| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
David Smeaton
New Member
United Kingdom
81 Posts |
 Posted - 03 March 2011 : 13:39:59
|
Listening to comments and drawing my own conclusions during the last few Tuesday night race meetings I think it would be a good idea to slightly change the format of the meeting:
6 car maximum per heat. Starting with the top 6 fastest from the week before or ability. The next 6 fastest and so on through the class.
Intoduce a novice heat either per class if there is enough drivers or mix the cars.
This would give the novices time to improve as they will not spend 5 minutes getting out the way of the faster drivers, they won't be 'depressed' by being lapped, knocked out of the way etc.
I agree that experienced drivers should aim to drive around slower ones but we all know that trying to pass some people on a tight track is like trying to nail jelly to the ceiling.
This week we had 5 rounds so why not have 4 rounds of equally graded races and less moaning..... |
|
|
frecklychimp
Average Member
852 Posts |
Posted - 03 March 2011 : 14:36:52
|
Thought we already had one... the 4WD Buggy race! the SCT's are cleaner round the track... not a joke!
I know what you are getting at Dave but putting it into practise is very hard... we all make mistakes and crash etc
Cheer up matey, don't be 'depressed'... its only a hobby!
Think its only the few guys that take 'club racing' far too seriously that have anger issues, and that will eventually cause problems...
i'm getting annoyed at hearing swearing on rostrum in all classes, i admit to using foul language habitually but shouting across a hall with kids present just because you have crashed your toy car is a bit much and even offends me!
its not the world championships but there also shouldn't be moving random obstacles either!
It would encourage kids/beginners if they had a heat with less pressure etc to get used to racing, i suppose people with limited skills using stupid fast equipment to keep up with better drivers is how it has always been, nothing has changed in 20 years, won't either until they realise that slower is faster and it takes longer to marshal a crashed car than goin 5mph slower round corners etc.
Who volunteers for telling people they are novices then? |
 |
|
|
Tnx king
Junior Member
United Kingdom
331 Posts |
Posted - 03 March 2011 : 21:26:33
|
I have got to agree with Dave on this one i also felt that there should be a heat for less experienced drivers, Maybe having a buddy with the less experienced drivers to help them with driving tips and general racing practices
As i saw watching the 4wd buggys myself i can understand what dave is saying.
It also will encourage the less experienced drivers as i bet they feel bad and loose confidence feeling that they are getting in the way sometimes .
|
|
|
|
TomTom
Average Member
Kyrgyzstan
596 Posts |
Posted - 03 March 2011 : 22:14:58
|
A novice heat is a good idea for the open wheeled classes, but I think that along with it should be some help for the newer drivers, i.e. making them understand the importance of consistency, racecraft, track etiquette e.t.c. rather than just trying to go as fast as possible. This could perhaps be a handbook for new drivers, or just a locked topic on the forums for all to read? In the end this will benefit all of us, and hopefully produce some really good drivers for the club? If it is of interest, then I can have a crack at writing one for the club?
Tom |
|
|
|
frecklychimp
Average Member
852 Posts |
Posted - 03 March 2011 : 22:39:12
|
Good idea Tom, if you have the time matey then it would be of great benefit for the whole club and future members.
Not really worth putting SCT's in a Novice class... half of the drivers in last nights heat have been Novices for about 20 years!
I would be willing to help any novice drivers that need any help... Chris... your first lesson starts on Tuesday, 1, check your wheel nuts are tight, 2, drive around the track without hitting things, 3, repeat stage 2 for 5 minutes, 4, have a gold star. |
|
|
|
admin
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
1189 Posts |
Posted - 03 March 2011 : 22:39:53
|
Very good idea Tom, you have talked yourself into a job :) It's something that we have needed for a while.
We are a friendly and helpful club that has over the years encoraged many drivers into the sport, and a guide will help further.
We had five rounds this week as SCT numbers where a little odd, only three 4WD so it made sense to try an experiment and run an 11 car SCT heat, amazingly I "think" it worked. This gave time to run five rounds and still finish at half nine. Usually there is always at least four heats.
From experience novice/beginner heats do work, but it is always about the logistics - we only have two, maybe three drivers that would benefit from clearer track to learn on and I'm not sure its enough to run a seperate heat...
Consider my nuts thoroughly tightened! |
|
|
|
grasshopper
Senior Member
1652 Posts |
Posted - 03 March 2011 : 23:41:50
|
Well volunteered Tom - great idea, be good as part of a 'welcome pack' for new members as well as on-line.
As regards last weeks attendance - there was only one novice and it would be difficult to race on his own. What was the alternative - turn him away ? we all had to start somewhere.
There were however, quite a few in the same heat that might benefit from a copy of Tom's forthcoming tome on track etiquette. |
|
|
|
Blitz34
New Member
United Kingdom
88 Posts |
Posted - 04 March 2011 : 15:20:16
|
| Nice ideas chaps, but I think saving up for blitz for Kieran would be a better idea he was just so excited when Phil kindly gave him his old car I could not set it up for him and race but it's just not the class for him to start out in, so I better get saving up cos he loves coming to the club and if he takes someone out in sct we are use to it and they don't break. |
|
|
|
TomTom
Average Member
Kyrgyzstan
596 Posts |
Posted - 04 March 2011 : 18:34:54
|
| Ok well I will get to work! |
|
|
|
David Smeaton
New Member
United Kingdom
81 Posts |
Posted - 04 March 2011 : 19:57:08
|
Most of us at the club are always open to assist newer drives however etiquette, marshalling duties, set up tips etc are learnt from the environment at the club.
My feeling is that certainly the 2 & 4wd classes should be heats made up of 6 cars maximum, that way the 'top' 6 can play as competitively as they like. It is likely to work out that the remaining drivers from 2 & 4wd can be put into the same heat where the pace is going to be slower and time can be taken to learn the 'craft'.
