42LikesA Dying Hobby
12-21-2016, 10:11 AM
#121
I'll throw my 2c in here....
I started with RC young, there was a track across the way from a aunt we would visit and I bugged the parents until they gave in and bought me a hornet! Heavy into it in for 10+ years(20+ cars and trucks) and when I got my drivers license and real truck, started to get out of RC and into off roading the real thing.
Fast fwd. 8 mo ago(25 years later) some friends got back into RC with their kid's, I got the itch again and got back into it as well.
I'm lucky to live in So Cal and have a wide range of tracks to choose from and have visited several. Track management/friendliness to a newbie(lack there of) and attitude of racers turned me off at several tracks and it wasn't a fun time or environment. Way to serious, cliques, comments, lack of help or willingness to even have a conversation..... REALLY turned me off there for a bit
I was lucky to have found a small local track with a great group of guys that are always willing to help with set-up advise, loan parts and the atmosphere is FUN at all times, even when club racing there. So I'm now knee deep in RC(1/8 e-buggy, Truggy, and SCT) and having a blast!!!
Moral of the story is if your not having fun whats the point of sticking around a hobby?
I started with RC young, there was a track across the way from a aunt we would visit and I bugged the parents until they gave in and bought me a hornet! Heavy into it in for 10+ years(20+ cars and trucks) and when I got my drivers license and real truck, started to get out of RC and into off roading the real thing.
Fast fwd. 8 mo ago(25 years later) some friends got back into RC with their kid's, I got the itch again and got back into it as well.
I'm lucky to live in So Cal and have a wide range of tracks to choose from and have visited several. Track management/friendliness to a newbie(lack there of) and attitude of racers turned me off at several tracks and it wasn't a fun time or environment. Way to serious, cliques, comments, lack of help or willingness to even have a conversation..... REALLY turned me off there for a bit
I was lucky to have found a small local track with a great group of guys that are always willing to help with set-up advise, loan parts and the atmosphere is FUN at all times, even when club racing there. So I'm now knee deep in RC(1/8 e-buggy, Truggy, and SCT) and having a blast!!!
Moral of the story is if your not having fun whats the point of sticking around a hobby?
Last edited by Andybellus; 12-22-2016 at 07:34 PM.
12-21-2016, 02:01 PM
#122
Tech Initiate
I don't see the hobby dying, I just see it primarily being a different animal all together than it was in the 90s or early 2000s. 10 years ago, you couldn't but an rtr that did 100mph out of the box, trucks were not shown in ads sending a 100 ft tabletop or cliff drop either. As the vehicles get faster, the parts need to get stronger and the drivetrain needs to be more readily able and willing to handle the added stress. Companies are doing what we all keep wanting.. the next best thing that is better or faster than it was last year. Aftermarket companies started it and the "oems" saw a niche in the market and began selling it out of the box. With this come's added cost. Quality-speed-low cost and you have to pick 2 of the 3 most times. It's no different than with fill size vehicles. Prices go up as tech is added.
12-21-2016, 04:30 PM
#123
Serious organized racing might be dying simply because it is about spending a lot of time and money, and not have fun.
Very much alive in my area are the fun races organized by people who focus on having fun. Last Sunday a temporary track was setup at a Mall and 50 rc cars/crawler showed up. Racing done without a transponder in sight.
I had more fun in this bashing/racing event than in big organized racing
Very much alive in my area are the fun races organized by people who focus on having fun. Last Sunday a temporary track was setup at a Mall and 50 rc cars/crawler showed up. Racing done without a transponder in sight.
I had more fun in this bashing/racing event than in big organized racing
| + YouTube Video | |
01-05-2017, 09:36 PM
#124
Tech Prophet
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http://www.redrc.net/2016/12/tamiya-...for-trf-brand/
Now with this
Following a first statement from Tamiya Japan on the future of TRF, Tamiya USA shed more light on the destiny of the iconic brand. Reading the latest statement and breaking it down to its core information it is understood that Tamiya will continue to produce kits under the Tamiya Racing Factory brand although it will take some time until definite results, in whatever form, may surface.
