frst

At bigger meets, there are usually trophies or plaques for the first three in each final, but why?



Surely fourth in the "A" final is better than first in the "D"? Yet the lower final podium placements will come away with a little something...



Not being dismissive in any way, I guess it must be a "steps on the ladder" kind of thing? So a pleasant discussion only, please!



As an aside, are there any other sports that do this? Where direct competitors are awarded differently? (Not different leagues or classes, literally direct competitors with equal equipment and rules?)



Thanks in advance

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

The club in my area has eliminated the sportsman class for club racing. They give all divisions of skill equal race time with double mains for everyone and sort the groupings by how you qualify with no bumps in the mains. Top 3 are awarded in each group for A Main, B Main, C Main, etc.. no physical awards are given, just a photo shared on Facebook for bragging rights.


In contrast, for series races and 3 day events, they host sportsman and 40+ classes with trophies and double A mains with bumps where the glory is getting extra track time for the A Mains.


I've grown to appreciate awards for each group without bumps, this eliminates sandbagging and ensures closer racing in the mains with properly matched skill levels. Being an F Main winner is more prestigious than Sportsman no matter what, ha!

Billy Kelly

iTrader: (9)

Depends on the track or event. Been to a number that did top 5 plaque/trophy.

RC10Nick

iTrader: (9)

I like that idea. A mains getting extra track time has always bothered me. We're all paying the same race entry fee, we should all get the same amount of track time. It gets especially out of hand when you show up to an 1/8 scale outdoor track and make the 5 minute B main with an electric car and then have to marshal an hour long nitro main. One of those "and we wonder why we can't get more people to show up" sort of things.

gigaplex

iTrader: (2)

I don't think I've ever been to an event where trophies were given out for lower mains. Is that a US thing?

gigaplex

iTrader: (2)

Big oof.

Roelof

It is common that the winners of lower finals get a trophy.

Billy Kelly

iTrader: (9)

B mains I’ve been a a few races that had that.

DirkW

iTrader: (1)

Same here.

James Y

iTrader: (27)

Sucks when that happens. One track does double A mains for the electric classes and one long main for the nitro ones. It evens things out.

LordSchnert

Dunno.. at most ‘bigger meets’ there are only a handful of people that have a realistic chance of winning.. to make it fun for the rest of us.. there are trophies for the lower finals.. think of it this way.. if people like me stop coming.. the ‘bigger meets’ will get really small really quick.. so basically it’s a marketing ploy to sucker us into coming back for more..

Now.. if you want to debate calling it a ‘sport’.. 😀

0010

iTrader: (4)

Around here, trophy races tend to cost more then regular races because they try to offset the cost of the trophies. But if they don't offer trophies for lower mains or offer sportsman type classes, then essentially, you are paying extra to race for no benefit to yourself. Unless it is a really big event, you pretty much know who is going to get the trophies in each class before qualifying even begins. The only way it changes is if there are mechanical issues for any of those people. I am not a threat to win a trophy and so am just paying extra to come out with exactly the same as if it were a regular club race. And a lot of people feel the same. I think if you are going to have a trophy race, you should have something for everyone to realistically have a shot at something.

At our club races, we run the same time for all the mains because just like RC10Nick said, everyone payed the same, so everyone should get the same track time.

ZackM

iTrader: (1)

I think it is just a preference of the track or the president they have already set with their local crowd. I used to hate that every club night is a series and lots of trophies are handed out. Unfortunately my local track has proven this is a recipe for success as a track.

I have been to races where every person who made the A-main got a small trophy, and the lower mains got nothing. I am more proud of a 9th place amain trophy at a big race 50+ class entries than I am a B-main win.

Zack

RC10Nick

iTrader: (9)

I feel the same way about big trophy races. They cost more and turnout is usually higher so it's a longer race day. I don't get any more track time than if I'd gone to a club race and the pressure is higher making it more stressful and less fun, and I'm not going to get a trophy when I'm driving against all the top guys in the region which includes sponsored drivers. I already know how I stack up and about where I'd finish so there's no real upside I can see. I just skip them.


Not debating, but sometimes it is interesting to think about what qualifies as a "sport" and the activities that can get included or excluded as a result of how you define it. A lot of definitions of "sport" include something about physical exertion, which to me excludes all forms of racing, but also things like golf, bowling, pool, and I'd argue even baseball (would you use the term "athletic" to characterize someone like CC Sabathia?). But that definition also includes marching bands - it's a physically exhausting activity that requires skill and marching bands do compete in judged competitions against each other. But how many people actually consider marching band a sport? Probably not many other than band geeks like myself.

If you take out the "exertion" part of the definition you're left with something like "any competitive activity requiring the skilled use/control of your body." That definition allows the excluded activities I mentioned above to be considered a sport, and also other activities like gaming/esports and even other types of music performance competitions.

I don't care one way or the other if RC is considered a sport, I just think it's fun/interesting to ponder stuff like that sometimes but I'm also just weird.

gigaplex

iTrader: (2)

You underestimate how physical 1:1 motorsports can be.