skypilot

iTrader: (14)

lol

peter_robinson

iTrader: (21)

I heard there’s a new spec tire for this year?

PutAwayWet

iTrader: (1)

Greetings Seattle RC Racers and all our brother and sister racers near and far. Our 2023 outdoor onroad season is a little less than a month out. We have a few things to take care of before we kick off another fantastic outing.

Track Work Party and Club Meeting
Saturday, April 8
9AM at the track
Lunch and club meeting at Round Table Pizza to follow
Bring gloves and rakes to clean the place up

During the club meeting, we will confirm race classes and specs. A couple of things have evolved this Spring, one being that ROAR has adjusted touring classes from six minutes to five. This emerges from years of discussion among racers at many races, so it is FAR from a random ROAR thing. If anything, they've been slow to follow the crowd. It's worth a conversation. Also, for touring classes - spec tire or no? Currents of opinion run strong in both directions. We need to DECIDE and ACT before the start of the season.

Track Upgrades
This is a weather-dependent scope of work, so I am thinking it will push into May or June. We are looking to re-paint the islands and add a perimeter stripe. During the April 8 club meeting, we will discuss whether and how to barrier portions of the track.

bshookup

iTrader: (21)

I'm always excited to see the next season approach! I love the idea of a perimeter stripe. I won't be able to make the meeting, so I wanted to throw up my proxy vote here. The rule that I think will have the most impact on my happiness is a spec tire for the touring classes, well at least mod touring. There are plenty of valid arguments on both sides, and I vote YES with two hands raised for three reasons, Finances, Fairness, and Fun.

• Finances - I know I will spend more money if I have to test tires to find what's fast for me. Spec tires usually save racers money
• Fairness - Well OK I guess it's fair that everyone has the same chance to buy whatever they want. This only falls apart when there's supply chain issues and some people get lucky enough to get the in short supply hot tire. I do enjoy getting beat by Stuart when we are running the same tires so I have one less excuse to choose from. It's just more satisfying for me to be beat by others and to beat others when we are all running the same tire. It feels more fair.
• Fun - This is the big one for me. As much as I enjoy tuning our cars and finding the best setup, I feel we already have enough tuning options to play with, and I don't need to add another variable, the variable with the biggest impact on lap time. I enjoy driving my cars as much or more than working on them, and a spec tire helps me get out of the pits and on the track. It's not like you can just throw on a different brand of tire without adjusting ride height and droop and whatever other setup changes you need to get them to work well. I also don't relish the idea of going back to the days of buying different wheels with different flex characteristics, different inserts, and different tire compounds and glueing up tires again. Oh boy, that sounds like the opposite of fun. I mean, I do have a bag of tire inserts left over from the pre spec tire years, and I hope I never have to use them.

Spec tire please and thank you.

OVA

iTrader: (86)

..

skypilot

iTrader: (14)

I don't think mail in or write in votes should be counted, how do we really know that's Brian?? it could be MS13 hacking his account. we need to verify IDs before any voting is allowed.
p.s. this isn't me.
dateline voice...
or is it..
lol

MonkeyCmonkeyDo

iTrader: (4)

Hi ALL!
lol
Can i attend? Id like to get into racing and am surprised how grippy and fast ur guys cars are. LOL. just watched a youtube vid on ur site.
Not sure ill be doing much racing this season as ill just be trying to learn mostly lol.
i see seattle rc racers and galaxy racers. No south sound? Tacoma is just dirt jumpers on a clay track so not really road racing...
-devin

gwhiz

iTrader: (1)

I don't retain any voting privilege, and if I did, I am not invoking it here.
Just organizing my thoughts out in the open for all to assail or support or scroll past.
1) Thanks to SeaTac leadership for having a discussion about this critical aspect of club racing
2) Agree with most of the arguments presented in favor of a spec tire
3) Wonder why a spec tire is always a cheap option. Do we have to save money once on the spec aspect and again on the tire that is chosen? Why not a really really great spec tire with a quantity restriction?
4) Wonder why a spec tire is always a pre-mount. Why not just spec the tire and leave it at that? I want another white dish wheel like I want a hole in the head. Same goes for someone else's notion of the "right" insert.
5) Has a Sorex ever been tried, in earnest, at SeaTac?
6) Ultimately I'll just be happy to race again either way.

My $0.02

arn671

iTrader: (17)

I think I asked this question last year but here goes: What is the preferred power source for Seatac? Are the indoor bodies similar for outdoors? I'm all for spec tires. Thanks-Alvin

BEMO2019

iTrader: (11)

Most people use a 4s lipo, 12v car battery, or generator. Bodies stay the same for the most part, you can't go wrong with a DBX or twister! Outdoors you can get away with a more aggressive body such as the zoo racing anti.

ZackM

iTrader: (1)

Hello all, just some input from my perspective. We only made it to one race last year, but had a great time and plan to make a few of more of them this season.

As someone who is traveling and doesn't have the advantage of testing during non-racedays, I am a fan of the spec tires. In fact it was one of the reasons I was willing to make the trip last year. As luck would have it the race nearly rained out, and I wasn't able to purchase a set. The ones I had were terrible. This only proved to me that a tire that is known to work, and can be procured on an as-needed basis is valuable to myself and anyone else is just trying to get started.

I plan to be there either way, just my .02.

Thanks!
Zack

Fred Sanford

No Formula 1 class? That’s blasphemy!

mtveten

iTrader: (29)

Unless I missed something I dont think the meeting is still a week away and didnt see anything in the Todd's response indicating there would not be an F1 class. I dont get to the track much anymore but as far as I know they have run the class since the track opened.

PutAwayWet

iTrader: (1)

Quick reminder:

Work Party
Saturday, April 8
9AM
Bring gloves and rakes

Lunch and club meeting after at Round Table Pizza

skypilot

iTrader: (14)

can we post the spec tires selected for each class.. thanks