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Mad Zero

What is raced nowadays?

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I’ve not raced anything properly since the 90s but more & more I’m feeling the urge. Trouble is I don’t think anything I’d really enjoy is accessible without travelling huge distances, there’s actually a 1/10 buggy track on my doorstep but it’s a pretty sterile looking summer-only astroturf affair which I find a bit meh. 1/8 circuit is beyond my abilities now anyway so that’s out, 1/10 circuit doesn’t really appeal & nor does 1/12 carpet. I’ve not heard much about 1/8 nitro buggies recently or 1/10 short course trucks, have they gone? Does anything actually get raced on dirt in the UK anymore? How about large-scale like 1/5 buggies or short course trucks, they still about? I was wondering if the good people of Tamiyaclub might help update me on the current UK racing situation as to what’s still about please. Thanks MZ. 

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Whereabouts in the uk are you? I’m in Aylesbury and there’s quite a few clubs around here but the majority are indoor electric racing on carpet. At my local club we race TT01/02’s which I race, TT01 trucks, mardave minis, MTC and touring car classes. I don’t really know of any outdoor dirt tracks but know the club in Milton Keynes race outdoors on tarmac. It might be worth looking on the BRCA website as that will tell you of all the clubs local to you and also what classes they run. Good luck 👍🏻

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13 minutes ago, Scottrc said:

Whereabouts in the uk are you? I’m in Aylesbury and there’s quite a few clubs around here but the majority are indoor electric racing on carpet. At my local club we race TT01/02’s which I race, TT01 trucks, mardave minis, MTC and touring car classes. I don’t really know of any outdoor dirt tracks but know the club in Milton Keynes race outdoors on tarmac. It might be worth looking on the BRCA website as that will tell you of all the clubs local to you and also what classes they run. Good luck 👍🏻

Thanks, I’m in Norfolk. 

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8 hours ago, Mad Zero said:

I’ve not raced anything properly since the 90s but more & more I’m feeling the urge. Trouble is I don’t think anything I’d really enjoy is accessible without travelling huge distances, there’s actually a 1/10 buggy track on my doorstep but it’s a pretty sterile looking summer-only astroturf affair which I find a bit meh. 1/8 circuit is beyond my abilities now anyway so that’s out, 1/10 circuit doesn’t really appeal & nor does 1/12 carpet. I’ve not heard much about 1/8 nitro buggies recently or 1/10 short course trucks, have they gone? Does anything actually get raced on dirt in the UK anymore? How about large-scale like 1/5 buggies or short course trucks, they still about? I was wondering if the good people of Tamiyaclub might help update me on the current UK racing situation as to what’s still about please. Thanks MZ. 

If you have a track nearby you should check it out on race day.  I have no track nearby you are lucky.

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12 minutes ago, Bob-T said:

If you have a track nearby you should check it out on race day.  I have no track nearby you are lucky.

No good if they don’t race what I like tho is it :D I will be checking it out anyway tho because on Google Earth there’s clearly two full-on tracks there so I need to find out what goes on the other one. Mind you if they wait until May each year they must be a wussy lot. 

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Popularity of classes can be very club specific, best thing is to use the BRCA website to find what clubs are near you and pay them a visit.

Broadly speaking 1/10th electric racing is the most popular in various forms. Nitro and larger scales are dead. Other classes are niche but can have a big following at certain clubs.

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3 hours ago, sosidge said:

Popularity of classes can be very club specific, best thing is to use the BRCA website to find what clubs are near you and pay them a visit.

Broadly speaking 1/10th electric racing is the most popular in various forms. Nitro and larger scales are dead. Other classes are niche but can have a big following at certain clubs.

That’s what I wanted, thanks. 

Ok what about 1/10 electric SC trucks, have they died too (over here)?

Btw BRCA’s website has no context & is woefully out of date. 

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Buggy racing on astro can be more fun than it first looks, if the club has a beginner class they might be happy to let you run a short course or stadium truck anyway so might be worth a visit.

1/8th Nitro off road is still going ok in the UK - though I suspect E Buggy will kill it over the next few years - Nitro on road is pretty dead at this point.

Depending on where you are in Norfolk you might have a few options, there's Holbeach over in Lincs (think it's still going) who race indoors at the community centre on a Wednesday night (1/10th touring and GT12). There's used to be an on road club in Kings Lynn - but looks like they have dropped off the face of the planet, biggest club left in Norfolk is probably https://norfolkbuggyclub.wixsite.com/nbchome

 

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I'll 2nd the "offroad astro" and "offroad carpet" racing. Most dirt tracks are hard-packed nowadays, so if you're going to race on a hard surface it might as well be one that doesn't wear out the chassis and keeps the car clean.

I run carpet in the winter (USA, New England) and it's absolutely awesome. Astro turf is in general a little more 'forgiving' than carpet because it lets the car slide just a little.

