I always tell this story so I might as well once again...lol...
Akron, Ohio 1998 - First year racing for Trinity @ the ROAR Carpet Oval Nats - 6-cell 1/10 Mod with a 12 turn, I Tq'd with a 63 4:05 (dumped last lap).
Akron, Ohio 2002 - ROAR Carpet Oval Nats, same track - 4-cell 1/10 Mod with 9 turn, 62 4:03
Akron, Ohio 2008 - Just a club race day, same track - 4-cell 1/10 10.5 - 62 4:01 - Modified 4-cell ran 68 laps!!!
Now, 10.5 4-cell is slower than 17.5 with a 7.4v Lipo and yet we are racing 7.4v Lipo in Mod with 4.5's and lower?? Sorry but even being one of the pro racers, it's simply not fun anymore because there are only a few guys who can drive it, the amount of equipment you have to go through to keep up (new tires every run) and the amount of time/testing you have to put in just to get the car on the same lap is impossible for people to do unless they are a Pro.
The speeds have increased so much that it's not possible for the cars to remain drivable for most racers. I know people say whatever "man up" but seriously are you going to go do something that you feel totally uncomfortable with (like walking into a dark hotel room that Geotz, Chicky, McSmooth and Herrmann are in).... I don't think so. For most, 17.5 is fast enough to race and be enjoyable. 13.5 is boarder line and 10.5 is too fast. Mod is out of the question.
There are options but most people don't want to look at or accept:
#1 - As 1/12 has dropped now in voltage to 3.7v Lipo, maybe TC should as well - Yep, they'll be slower but then you get the good drivers who are bored with the speeds to move up through the classes. That way, Mod is drivable and the prestegious class to win, not just the class that only the Pro's can drive in but no one else cares about.
#2 - The cars have to be more drivable. Reducing weight, increasing tire width, and the biggest thing is the bodies (trust me, I've seen it a lot with our 1/8 nitro cars). Put a Lola or maybe even a DTM body on the Mod cars so they have the ample downforce and low CG they need for the speeds and then people will enjoy it because they are more solid and under control. Honestly, I understand the concept about the .030, standard weight bodies because they last longer but in reality they make the cars drive terrible compared to some of the old .020 bodies that we ran. I would love to drive an R9-F in .020 lexan just to see how much easier it makes the cars drive. Of course the scale model "realists" out there probably want to hang me right now but look at the entries for 1/12 vs TC the last two years and tell me how much of having a real looking body vs. a functional body is important for the health of a class.... Ask the guys who run 1/8 nitro who can run a corner flat out at 70mph care if it looks real.... The line has to be drawn somewhere.
#3 - Everyone compares the US turn out to the European turn out in Mod but everyone fails to take note - Much larger tracks, much lower traction and they are only on 5-cells!!! 5-cells with a 3.5 is a ton more drivable than even a 5.0 with a 7.4v Lipo. You don't have the expolsive bottom end that spins the tires so easily.
In the end - It has to be FUN. Good competition, good racing with drivable cars that people can go home talking about the battle they had on the track with another driver rather than talking about how they couldn't get there car drivable to even run a clean run....
But.... What do I know... I'm only a washed up, spoiled RC Pro.....