We must do as much as we can to stop lads like Kieran being put of due to the speed and enthusiasum of a full 4wd race and like wise not put the experienced out of town drivers off by having a complete newbee in a very fast heat.
Thats my opinion away. |
|
|
|
Tezcat
New Member
United Kingdom
22 Posts |
Posted - 04 March 2011 : 20:17:59
|
I've not raced at the club yet but would be happier having a go with my B4 in a novice group rather than wait on my driveshafts showing up for my scrt10. I think the hardest bit would be getting people to admit they need a slower group or that they are a novice.
Count me as a complete novice, also registered for the regionals as a complete novice :) |
|
|
|
sparks8
New Member
United Kingdom
67 Posts |
Posted - 04 March 2011 : 21:17:26
|
Shoot me down in flames but i dont think a novice / slower driver race is that good an idea. i can see and understand daves comments but are fingers being pointed at the wrong drivers?? other motorsports i.e cars, motorcycles etc etc at "clubmans" level all have novice racers racing alongside club champions who are considerably quicker. difference is that the "novice" competitors are known to the quicker guys either by big fat crosses on the cars or orange jackets. And the first thing they are told is to not to worry about the faster more experianced guys they will go around you.... The only differnence is the scale..
Maybe the quicker drivers should be told who the novices are and "go gentle" and likewise the novice/slower drivers given a brief when they sign on from poss one of the quicker drivers as to the do's and donts.
Myself iam the first to admit iam more of a mobile chicane than anything else but i do this as a hobby that i do enjoy but at this level it is just, a hobby! Seperating novices i dont think is the way, novice drivers will come away from a nights racing happy as larry if they were able to hang onto a quick driver for just one corner in five races! to be basically told your in your own heat will only knock confidence.
Another option poss might be instead of having a "open practise" at the start of every meeting why not run a form of qualifing/timed pracise?? I know chris its all logistics but this might poss be the way of not causing upset to existing racers by basically calling them sh~te. As freckly chimp points out who would want to tell racers they are classed as "not good enough" at clubmans without causing upset! at least if there was some form of maybe timed practise it might keep both the "clubmans pro" and novice happy.
Maybe iam completly wrong but at the end of the day this is a fun hobby. and newbies should be encouraged as much as poss by the sounds of it like phil does! If racers are turning up cursing "driving standard" or "abilities" maybe they should make the jump to the next level of racing.
|
|
|
|
frecklychimp
Average Member
852 Posts |
Posted - 04 March 2011 : 23:26:48
|
I agree with Sparks8
The driving standards, particularly in 4WD buggies and a few in 2WD buggies, are bad, which is why i was taking the p*$$ earlier, you should see it from the outside.
I moved to having a go at 2wd buggies a few weeks back and for the first couple of rounds was getting punted off the track whilst getting used to driving lines etc... i'm in no way a novice and was pretty shocked at the attitude on the rostrum... i've never had that in national level events!
If the drivers are that good then slower cars on the track should not be a problem, whatever the ability... especially when these 'top drivers' have been doing the hobby for 20+ years!
I was watching current National level races last Sunday, their cars are being driven a damn sight slower than what is seen at our club, mainly because they are concentrating on getting round the track rather than being the fastest in a straight line or having the most expensive toy at the club.
In an ideal world then drivers would be split into 6 matching abilities and everyone would be happy... won't happen, this is club level racing, if the 'top drivers' would slow their cars down a bit or look 2ft further forward of their cars then most of the problems would disappear.
If 11 much larger and handle like a boat SCT's can go round the track fairly cleanly together (I had 5 pretty much clean races without being taken out) then buggy drivers should be ashamed of themselves!
How about we have an 'attitude' heat, where those that have a problem with people they 'race' against can race together and be happy?
Its toy car racing, its supposed to be fun, life is too short for crying about it, there are much higher levels and bigger clubs to race at if our club is not competitive enough, beginners should be encouraged, not singled out as problems... remember where Lewis Hamilton started! |
|
|
|
Tezcat
New Member
United Kingdom
22 Posts |
Posted - 05 March 2011 : 00:46:50
|
As a beginner I would hope the good drivers can get round me easily enough without it being a problem. I'll just be concentrating on getting around the track. I won't be able to swerve out of anyone's way, well not on purpose anyway!
Looking forward to tuesday. |
|
|
|
TomTom
Average Member
Kyrgyzstan
596 Posts |
Posted - 05 March 2011 : 13:57:39
|
I think this may be a bit off topic and I understand that it will NEVER happen, but I think its an interesting concept. Get rid of the marshalls. You have one shot to finish the race. If your car needs to be marshalled, tough your out! RC racing needs consequences just like our full size counterparts. People need to learn to drive with their heads. As it stands, if you crash, someone runs over and puts you back on track. At first people would be upset, but as they realise that they have to drive with their heads, not their trigger fingers / thumbs, the driving will improve dramatically! At the moment you can be a really fast driver but crash every other lap and still win. That goes against everything that racing is about, the consistent drivers who can turn clean lap after clean lap should be rewarded. I will be the first to admit that we all make mistakes, but that is part of racing. Ever see an F1 race without any crashes or off track excursions? They are the best open wheel drivers in the world.
|
Edited by - TomTom on 05 March 2011 13:58:02 |
|
|
|
ianholt
Average Member
United Kingdom
750 Posts |
Posted - 07 March 2011 : 06:39:36
|
| I have just read through this and 1 thing I would strongly agree with is marking the novice drivers car. Maybe some bright coloured stickers, a cross or something? Also a briefing before each meeting explaining to all drivers what is expected of them would be useful. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