See what's local and popular and pick from that - good luck!

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On 4/24/2022 at 8:49 PM, BuggyGuy said:

Buggy racing on astro can be more fun than it first looks, if the club has a beginner class they might be happy to let you run a short course or stadium truck anyway so might be worth a visit.

1/8th Nitro off road is still going ok in the UK - though I suspect E Buggy will kill it over the next few years - Nitro on road is pretty dead at this point.

Depending on where you are in Norfolk you might have a few options, there's Holbeach over in Lincs (think it's still going) who race indoors at the community centre on a Wednesday night (1/10th touring and GT12). There's used to be an on road club in Kings Lynn - but looks like they have dropped off the face of the planet, biggest club left in Norfolk is probably https://norfolkbuggyclub.wixsite.com/nbchome

 

Thanks BG I appreciate that. I’ve come to the conclusion that r/c car racing has moved on.. to somewhere I just don’t want to be. Back in prehistoric times I raced i.c. circuit cars on tarmac and electric buggies on dirt, the idea then was to mimic real racing cars but now it’s to mimic Gran Turismo. That’s how I see it anyway.
 

I will look into the Rackheath club (1hr from me) to see what they do but I’m not hopeful. I’ve also looked into switching to powerboats for a more interactive surface and possible even some naughty nitro(!) but so far I’ve not found anything near me. 

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2 hours ago, Mad Zero said:

Thanks BG I appreciate that. I’ve come to the conclusion that r/c car racing has moved on.. to somewhere I just don’t want to be. Back in prehistoric times I raced i.c. circuit cars on tarmac and electric buggies on dirt, the idea then was to mimic real racing cars but now it’s to mimic Gran Turismo. That’s how I see it anyway.
 

I will look into the Rackheath club (1hr from me) to see what they do but I’m not hopeful. I’ve also looked into switching to powerboats for a more interactive surface and possible even some naughty nitro(!) but so far I’ve not found anything near me. 

You won't find many dirt tracks at all for 1/10th offroad these days, not in the UK at least, a few clubs still race on grass in the summer months though. The weather is just to hit and miss to be able to do it reliably, and brushless motors are much more sensitive to water than the old brushed stuff. The maintenance needed for a dirt track in a wet climate is way to heavy for clubs run by volunteers as well.

The cars have evolved too mind, you'd be hard pressed to buy a rear motor competition 2wd buggy these days for example, they are all mid motor for modern high grip all weather tracks (though there are dirt versions of these they are more for clay than loose dirt).

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2 hours ago, BuggyGuy said:

You won't find many dirt tracks at all for 1/10th offroad these days, not in the UK at least, a few clubs still race on grass in the summer months though. The weather is just to hit and miss to be able to do it reliably, and brushless motors are much more sensitive to water than the old brushed stuff. The maintenance needed for a dirt track in a wet climate is way to heavy for clubs run by volunteers as well.

The cars have evolved too mind, you'd be hard pressed to buy a rear motor competition 2wd buggy these days for example, they are all mid motor for modern high grip all weather tracks (though there are dirt versions of these they are more for clay than loose dirt).

Oh yes I get the reasons I just don’t like it, at all. Like I said it’s all evolved into something I’m not interested in so I’ll swerve actual racing & stick to what I’m doing. 

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1 hour ago, Mad Zero said:

Oh yes I get the reasons I just don’t like it, at all. Like I said it’s all evolved into something I’m not interested in so I’ll swerve actual racing & stick to what I’m doing. 

This for me too. When I raced back on the early 90's there were no such thing as 'astro' tracks. I seem to remember set up being less critical than modern tracks demand. The tracks were bumpy, unique and very varied. It was a lot of fun. I've raced on and off since then but as said above, grass tracks have all but disappeared now. It's a shame. The other thing I've noticed at modern race meetings, is there doesn't seem anywhere near the amount of 'families' or young kids getting into racing at the track side. When I started in 1991 it was pretty much all families. 

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I used to love racing buggies. It again was dirt tracks etc. We used to run pancars in the winter (ministox), then someone came along with a new car called a TA01 and we all fell in love with those. They were a game changer when running in a sports hall (These were the days before carpet). 4WD was a huge boost in grip, the cars looked ace.. We still went back to racing buggies in the spring but even then the club would do onroad indoor meetings. In the end the onroad class basically killed off the buggies.. it didn't help that you would not race in the rain etc, whereas indoors meant you could always run. 

Modern onroad is not different to those days in reality. If anything its the best it's ever been. There is no dark art with motors or cells. Brushless and lipo has made electronic performance totally level. I also like the look of the shells nowadays. They are quite stylish and have nice definition compared to the more blobby jelly mould era that replaced the scale shells. 

