oOple.com Forums - Blogs http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to http://www.vbulletin.com/ . en Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:26 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.oople.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg oOple.com Forums - Blogs http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php friday http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=43 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:24:57 GMT Feeling better today, finish college in 10minutes :D Feeling better today, finish college in 10minutes :D ]]> ben http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=43 ill http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=42 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:52:30 GMT Still ill as of today, what a load of rubbish!:cry: Still ill as of today, what a load of rubbish!:cry: ]]> ben http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=42 Testing again! http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=41 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:01:39 GMT Just testing some new blog stuff :yawn: Just testing some new blog stuff :yawn: ]]> jimmy http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=41 Nature vs Nurture http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=40 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:52:44 GMT *Image: http://www.oople.com/pixels/rcvoice/nature.gif * * Nature vs Nurture * I’d had an easy couple of blog entries over the past month or...


Nature vs Nurture

I’d had an easy couple of blog entries over the past month or so, with the timing of the European Championships providing blogs that wrote themselves. But last week I began pondering what the next instalment might be, and which area of RC car racing could be covered next- fortunately the answer came via that most valuable educational and entertainment resource, the TV.

On one of the nights last week, I forget which day it actually was, a fascinating (well I thought it was anyway and for this blogs sake I hope you do too!) programme dedicated to the extremely talented and gorgeous Vanessa Mae was shown on the BBC. Now for those of you who may not know Miss Mae, she is a violinist, perhaps the world’s most famous, who has performed on all the biggest stages and TV shows, regarded as a performer who is controversial and who has broken down the boundaries of classical music to merge it with other genres, playing electric violin and wearing clothes not found amongst the string section in an orchestra.

Anyway, the purpose of the programme was that Vanessa Mae was attempting to identify whether her talent was something natural or whether indeed it came about solely via her immense levels of practice or the opportunities provided for her by her mother. She called on the assistance of professors and other music professionals to try and give her some insight into which was more powerful in terms of talent, nature or nurture.

So I got to thinking, and I don’t know an answer to this and will never research it to the depths that Mae did, in terms of being a successful model car racer, what is more significant- nature or nurture? I would welcome you each to offer your opinions on this as I really am no expert in this field, but I will offer you my views anyway.
I suppose firstly you must ask what is necessary to be successful at RC racing. What are those basic traits that must be present for success and is it possible to identify which of those can be classed as natural and which can only be defined as more nurtured and honed. This is going to be tough, and you may well disagree, so as said, feel free to offer your views in the comments section. Let me begin by offering what I feel is the case for nature...

Nature.

1. Good co-ordination. Let’s face it, you have to have it... your left and right thumb or your trigger finger and wrist must work in harmony if you are going to be able to maintain a good and accurate control of an RC vehicle. This I think is fair to class as a natural possession, certain people are just naturally better co-ordinated than others and if you are not well co-ordinated, driving an RC car can be a real tough slog.

2. Competitive Instinct. This is racing, if you’re going to get to the top you have to beat people (not physically, however tempting that might be) but you must be willing to be better than everyone else to get to the top. Certainly some people are naturally more competitive than others, and surely it is those who are more competitive who are more successful than those who just go out there to have a good time? My personal view is that becoming competitive minded is not really something that can be gained, it has to come naturally.

3. Good concentration under pressure. This is something that can be honed I would guess, with experience of pressured situations comes different levels of calmness but if you are unable to keep your cool and concentrate when it is most needed then your success will be limited. Having good concentration and focus are what I would class as natural values.
I’m struggling, you can tell that I would guess, categorising these considered necessary traits is quite difficult, let’s consider nurture...

Nurture.

1. Good race craft. By race craft what I refer to is knowing when to push, when to conserve. Knowing when to attempt an overtake and when to hold back. This is something that you can only really gain via competition and experience of being in such a situation where you need to make such a decision. It is more something that is learned rather than being natural.

2. Good technical knowledge. A tricky one this, what I refer to is that the driver, or his mechanic must have some form of knowledge of car tuning or maintenance in order to be successful (to finish 1st, 1st you have to finish and all that) and this is something gained over time. You can’t naturally know how to rebuild a diff successfully and little set up tweaks without some form of education either academic or just via racing experience. Though I do recognise that some people are just naturally more technically minded than others, like I said, tricky one this.

3. Competitive, reliable equipment. Yes, yes I know, “it’s all about the driver...” we’ve all heard it, but remember what Associated told us, “It takes a CAR and a driver to win a world championship”. It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you don’t have the gear you won’t achieve big things. How many people have won races when they’ve dumped after 3 minutes? How many people have won races with a tyco? You see my point... and having good gear, via sponsorship or via a healthy bank balance is achieved through nurture.

I’ve offered just six values there, and divided them equally between the 2 “n” categories. I know you can probably reel off more than just these 6, but what I have attempted to illustrate here is that it is ultimately an equal combination of nature and nurture which leads to success and advances talent, yes talent is possibly most important and is defined as a natural value but without the additional nurtured factors present as highlighted above, talent simply isn’t enough.

You can apply this to all sports, maybe the Olympics will present more fuel to this debate, the British team is going into the games as one of the best funded groups there, but will other more naturally gifted athletes prevail even if from the smallest countries. Who knows.

