5th Scale Onroad Racing in Texas
 

Hello all!!

My name is Juan and I am introducing 5th scale onroad racing to Texas for 2016at the track located in Rendon, Texas. You can go to RCRCNT's website to get a picture of the track (http://www.rcrcnt.com/). The revised rules for the 5th scale are as follows:

5th Scale Rules for the SWCS


The SWCS of Texas will be offering the following classes in the 5th scale category for racing at its track at Rendon, Texas (www.rcrcnt.com):

GT - 2 door coupe bodies
STC - 4 door sedan bodies
F-1
Sportsline Spec Class

The 5th scale program will be primarily following IFMAR rules (see below link):

http://www.ifmar.org/pdf/rules/ifmar...track_2015.pdf

The new class added to the 5th scale program was the Sportsline Spec Class to help keep entry into 5th scale racing more affordable and to bring an alternative avenue of fun to the art form of remote control car racing. The rules for this class are as follows:

Chassis
-Short chassis lengths of 510mm to long chassis lengths up to 535mm are eligible.
-Cars can be either 2wd or 4wd
-The cars allowed in the class are primarily the FG Sportsline chassis. Other brands of cars, like the MCD, will be at an evaluation level/basis
-No aftermarket hop-up chassis or custom-made chassis is allowed. The chassis must be factory or the car will not be eligible to run in the Sportsline Spec Class

Engine/Pipe
-Engines must be box stock. No modding of the engine or aftermarket modded engines are allowed
-2wd cars are only allowed to run 23cc/24cc engines
-4wd cars are only allowed to run 26cc/27cc engines
-Pipes must be the stock pipe that comes with the car. No modding of the pipe or no aftermarket pipes are allowed (like the Samba pipe or Samba-styled pipes)
-Max venture diameter on the carburetor limited to 13mm
-No reed intakes allowed

Tires
-Any brand of 5th scale tires are allowed
-Tires cannot be softer than 40 shore (The FG Sportsline RTR come with 40 shores)
-Tires can be either treaded or slicks. Tires can be teched at any given time.
-No traction compounds allowed

Suspension/Drivetrain
-No one-ways or spools are allowed on the 4wd cars. Racers are allowed to change diff oils/grease but front diff must maintain diff action
-No Active Diffs are allowed on the 2wd cars. Like the 4wd cars, racers will be allowed to change diff oils/grease but the diff must maintain diff action
-Changing of shock oils and springs are allowed. Shocks must use factory mounting holes on shock towers/suspension arms (not allowed to drill additional holes)
-No aftermarket shock pistons or shock bodies are allowed
-No custom-made extensions or other apparatus are allowed that will change the position of the shocks mounted to the arms or shock towers
-No aftermarket or customer-made aluminum parts are allowed (including shock towers, suspension arms, C-hubs, or steering blocks)

Clutches/Brakes/Gearing
-Only two shoe padded clutches are allowed. Use of the 6000rpm (part #GT282), the 7500rpm (part #GT220) and the 9500rpm (part #GT220a) clutch springs are permitted
-No aftermarket centax or automatic clutch systems from Tourex, clutch systems from Turtle Racing or any three (3) or more shoe clutches or clutch systems are allowed in the Sportsline Spec Class
-Hydraulic braking systems are prohibited from use in the Sportsline Spec Class
-Upgrades to the brake discs and brake pads are permitted
-Alterations to the cars braking system are prohibited (ie: cannot add the rear braking system to make the car have 4-wheel brakes). This only applies to the Sportsline Spec Class
-Pinion gear and spur gear changes are permitted
-No two-speed transmissions allowed

Electronics/Radio Gear
-One rule that will apply to all classes will be the use of a remote kill switch. Safely operating these huge cars is #1. So that there are no dangerous runaways that could seriously injure someone, programmable kill switches will be mandatory, NO EXCEPTIONS. A racer will not be allowed to put his/her car on the track if he/she cannot demonstrate that they have an active kill switch on their car. Here are examples of ones that can be used:

http://www.davesmotors.com/Dynamite-...ll-Switch.html
http://www.davesmotors.com/Killer-RC...tch-Combo.html

-In addition to the kill-switch rule, here is another rule (from the ROAR 5th scale section) that all racers must follow:

10.8.2 No onboard traction control or other electronic aids are allowed, other than other than fail-safe systems

This pertains to gyros/D-boxes used on steering the car.