Lastly, rumors about Tamiya stopping its TRF brand and activities have been circulating within the hobby racing community. However, our most devoted fans must rest assured that Tamiya will continue the development of its TRF products and its activities, albeit in a different way.
In recent weeks, there has been much speculation regarding the well-established Tamiya “TRF” brand.
In 2017 the future of TRF is going in an entirely new direction. Up until now, Tamiya used TRF to promote its high-end race machines. Select top drivers from around the world were put under contract to attend major R/C races across the globe. The purpose of this strategy was to simply win major races in the open classes, such as ETS, The Reedy Race of Champions, the IFMAR World Championships, and countless other prestigious events to establish a premium brand image for TRF. This direction has been in effect as far back as 1999 with select drivers from the USA and later with drivers from European countries.
After winning many World Titles and various prestigious events across the globe, the initial goal has been achieved and a new direction is needed to put the TRF brand to better use. Namely, the TRF brand will help Tamiya expand its main business moving forward, which is the beginner and the middle level hobbyist. Without question, TRF products help Tamiya develop amazing machines. The design and function of those products trickle-down to many of its entry level and mid-level products. This is why the TRF brand is important to Tamiya and will continue to be important as we move into a new direction in promoting the brand.
By the end of 2016, all contracts with top drivers will expire. For the above reasons, Tamiya has decided not to renew or make any new contracts in the way they have been doing so in the past. In lieu of what has been done, new TRF activities will begin to take shape beginning in 2017, including what we do in the USA. Exact details on how TRF will exist globally and what those activities will be are still being planned and formulated.
Lastly, rumors about Tamiya stopping its TRF brand and activities have been circulating within the hobby racing community. However, our most devoted fans must rest assured that Tamiya will continue the development of its TRF products and its activities, albeit in a different way. Details on the exact execution will be made known in the coming months. Until then, we look forward to this new direction and how it will better correlate with our main business in the USA.
Fred Medel
Tamiya America, Inc.
Now with this
Following a first statement from Tamiya Japan on the future of TRF, Tamiya USA shed more light on the destiny of the iconic brand. Reading the latest statement and breaking it down to its core information it is understood that Tamiya will continue to produce kits under the Tamiya Racing Factory brand although it will take some time until definite results, in whatever form, may surface.
Lastly, rumors about Tamiya stopping its TRF brand and activities have been circulating within the hobby racing community. However, our most devoted fans must rest assured that Tamiya will continue the development of its TRF products and its activities, albeit in a different way.
In recent weeks, there has been much speculation regarding the well-established Tamiya “TRF” brand.
In 2017 the future of TRF is going in an entirely new direction. Up until now, Tamiya used TRF to promote its high-end race machines. Select top drivers from around the world were put under contract to attend major R/C races across the globe. The purpose of this strategy was to simply win major races in the open classes, such as ETS, The Reedy Race of Champions, the IFMAR World Championships, and countless other prestigious events to establish a premium brand image for TRF. This direction has been in effect as far back as 1999 with select drivers from the USA and later with drivers from European countries.
After winning many World Titles and various prestigious events across the globe, the initial goal has been achieved and a new direction is needed to put the TRF brand to better use. Namely, the TRF brand will help Tamiya expand its main business moving forward, which is the beginner and the middle level hobbyist. Without question, TRF products help Tamiya develop amazing machines. The design and function of those products trickle-down to many of its entry level and mid-level products. This is why the TRF brand is important to Tamiya and will continue to be important as we move into a new direction in promoting the brand.
By the end of 2016, all contracts with top drivers will expire. For the above reasons, Tamiya has decided not to renew or make any new contracts in the way they have been doing so in the past. In lieu of what has been done, new TRF activities will begin to take shape beginning in 2017, including what we do in the USA. Exact details on how TRF will exist globally and what those activities will be are still being planned and formulated.
Lastly, rumors about Tamiya stopping its TRF brand and activities have been circulating within the hobby racing community. However, our most devoted fans must rest assured that Tamiya will continue the development of its TRF products and its activities, albeit in a different way. Details on the exact execution will be made known in the coming months. Until then, we look forward to this new direction and how it will better correlate with our main business in the USA.
