies (if you want to run something different) and tires (which will last you 2 to 4 race weekends depending on how hard you are on them and we run 10 min quals and 30 min mains). We don't have to have the "flavor of the month" chassis, engine, or pipe like in the other classes and we can rebuild our engines for around $80 (price of the rebuild kit).

Thunderbunny

iTrader: (27)

Fellas.........It's racing! Racing is a competition to see who's fastest. The very nature of racing is designed to push the limits. The only class for beginners is novice. I race/have raced just about every class imaginable, and I can tell you right now what is killing GT is whining. The idea of being in the C-Main has become too much for the ego. Let's be honest, nitro engines are as cheap as they have ever been. The fast guys aren't beating you because they have a special motor. They are beating you because they are better drivers. But instead of working to get better, a lot of guys work at making better excuses. Competition isn't meant to be easy.