The wide range of equipment and ability level is killing the club scene. You see the same faces winning and the newcomers/less wealthy finishing behind them.
When I was much younger I had a mentor teach me a lot of things about r/c racing and that was a great help. I was very fortunate to be thrown a HPI Pro 2 with all the eqipment for it, (including spec stuff!) and told to race it at the HPI challenge in snetterton yesteryear.
This same guy also started a serious conversation with me about him starting up a model shop, and wanted me in as staff but it never materialised.
Sadly, I lost contact with this guy quite a few years ago. He had kids, a wife and owned a chip shop, he really helped the local club out too, even arranged for a hall to be used for a winter series and sold parts for cheap money, gave really good advice to anyone he came across.
Then one day, he just sold up the chip shop and left the area
I met some all time great faces at the HPI challenge, Dave Spashett, Mike Reedy and some others (American's I think) I dont remember their names/faces but the atmosphere was GREAT, back in 2001.
Sometimes the well known drivers that will be in the A finals at big events will show their faces at club level, possibly even helping give a bit of advice if they have the time to, and that really needs to continue to see the racing continue, and in a good turnout.