Fred Medel
Tamiya America, Inc.
01-05-2017, 11:46 PM
#125
I do not think this change has something to do with a dying hobby, but for sure it will be a dying product.
The change is simple, the TRF super team did cost a lot. Now the local and national Tamiya cup races are very populair and those people can go broke on the blue option parts that are alowed there is a market to earn money, for sure with the successes of the TRF name in the back of their mind.
But to me with no top factory team driver a succesfull car can never be made and so the TRF brand will fade away from the serious races.
The change is simple, the TRF super team did cost a lot. Now the local and national Tamiya cup races are very populair and those people can go broke on the blue option parts that are alowed there is a market to earn money, for sure with the successes of the TRF name in the back of their mind.
But to me with no top factory team driver a succesfull car can never be made and so the TRF brand will fade away from the serious races.
01-06-2017, 04:20 AM
#126
Tech Prophet
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For most of hobby we won't even notice that Tamiya isn't involved with racing. Tamiya has always been a ghost for my time in hobby. But it's another sign that RC racing is continuing to get smaller and smaller.
04-27-2017, 07:43 PM
#127
A few observations and ideas:
The biggest trend I'm seeing in the midwest is that the outdoor off road tracks are disappearing. It seems like the operating costs of the 1/8th truggy and buggy are just too high for a lot of people to stick with it. The extreme weather we've had the last few years in spring and thru the summer hasn't helped either. Spring has been replaced with monsoon season, which then transitions into massive heat wave season. March thru September is almost a total loss, with just a few weeks of "nice" weather sprinkled in.
I think electric 1/8th scale has opened the door for a lot of people to get involved, but once they start having battery and esc failures and every time the car stops moving it costs them $300 they lose their desire to drive it. This conveniently folds into the trend of people only doing "big races" or special "traveling series races" as the cars cost to much to keep running all the time.
The track I've seen that is doing outdoor the best is HotRod hobbies. It's been two years since I've been there, but last I saw they built outdoor tracks that are appropriate for 1/10th scale. Unsurprisingly, they have a huge turnout. The weather there is also beautiful most of the year, which helps.
As my son has gotten old enough to potentially be involved with the hobby of racing, I've been frustrated by the lack of an "entry point" for him. No one who is in the hobby now started out driving a $2k 1/8th scale buggy as their first car at 7 years old. Most of us that are older started out with much tamer gear and grew into the larger scale higher power modern equipment. 2WD short course is a great novice class for indoors, and you see lots of kids doing that. However, on a true, big, 1/8th outdoor track driving 2WD SC is miserable. Another comparison is this, I've seen plenty of occasions where a younger kid shows up at the indoor track, driven there by mom or dad to race. He's the only one racing, mom or dad really don't know much about it. I've never seen that happen at an outdoor track. The bar is just so high, unless the parents are doing it too there isn't a real chance for a younger person to do it on their own.
I think outdoor off road needs a solid "entry point" class that is 4WD and has a low operating cost. It needs to be something with a power and speed that is manageable for a younger driver and is fun to drive on a "practice day" when the track hasn't been watered and there is zero traction. I think the tracks need to be toned down and simplified to go along with the existence of a class like this. This solves two issues. One, is it brings more people to the track to race. More turnout, more entry fees, more action, more word of mouth, etc only helps. It also creates a pool of people with the interest, skills, and tools to migrate upward and grow into the higher end classes.
The biggest trend I'm seeing in the midwest is that the outdoor off road tracks are disappearing. It seems like the operating costs of the 1/8th truggy and buggy are just too high for a lot of people to stick with it. The extreme weather we've had the last few years in spring and thru the summer hasn't helped either. Spring has been replaced with monsoon season, which then transitions into massive heat wave season. March thru September is almost a total loss, with just a few weeks of "nice" weather sprinkled in.