If you are in Norfolk, I urge you to pop to EARCC on the outskirts of Norwich. Take a look, there are some great people who race there, and then decide if you don't want to race. I think you might be surprised on how good onroad is nowadays. 

https://www.facebook.com/EARCC/

 

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8 hours ago, qatmix said:

I used to love racing buggies. It again was dirt tracks etc. We used to run pancars in the winter (ministox), then someone came along with a new car called a TA01 and we all fell in love with those. They were a game changer when running in a sports hall (These were the days before carpet). 4WD was a huge boost in grip, the cars looked ace.. We still went back to racing buggies in the spring but even then the club would do onroad indoor meetings. In the end the onroad class basically killed off the buggies.. it didn't help that you would not race in the rain etc, whereas indoors meant you could always run. 

Modern onroad is not different to those days in reality. If anything its the best it's ever been. There is no dark art with motors or cells. Brushless and lipo has made electronic performance totally level. I also like the look of the shells nowadays. They are quite stylish and have nice definition compared to the more blobby jelly mould era that replaced the scale shells. 

If you are in Norfolk, I urge you to pop to EARCC on the outskirts of Norwich. Take a look, there are some great people who race there, and then decide if you don't want to race. I think you might be surprised on how good onroad is nowadays. 

https://www.facebook.com/EARCC/

 

Thanks for the link, unfortunately I’m allergic to Facebook but I did look EARCC up on Google, seems like a decent enough  club but the racing didn’t appeal, sorry. 

Anyway since starting this thread I’ve made the decision to pack in the cars altogether. After 44yrs of doing it I can’t shake off the ‘I used to do that but when it was good’ feeling which is completely the wrong attitude to have about a hobby and makes me bitter. Besides I’ll gain another hobby flogging all the clobber! Other than that it’ll just be my vintage restos & helis. 

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On 4/23/2022 at 11:08 AM, Mad Zero said:

there’s actually a 1/10 buggy track on my doorstep but it’s a pretty sterile looking summer-only astroturf affair which I find a bit meh

Pretty much all 1/10 off road tracks are going astro, unless you've alot of volunteers, it's the only way to realistically keep a club running.

Grass is such a time consuming surface, with it needing cut, fertilised ,track layout lifted and changed on a weekly basis (even if it's not wrecked by the power of modern cars, the grass dies under the track markings), it requires a good few hours of care a week.

Then add the Great British weather to the mix, if the forecast is rain, only the hard-core turn up, as most just can't be bothered or can't afford to have to fully strip a car afterwards ,replace bearings etc. This is mine after just one 5min heat.... 

2020-11-10_01-13-58

With Astro, (especially astro with no sand infill) , its a quick towel dry, and that's about it. All the hard work with an astro track, is digging drainage channels and laying the weed control fabric then the astro. Racers will turn up ,even if weather isn't favourable, as even when we had monsoon rains last year and a river running down the straight, once the rain stopped, within 30mins, the track was pretty much dry!! 

On 4/23/2022 at 11:08 AM, Mad Zero said:

Does anything actually get raced on dirt in the UK anymore?

There's still a few, I think Carlise still do, and Dumfries down at the borders, still run on grass, but I believe this could be their last season, as all the other tracks in Scotland are now running Astro, they're wanting to upgrade too. 

Don't get me wrong, we all love grass (real?) tracks, when it's dry and you're not the one having to maintain it, but we don't live in a climate or spare man power, that supports it.

 

On 4/24/2022 at 12:12 PM, Mad Zero said:

BRCA’s website has no context & is woefully out of date. 

Found it quite handy! 

Take it you found this on their page?

https://www.brca.org/clubs

 

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On 5/12/2022 at 8:16 PM, Mad Zero said:

Anyway since starting this thread I’ve made the decision to pack in the cars altogether. After 44yrs of doing it I can’t shake off the ‘I used to do that but when it was good’ feeling which is completely the wrong attitude to have about a hobby and makes me bitter.

That's a shame, the hobby/sport is brilliant (imo...), and making a comeback. Shame you didnt give the modern surface a chance for you to enjoy. My fuzzy memories are of being with likeminded friends, enjoying close racing, and that's still very much alive.

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2 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

That's a shame, the hobby/sport is brilliant (imo...), and making a comeback. Shame you didnt give the modern surface a chance for you to enjoy. My fuzzy memories are of being with likeminded friends, enjoying close racing, and that's still very much alive.

Ha thing is that photo you posted is exactly how I liked it and confirms even more that the hobby I knew is history! My Kyosho  Lazer ZX came home like that regularly, I used to wash it down with a pump up garden sprayer then disassemble & rebuild it like new, every if it was just dusty. I’d love to have done 1/8 buggy in those days but I couldn’t afford it, they really churned the mud up! RC racing used to be Stiff Little Fingers, now it’s Coldplay. 

