skypilot

iTrader: (14)

you forget your posting in the NW threads

jubilee

iTrader: (37)

http://www.rctech.net/forum/northwes...tle-dream.html

http://www.rctech.net/forum/northwes...oad-track.html

PutAwayWet

iTrader: (1)

All racers interested in supporting a permanent outdoor track in North SeaTac Park are invited to attend a city council meeting where the Seattle RC Racers will be seeking approval to move forward with the project.

Tuesday, August 10, 6pm. SeaTac City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 105.

I will be presenting the project to the council, and a yes/no vote is expected that evening.

The issues which required cancelling the previous presentation have been resolved, and our position is strengthened. I am cautiously optimistic that we can succeed, and that this is an opportunity to build a facility that will serve many generations of radio control racing and rock crawling sportsmen.

mdowney

iTrader: (21)

Just curious... is the proposal to build one track at a time or do it all at once? If one at a time, which one are you recommending to start with? I'd guess the off-road track would be much cheaper than the on-road.

Great work pulling this all together! I will make my best effort to join the meeting, buggy in-hand.

skypilot

iTrader: (14)

last I heard the on road track was going to be first, then the off road/rock crawler stuff

PutAwayWet

iTrader: (1)

Mike,

I don't disagree, and I think most would agree, that an offroad track is a less expensive proposition than an onroad track of comparable size. But, does that argue for building the onroad track or the offroad track first?

First, let me disclose my general attitude toward the question: in five years, ten, or twenty, it won't matter which came first. What we want to do is build really high quality facilities for each, onroad, offroad, and rock crawling.

Momentum and enthusiasm are not to be squandered. Neither is a budget. Right now, if the budget permits, I hope to tackle the onroad track first. This has nothing to do with the Seattle RC Racers being an "onroad club." It is not. The Hangar 30 program is only the first of what I hope are several programs serving radio control racers in the northwest, either through direct organization and race direction, or through development and sharing of race venues and infrastructure. At North SeaTac, if we can, I want to push through with the onroad track and get it built, while we have the city's full attention, and this particular park director's sponsorship. I think the chances for the facility as a whole will be at a peak for the next eighteen months to two years. There can be no guarantee that the next park director will have the same opinion of us. An ashpalt track and its price tag may not be his or her spending priority.

The offroad side can be more easily staged, in my opinion. If at first we run on the native dirt, so be it. I have no idea, and I don't think anyone else really does either, just what we're dealing with under all those blackberries. Maybe it will be good for a track, and what we're talking about is some fairly straightforward Bobcat work. I am confident that it will be easier to secure in-kind club effort of that nature than the full-on grading, bedding, and paving required for the onroad side. That's a big nut.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and your questions.

mdowney

iTrader: (21)

Thanks, Todd. Your rationale makes sense to me. I wasn't necessarily implying that the off-road track should come first - I just assumed it would be the easiest to get built. But your plan makes sense - get the big one out of the way while we have the favor of the city. Plus, once the on-road track is there it will probably be even easier to get the dirt track built - even if we have to do it ourselves.

I just hope on-road is popular enough to show that the project was successful - especially if development goes in stages and each stage is evaluated before moving on to the next. I mean, I intend to race on-road but it seems to me that it's not as popular. Am I wrong?

On a related note - anyone else notice that there are almost no race-worthy on-road kits currently available in the low-med price range? The vendors are either selling drifting RTRs or high-end pro kits like the T3 or HB TCX. I had a helluva time trying to find a Tamiya TA05 - so much so that I just went ahead with an Xray T3 instead. Seems like a potential barrier to adoption if you have to spend > $1,000 just to give on-road a try. In the meantime you can pick up an RTR B4.1 for under $300 and go racing. I think it would greatly improve the hobby if someone released a trans-am RTR or roller...

Thanks again,
Mike

mdowney

iTrader: (21)

Hmm... On second thought, maybe there are a few low-cost options for getting in to on-road racing.

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...ustang-GT-Body

UberFalcon

iTrader: (25)

THIS seems quite reasonable for the first timer.

Jason

skypilot

iTrader: (14)

I had these on my screen in less then 20 seconds after reading they were hard to find.

http://www.stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bi...umb=on&smode=0

mkdut

iTrader: (19)

There you go again being all helpful and stuff

skypilot

iTrader: (14)

yea, yea, I know, so what you sportin these days, you got that Riley yet or the corvette?

btw, what 1/12 scale you running this winter, thinking pretty seriously about getting another.

mdowney

iTrader: (21)

Yeah, I guess everything was just sold out back when I was looking for a TA05. I seriously couldn't find anything. It made me think the thing was discontinued or there was simply no market for it. And the Cyclone S, which was the other option people pushed me towards, appeared to be outdated or discontinued as well.

It still seems to me that on-road is harder for people to get in to. At least that was my experience.

jubilee

iTrader: (37)

Onroad doesn't appeal to the "just throw it on the track" set for long. It's more complicated than offroad IMO. I think a different type of personality "gets" onroad. I know there's plenty of crossover, but I'll still run with that generality.

mkdut

iTrader: (19)

Still learning the tracks and the skippy.

Going to run my 12r5.1 though I am intrigued by the new Yoke