Roadburn

iTrader: (1)

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!!!

tc5 man

This outdoor season 1/8 scale i agree it seems like it's falling off more personal stuff or other things . I haven't had a local track for years so i been traveling for a half to a hour plus to outdoor off-road tracks .

As for forums it's always going to seem like it's personal when its not it's like Facebook . Not the same in reality going to the track/people etc.

That myself wouldn't stop me from going to a track .

Socket

iTrader: (61)

Everytime I see this thread pop up, I have the same response: Get over yourself.

Nothing personal, but this hobby is bigger than it's EVER been, and the internet has only helped grow it into the massive multi-million dollar industry it is now. I believe Google estimated the worth of the R/C industry at 400 million.

Was it that much in 1985? No.

The biggest problem right now is track owners and managers, or more so, mis-management. R/C is HUGE in AZ where I live, but with track owners who can't manage and managers who are there to bully racers, it's most certainly dying. There's several HARDCORE racers who now travel 3+ hours every weekend to race in a friendly laid back environment.

tc5 man

Well you get to race outdoor all year long in AZ here in the Northeast you only get spring and summer and fall to run . And the weather is all over the place on the weekends now .

I already seen two guys sell there stuff this season to be honest though they spent to much money , on things and not just go out on the track and have fun.

There's only 2 indoor tracks around me used to more . Outdoor tracks there was 4 off-road tracks now 3 around me . Not many people want to travel 3 plus hours .

I agree with you tracks close because of mismanagement and being not very nice to the racers .

Roadburn

iTrader: (1)

TC I agree with you, it is the people that keeps me coming back to a track. I drive over an hour to race. I look forward to it every week and I'm happy to call T&L my new home track.

Socket I agree the internet help allot. I just remember allot more racers. Club races used to hold 75 plus. At a mom and pop track that has been around for ever, they feel fortunate is they get 25. It's different in the large population areas. I look at Harrisburg and there is about 4 tracks within an hour. Maybe the West Coast is different.

tc5 man

Club racing has been falling off weekend to weekend for a couple of years now . With more guys just doing bigger races . Myself i do mostly club racing and some big ones at the tracks I go to .

rannblod

iTrader: (1)

As long as outside exist I will always have a track..parks,parking lots,random fields,I was super bummed when some of the local tracks closed down One Hobbies,W3 and even more bummed when the buggys took overNothing like a track full of sct,s mobbing around the track I have not been to srs yet nor sure what the sct scene is.

Socket

iTrader: (61)

We do get to race outdoors year 'round, which is awesome, I agree.

I've had no less than 5 friends quit, sell all of their stuff and move on to new hobbies.

Reason? Issues with how the local track is ran. It's sad because the local track has done nothing to remedy their issues.

Socket

iTrader: (61)

There's a decent Stadium truck turn out at SRS, SCT is not strong. Buggies didn't "take over", they've been the gold standard since 1984, and will be for the long time coming.

New track will be open soon.

rannblod

iTrader: (1)

It seemed at one time years ago sct,s were just as popular than buggys.. maybe i just caught the tailend of the sct haydays..

Roadburn

iTrader: (1)

A time ago ST trucks would out number Buggies. You see trends in the hobby. I miss 1/12th scale pan road course, that took talent. I do really like how the hobby adjusts. Some classes I seen come and go, or fall by the wayside: full suspension oval buggy (may still race somewhere), Semi Racing with a six wheel chassis, Tractor Pulling, Hill Climbing (Marshall's has this once a year), Trinity Spec Classes (was super big), ST spec with blue standard tires, I'm sure I'm missing allot.

rannblod

iTrader: (1)

Adjust aka herd mentality.flavor of the month.. Luckily I don't race... But I do enjoy the track..

rannblod

iTrader: (1)

Scb class came and went so fast you probably didn,t even notice it
I just got done building an sc10b,love that truck\buggy..

Billy Kelly

iTrader: (9)

The hobby has changed. Most like myself will probably never race. Most will never see a track. A lot of the people I know online have never even been to a hobby store. They don't have one anywhere in their area.
Racing and other organized RC events make up around 10-15 percent of the hobby. The reason are far too numerous to even try to list.

buster8787

I don't think the hobby is dying at all. However, I would agree that we need some new people to get interested in it. There is a problem up here which that a square foot of industrial floor space is incredibly expensive and we are having the first indoor offroad dirt track opening sometime in the fall.

To run a competitive car, generally you have to spend a boatload of cash like $1k plus just to be competitive in nitro or ebuggy and to a 16 year old who flips burgers at Mc------- it's tough to compete with somebody who makes $150k in the oil patch. Spec classes are too much for the same reason. I don't have a clue how to remedy this.

I have been doing this for 6 years myself and really am not that good (being honest). Have had a lot of help in the last while and I think I'm getting on top of it. Personally, I think the best thing we can do to help the hobby is to find somebody who is interested in it and help them out, show them how to drive, how to set up a car. If not, people get pi$$ed, quit and sell their stuff.

For the last two years, in the fall we do a demonstration nearby here and I think last year we had around 200 people us at any one time just do some short races and jumps (more or less showing off). Many questions were asked and I think we had a few show up with cars in the spring but few stayed in the hobby because they realized how expensive it can be to run up front or near the front. The most common question asked was "How much?"