I think electric 1/8th scale has opened the door for a lot of people to get involved, but once they start having battery and esc failures and every time the car stops moving it costs them $300 they lose their desire to drive it. This conveniently folds into the trend of people only doing "big races" or special "traveling series races" as the cars cost to much to keep running all the time.
The track I've seen that is doing outdoor the best is HotRod hobbies. It's been two years since I've been there, but last I saw they built outdoor tracks that are appropriate for 1/10th scale. Unsurprisingly, they have a huge turnout. The weather there is also beautiful most of the year, which helps.
As my son has gotten old enough to potentially be involved with the hobby of racing, I've been frustrated by the lack of an "entry point" for him. No one who is in the hobby now started out driving a $2k 1/8th scale buggy as their first car at 7 years old. Most of us that are older started out with much tamer gear and grew into the larger scale higher power modern equipment. 2WD short course is a great novice class for indoors, and you see lots of kids doing that. However, on a true, big, 1/8th outdoor track driving 2WD SC is miserable. Another comparison is this, I've seen plenty of occasions where a younger kid shows up at the indoor track, driven there by mom or dad to race. He's the only one racing, mom or dad really don't know much about it. I've never seen that happen at an outdoor track. The bar is just so high, unless the parents are doing it too there isn't a real chance for a younger person to do it on their own.
I think outdoor off road needs a solid "entry point" class that is 4WD and has a low operating cost. It needs to be something with a power and speed that is manageable for a younger driver and is fun to drive on a "practice day" when the track hasn't been watered and there is zero traction. I think the tracks need to be toned down and simplified to go along with the existence of a class like this. This solves two issues. One, is it brings more people to the track to race. More turnout, more entry fees, more action, more word of mouth, etc only helps. It also creates a pool of people with the interest, skills, and tools to migrate upward and grow into the higher end classes.
05-04-2017, 02:17 PM
#128
Originally Posted by Roadburn
First off I apologize because I'm about to vent here a bit. I started racing as a teen around 1985. As always, history has a way or repeating itself. When I started, there were about 5 RC tracks in about an hour radius from my home. I didn't need to travel an hour or more to race, just 10 minutes. We are a dying breed and too many times I see racers on forums being a**holes to each other. Look at any online RC track directory and 50% of those tracks are closed. From my race experience from 1998 to 2008. Only one other racer besides myself still races. Another I know now races across the country. Lately, I've had the experience of racers refusing to go to certain tracks because of things said on forums. All I can say is that in the last 15 years, I've seen twice as many tracks close as I seen new ones open. I'm getting old and I'm not going to have to worry about it in another 15 years, but some of your guys will. Happy Racing!!!
05-04-2017, 02:49 PM
#129
Originally Posted by bmx_ican92
I have worked in a hobby shop for 7 years now and i don't think that the hobby is dying, i think the hobby is just misrepresented. Companies like traxxas have really marketed and promoted the bashing style of driving. My average new to r/c customer has absolutely zero interest in assembling kits or any sort of maintenance. They want to pull it out of the box go 65mph and jump the car off huge jumps. Long gone are the guys who want to tinker and paint bodies and enjoy the non driving parts of the hobby.
Is this a change in the public's interest? I dont think so. I think the main problem is companies like traxxas who have the money to make r/c mainstream have no interest in presenting the hobbyist side of the hobby. They air commercials on tv of pure bashing and crazy stunts, not a slash tearing up at a clay track. I think that if our more race dedicated companies could start having booths at motorsports events or commercials on tv we would have a much bigger resurgence in racing and interest in the actual hobby.
We need to show people that these are awesome scale race cars, not really fast toys.
Is this a change in the public's interest? I dont think so. I think the main problem is companies like traxxas who have the money to make r/c mainstream have no interest in presenting the hobbyist side of the hobby. They air commercials on tv of pure bashing and crazy stunts, not a slash tearing up at a clay track. I think that if our more race dedicated companies could start having booths at motorsports events or commercials on tv we would have a much bigger resurgence in racing and interest in the actual hobby.
We need to show people that these are awesome scale race cars, not really fast toys.
