Originally Posted by
Ed Delgado
If it's a "spec" class we're talking about, then yes, limit it to SP1 chassis and their LM-A body. While we are at it, limit the ESC, tires and motors to only Speedpassion products-they make good stuff and I'm sure they wouldn't mind selling more electronics. If that's the case though, I don't see a "spec" class getting too high off the ground. I was looking it at it from a more inclusive and more general prototype body style point of view. In any case, good luck to you guys.
That was precisely what killed F1 here and caused about half of those interested in it to simply not show up at all. It was sad. There were some very vocal people who said "stock" only and then proceeded to define stock as no aftermarket parts on the car. The motor was any 21.5. Any blinky speedo. Spec tires. Complete real, correct for your chosen body liveries only. No "what if" paint schemes. No modifications to the original colors of teams. If you wanted a Ferrari or Lotus paint scheme and someone else already had it, pick another. You get the idea. Then some of the same people who set the rules then went about using home made parts since they weren't "aftermarket" but other people weren't allowed to run their aftermarket or home made parts because they weren't "stock". It got to be too ridiculous and took the fun out of it. The people who did participate enjoyed themselves for a short time but they kept evolving the rules around their own personal interests until it turned into a free for all. Class basically died.
What I envision a "spec" LeMans class should be is:
1: Blinky mode esc.
2: Motor is open provided it is the same turn, i.e. 21.5, 25.5, etc.
3: Any 2S hard case battery up to a maximum determined mah rating.
4: Tires may be spec as dictated by any particular track but many not necessarily be the same tire for different tracks due to variation in surface. At max, two different spec tires may be chosen such as a soft or hard compound. This is true to real racing.
5: Body must be realistic class specific LeMans type based on a real car past or present. No Protoform P905 type of bodies.
6: Vehicle mods are open provided the car fits within a certain wheelbase and width. Let's face it, the differences we'd see are so small that they don't often really give much of an advantage.
7: Minimum weight limit.
8: Realistic paint scemes are highly encouraged but not mandatory.
I don't think a set of rules like this takes anything away from the feel of a LeMans specific class or the intent of it. It keeps things close enough that it comes down to setup and driver. I know some will say that person X has brand A motor while person Y has brand B motor. That is a part of competition. It really isn't as easy as saying any certain motor will always win. Let's face it, real LeMans racing is all about competing technologies. That's what makes it so much fun to watch. This should be embraced in rc LeMans style car to an extent as well. This is just my opinion of course. It's rigid enough to make purists happy but not so rigid that it would turn away others. Above all else, keep the rules consistent. Don't keep changing them.