What killed the class in our club was the fact that they were putting obstacles on the track in order to make the class "funner". For the new guys just getting into the RC scene, I don't think it's very fun buying a $200 kit (yes, that's what costs by the time you add a battery, servo, receiver, paint, etc) just to go out and destroy it. If you just want to throw money away, send it my way. I will make sure to put it towards something useful
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Perhaps if the more seasoned racers had stayed out of the class, and we kept this class as a race class and not a "smash up derby", then more racers would have stayed racing this class. The whole point of a beginner class is to grow the hobby and promote good clean driving to set them up for more advanced classes. Is it not? Just my 2 cents.