05-04-2017, 07:42 PM
#130
I have seen and read this thread probably 10 times now, perhaps its because it makes me sad or that I am in denial none the less I continue to hope that its not true and that racing will continue to grow. I began racing about 20+ years ago when my mom brought me home a traxxas street sport. It was not long after that that I upgraded to a RC10L3O (Yes I thought I was hot shit lol) and though I could barely keep up with the "adults" racing kept me out of trouble. To this day I still smell that minty tire prep we put on the foam tires
I got out of racing my junior year of high school and along the way I began racing ama,karts and even tried motorcross but none that gave me the true satisfaction as R/C once did. Since then I have begun a career and a family but never without thinking about R/C, racing en-particular and how it in a way saved me as a young mind with some bad influences. Several years later I have got back into the hobby and into racing after helping my wife's nephew. I moved from NOR CAL to good ol' North Carolina and had never seen a offroad track in person until this year. Racing is different, but I am not sure if in a bad way, where I had raced oval and road course in cali I find myself wondering what I had missed. I remember having to make my packs and equipment, though so basic back then seamed a lot more expensive...Then again I was a cashier at Taco bell haha!
I feel that even though the tracks near me have a good turn out (speed rc being one) that maybe like others said its the track owners being the issue, not sure if this is the case as I have never had any issue but something has to be the problem. BUT going back to the original question, is this "a dying hobby". I feel that if this is in fact a dying hobby manufactures like Associated would not be releasing new high quality kits like the B64D,B6D, and the f1 to name a few, also look at manufactures like reedy,lrp,tekin and proline and some newer manufactures like Tekno or the renamed hot bodies,j concepts,hobbywing and aka. All companies who are still in business and releasing new race worthy products
Another possibility to think about is that maybe just the club racing is dying.. after all PNB this year had over 2000+ entries, and chi-town from what I heard was a success like usual.
We just need to stick together and do what we need to to make this fun and enjoyable. Because non like some i love r/c racing and dont want it to leave my life anytime soon.
Sorry for the long trip down memory lane
I got out of racing my junior year of high school and along the way I began racing ama,karts and even tried motorcross but none that gave me the true satisfaction as R/C once did. Since then I have begun a career and a family but never without thinking about R/C, racing en-particular and how it in a way saved me as a young mind with some bad influences. Several years later I have got back into the hobby and into racing after helping my wife's nephew. I moved from NOR CAL to good ol' North Carolina and had never seen a offroad track in person until this year. Racing is different, but I am not sure if in a bad way, where I had raced oval and road course in cali I find myself wondering what I had missed. I remember having to make my packs and equipment, though so basic back then seamed a lot more expensive...Then again I was a cashier at Taco bell haha!
I feel that even though the tracks near me have a good turn out (speed rc being one) that maybe like others said its the track owners being the issue, not sure if this is the case as I have never had any issue but something has to be the problem. BUT going back to the original question, is this "a dying hobby". I feel that if this is in fact a dying hobby manufactures like Associated would not be releasing new high quality kits like the B64D,B6D, and the f1 to name a few, also look at manufactures like reedy,lrp,tekin and proline and some newer manufactures like Tekno or the renamed hot bodies,j concepts,hobbywing and aka. All companies who are still in business and releasing new race worthy products
Another possibility to think about is that maybe just the club racing is dying.. after all PNB this year had over 2000+ entries, and chi-town from what I heard was a success like usual.
We just need to stick together and do what we need to to make this fun and enjoyable. Because non like some i love r/c racing and dont want it to leave my life anytime soon.
