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Daves956

Off road racing in general questions

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First of all, RC racing is NON CONTACT (except for dedicated banger classes). I does seem that Short Course races have a tendency to degenerate into deliberate contact, but that it a problem with the drivers and the organisers, not RC racing in general. RC racing as it should be done is clean, fast and satisfying.

It's a shame that your experience was negative. It doesn't have to be that way. Unfortunately, different clubs are run in different ways. I've been to clubs where I cannot stand the slack organisation and poor driving standards - equally, there are people who come to the clubs I race at who mistake the serious approach to racing for an intimidating one.

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I was in another LHS the other day and heard bits and pieces about a hit and miss drift class indoor racing league just getting started. Not much info but I'll find out more as time allows.

As for the short course place, it's been over two weeks since I went by there and I still can't get that sound out of my head. The sound of a truck crashing at full speed isn't pretty and it happened 2 or 3 times a minute.

Later today I'm going to stop by another shop with an RC club where contact is normal and a crash is a rollover or short fall off a slick rock. I've got RCs for pretty much every purpose so sooner or later something will pop up that's fun.

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One thing I noticed was that the SCT track seems to have been designed to punish both the cars, and the unwary/inexperienced driver. One of jumps mid way through the course has practically zero braking area in front of a large jump, right before a hairpin bend. Also some of ripple jumps seem very steep and harsh to jump over, and again positioned right before a hairpin bend. A driver has little choice but to give it the beans over the 1st jump and hope that he lands somewhere sensible before going into the hairpin. The steepness of the jumps precludes taking them at a slower pace to avoid taking off. The track itself also seems quite narrow given the width of the cars. My observation of it is that you need a fast truck to clear the jumps, but the track isn't really designed well for the speed of them.

Before berating the drivers too much, bear in mind that a SCT is quite a bit heavier than your average buggy, making it less willing to accelerate, slow up in a hurry, and corner. I would struggle to get round that track without going off with a buggy or damaging it the way the jumps are laid out, whereas the the TORCH track I could easily get round without causing damage, even if it wasn't very quickly.

Compare this with the TORCH track which has a much wider track (in terms of car widths, the jumps are smoother, and few of jump landings have harsh corners right in front of them. This track helps to promote good driving, as there is more room for the drivers to maneouvre.

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The video doesn't show the current track configuration, it's just one I found on youtube while looking for what was normal. That one may have been an effort to slow them down. This track is sponsored by a local hobby shop that's almost all RTR trucks. It makes me wonder if the track design is to promote replacement sales or the local driving style drives the sales. It's at the Unser facility and you have to think they know a thing or two about tracks and racing in general.

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American tracks tend to be the "supercross" style with lots of jumps. How you line the car up for the jumps is the key skill otherwise you won't get around. UK tracks tend to have fewer obstacles and are more about the racing line. That layout you posted was, to my mind, far too difficult for the drivers to navigate, especially in the first section, those sharp peaks on the jumps were flipping anyone who landed it wrong, and the track itself was a bit narrow for the SC trucks. But that is is the way some people like it!

I don't believe that the tracks are deliberately laid to damage the cars and keep the shop running. You'll quickly lose the racers if they think they are being ripped off. Drivers make mistakes, cars crash, and sometimes they break. It's part of racing. The better you get at driving, the less you crash, the less you break, and the faster your times - that's what (most) people at the track are aiming for.

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. Drivers make mistakes, cars crash, and sometimes they break. It's part of racing. The better you get at driving, the less you crash, the less you break, and the faster your times - that's what (most) people at the track are aiming for.

When I went by the course was a little different and 1or 2 drivers did ok on it but spent more time avoiding other trucks than negotiating the track. I understand that accidents happen and things fail but the ratio of drivable to being fixed was 1 in close to 10. I've found videos from all over that race the same style truck but the local track here is more aggressive in both driver style and track design. I also know that this area has a lot of overpowered RCs driven by very raw drivers. As far as what most are aiming for. I'd guess nothing in particular with the ones that were aiming being the ones to avoid.

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After purchasing the SC10RS and driving it a bit I understand more of the dynamics involved. I've driven it 3 times now wjth the first time being in snow. It's pretty fast and driving it is like herding cats. As soon as you think it's all gathered up and going in the direction you want the slightest thing will send it off another direction. It takes some practice to get used to. The second two outings have me concerned. On the first it went right all the sudden and clipped a tree and broke a front axle. This last one was all on mowed grass just driving around, It hit a divet in the grass and broke the other front axle. I now understand why so many were broken down. I'm also not real impressed with the truck right now either.

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Pretty cool video...

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looks slow because of the huge track even though they are shifting ,

looking like it will be a fast weekend at the EOS in OZ if practice is anything to go by :)

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I had a similar experience as well. First time to the track since the 80's and all I saw was SCT's being smashed and jumping 90 feet ( that is an exaggeration ) but close.

I stayed on the field (out of the way of the track) as I am a terrible driver so I could help with turning my vehicle back over or just getting it turned the right way. When I stepped on the track to get my car I swear they were trying to either hit me or run my car over every time. It didn't matter if your picking up someone else's car they still didn't care. I realize I suck as a driver and I understand getting out of the way, I raced motocross, so stay in your lane! I get it. But man I wanted to strangle a couple people there.

After going a couple times I asked my friend who used to race RC Cars and he said he stopped going just because of that. He got real tired of all the attitudes at the track.

I understand why

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nice video of buggies indoor's. never could get the hang of racing indoors on carpet with a buggy, so fast and so much precision needed.

guess you have to be doing it every week to get the hang of it.

Much prefer outdoors on astro or grass. More room for my wild driving style :ph34r:

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This thread has gotten my blood pumping for some track time.

A few tracks have popped up around here, and I can't wait until I have the time to make it out.

Now that I have a pause I'm my drag racing schedule, I'm hopeful to get out soon and see how my fox and boomer do.

Thanks for the videos fellas!

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I have my own situation for racing sorted out. Evenly matched trucks or motorcycles run only 2 at a time.

A good friend has several bikes so we will be racing them since we both live near huge parking lots. He's been trying to talk me into it for a while and I finally started running mine.

My daughter picked the paint scheme for the stadium truck and she drives well enough for it to be fun against my SC10. Hers is the blue what painted one with the mostly black body for hers still needing to be mounted. As usual my SC had front axle issues or we'd have done more racing tonight.

DSCN0229.jpg

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