Sounds like a well-intended idea with the 19T class for 4wd, but like someone else reiterated earlier in the thread, it just adds to watering down the rest of the classes (i.e. Stock, 19T, Novice, mod, sportsman, and all that) and I think that part of what is hurting electric right now with the dilution that has been taking place in the past few years.
However what I think would really help right now and appeal to more racers is perhaps at bigger events, you could sign up for separate 4wd class in terms of skills level, namely Factory class and Expert (another name for Sportsman) class. For instance I remember one Norrca Off-road Nationals in the past they had a great idea and program format that I think should be more aggressively implemented and promoted to racers now days to increase attendance and appeal. They had “Factory 4wd” (for all the factory paid and the higher up and faster experienced sponsored drivers), and “Expert 4wd” (which has a nice ring to it rather than calling it Sportsman which it in fact it really was intended to be, no joke, lol) for the rest of the racers that did not want to compete directly with the factory paid or faster sponsored drivers. The rule was, no sponsored or Factory drivers were permitted to compete in the “Expert Class”.
I think that would work out nicely, and you could do the same for 2wd, truck. As the trend is going now days and the future to come, I hardly think people are no longer going to have three separate motors/esc combos for each of their cars (i.e. stock, 19T, and mod) but rather show up with one brushless system that can do it all. What are you going to tell a newbie/or someone that recently purchased a brushless set-up already installed in their 4wd, that they would have to invest in an entirely new set up on top if they want to compete in another 4wd class? Exactly my point, no need to increase costs or requirement to purchase additional equipments as it is. For myself, competing in that 4wd 19T class, I’ll hate have to purchase an entirely new brushless or a new esc/19Tmotor set-up just to simply be allowed to compete in it, when I would like to just drive it in with the current equipment I already have installed in the 4wd, as opposed to spending additional money, cost, and time on a entirely new system, and set-up.
Hence my reasoning for giving us racers the option to sign up for Factory and Expert classes at bigger events, long as the rule that "
No Factory drivers or heavily sponsored drivers are permitted to competed in the Expert classes" to keep it fun and fair to run in for us racers, and that aspect is enforced to make it more appealing for the average racers. I am all for it, and would love to compete in a such class, and think it would be great and awesome! I use the word Expert, instead of Sportsman because I think a lot of racers would probably prefer to say, “I won the Expert class!” you know how ego is with us racers, instead of Sportsman or 19T.
I'll rather racers invest in entirely one esc/motor set-up (to reduce costs & less confusion what to get,)
that can do it all, as the trend is going lately with the increase in popularity of forget it and leave it brushless motors and upcoming Li-po technology, and race in the class they like respectively. I just can’t justify myself and others investing in an entirely new esc/motor set-up, where some of us have brushless motor/esc set-up already installed in our 4wd (isn’t that what the new technology is supposed to be about, instead of investing in multiple esc/motor combos to compete in different classes?) and just want to purely run it as it is in whatever 4wd classes our skill levels dictate.
You don't see them splitting up 1/8th 4wd scale by engine sizes today, but rather by skill levels at big events and club races. In fact I know that if I race nitro, I don't have to worry about investing in multiple nitro engine combo or the like, too much hassle if that was the case. That’s the appeal of running nitro to many new racers, and it continues to attract many new racers for the fact you just can run your 1/8th scale and gas truck as it is with whatever you purchased for it. Way less confusing for sure. I think the same should be the case for electric. I believe the additional diversity classes for electric (19T, Stock, & further clouded by the push for 10.5 brushless, 13.5 brushless classes, when is it going to end? just a money maker for manufactors for the most part I believe) is just simply hurting it for the past few years, and hope for the return of the glory day of simply run what you brought to the track, and see an increase in turnouts far as electric racing goes. A lot more simplier and easier. We could learn a thing or two from our nitro counterparts for sure.
On the side, I do think its great though with all the interest generated with 4wd that've been coming out lately from Hotbodies, Kyosho, Tenth Technology on top of Losi, MRC, and X-Factory, and others, and I hope it continues!
