Originally Posted by Carl Giordano
Sounds like your club found a way to run a sportsman club the right way...So the drivers sign-up for which ever classs and race that class all season...makes sense, it was different when NERCAR ran sportsman years ago....everyone had to start in sportsman...what made it worse was the sportsman guys did not run Lola bodies...forget the name of the other type..
A well sportsman class sounds great, the only things is how do you handle the guy who runs a modified engines in sportsman class....Seems to take away from the goal to promote a less expensive form of racing for 1/8th?
Perhaps the problem, for all of RC racing (I mean racing), is the lack of draw into our sport (RC Racing). I don't believe this is an Eight Scale only issue. It is nice to see Eight grow, I applaud the efforts and energies. But and this is a very BIG but, I maintain our hobby is shrinking because the scales that use to feed eigth scale are dwindling. When I visit the racing venues in our area, including off-road - I see alot of the same faces. I think we (Racers) through our National Organization, ROAR, need to develope interest in our sport - Many ways to do this - but - we need to focus on doing it.
I started in the 80's - Competition Plus was the mag to read (All about Racing: Jay Halsey, Cliff Lett, Magic Man and some dude named Paris). The Ranch was hallowed ground. Now, we have Car Action - Lord, How many Monster Truck parts need to be sold. The Point, here, is they (the rags) don't focus on racing.
The Spec or Sportsman Class will help draw "newbies" into our arena - I support this.
I am afraid in 5 years the youngsters will rather play with Electronic Games than join us - The Next Generation needs to know we exist. There are plenty of Dads who would love to get there kids into an enviroment of fun - and outdoors.