Originally Posted by
snoopyrc
Doug, & RobK. I know that it has been three years since I was this guy. (Please see paragraph above) Somehow I feel a fresh need to apologize for it. All I can say is that I am glad that its someone else giving you the attitude and not me.
Kent, it's all good. I think after you see the trends come and go and watch wave after wave of new product for almost 3 decades in this hobby, you get a perspective on R/C racing as a hobby that few people really understand. Rob and I have been collectively racing these stupid things for more than 50 years combined! Stuff comes and goes and speeds increase to the point that few can really drive them well, and yet people wonder why there are so few new racers, or why on road racing seems to be floundering.
I know it sounds grumpy to wax rhapsodic about the "good old days," but there was something really appealing about going to a race with 3 or 4 classes (or even TWO!), and knowing that the car you are bringing to the track was not only legal everywhere in the country, but that your class would be full down to the G or H mains—or even further! It was something to start at the bottom and gradually improve enough to move up to the B or C mains, and then get yourself into the A in Stock class at the local race track. It took a lot of practice and work, and it wasn't easy—but it sure felt good.
Today, most people would rather be in the A main, even if there were only 5 cars in their class. It just doesn't make sense to me why people would want so many classes to spread out small car counts to virtually nothing across the board. I really missed those days of 65 cars in 1/12th stock and 45 in 1/12th mod at the local club track. VTA really brought back a LOT of that 1987 feel to racing again for me, and a lot of other people—which is why it has been so popular for the last few years.
I think a race day with VTA, USGT and Pro Rubber (17.5t boosted) could bring all of that feeling back to on road racing if it was done correctly, and I really do believe that Rob has the right concept going with the Scale Nationals format this year.
I think if more people could get to run in a class with 30, 40 or 50+ cars each race day, they probably wouldn't be so concerned with rules minutiae and would just focus on racing, having fun and getting better.
That's just me, though.