Sorry for the long trip down memory lane
05-04-2017, 08:52 PM
#131
Tech Prophet
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Originally Posted by traumajunkie
I have seen and read this thread probably 10 times now, perhaps its because it makes me sad or that I am in denial none the less I continue to hope that its not true and that racing will continue to grow. I began racing about 20+ years ago when my mom brought me home a traxxas street sport. It was not long after that that I upgraded to a RC10L3O (Yes I thought I was hot shit lol) and though I could barely keep up with the "adults" racing kept me out of trouble. To this day I still smell that minty tire prep we put on the foam tires
I got out of racing my junior year of high school and along the way I began racing ama,karts and even tried motorcross but none that gave me the true satisfaction as R/C once did. Since then I have begun a career and a family but never without thinking about R/C, racing en-particular and how it in a way saved me as a young mind with some bad influences. Several years later I have got back into the hobby and into racing after helping my wife's nephew. I moved from NOR CAL to good ol' North Carolina and had never seen a offroad track in person until this year. Racing is different, but I am not sure if in a bad way, where I had raced oval and road course in cali I find myself wondering what I had missed. I remember having to make my packs and equipment, though so basic back then seamed a lot more expensive...Then again I was a cashier at Taco bell haha!
I feel that even though the tracks near me have a good turn out (speed rc being one) that maybe like others said its the track owners being the issue, not sure if this is the case as I have never had any issue but something has to be the problem. BUT going back to the original question, is this "a dying hobby". I feel that if this is in fact a dying hobby manufactures like Associated would not be releasing new high quality kits like the B64D,B6D, and the f1 to name a few, also look at manufactures like reedy,lrp,tekin and proline and some newer manufactures like Tekno or the renamed hot bodies,j concepts,hobbywing and aka. All companies who are still in business and releasing new race worthy products
Another possibility to think about is that maybe just the club racing is dying.. after all PNB this year had over 2000+ entries, and chi-town from what I heard was a success like usual.
We just need to stick together and do what we need to to make this fun and enjoyable. Because non like some i love r/c racing and dont want it to leave my life anytime soon.
Sorry for the long trip down memory lane
I got out of racing my junior year of high school and along the way I began racing ama,karts and even tried motorcross but none that gave me the true satisfaction as R/C once did. Since then I have begun a career and a family but never without thinking about R/C, racing en-particular and how it in a way saved me as a young mind with some bad influences. Several years later I have got back into the hobby and into racing after helping my wife's nephew. I moved from NOR CAL to good ol' North Carolina and had never seen a offroad track in person until this year. Racing is different, but I am not sure if in a bad way, where I had raced oval and road course in cali I find myself wondering what I had missed. I remember having to make my packs and equipment, though so basic back then seamed a lot more expensive...Then again I was a cashier at Taco bell haha!
I feel that even though the tracks near me have a good turn out (speed rc being one) that maybe like others said its the track owners being the issue, not sure if this is the case as I have never had any issue but something has to be the problem. BUT going back to the original question, is this "a dying hobby". I feel that if this is in fact a dying hobby manufactures like Associated would not be releasing new high quality kits like the B64D,B6D, and the f1 to name a few, also look at manufactures like reedy,lrp,tekin and proline and some newer manufactures like Tekno or the renamed hot bodies,j concepts,hobbywing and aka. All companies who are still in business and releasing new race worthy products
Another possibility to think about is that maybe just the club racing is dying.. after all PNB this year had over 2000+ entries, and chi-town from what I heard was a success like usual.
We just need to stick together and do what we need to to make this fun and enjoyable. Because non like some i love r/c racing and dont want it to leave my life anytime soon.
Sorry for the long trip down memory lane
Ofna, Novak gone. Tamiya ends its pro team. Team Durango looks to be dead. Hpi hanging on, even with new ownership, it's not looking great
That Chi-Town thing. It's 30 miles from me. Never heard, saw or read a thing about it. Only about 10 percent of hobby is involved in organized RC. It's become very segmented. Racer, driver, scaler, basher( never liked that term but it's not going away). Most don't cross.
Scaler and Touring car should get a kickstart soon. Traxxas has a scaler and Touring car coming in a month.
I'm just stepping into racing this year. Found a group that was tired of track drama and went off on their own. So far so good
It's not dying. Just changing.
05-04-2017, 11:45 PM
#132
I don't get why Superlight 1/8th scale didn't take off. The buggies are much cheaper and you don't need super expensive electronics and batteries. Plus they are slower and much more manageable on a smaller indoor track. Seemed like the perfect intro class to 1/8th scale which could still be super competitive and fun.
