why another class?
On-road attendance is pitiful - we need to try something here (US) that works. I've witnessed track after track, either close or rip the rug out and throw dirt on it. Those facilities that have went to dirt are thriving beautifully.
What does that tell you?
And from the previous two pages of comments one of those reasons is apparent.
On-road has been too exclusionary and cost prohibitive - those with lesser vocabularies, that means expensive. Those that could afford it got fed up with the egomaniacs and the condescending attitudes that has sadly defined the on-road scene for years.
I've raced RC in one form or another for decades now; on-road, off-road, 4WD sedan, 1/12 scale, Pro10, buggy, stadium truck. 1/8 scale, all the various iterations of short-course and tons of classes I can't recall enough to name. I'll race anything with wheels on it, but if you have some odd religious issue with a particular class, just go about your business and let it alone. We aren't killing it here in the States with on-road. You should be supportive of any class that has a fighting chance to add new drivers to your own, because NOTHING is doing that now...now is it?
Folks in the UK are onto something, I'm sure of it. Myself and another in Wisconsin wanted to give this a shot after researching a chassis that could appeal to new drivers while having the ability to maintain the interest of more experienced racers. It's not about the class, it's about the racing. Who cares if it's a hotdog in a stale bun with wheels on it. If you don't have anyone to race with, what's the point?
GT12 is a class without any glaring faults, or the closest to it I've seen. The cars are, by rule, affordable, durable, surprising fast, handle beautifully and yet by rule again, simple enough to tune and maintain to make them an ideal platform to live with, week after week. Give a new driver a 1/12 scale or a 4WD sedan. I can tell you how that goes - he sells it in two weeks and never returns.
Those in the UK have been running these things around now since what, 1969? Mardave? They've got something figured out that we haven't here in the States, and it's working.
If it's not what you're jonesing for, that's cool, buzz off and let others make at least an attempt to get something on-road going here - not like it's going to dilute your hugely popular class - yes, that was sarcasm.
I want to thank those that run this class in the UK for helping us out with all the questions we've had, we should have about fifteen GT12's in our little club by next weeks end.