-In regards to the RTR Sportsline Spec cars, stock servos can be upgraded to servos the operator is familiar/accustom to using
-In regards to the RTR Sportsline Spec cars, the RTR Tx/Rx can be upgraded to a Tx/Rx the operator is familiar/accustom to using


Again, with safety being our biggest concern, please follow this ROAR rule in regards to marshalling 5th scale qualifiers/mains:

10.12.1.7 A Red Flag condition must be called prior to anyone going onto the racetrack. No corner marshals or mechanics are allowed on the track during practice or racing without a Red Flag being called. Marshals will wait until race vehicles come to a complete stop before entering racing area. Track maintenance must be done under a Red Flag conditions

Since these cars have long run times per a tank of fuel, I would like to deviate from the norm that most nitro racers are accustom. Here are the rules in regards to running qualifiers and mains for 5th scale:


Qualifying
-Qualifiers will be 10 minutes with one mandatory three second pit stop (more of a stop & go) that has to be taken. The pit cannot be taken within the first or last minute of the qualifier but can be taken anytime between the second and ninth minute.

Mains
Main lengths are as follows:

A-main – 30 minutes
B-main – 20 minutes
C main and below – 15 minutes

In the A and B mains, two (2) mandatory pit stops must be taken, none to be taken within the first or last minute of the race. This way, there would still be a bit a strategy as far as race planning. You could make more stops if needed but two of them would be mandatory.

In the C mains and below, one (1) mandatory pit stop must be taken (similar to how it is done in qualifying).

If during any of the qualifiers or mains a red flag is called, this rule will be adhered to if you refuse to obey:

10.13.1.2 Failure to obey a Red Flag will result in disqualification from the race in which the offense occurred

Here is another very important rule in regards to the fueling of cars during a qualifier/main. This is the ROAR version of the rule but IFMAR has a similar rule:

10.9.1 No refueling is allowed after the warm-up period for a race has begun, and no refueling is allowed during the running of any Qualifier or Main event

This is just the beginning with more information/rules to come. Please feel free to ask me questions or make any suggestions. The goal is to grow this class of racing and keep the competition fun and enjoyable for all that participate.


Addendum A

Additional rules for the 5th scale Mains
All mains will seat eight (8) cars with a two (2) car bump-up from the previous main. In the event that a lower main only seats four (4) cars, only one (1) car will bump to the next main. In the event that there are not enough participants/entrants to have at least four (4) in a lower main, then all participants will run in the corresponding main (i.e.: if only eleven (11) entrees are present, all eleven (11) will run the A-main, if only 19 entrees are present, eight (8) will seat the A-main with eleven (11) seating in the B-main, etc.).

Addendum B

Fuels and additives
-Gasoline no higher than 94 Octane is to be used in the Sportsline Spec Class
-Octane boosters or other additives outside of two stroke oil are prohibited in the mixing of fuel for use in the Sportsline Spec Class. Violators will be disqualified from the running the class, relegating them to the STC/GT open classes.
-VP premix fuel is permitted in the Sportsline Spec Class. Octane boosters and other additives are prohibited from mixing with this fuel as well, no exceptions.
-Non-ethanol gasoline is allowed but the octane rating cannot be more than 94


Addendum C

Penalties for non-compliance
-All cars will be teched before the first round of qualifying. Failure to comply will result in non-participation in the event
-Failure to take the mandatory one (1) pit stop during any qualifying run will result in a one (1) lap penalty from your best qualifying round. Thus failure to take any pit stops during qualifying would result in a three (3) lap penalty from a racer’s best qualifying run
-Failure to take the mandatory two (2) pit stops during the running of the A or B mains or failure to take the mandatory one (1) pit stop during the running of the C or lower main would lead to lap penalties up to and including disqualification from the race of participation
-In the event that the Sportsline Spec Class has enough participants to split the group and we are to marshal our own races, failure to marshal will result in a one (1) lap penalty from the racer’s best qualifier run.
-In the event that a racer runs out of fuel during a qualifier or main and refuels the car (ignoring the safety rule that covers this area), the penalty is immediate disqualification from the event, no exceptions. In the event that a racer violates the refueling rule a second time (repeat offender), said racer will no longer be allowed to participate in the class as this is a direct violation of the safety rule put in place not only for the safety of the racer in question but for the safety of the other participants at the event.

Since these cars have long run times per a tank of fuel, I would live to deviate from the norm that most nitro racers are accustom. Instead of running 5 minute qualifiers, I would like to run 10 minute qualifiers with one mandatory three second pitstop (more of a stop & go) that has to taken. The pit cannot be taken within the first or last minute of the qualifier but can be taken anytime between the second and ninth minute.

In the beginning, mains would be at least 30 minutes but can be expanded to up to 60 minutes once the class builds up participation. In the 30 minute main, I would like to do two mandatory pitstops like what would be done in the qualifiers, none to be taken within the first or last minute of the race. This way, there would still be a bit a strategy as far as race planning. You could make more stops if needed but two of them would be mandatory.