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8 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

Ha thing is that photo you posted is exactly how I liked it and confirms even more that the hobby I knew is history! My Kyosho  Lazer ZX came home like that regularly, I used to wash it down with a pump up garden sprayer then disassemble & rebuild it like new, every if it was just dusty. I’d love to have done 1/8 buggy in those days but I couldn’t afford it, they really churned the mud up! RC racing used to be Stiff Little Fingers, now it’s Coldplay. 

The old days, you didn't have brushless motors and lipo batteries, cars now rip grass to threads! 

You're in the minority, not many enjoy having to completely strip a car on a weekly , or twice weekly if you run a club night mid week, basis. Even with bearing sets cheap at only around £20 these days, the cost adds up ,entry fee, a pair of rear tyres (as modern power eats them), then bearings, although there's no real motor maintenance other than a drop of oil on the motor bearings these days, so no brushes or having to skim a comm to worry about.

This is the meeting of the pic (camera man was rubbish, missed me coming from the back, to 3rd in the first few corners..☹️) , we couldn't hold a meeting on that part for a while, as the grass was destroyed, and needed time.

 

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1 hour ago, Wooders28 said:

The old days, you didn't have brushless motors and lipo batteries, cars now rip grass to threads! 

You're in the minority, not many enjoy having to completely strip a car on a weekly , or twice weekly if you run a club night mid week, basis. Even with bearing sets cheap at only around £20 these days, the cost adds up ,entry fee, a pair of rear tyres (as modern power eats them), then bearings, although there's no real motor maintenance other than a drop of oil on the motor bearings these days, so no brushes or having to skim a comm to worry about.

This is the meeting of the pic (camera man was rubbish, missed me coming from the back, to 3rd in the first few corners..☹️) , we couldn't hold a meeting on that part for a while, as the grass was destroyed, and needed time.

 

Takes me back, cheers for posting Wooders much appreciated. Yes I’m in a minority of ONE on here lol.

I’m not anti-progress with all aspects of RC though far from it, LiPos BL motors telemetry etc has made helis awesome and I’m loving that :)

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3 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

 Yes I’m in a minority of ONE on here lol.

Nope. I'm with you. Racing on (dry) grass is the best. I completely get the points about the upkeep of grass tracks and them being weather dependent but for me, astro is just so boring. I do still race occasionally on my local astro track but it's not the same .. 

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30 minutes ago, toyolien said:

Nope. I'm with you. Racing on (dry) grass is the best. I completely get the points about the upkeep of grass tracks and them being weather dependent but for me, astro is just so boring. I do still race occasionally on my local astro track but it's not the same .. 

I stand corrected! Bravo sir! Dry grass/dirt is great but we also raced in the wet at our club and I usually did well so I prayed for rain. There were ppl even then who didn’t come out in the rain though it has to be said. For me trying to waterproof/protect the electrics was all part of racing. Lap counting was hard with the mud on the numbers tho & there was plenty of fall-outs over that. Oh and operating your transmitter inside a plastic bag hahaha 🤣 

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8 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

I stand corrected! Bravo sir! Dry grass/dirt is great but we also raced in the wet at our club and I usually did well so I prayed for rain. There were ppl even then who didn’t come out in the rain though it has to be said. For me trying to waterproof/protect the electrics was all part of racing. Lap counting was hard with the mud on the numbers tho & there was plenty of fall-outs over that. Oh and operating your transmitter inside a plastic bag hahaha 🤣 

Aah, the good old days. I raced from 1991 to about 2000 all over the Midlands and Wales. Nearly every track was either grass, dirt or a mix. So much fun, even as you say, in the wet. I just don't get the same lever of excitement from a perfectly smooth (apart from jumps) astro track. And, don't even get me started on buggy racing on carpet... What's all that about!!!!

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9 hours ago, Mad Zero said:

Lap counting was hard with the mud on the numbers tho & there was plenty of fall-outs over that.

Transponders take care of that these days, down to tenths of a second,  although still run numbers in bigger events, mainly for the commentator.

 

9 hours ago, toyolien said:

don't even get me started on buggy racing on carpet...

It's easier than dragging the astro in from outside...🙄😉

It means you can race in the winter months, even if there's 10ft of snow outside, you're still out with RC mates having a laugh, plus carpet racing is better than no racing!!  (I'd have to spend sunday with the wife...😳

I think this was our last indoor race, then Covid landed..

 

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4 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

It means you can race in the winter months, even if there's 10ft of snow outside, you're still out with RC mates having a laugh, plus carpet racing is better than no racing!!  (I'd have to spend sunday with the wife...😳

Yep, completely get that. I enjoy indoor racing with my m-chassis over the winter. Just can't help thinking that buggies belong in the dirt and rough stuff👍👍

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