Let's Have a Go.

[Granddad Stinky 975]

Hi folks.

Now my DT-03 is free of suspension play and has hex on the front, I fancy a go at the racing lark. Please excuse the format, but I have a list of questions screaming at me inside by head. I'll just list them to save time, then I can decide what to do:-

Never done it, how do I go about starting?

Where? I'm in Portsmouth.

Is there any snobbery, like I've found in boat clubs? Will I be laughed at for bringing a Tamiya?

Will Tamiya standard Star Dish wheels be ok, or do I need dished wheels?

I'm 56, so I fancy having a go before the reactions start to go.

Thanks in advance. 😁

[Jonathon Gillham 4607]

I can help with a few of the questions based on my experience this year.

Starting - I found the New Zealand rc racer forum which listed all the clubs in the country. I followed it for a bit and worked out what clubs I would visit to get an idea of class of racing I wanted to enter. This was interesting for me as I expected to race touring cars at one club as thats what I had done in the past, but ended up racing outdoor offroad at a different club as it looked a lot more fun, and the club had a better vibe. I found at both clubs that there are friendly people who will talk, and a few oddballs who look at you like an outsider.

Snobbery - I've found there tends to be the guys who have all the gear and will be snobby, but the majority of them aren't like that. It really varies, some of the top guys think they are awesome and are super serious (really, they're good at playing withntoy cars), and others are really helpful and friendly. My first race day I just went up to a guy with a dpace next to him and said this was my first day and can i share his table since I didn't have one. He was happy too, it turns out he had only been there a few months too.

Snobbery about the car - this depends as well. I have a top Kyosho race kit but cheap trackstar motor and esc. The vast majority don't care, some run top shelf gear and others run trackstar or similar, but a few look down their nose because I don't have the best. The good thing is those guys who upgrade all the time will sell their barely used stuff for less than half price, so make friends with them!

Wheels - i don't know, mine are disc type ones which is what everyone seems to run. I just ordered from a supplier who races there too and said I needed wheels and tyres for that trick and this model car and he sent them.

I would visit a couple of clubs without a car to watch at first and get talking to some regulars, that way you can work out if its a club you want to be part of.

[Mad Ax 9329]

If you want to find a local club, try here: 

https://www.brca.org/

Will you be laughed at?  Snobbery?  I can't say I've experienced that to any high degree.

You may have people tell you that a DT-03 isn't the right car to win the nationals with, and they'd be right - but you're not out to win nationals just yet, and most people who attend local clubs aren't either, they're just out to have a good time.  The off-road clubs I've attended tend to have a few Tamiyas among the junior entries, although in my experience people run Associated / Kyosho / Losi / Schumacher / anything but Tamiya.

That said, if your club has plenty of attendees then there will be several heats, and you'll be put with people of a similar ability, so you should be able to have fun with other beginners.

As and when your ability starts to improve, you can decide if you want to stick with the DT-03 or upgrade to something better suited.  In my experience, some people are moving away from expensive hi-tech race cars to cheaper, simpler cars because they prefer the challenge.  The explosion in vintage racing in the UK is testament to that, as is the rise of box-stock race classes (my local indoor club now runs Clubman m-chassis and box-stock Tamiya race trucks and most of the racers are A-heat winners).

There are snobs in every walk and some clubs are more cliquey than others, but take your time to get to know people and you'll find most of them to be decent folk.  I've made a few really good mates from local club racing, even those who seemed at first to be sitting on a distant high pedestal in the A final.

As for wheels - the wheels themselves don't matter but tyres do.  Speak to other racers (most clubs will point you towards an unofficial ambassador - a regular racer who is happy to help beginners) and find out what tyres are recommended.  Off-road racing is all about the tyres.  Run the wrong tyres and you'll be going round in circles or flipping upside down on every bend, especially on grass, and it doesn't matter how much tuning you do to the car, you'll have a hard time working around the wrong tyres.  My local club runs evenings on grass, and in the 2wd class we usually have to change front and rear tyres for the last round when the temperature stops and the dew starts to come in.

Above all have fun- that's what it's all about

[drcarlos 57]

Close to you is TORCH (Titchfield) so you are lucky, It's an Astro track and by all accounts quite friendly. They also race 2WD buggy so you have the right kit.

Most cars will tend be models of a similar type, usually the Schumacher KF, Yokomo or Associated race kits. Most will use brushless and there will be 'allowed' tyres. These are generally Schumacher Spikes on the rear and cut staggers on the front and are on the list because:

1. The work the best on Astro
2. They don't destroy the Astro (like min pins do)

Tamiya won't be laughed at because everyone started there and lots of guys race the revivals and DT challenge so have a couple themselves, but they will recommend better cars if you want to continue.

You'll need different wheels for the control tyres as they won't fit the star dish. The disc wheels are used because:

1. They are tougher
2. They are less likely to be buckled from the factory or get buckled due to 1.

I haven't been to my track for a while (SHRCCC in Farnborough) but was hoping to get back there for a few practice sessions once I get the Top Force as I'd like to encourage classic racing on a regular basis as a sort of non-serious side of it.

On that note I did find it was all quite serious, some are more committed than others and there are obviously the personalities that will grate and be snobby, but generally they are decent people and like a bit of a laugh.

Carl.

[Granddad Stinky 975]

Thanks guys, that's just what I was looking for, Titchfield is only 20 mins away from me. I'll read up on the BRCA and wander in when they're racing.

[Wooders28 4723]

No more information to add from drcarlos, only that when I went back to racing after some time away, I was in the beginners heat and got beaten by a 5yr old lol (in my defence, he's doing some of the national events with his dad)