What are the rules for the sportsman class
#31
Tech Elite
iTrader: (27)
I'd like to say first that I'm a halfway decent driver in 1/10th 2wd electric buggy, I dont always qualify in the A-main but I placed in the A main in a few events lasy year in the top 5. I am horrible at qualifying in all classes I've ever run but for some reason make up for it in the mains. I suppose its just because it takes me a few too many laps to get comfortable and drive.
I've recently started running 1/8th nitro and when I went into it was told I should just go whole hog and run pro, I opted to run sportsman for my first race just because it made it easier because gene can pit for me and depending on how the mains fall I can still pit for him as well. It was a smart choice anyway. I'm still getting used to muscleing the car around. Its a lot different than driving an electric because the power isn't just instantly there, it takes a moment for the engine to spool up and when it does it hits a little differently. I've also had issues with not having any drag brake and having to acctually apply the brakes. I would like to be running pro, the only way to go faster is to drive with faster people, and while my fast laps are on pace with pro times I have had some amazing wrecks because I'm still a little nervous about the jumps, I'm affraid to overshoot them or accidentally hit a marshall and Im very skittish and try to be aware of whats over the jump before I get there. My average lap times put me in the way in the B-main of pro, and while I have no problems myself with being in the Z-main of any class I also dont want to be in the way and drive worse the better other people are on the track to try and stay out of the way. knowing that racers in my class are about the same speed as me just lets me concentraite more on my driving and less on where other people are on the track making it more fun.
If I ended up in shay's 1/8th qualifier I'd be pulling over every other lap for him and others and would spend more time on the side of the road than I would be driving. While yes if there was a qualifier to sort and then throw everybody in the mains they belong in it means that I would lose a qualifier of run time and could end up in a lower position than I should be because I spent more time letting other drivers pass than I did driving.
As for the requirements, I agree with it should be bassed on average lap time and nothing else. my opinion has always been I dont care how long you've been driving, or what you've been driving, if its your first time in that class of car you should run the sportsman class for one qualifier just to see where you belong. If you run consistantly and halfway decently and want to run pro, go for it, but if you're causing accidents and all over you're probobly where you need to be for a few races. If your borrowing somebodys car to give it a try I belive you belong in sportsman for your first race as well, because your just getting a feel for the car, unless of course your 5 or 6 laps over 2nd after the first qualifier, then obviously you need to bump.
Also I belive if you blow up your engine in the first qualifier because you didn't know your air filter needs oil, you should probobly run sportsman (or be wearing a helmet) to pick up a few pointers J/k, you know I love you Mark
I've recently started running 1/8th nitro and when I went into it was told I should just go whole hog and run pro, I opted to run sportsman for my first race just because it made it easier because gene can pit for me and depending on how the mains fall I can still pit for him as well. It was a smart choice anyway. I'm still getting used to muscleing the car around. Its a lot different than driving an electric because the power isn't just instantly there, it takes a moment for the engine to spool up and when it does it hits a little differently. I've also had issues with not having any drag brake and having to acctually apply the brakes. I would like to be running pro, the only way to go faster is to drive with faster people, and while my fast laps are on pace with pro times I have had some amazing wrecks because I'm still a little nervous about the jumps, I'm affraid to overshoot them or accidentally hit a marshall and Im very skittish and try to be aware of whats over the jump before I get there. My average lap times put me in the way in the B-main of pro, and while I have no problems myself with being in the Z-main of any class I also dont want to be in the way and drive worse the better other people are on the track to try and stay out of the way. knowing that racers in my class are about the same speed as me just lets me concentraite more on my driving and less on where other people are on the track making it more fun.
If I ended up in shay's 1/8th qualifier I'd be pulling over every other lap for him and others and would spend more time on the side of the road than I would be driving. While yes if there was a qualifier to sort and then throw everybody in the mains they belong in it means that I would lose a qualifier of run time and could end up in a lower position than I should be because I spent more time letting other drivers pass than I did driving.
As for the requirements, I agree with it should be bassed on average lap time and nothing else. my opinion has always been I dont care how long you've been driving, or what you've been driving, if its your first time in that class of car you should run the sportsman class for one qualifier just to see where you belong. If you run consistantly and halfway decently and want to run pro, go for it, but if you're causing accidents and all over you're probobly where you need to be for a few races. If your borrowing somebodys car to give it a try I belive you belong in sportsman for your first race as well, because your just getting a feel for the car, unless of course your 5 or 6 laps over 2nd after the first qualifier, then obviously you need to bump.
Also I belive if you blow up your engine in the first qualifier because you didn't know your air filter needs oil, you should probobly run sportsman (or be wearing a helmet) to pick up a few pointers J/k, you know I love you Mark
#32
Almost 300 views and a dozen comments and not a single answer! Of coarse if I asked the same question about any electric class there would be pages of people with answers. Why not nitro?!? The GCS has rules posted up clearly. PNB post rules, the pro series has them and there's even ROAR rules that are posted. Seems to easy to just adopt any of those sets of rules And actually follow them ,but instead we follow "UNWRITTEN" rules that are made up as we go. It shouldn't matter how small or large the event is or club race to a series race. Electrics have the same rules at every race but not nitro. So I ask again to track owners and race sponsors. What are the rules for sportsman at each track???
