Hello,

I'd like to get involved in Tamiya Championship Series (TCS) racing and was wondering if it would be a better idea to start off with a TT-02 variant and race in the Spec/Novice class or to get a TA-06 platform and practice driving it as often as possible with an eye of entering in the GT3 class. I don't have much experience with RC cars, but I've built plenty of Tamiya static kits when I was younger and worked on 1:1 cars. I plan on visiting my local shop and seeking their advice as well, but I felt that by asking here, I'd get a wider range of response from people who wouldn't have a vested interest in selling me something I didn't need or really want.

Thanks,
Vic

There is no really easy answer to your question.

Spec/Novice, GT3 and don't rule out M-Chassis all have their good and bad points.

M-Chassis can be extremely competitive as can be GT3 depending on which regional event you will attend.

The best place for guidance will be the facility that you will be participating at on a regular basis.

This weekend I'll be running my second TCS event and I can tell you that its an absolute blast.

If you don't have much experience with RC, then spec / novice might be the best choice, not only from the competition level but also the cost perspective. A TT-0x chassis with some basic upgrades (e.g. ball bearings, oil filled shocks, etc.) using the kit silver can and speed control can be had relatively cheaply.

As for GT3, as Ercwhtsd said all of the other classes are extremely competitive. This weekend I will be running both GT3 and Mini and I fully expect to get lapped multiple times.

To give you an idea how competitive, here are a couple videos from last years event (fun fact - the videos are actually from Ercwhtsd's great facility!)

+ YouTube Video

+ YouTube Video

In any case, as Ercwhtsd said, stop by your track and talk to the local racers. You'll find many people are happy to welcome newcomers and share info. And feel free to post/PM any questions you have.

And one more thing....if anyone tells you Mini is a cheap/affordable class to get in to, THEY'RE LYING!!!!

Thanks for the advice. There's a couple of local groups near me and I stopped by the closest shop (Galaxy Hobby) last weekend that held the regional TCS events to learn more about when and what was scheduled. I plan on visiting another group (Seattle RC Racers) tomorrow evening to see how they operate. From what I gathered on the latter's website, they are a bit more relax in their rule set so I might be able to run a GT3-class chassis with a silvercan 540 in their "Novice" spec, which would give be track experience without spending money on a "training wheels" chassis.

BanzaiHobby had a TA06-R chassis for less than what a TT02 + the recommended upgrades off Tamiya's "GT Spec Novice Rules" website. I'll need to add the body, electrical, and electronics systems if I go this route, but I think I can use those from my XV-01 Lancia Rally 037 as it has a Tamiya drive-train. Wheels might be more difficult as I'd prefer to find another set of Tamiya pepperpot wheels because the current ones have they rally tires glued on.

Thanks,
Vic

I went to last night's meeting of Seattle RC Racers in Hanger 30 and had a great time watching the heats and talking to the drivers. There was a lot of information to pick up from the various folks there. I should be able to go the TA06-R route with their novice class as a couple of the novice drivers were using dual-deck chassis. I might have a problem with the motor/chassis combination as their rules stipulate a Novak 25.5T motor if I don't want to run a Tamiya silver can (based upon what I read in the TA06 thread).

They run a VTA-esque class, Scale Spec, which is one step up from Novice and uses much of the same equipment. I have a feeling that's I'll be the only person driving a tub, but that's alright.

-Vic