ioxqq

I LOVE RC RACING!
I have been racing for over 10 years in Los Angeles from Revolution running Nitro RS4 at every tuesday, Pro Car West, Great L.A., Crystal Park, So Cal at many other local tracks\clubs\hobby shop race. I run both gas and ele and mainly doing 1/10 touring ele now. I felt my skill improved a lot from the first 4 years. Starting ele car race at So cal raceway rookie race first place to A main Sportsman First place. Then what? I still not good enough to complete with those team drivers. When I mean team driver, I mean serious team driver like Berry Baker, Billy Easton, BK level.
I have unlimited resources for RC parts and equipments. Don't ask me why. They are like free stuff for me. But so what, I need a better skill not the physical stuff.
What should I do? How can I improve my skill to go to next level? This is a big big problem for me. Do you having the same problem like I do? What do you suggest?

sosidge

I do feel that ultimately the "elite sportsmen" have an innate ability to be faster around the track.

In general sporting terms, practice, physical training, psychological exercises and diet can all contribute to better performance, but everyone has a limit.

I'm fairly sure I have found mine, after a brief learning curve after returning to RC a few years ago I got up to a certain level. Now whatever improvements I feel I am making I still seem to beat the same people, and get beaten by the same people!

I'm not getting any younger either, which doesn't help (not that I am old, but a professional sportsman would be looking towards retirment at my age).

I still enjoy it though, I enjoy pushing myself as much as anything else.

Mr. McGoo

iTrader: (23)

i feel ya ioxqq -

this past year i have improved tremendously in my driving abilities, but it now seems that "tremendous" improvement has come to a screeching halt - i don't feel like i am getting worse, but i sure don't feel like i am getting better right now.

i am at a point where it is now realizing it takes more than just good driving abilities (mine still aren't the best though) - it comes down to the extra mile you put in your setup to get that extra .1-.3 lap.

i asked a good buddy of mine where i need improvement - without hesitation he stated, my setup - i can usually "hang with him" but i can never beat him (unless he breaks)

one thing to also realize is that the guys you are comparing yourself to have been racing for years, some of them for decades...where i myself have been only racing competitively for about a year and a half

also, you cannot discount just plain natural ability - it does take an innate ability to wheel around the track - you can have the best equipment money can buy - but the guy that is a natural born driver can beat you just about any day of the week.

i have to continually remind myself i do all of this for fun and to try not to take playing with my toy cars too seriously

HarshGuy

iTrader: (6)

That is the best damn sentence I have read in a while

ioxqq

Mr. McGoo: I get your point.

The thing is now I run rc is not 100% for fun. It is like 50% fun and 50% for racing. Because there is racing so I go to practice. If rc car has no racing I sure there is no reason for me to run rc. I really hope there is class teach by top racers so that we can greatly improve our knowledge and skill. I need to define what is a fast car again. I mean I set up my car and think this is fastest setup but this is only for me. If I let my car driven by top drivers they will say my car is push. This really happened on me once. I was like So what is a fast car? I must know how is a fast car feels like in order I can setup my car that way and learn to drive it. But what is a fast car?

PitNamedGordie

iTrader: (8)

We should all have that quote in our signatures.

Mr. McGoo

iTrader: (23)

i am with you on the racing point - part of what makes it so fun it the adrenaline rush you can get from racing - for the money, i don't know of any other hobby/sport you can get the racing adrenaline rush for such a "cheap price"

what is a fast car? at our last Texas State Champs we had a Triple A main int 19T - Chris Metheney ended up winning the first two races - so he sat out the 3rd main - he offered up to me if I wanted to run his RDX the last main - I conceded (afterall he was the fastest car out there) - and I got the car out on the track and I still did not come close to what he was able to do with that car - i think i was 1.5 laps behind what he did

so that told me right there that i can have the theoretically the "fastest car" but it then came down to my driving abilities - Chris has been racing for alot longer than I have and has alot more experience than I do.

Mike Dumas right now is racing down here with us and it is absolutely amazing to see how he drives - he makes it look so easy - just like Tiger Woods -

You watch these guys play golf and watch their swing as they crush a ball right down the center of the fairway - you say to yourself, "Self, i can do that - look how easy that is). you then go out there and shank it on the opposite fairway and almost hit the little old man in his golf cart - not too easy is it???

I see Dumas out there - and its the same thing - his car is the best car out on the track - he rarely touches any board, yet he is inches from the flappers as he whips through the chicane. I tell myself, "Self, I can do that - that seems easy enough." I then go out there and get beat by 2-3 laps as I punt myself in the boards.

I guarantee Dumas could take my car and I could take his car out on the track and he would still beat me my 2-3 laps...

once again, it takes practice, patience, and natural ability to be one of the best drivers around

santinuchi

I think that what you missed about his car is it is the fastest car out there for HIS driving style, i'll admit that his experience still will play a small part but chances are that the two of you dont approach the track in the same way, therfore eventhough in his hands the car is faster, in yours, you still cant expect the same results......just a thought......

Mr. McGoo

iTrader: (23)

i agree - every setup is different for every driver - his driving style is not mine, but i at least wanted to drive a "fast car" - ioxqq was asking "what is a fast car", so i felt this was a good example of what a "fast car" can do in two people's different hands

santinuchi

understood....

Kwikvdub

iTrader: (100)

I feel the same way. Great choice of words.

..............This is a great thread! Keep it coming.

MrBlack

For those wanting to break the "plato" they have found in there driving here are a couple of things I have seen work wonders for many to improve.

#1 Get a lap counter that gives emmediate feedback. This will tell you lap after lap if your going faster or slower. Sure you think you have the ideal line but the fact that your getting beat says otherwise. This will also help you smooth out your lines and become more concistant. if you cannot get a lap counter get a buddy to stand near you with a stopwatch and read out your laps to you as you try new lines and link up new transistion between apex's.

#2 Race at more then one track or or at least change the layout up from week to week running the same layout only teaches you to run that track and it becomes more of a rythim thing and once you get to a race and other cars are throwing off your rythim your done son. I personnally run a track weekly and notice when we went from having the same layout every week to changing it up everyone became better drivers almost over night.

#3 Race against drivers that are faster then you. Just following a faster driver will teach you instantly where you are loosing time.

Jack Smash

iTrader: (35)

Mr Black is dead on. I got to a point in the early '90swhere I was almost at the pace of the factory drivers, made a Modified A-main at a national. I dedicated myself to RC. I worked at a track, and I practiced every single day. I came in on days off when the track was closed and practiced. Usually changed something on the set-up every run, and every run was on the clock. This was after I had already been racing for six years.

I believe anyone can get as fast as the factory guys. The only roadblocks are the means and dedication.

One of my favorite quotes from Roger Penske; Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

ioxqq

Mr. McGoo: Thank you for your answer. Racing is fun. I want fun and I don't want to lose. Winner is more fun then losing.

The meaning of fast car I memtioned is to setup my car to suit my driving style in order to run faster which I'm still seeking. As I told you guys, I been racing over 10 years and I know most of the thing for setting up the car and driving technique. Everything I can think of to run faster I already done. My lap time is under 0.3 sec different on every lap. I got consistant driving skill, car setup tech., unlimited hardwarew resource. What do I miss? I truely believe I need a master grade rc master in order to bring me into next level. Otherwise, just reading rctech everyday will not do me any improvement. Agree?

sosidge

If money really is no problem, I think Masaaki Hirosaka is available as a freelance RC consultant!

http://www.hirosaka.jp