Has anyone taken a second to look at the big picture? Maybe nitro racing needs restructuring to bring it back to life!
Here's a couple of ideas.
1) Don't rely on the seasoned electric racers to "convert". People prefer certain classes for whatever reasons and are totally content with it. No different than Nitro guys not wanting to race 1/10th 2wd buggy because they are "silent little toys car".
2) Calling Electric racers E-babies isn't going to help your cause. The biggest problem with nitro racing is the attitude of some nitro racers. Drop the sense of entitlement!
3) Create incentives for noobs to race nitro.. FREE NITRO NOVICE CLASS!!!
4) Nitro needs a low budget class bring back 1/10th gas truck, or a spec/RTR class. Don't rely on roar or the industry to do it for you. your local club/track should led the way, the industry will follow.
5) Promote local club racing!!! Ditch the trophy hunter races and traveling point series. Without local club racing the expensive travel races become the "club race" in a sense.
Look at it from a non-nitro racers point of view lets say Joe Newbie Racer has spent the last 2 years racing 2wd SC at his local indoor track every weekend at $35 day (race fee, gas, and lunch). He starts to gain interest in nitro 1/8 buggy but the local nitro club racing scene is hit or miss/nonexistent so his only option is to follow the travel races. On average each race is 100 miles away from home. Since he has never been to the tracks on the series he has to leave work early on Friday to gain much needed practice at the track before Saturday's big race. So instead of spending the $35 at the local indoor track, he now has to miss a half day's of work, drive 100 miles each way, find lodging for friday night and pay a premium for the trophy/points race. After thinking it over, He buys a second electric car to club race locally instead getting that awesome new nitro buggy because the initial investment and cost of ownership for a nitro doesn't make sense to him, or is out of his monthly hobby budget. <---- This is our main problem locally, I've asked many new and seasoned electrics racers way they won't race nitro this is the main reason!