^random dude.
Anyway, I won't make it out to the the track on Wed.
I'll write up my thoughts in here, the following is strictly my opinion and not meant to be insinuating, hopefully no one takes it the wrong way or anything like that. (especially you,
604racer-or should I say, people who use the 604racer account?
).
My Experience @ GORC
Months ago, it was great news to hear that Korgae closing down his track turned into another track opening. I was one of the few who were there that first weekend to see what it was like. First time out, the track was a slip n slide, no traction, still dirt on the surrounding areas, and every time we went to pickup a car we left dirt footprints all over the carpet. This was also when the transponder system was not setup. I didn't have much fun that day.
A while later I returned, and the track had a bit more traction, but nowhere near enough to have my car run well. The transponder system was still not setup, so I got it up and running, showed Chris the basics and ran the rest of the day.
I think I've only been to the track 3 times, maybe a forth, but the last time I went to GORC, there were a few more people (<5), traction was on its way up and I had fun turning my rubber car into a foam one just to go a bit faster.
What I've written so far is basically how GORC has slowly improved its venue, and how it would be a shame for it to go. Chris definitely IS a good guy, and is trying hard to learn things about running a track amongst general RC knowledge too. It's unfortunate that GORC couldn't have waited until late Sept to open its doors instead of running all summer long. I had suggested to Chris that the summer outdoor running would leave few racers to attend GORC.
One of the things that drew me to 360, was how helpful Korgae and other experienced racers were. I learned an amazing amount of things over that one season about setup, how to take corners, and how to stop overdriving the car
. Perhaps Korgae could run some racing this fall?
Location and Size
As most of you know, I attended 360 almost as many times as Korgae
. So of course hearing about the track moving to Surrey instead of Abbotsford was a definite plus. If the track could be relocated to Burnaby or New West? Even better. Why? Because that 45 minutes one way I save could lead to 1.5hours running my car. That 45 minutes one way I save would mean I get to be home earlier, after getting decent track time before sleeping for work the next day during weekdays. (I was lucky enough to be able to have my working Wednesdays end at 330 during the 360 days, not anymore.)
GORC is advertised as being slightly larger than 360 was. The building space MIGHT be larger, but the track is identical and it seems like Korgaes could host more pit spaces. I would prefer a larger track, but small track is better than no track. I would prefer GORC to have a track about double the size - we could have 10 car mains easily. (Mains at Korgae's were a definite challenge because of the tight track)
Running Dates
The track being open everyday was a good idea. I always wished for Saturday to be open at Korgae's instead of just Wed + Sun. But the rest of the weekdays? I wouldn't be running those nights, not with the drive and the small amount of runtime.
When thinking about the low turnout at GORC, could that be because of how open the track was? Were people going on the different days that each day would have 2-3 drivers instead of having 20 drivers on Sunday? Perhaps, but I don't even know what the turnout numbers are like for M-F.
Back to the running dates, as I mentioned how I would be at RRR on weekends, or taking a weekend off if it rained - It definitely meant I would rarely hit up GORC. My first session at GORC I left work about 530 in Burnaby, and I got there by 7 with the rush hour traffic. By the time I got my pit setup and charging, I only had 2 hours to run before closing. You might think 2 hours is a long time, but realistically unless if you dumped pack after pack into the car without saucing tires/cooling motor/changing setup, you would get about 4 to 5 runs. That was the only time I went to GORC on a weekday.
Commitment
To put it nicely, I don't think 100 racers committing to GORC is realistic. Korgae's season (I think) wouldn't have had 100 different racers. Besides, how much of a discount would a $65 membership give you, anyway? I didn't buy one at Korgaes. All those times I was at Korgaes, a membership wouldn't have broken even until February, from October.
I will be buying a membership to help keep a permanent track going. 
Best Wishes
Like I mentioned above, unfortunately I won't make it out on Wednesday.
I do hope that you:
- keep the track open
- reopen the track in 2 months
- relocate and either of the above
- get the feedback you're looking for
- get the #of racers attending soon
After reading what I wrote above, these were all things that other racers and myself had mentioned to you over the spring and summer season. I never posted as above, but now you wanted all we have to say, and there it is.
Thanks Chris, I hope Wednesday goes well for you.