240Z

iTrader: (6)

At one point RC club racing was a high priority/enjoyment hobby. Working on my cars during the week and getting together with my RC clan once or twice a month was the ultimate stress relief. And then life happened. Other priorities came up and racing opportunities only came around a couple of times a year. I still would
love to hit the track more often but the reality is that I just don't have many Saturdays or Sundays with a whole 8-10 hours to block out for a track day.

For those of you that want to race or do race, would you get more out of the hobby if racing did not require a full day?

Billy Kelly

iTrader: (9)

CTRJ

iTrader: (13)

Same here. I go to the track when I can. Sometimes, I can go 2-3 times a month and sometimes I don't go for months. It does help that I have a track in the backyard and the kids and I can also drive cars in the front yard.

chuck_thehammer

ASK the club... if you can MISS the first heat... or just skip the main...

the Texas club allows this.. but to miss the first heat... you call ahead to enter the race by phone...

I have done both...

currently... our weekly race is 12:00 noon to 4pm.... gate opens at 10:30am. with 30 to 60 racers,,
NO time is given between rounds... go things go quickly ..

IF needed... insist family to ALLOW you time for yourself..
50 years.. my family knows... do NOT plan anything for me on Sunday.. that is motorcycle riding day... Right after Church is over... I am riding.... ALL DAY... keep my supper warm.. I will be home before dark.
YES, I ride my motorcycle to church...... some Sunday's there are 3 to 6 parked outside...

unless weather does not allow it.. then I am willing to do whatever.

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

Since being diagnosed with Lupus I have taken every hour I get at the track as a blessing. So I try to not think too much about the days I miss and just try to enjoy the hell out of the few hours I do get even if it's just for practice. Life is always gonna get in the way, but we can still try to enjoy the little time we do get with the hobby we love

sickpuppy1

iTrader: (32)

Yeah, I was away from it for like 3 yrs and am now trying to get back into it. So far its just been a couple of times when they were practice only days. Go out there, run 3-4 packs and done. Its still fun,but I really do need to just get my timing back anyways b4 I go racing.

HaulinBass

iTrader: (16)

I make time for the hobby, what good is slaving away 300+ hours a month if i cant have a little fun

brokenmoto

iTrader: (1)

Practice days at the track seem to be my favorite now. Less attitude, more battles, people seem to want to mix it up more on practice days. Run as much or as little as you want, go home.

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

I agree, practice days are my favorite as well. Just not so much when 10 rental short course trucks are running at the same time

nf_ekt

iTrader: (115)

I'm in hiatus-mode right now myself... I just have other things going on. I do the few years on, then off routine. Been that way since the late 80's. At the moment motorcycles, mountain bikes, and playing music have taken precedence.

I hear you on the 8-10 hours thing.. my hearts just not in it for that sort of day anymore. I f I had a place to run that got started early and only did 2 qualifiers (and really kept it moving in general) then I'd still be running on a regular basis. But that isn't the case, and I just don't want to spend my whole day in one place. Then there is the money thing... it's just become a pricey endeavor (at least on-road). I kind of shoot more for the hobbies that involve a few hours of my time and a few $$$ in gas money right now. RC will come back into the fold at some point I suppose.

big ted

iTrader: (2)

Oh man. Agree 100%. I got back into this as something fun to do mid-week after work. During the fall/winter our local club leases a warehouse space & sets up an indoor track. We have 'friendly' races on Wednesday nights, & points races at the weekends. The Wednesday races are great fun & exactly what I want out of the hobby. The weekend races, whilst fun, were more time than I really want to commit. Plus, if you only have one vehicle, it's a lot of waiting around. Most of the regulars therefore run at least two classes, so now not only is it a big time commitment, but it's more expense to maintain two vehicles as well as more stuff to store at home.

Apparently there may not be a lease next year. The organisers are optimistic that they'll still be able to set the track up for the weekend races but, sadly, if that happens I'll probably bow out as I can't see me wanting to spend the time at the track at the weekends.

