Unofficial Tamiyaclub Off Road Championship 2009

[super gripper]

Hi folks,

Just a quick note as some people seem not to be reading the thread properly.

Accommodation is available on site.

You can:

1. Rent a caravan.

2. Bring your own and just pay for a pitch.

3. Rent a tent.

4. Bring your own and just pay for a pitch.

It's on a Sunday so you can travel down on the Saturday.

Come on guys get booked in.

You all loved Kiddy when it ran, same thing different place !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trophy's and certificates.

Last years championship holders will be there...................

Come on and take the title off them...................

Email me your address and I will post you the information and the entry form.

See you there.

Lee (super gripper)

[Lemming]

There will be four timed events:- Retro 4wd, Retro 2wd, SRB's and

Lunchbox/Pumpkins.

You all loved Kiddy when it ran, same thing different place !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Lee,

As you've added the second post asking whether people are reading the first one properly, I'm guessing you are trying to find out why numbers are low or why many of the Kidderminster regulars aren't appearing.

If it helps, we won't be coming due to the following reasons:

Kidderminster was proper racing which was hugely entertaining - timed laps simply holds no interest for me.

Can't justify the cost of coming along for a weekend and driving. £4 for the initial race each, £3 per additional race each, plus camping (Fri and Sat nights at £62.70 for just a tent) for me, the missus and the terror (my baby boy).

Kidderminster last time was £4 per person and that included the weekend camping and 2 days full of proper (albeit fun based without prize) racing. Nearly every possible vehicle was catered for within the initial cost, and there was a race every 15 minutes.

I'm not bashing you as I think it is superb that you have gone to all the effort of sorting this, and Kidderminster does not happen any more!!!!!

Just my thoughts as always.

Steve

[super gripper]

Hi Lee,

As you've added the second post asking whether people are reading the first one properly, I'm guessing you are trying to find out why numbers are low or why many of the Kidderminster regulars aren't appearing.

If it helps, we won't be coming due to the following reasons:

Kidderminster was proper racing which was hugely entertaining - timed laps simply holds no interest for me.

Can't justify the cost of coming along for a weekend and driving. £4 for the initial race each, £3 per additional race each, plus camping (Fri and Sat nights at £62.70 for just a tent) for me, the missus and the terror (my baby boy).

Kidderminster last time was £4 per person and that included the weekend camping and 2 days full of proper (albeit fun based without prize) racing. Nearly every possible vehicle was catered for within the initial cost, and there was a race every 15 minutes.

I'm not bashing you as I think it is superb that you have gone to all the effort of sorting this, and Kidderminster does not happen any more!!!!!

Just my thoughts as always.

Steve

Steve,

thank you for replying. It is good to hear what people think. Did you take your 20% off the brochure price ? ? ? ? ?

I have now made it my mission to get it much cheaper for Tamiyaclub members who want to do the event next year. IF you are right that price is not good !

I WILL bust my gut at the next organizer's meeting as I am not happy with that.

I go to a alot of trouble to organise this event and I want it to work.

I must just point out that the entry fee covers the cost of the trophy's

If people do not want this type of event then I need feedback.........................

It's no good people not saying anything and turning their nose up at the event !

How as an organiser am I suppost to know if know one lets me know what they want..............................................................

My name is Lee, for gods sake people talk to me ! ! ! !

[Lemming]

Steve,

thank you for replying. It is good to hear what people think. Did you take your 20% off the brochure price ? ? ? ? ?

I have now made it my mission to get it much cheaper for Tamiyaclub members who want to do the event next year. IF you are right that price is not good !

I WILL bust my gut at the next organizer's meeting as I am not happy with that.

I go to a alot of trouble to organise this event and I want it to work.

I must just point out that the entry fee covers the cost of the trophy's

If people do not want this type of event then I need feedback.........................

It's no good people not saying anything and turning their nose up at the event !

How as an organiser am I suppost to know if know one lets me know what they want..............................................................

My name is Lee, for gods sake people talk to me ! ! ! !

Hi Lee,

Really glad you didn't take it the wrong way.

Didn't do the 20% (doh) so wanted to make that clear for all. My bad (and poor reading skills!)

As I say, major Kudos to you on arranging this and I really hope you get more people signing up. The entry price for the time trials is perfectly fair as you say to cover the trophy for each event and cannot be complained about in any way. If I was more local I would come along and give it a shot for the badword of it!!!