We all strive for more track time at the races we attend. I am hoping that this would give racers more track time competing against fellow racers instead of burning fuel and tires constantly chasing tune, setup, and the constant wrenching in the pits. Less wrenching = more racing enjoyment.:D

You should request to move this thread to Texas Racing Sub Forum.

stupidity, not stupidty

Already a thread in the Texas sub forum. Just letting others know what I am working on in the central US and if they can make the trip, come and have some racing fun.

Congradulations on getting a race program started. But why did you guys ban oneways on the 4wd?? Now I got to buy a gear diff for the front!!:(

It is only for the Spec Sportsline class. What I am looking at is running the car primarily out the box with minimum additional costs involved. I have been racing r/c cars for a long time and have watched all the classes I have run get out of hand as far as costs are concerned with having to outfit your car with the latest hop-ups (some getting to be costly) to keep up with the competition. Trying to also keep the playing field as level as possible. Like in the beginning of 8th scale Nitro GT, it was nice to know that you can unbox the car, break-in the stock engine, go out and race and had the possibility of beating the competition because they too had to run the car the same as you. Then, it becomes more about set-up and driving skills, not about who has the deeper pockets.

Good to hear about more 1:5 scale racing.
Track looks great from the website.
Will these races be held in conjuction along with the nitro cars racing. My son runs 1:8 scale cars so if we made a long road trip from Southern California it would be good for him to race too.
Can you keep us posted on schedule and what type of car count you might be looking at getting.
Thanks, Phil Goodwine

Yes, the plan is to run along with the regular nitro race program at the track when the SWCS runs. The SWCS is now a six (6) race series with three (3) races at the Rendon track (RCRCNT) and three (3) at the Porter track (just north of Houston). Then, there is the Texas Biggie race (additional race) which is run at the beginning of summer. If the class gets a lot of participation, then maybe I can lobby for an additional one-off race to be held at the track (and hopefully won't interfere with a big race somewhere else).

As soon as Mr. Ingersoll posts the SWCS schedule for 2016, I will post it here.

The plan is to build up as much participation as possible. I would like for all four (4) classes to be run at all races but know that in the beginning, participation will be light until more of the word gets out and racers actually see/hear about 5th scale cars actually racing on the Rendon track.

Thank you Phil for your interest. Looking to try to fit in with what is currently being done amongst the West Coast racers and hopefully have another place to race these cars and have stress-free fun while doing it.

Jlock, don't be surprised if you don't see me next Summer my son lives in Texas!!

You would be welcomed with open arms!!! The group I am trying to build up would be inclusive to all that want to come down and run. If you know anyone in the Midwest that have 5th scale cars and may want to race, spread the word. Would love to get another track, like Leisure Hours, in on the mix. Why should the guys on the West Coast have all the fun?!?

Great job Juan for bringing the 1/5 scale class to the SWCS. I hope there is a huge amount of interest in this class of racing.

Have you had a chance to look at the 1/5 mini series which takes place overseas to see if there are any ideas you might be able to implement in the SWCS 1/5 series.

I'll try and make a few of the 6 races, that's all work will allow.

Regarding the spec class, have you considered owners being allowed to change out plastic parts for aluminum part for durability purposes, for example the rear shock tower, engine mounts, front servo saver, etc....?

vadn1,

Your participation will be most welcome. You have been keeping up with me since when I was establishing the 8th scale Nitro GT class with the same series years ago. Catch races when your schedule allows.

Yes, I have considered that from the time I first formulated doing 5th scale racing with the Sportsline car. That is an area I was keeping flexible so that once these cars are run competitively and if we do have issues with certain parts, rulings can be made as needed. Did not want to throw that out there as to have potential participants buying parts that may not be needed.

I hope so don't really want to put the stock shock tower back on too much flex,but if rules calls for it cool

For you guys that have modified your FG Sportsline cars, this is why I have included classes like GT and STC from what Frank Killam and the West Coast guys run in their race program. Since the rules for those classes are looser as far as car modifications, you can run your cars in those classes, depending on your body (2dr vs 4dr). The Sportsline Spec Class (SSC) are for racers that just want to run their cars without spending additional monies right out the box. I have had a chance to test run mine on the RCRCNT track in Rendon and it ran and handled fine box stock. The SSC is to be like what IROC racing was to NASCAR. With everyone on equal footing, who is the better racer? But remember, as things progress, rules and car parts upgrades are flexible and changes could be made if needed. I am looking to build a good group of racers (a racing base) and every race program needs an entry-level class in which costs are controlled in order to attract some racers that may not have the budget/deep pockets that other racers may have.

Here is my SSC car for the upcoming 2016 racing season for the SWCS 5th scale racing program. Another friend of mine got his car on Thursday. One of his friends is talking about joining us as well. I hope to see some of you 5th scale racers from the region to hopefully run the GT and STC classes as well.