#33
There's alot of good points here but there getting off topic from what I'm asking. Aside from when someone should bump or not is not the question!! In a perfect world after everyones bumped to pro my question is what are the RULES for The leftover sportsman?? If it's all real sportsman in the class and no sandbaggers then I still don't know the rules!! I'm talking about if I was brand new to 1/8 nitro and I had no friends, how could I find the rules to follow?? If I'm new I couldn't know the unwritten rules and I couldn't know any guidelines so I'd be lost.
#34
There's alot of good points here but there getting off topic from what I'm asking. Aside from when someone should bump or not is not the question!! In a perfect world after everyones bumped to pro my question is what are the RULES for The leftover sportsman?? If it's all real sportsman in the class and no sandbaggers then I still don't know the rules!! I'm talking about if I was brand new to 1/8 nitro and I had no friends, how could I find the rules to follow?? If I'm new I couldn't know the unwritten rules and I couldn't know any guidelines so I'd be lost.
http://www.roarracing.com/?page_id=10
#35
Tech Elite
iTrader: (27)
There's alot of good points here but there getting off topic from what I'm asking. Aside from when someone should bump or not is not the question!! In a perfect world after everyones bumped to pro my question is what are the RULES for The leftover sportsman?? If it's all real sportsman in the class and no sandbaggers then I still don't know the rules!! I'm talking about if I was brand new to 1/8 nitro and I had no friends, how could I find the rules to follow?? If I'm new I couldn't know the unwritten rules and I couldn't know any guidelines so I'd be lost.
#36
Tech Master
iTrader: (13)
You're right mark does have a lot to learn....about nitro not driving. You say he should run sportsman even though he tq'd and won a series race first time out? Moon has skills man he's only hurting himself in sportsman, but that is not the reason for this topic. Like it was stated if I had never raced before how would I know?
#37
Tech Elite
iTrader: (27)
You're right mark does have a lot to learn....about nitro not driving. You say he should run sportsman even though he tq'd and won a series race first time out? Moon has skills man he's only hurting himself in sportsman, but that is not the reason for this topic. Like it was stated if I had never raced before how would I know?
#38
Tech Master
iTrader: (13)
Oh I know I was harassing you back, that's why I went on to say moon has skills. And like someone has stated somewhere take one race to see where you stand, and marks dominate showing proved he needed to run with the pros. But that proves the comments about times being the deciding factor. But once again it still is undefined as to what the written in stone rules are
#39
i'm not speaking for Mark but i believe he is moving up to pro. Jonathan and I gave him a few pointers on nitro engine tuning Friday night at unit speedway. Man he's lost on "GAS" engine tuning. LOL!
#41
Tech Rookie
Hey guys most tracks go by roar rules. When something comes up that you dont think is right go to the track owner and ask. Alright on the topic of pro or sportsman. Buggy and truggy are the two classes that have sportsman or pro. To be completely fair it should be like all the other classes. Everyone in buggy runs together. After the first heat split the next heat up by their times that way everyone runs with people close to their lap times,that is the reason for A B and C mains. A few years back track owners used to give a small prize for the first three places in each main. That way everyone runs close to the people closest to them and people were proud to run in each of there mains.
#42
Tech Elite
iTrader: (27)
Oh I know I was harassing you back, that's why I went on to say moon has skills. And like someone has stated somewhere take one race to see where you stand, and marks dominate showing proved he needed to run with the pros. But that proves the comments about times being the deciding factor. But once again it still is undefined as to what the written in stone rules are
#43
Tech Elite
iTrader: (19)
I just saw this thread. My name Alan Fundora seems to be in question regarding bumping to pro or staying sportsman. Offroaden and Coty I did not know you guys felt like this. You should have come up to me and had this conversation. I will do anything for the sake of the hobby.
I have no sponsorships, but I do spend my money on top of the line equipment. I always thought I was too slow for pro. Sometimes when I pit for Paul Conway,I am usually in Shock and Awe watching the Pro's race. That includes Paul, Coty, Dustin, Corey, Timmy, Ed, and others. I also consider the problem with lack of people to pit with each other if most are in pro.
I have no sponsorships, but I do spend my money on top of the line equipment. I always thought I was too slow for pro. Sometimes when I pit for Paul Conway,I am usually in Shock and Awe watching the Pro's race. That includes Paul, Coty, Dustin, Corey, Timmy, Ed, and others. I also consider the problem with lack of people to pit with each other if most are in pro.
#44
Tech Champion
iTrader: (88)
Sorry if anyone thought I was sandbagging. I simply switched chassis and dropped almost 4 sec per lap instantly! I race BMX for several years and I started out as a beginner and eventually worked my way to expert so my same method applied to Rc... Now I'm running pro and getting my rear handed to me. I still enjoy it either way.