If only there was someone local to the venue with a field we could pitch tents in for free! That was the big draw of Kidderminster for me, along with full races. Personally I'm not worried about trophies and just enjoy racing my cars alongside others of the same era (my Avante misses it's track days!). I'm simply not good enough for timed laps and have less fun running on my own.

I just wanted to provide personal feedback from my perspective as no-one really seemed to be indicating a reason why they weren't coming along.

All the very best to you and keep up the good work.

Steve

ps It would be worth maybe taking some video of the races and putting it up here on TC. Maybe creating a sig for the event so that other people can take photos and upload them into the sig. Just thought it might increase exposure and interest.

[super gripper]

Hello Steve,

I have probably written this so it does not sound right.

The 'timed events' means - 5 minute races .

3 rounds and a final

The person with the most laps in 5 minutes wins

Therfor it is 'propper racing'

Lee.

[Lemming]

Hello Steve,

I have probably written this so it does not sound right.

The 'timed events' means - 5 minute races .

The person with the most laps in 5 minutes wins

Therfor it is 'propper racing'

Lee.

DOH again!!!

A couple of the guys I've been chatting too have mis-understood this too....... No excuse, but makes me feel a bit less stupid.

Still can't afford it this year, but definitely consider it next year either as a day-trip (albeit a long one) or as a stay-over if the costs can be reduced at all.

Steve

EDIT - Will now leave Lee's thread in peace. COME ONE everyone, discuss further as to why you will / won't be going and any recommendations as to what could be done to get you there!

[terry.sc]

As you want them, here's my own reasons I won't be there.

1. It's a 400 mile round trip from up here in Manchester. Kidderminster was more centrally located, not much you can do to change that. It's too far for me, it's £80 of petrol for 20 minutes of running.

2. It's a race meeting. The reason Kidderminster was loved was that there was no racing at all, unless you were 'racing' with your friends. The track was divided into 30 minute sections for each type of car, then everyone bashed together on the track until their batteries went flat. As I have a selection of cars (mainly Kyosho and Associated!) I got around 3-4 hours of running each day. The only competition there was the long jump and the monster truck race.

3. As it's Tamiya only I have no cars I can run, unless I use the Bush Devil in the vintage 2wd and do a lot of work to one of my SRBs. As the cut off is at number 130 to compete would mean buying a Dynastorm and Top Force Evo, along with a couple of Money Motors, no point buying anything else if I'm trying to be competitive for a race meeting.

[Mad Ax]

I do plan to attend this event if at all possible and will be posting off my entry forms just as soon as I've worked out what cars I'm running. It's fairly local for me and the entry fee for the events is pretty cheap (considering there's trophies to pay for) so expense isn't an issue.

I genuinely appreciate the work you've put in to this and really hope it's a successful day, I'm sure all those who attend will have a good time.

I never made it to a Kidderminster meet (I joined TC a little too late to get into the scene) but from what I've heard, people loved it because it was an all-day unstructured affair. There was no competition, no fine-tuning or fettling, no sneaking looks at other people's setups or complaining to the organiser because someone was running an illegal motor or tyre additive - just a bunch of people bashing on the track and having fun.

Here's my thoughts on why people might be put off:

Competitions are great but some bashers might find it a bit off-putting - after all, many of us have little or no experience at racing and don't want to be shown up by more experienced racers. Having raced a little, I know how tough it is not to bash into other cars, which is why my club always puts new drivers into the novice class. The racers in the senior class get very upset if you accidentally put their carbon-fibre race machine into the barrier! I don't have any statistics to prove it but I'd guess that the majority of members bash more than they race.

Also the classes are a bit vague - a Grasshopper and a Dyna Storm would both qualify for the 2wd event. The Grasshopper is by far the more popular runner on TC (even not including the re-re), but it only takes one person to arrive with a Dyna Storm to make all the Grasshopper drivers uncompetitive. Same applies to a Hotshot and a Top Force Evo. I know it's only a fun event and that we shouldn't take it too seriously, but people like to feel they've got a starting chance.

