JQ

That's the most lucrative business in R/C!

R/C Market = 98% basher, 2% racer.[/QUOTE]

What about Durango next year?

DRCRacer299

Lots of new racing projects in the pipeline! Good stuff coming!

nitroexpress

HPI is on the slippery slope to oblivion.

When Losi trumped them in 1/5 SC, what did they do? Came out with the Baja Super 5SC Flux. What a POS. No one wanted an electric 1/5 scale.

LosiPRRACER

I think you will find There was ALOT of people who wanted the Electric 1/5 - mostly bashers.
bashers make up most of RC and without them racing probably wouldnt exist.

I Race and i have my basher trucks and what not... i know for sure i spend 5 x more on bashers then any race car.

Hpi - They have a huge side of them that is much bigger then racing, traxxas left the racing scene and now they are living large with the bashers, and are into full size motor racing and taking advantage of it due to making cars with bodies of those same cars.

bigjayjay1

iTrader: (86)

Yeah but traxxas has a plan with a great strategy this didn't happen over night. They also sponsor off road racing as marketing therefore they've earned every penny.

I read a comment saying any other company would have had the same issues if a merger occurred with another distributor. That's a poor excuse they let a lot of people hanging D12.

People bought and sold because of this issue. I didn't see any public apologies or statements from HPI regarding this problem or sympathy. No company should ever take there customers for granted. Maybe they will exit the racing scene which is sad they make good products. They just need to get their crap together. Hara pulled out of a long term contract that normally means he wasn't happy. TY is doing great but Hara is a legend and he will be a great asset to any company.

Rsickles

iTrader: (21)

Might be worth mentioning in the case for Durango... Hara is currently signed with both Futaba and O.S. (I believe after HPI/HB, Futaba was his second biggest sponsor), which are both Hobbico brands.

Teufel Racing

iTrader: (30)

Hobbico has the exclusive Dist. right(s) for those brands (Futaba and O.S.). North and South America for Futaba and North America for O.S. That doesn't make them Hobbico "Brands" persay as that would imply ownership of said brands, and I don't think that's exactly the case.

Where ever he goes, I'm sure there will be people happy to have him for one reason or another. Affording him will probably be the biggest issue for most interested parties.

I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to hit up Amain as a main sponsor vs. his current sponsorship he has with them.

wombat

iTrader: (31)

Doubt that alot....Hara will either go it alone (has an interest in RIDE products anyway) or the more likely scenario of signing with a manufacturer. Amain really are small fry when you try to compare them against RC manufacturers.

No way he's gonna sign with amain who is essentially a retailer shop (with a subsidiary/side brand in Pro-tek) as his main sponsor even if it was an interim deal....he is Hara after all....

I agree with what other people have been saying in other threads, it seems a bit suss that he ended his deal when he did, especially after a new deal was penned not that long ago....have a feeling there is something else he has lined up before pulling the plug....guess time will tell...

Eivind E

Here is a clue

NDHotbodies

iTrader: (2)

well if he don't drink Miller Lite, I don't follow him..

w_dupree

iTrader: (54)

Now Kyosho can charge $1499.00 for an MP9 and the fan boys will be all over it.

nickdawg18

iTrader: (33)

Billabong and dc have an rc company?

jzemaxx

iTrader: (5)

Smart guy then....

captain america

iTrader: (12)

The only thing this proves is that they're all willing to tolerate each others' company long enough to have Chinese (or is it Thai?) food

For those not old enough to remember, that's RC legend Masami Hirosaka at right.

30Tooth

iTrader: (1)

Oh all-mighty God of RC,oh please don't let Kyosho raise them prices pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?