oldschoolracer

As a ROAR member since the mid '80s I'll log in a suggest a few things.
I am of the opinion that if anything RCing has gotten cheaper than it was 20 years ago, at least in comparison to the economy and huge prices increases in every other consumer good, so I don't think it's not as much of a cost concern as a return on the investment concern which has alway been a problem amoungst the have and the have not racers.

1) As far as any "electric resurgance" is concerned I think it might have more to do with more of a phase the hobby is going through than anything else. I can remember when electric 1/12th onroad took off, all but elminating 1/8th onroad from racer's minds, as well as seeing the growth of 1/10th offroad with the introduction of vehicles from AE and Losi to compliment and surpass what was already on the market. And I clearly remember the day when the first RC10GT hit the track and the buzz it created as everyone that seemingly had never heard a nitro run got all excited about the real sounds of racing cars. In quick succession manufacturers started churning out nitro buggies and monster trucks and finally truggies, and factory drivers soon all but left the electric ranks to run gas. Which brings me to my next point.
2) While ROAR seemingly was intended as a rules-making organization, it's never really in my opinion differentiated any difference between the pro or factory drivers and the average joe. Yes, there has been things in the rules relative to accepting prize money, but more to point there's never been anything in the rules relative to actually noting the difference between paid drivers vs. ones that run out of their own pockets. Which brings me to my next point.
3) As I saw it and heard if from their mouths, a lot of average guys ran from electric to get into something they had a chance of winning at as much they chased the so-called sound of racing motor thing. We were going through a bit of a battery wars era, and unless you had the best packs you didn't stand a chance. Going gas was the easy answer for many of them. But as nitro cars and trucks have evolved so has the engineering involved with going fast and now once again the average guy has little chance competing, even on the local level against the lhs-sponsored drivers, because of engine costs. And then when you add that to the fact that all the medium to large event podiums are filled by the big names, whether it be ROAR or RC Pro Series or whatever, the little guy is again all but being forced to find a playground in which they can play in, and be competitive, and still have a chance to take home a trophy at the end of the weekend. And many of those guys are migrating from nitro to electric, or back to electric, because they're tired of getting beat by the money. Which brings me to my final point.
4) Do something in the rules to quantitatively differentiate between sponsored and unsponsored drivers. Between the guy and gal that pays for their stuff out of their own pocket and the ones that are either on salary to a factory team or even the ones getting a discount at the local hobby shop -- because one way or another for the organization (ROAR) to grow it's going to have to come from the grass roots level. ... and that's the little guy.

But you've probably heard that sort of thing before, as well as most of the similar points made by all of us oldchool and longtime members. So maybe, and more to point, you really do need to hear what the little guy and what the new guys wants to see changed and what it'll take for them to become more involved in the hobby and ROAR events.