Finally, it's a long way for many people to come for less than 1 hours driving (even if they enter all 3 classes). I appreciate that at a model show with other events taking place, there is a need to control events to strict times and frequencies. But with no bashing allowed on site, we're being restricted to just the events we enter. Yes, there will be a model show to look around and other events to watch, but maybe people don't think that's as much fun as actually driving our RCs. When I go to local bashes, I generally bash a variety of models until I've run out of battery packs. That usually lasts several hours.

What people at TC are really looking for is a centrally-located track with no restrictions imposed by flyers, boaters or anyone else, and with little or no focus on competition and all on having fun.

Don't get me wrong - I think it's a great idea and I'm sure it'll be a fun day out, but don't be put off if you don't get a huge number of takers. This is only the second year - with some good publicity from this year's event, next year could be bigger and better.

It would be worth maybe taking some video of the races and putting it up here on TC. Maybe creating a sig for the event so that other people can take photos and upload them into the sig.

That's a great idea Steve, I'll probably be taking my camera along and when I'm not racing, will try to snap some good low-down shots of the action - this kind of thing should get lots of interest for next year. I'd heard this event was running last year but couldn't make it, and since the thread was pretty dead and I didn't see any post-race thread or showroom posts I had assumed it hadn't happened.

[matisse]

I'd be there except for the fact that my motor doesn't qualify.

i'm running a 12t brushless now, which is almost akin to the 23t limit, but not quite.

hey ho.

mat

[super gripper]

Thank you to those who have commented on the thread and especially Lemming for getting it going............

This is what I am after, I need comments and gripes so I can tailer the event so as many people are happy as possible.

You all have valid points and I am listening.

The motor limits ( 19 turn for buggy's and 23 turn for the Luchbox/Pumpkin ) is to prevent brushless wiping the floor over the 'standard-ish runners' who make up the majority.

I see most people have dirt tuned, lightly tuned and sport tuned motors so giving the vast variation of the gearing between the cars this should be ok.

Yes it's racing but only fun racing as we are not running 'carbon fibre monsters' - that was tried last year !

Bashing I understand. Thats what alot of people do. But there is lots of bashing meets all over the place. I can't call it the 'bashing championship' can I !

Bashing isn't aloud for many reasons. The big one obviously is the frequency's ! I cannot have someone traveling along way to race and someone switches on to bash and ruin's someones race - sorry it's just not happening!

Also other event's are on. Boats etc.

I had to limit the car issue number so 'vintage' is vintage. Yes top force against hotshot, mmmmmmmmmmmm not sure. But the point is it's not 501 against hotshot ! ! ! !

I can put the issue number down if that what people want, suggest a number !

I am looking forward to more entrys this year as more entry forms have gone out this year.

Remember, the entry cost is only to cover the cost of the trophy's as previously said. AND everyone will get a Tamiyaclub championship certificate where ever you finish !

I can add more events, but no one tells me what they want so what am I suppost to do ? It's like shooting in the dark...........

More info please....................keep it coming......................let me know....................!

[Mad Ax]

I think the model numbers are OK as they are considering the number of entrants you're getting at the moment.

If it was a really big event with hundreds of applicants, and you had the whole track to yourself for a long day or even weekend, then you could quite easily run a whole series of events - for example Stock 4wd (for Hotshots, Boomerangs, Thunder Shots, Manta Rays) and the like, where only very mild modifications are permitted. And then Modified 4wd, for the Top Force, Top Force Evo, heavily-modded Hotshots, etc. Same for the 2wds where you would perhaps have Basic 2wd for Grasshoppers, Hornets, Bear Hawks, etc, and Super 2wd for heavily-modified 2wds, Super Astutes and the like. Stadium trucks could also be put into their own category. Naturally this would involve a lot of thought put into the rules (perhaps hold a public forum for suggestions if the event gets big enough) and all cars would need to be scrutinised to determine which class they're elligible for.

Of course if you ran an event like that this year you might only get a couple of entrants in each race. So naturally we all have to be patient, race for fun, and accept that the racing may not be as close as it could given the huge range of models we can pick from. And maybe next year, or the year after, with enough patience, publicity and perseverance, the event will be big enough to fill a track with a host of alternative cars and attract a larger number of entrants.

Keep up the good work - I think what you really need is some good publicity from this year's event to attract more attention for next year. I don't remember hearing anything after last year's event and so this entry is a gamble for me - I don't really know what to expect. It's not a huge gamble because I live locally, but could be an expensive unknown day out for others from further afield.