AHR43

Hi guys,
I have the time for this hobby. Fully retired. I just don't have the patience or stamina to sit through a 12-16 hour race day to run a one car program. I am 74 y.o. and accept this is a young man's (and ladies) hobby. No whine. Just fact. I enjoy the racing aspect of the hobby; respect the bashing side, but have never warmed to it. So, for me, running practice sessions is it. That and perhaps signing up for a race event, run a qual or two and go home.
I've been at this hobby going on twenty years, and accept it is a hobby that just takes an inordinate amount of dedicated time. Over the years, tracks have become too big, drivers stands too tall and events too long to suit me. It is what it is. Tough cookie, I guess. Part of growing old. Time to pass the torch to the young lions and lurk in the past...
You all have fun and enjoy it while you can.
Cheers and regards,
AC

jiml

iTrader: (3)

Wow, if there ever was a thread that everyone needs to read, it's this one. Every once in a while I bring up the long race days, and I get laughed at.

SWTour

iTrader: (9)

As a racer who started this hobby getting 3 heats and a main (3 mins way back when) I remember saying "I SPEND ALL DAY/NIGHT AT THE TRACK AND GET 12 MINUTES OF TRACK TIME, THIS HOBBY SUCKS", this was back in 1985 and 33 years later this Hobby/Sport still fills a lot of my time.

Now, I don't have a local track to support and all of the racing I participate in is between 100 and 200 miles from home. (most tracks are 100-140 miles), most of these tracks only do 2 rounds of qualifying and mains, and to be honest with the amount of $$$ is costs to do a race day, I feel jipped, especially on days with a light turnout. I don't travel make a 4 1/2 - 7 hour round trip for 3 hrs worth of race day. I EXPECT it to be a full day.

As a race promoter/director, I always do 3 rds or qualifying and mains. I generally hold 5 minute races (vs 4) too. I'd like at times to run even longer, but our type of racing tires get expensive.

I don't like to start too early in the morning, because for me personally, unlike when I was 30 years younger, I do not like waking up at 3 a.m. to go racing, and I figure if I don't like it, others may not like it either.

My goal on race day is once racing starts, complete the show in 6 - 6 1/2 hours, at least 2 hours of practice before racing. (plus I spend an hour to setup and another hour to tear down) - so for me I generally do a 10-10.5 hr day holding a race, and then have a 3+ hr drive home. (the past couple years I go the day before and do 1/2 day of afternoon practice the day before the race because the unique track we use is pretty special to many of our racers)

Added to a normal race day is the post race dinner with some of my race buddies. Regardless if it's a race I'm promoting/directing or just one I'm attending, a small group will hit a Denny's or Carl's Jr. or someplace we agree on and hang out, destress from the day... and kill another 2 - 3 hours B.Sing.

Summer of '85 I was 22 years old when I started R/C racing -- summer of '18 I'll be 55 and still enjoy the heck out of so many parts of the R/C hobby, but over those years "LIFE" has had occasions to get in the way, caused less racing at times, even took a couple years off in there somewhere, the cool thing is, I'm still racing with some of the same people for almost ALL those years who are still just as hooked and have similar stories.

F N CUDA

iTrader: (34)

Who's over the 2 qualifiers and 1 main format?

Got spoiled running the UF1 series format for a few years a few years ago.
240Z was a main contributor to this series, props dude!

1 quick qualifying round to sort the field, which is usually already sorted before qualifying begins cuz we pretty much know who the fast guys are.

The qualifying round was a short 2 to 3 minutes to let everyone get about 10 to 12 laps to score their best 5 non consecutive laps
Worked very well to establish the field, rarely had the wrong guys in the wrong mains.

Then triple mains for everyone, now we are racing all day instead of qualifying all day.

You stay in your same A, B or C main all day, however there is a resort for each main i.e. if you won the B main you start 1st in the next round B main etc.
Also if that B main run was faster than some of or all of the A main runs you get points for that position.
You can win the whole round or even the whole day from the B main if you ran the most laps.
100 points for the win.

Race, sort, repeat.

Race all day, not qualify all day.

Easy format to use, computer already scores top 5, 10, 15 laps.