My view, which is similar to the view determined by Mae, is that it is impossible to determine which is more vital, if it was all natural, why would the successful racers in the sport be the ones who stick at it the longest, and why was the term “practice makes perfect” coined rather than “don’t bother practicing it’s all natural”?

If it was all nurture, why can Neil Cragg win a worlds with a B4 whilst some can’t win a Thursday night club race with the same chassis? As stated, I am no expert on this and welcome your views on this matter, but when you think of it in those terms, it shows why a clear conclusion doesn’t come naturally... or ‘nurterdly!’

‘til the start tone sounds...

RCVoice ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=40 You did us proud! http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=39 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:52:28 GMT *You did us proud!* So I set the scene a couple of weeks ago. I made statements such as team GB were admired around Europe for their depth of racing... You did us proud!
So I set the scene a couple of weeks ago. I made statements such as team GB were admired around Europe for their depth of racing talent, that the team were almost always the best represented in terms of numbers at such events and ultimately one of the most successful nations at such international events.
After submitting my last blog entry for a few short moments I had doubts about what I had written, and they weren’t just doubts about how my international readers may view me after delivering such a partisan and sycophantic assessment of the UK drivers- I do apologise once more. No, my doubts stemmed more around whether I had built our boys and girls up too much ahead of the 2008 Euros. What if GB put up a poor showing? What if they get sent home with their thrashed tales between their legs? What if they go out there and cause massive controversy? What if they have a small team who actually go? Maybe I have spoken too soon and after this event would have to change my blog title to RC Pratt. And whilst some of you may think that title would be highly appropriate, ultimately deep down, I should have known that I had nothing to fear at all!



Well done. Well done to you all. Neil Cragg re-emphasised his status as one of the world’s best drivers, perhaps his greatest performance if we put into context his 4wd efforts, taking a car that was ultimately an unknown quantity in racing terms, a car that he had not even seen prior to the event and taking a European title with it? Worthy of GREAT Britain status no? Mr Bradby and Martin both joined him on the podium in 2wd and 4wd respectively, congratulations to you. 7 British drivers in the top 10 of each class- not 2 or 3, but 7! Over 2/3 of the A final grid, AND the same drivers on each occasion, a fantastic achievement from each of you.
But as I said last time, the British team’s success is not solely down to their fantastic performances on track, but also off it. It’s also not all about those who were rockin’ the top 10 or taking home cups, It’s about those who are committed enough to travel across Europe and represent your nation and your racing organisation. What do I mean by off track performance? I’m talking about the pit table camaraderie, the apparent help and support that each of you gave to one another as explained in the forum by some of you, the way that you created a pleasant environment and entertained each other at the event, and by the sounds of it, on the journey to and from the event also! I’m also talking about the professionalism that you seemed to exude. Looking at pictures from the opening ceremony not only were GB the biggest squad, they were also the most proud and “team-looking”, love the shirts boys! We have heard nothing of any controversy caused by GB drivers, nothing to damage the great reputation that our racing organisation has built over the past couple of decades.
So, I thank you all for giving me such a pleasant topic to talk about this week and for preventing me from ending up with egg on my face. Well done to all of you who attended and I sincerely hope that it was as enjoyable of an experience as I made it out to be in my last entry. Please feel free to pass on your messages of congratulations to team GB in the form of blog comments, or indeed take the opportunity to pass on your messages of thanks to any people who helped make your Euros a memorable experience if you attended.
‘til the start tone sounds...
RCVoice – A proud resident of GREAT Britain. ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=39 GREAT Britain http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=38 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:52:37 GMT *GREAT Britain* It’s that time of year, pack your suntan lotion, shades, grab a beach towel, board that plane and top up that tan! Right? Not... GREAT Britain
 It’s that time of year, pack your suntan lotion, shades, grab a beach towel, board that plane and top up that tan! Right? Not necessarily... for many of you reading this blog, maybe it’s more a time to condense all of your racing gear into as small a packages as possible and do your best to convince customs that despite the variety of wires and radio controlled devices you really do mean no harm; get your EFRA license ready, and go and take on the continent!



Yes, the home nations will be represented at a European sporting event this summer, move over Gerrard and Rooney as this week’s blog is dedicated to all the British drivers competing at this year’s European Championships in both 1/8th off road and 1/10th electric off road in Greece and Italy respectively, occurring just a week apart.

We race fans back home wish you every success whilst out there, but we’re sure you won’t need it. On many occasions, the British team of guys and girls that go out to such events truly live up to that most patriotic of country names- GREAT Britain.

In a range of classes, British drivers represent some of the most successful and toughest competitors around and not only that, particularly in the case of 1/10th off road, us Brits are often the best represented in terms of entry numbers and in terms of podiums, top 10’s etc. etc.
What does this show? Firstly that the Brits are a competitive bunch and high numbers of the nations drivers wish to commit to racing at the highest levels.
Secondly, it displays particularly strong depth of ability in the UK national series and its success and its reason for gaining such admiration from around the globe. And finally, that us Brits love a week long piss up!
Yes, the latter is tongue in cheek, though it might be somewhat poignant to some of you.
If you’ve never attended a European championship and you ever get the opportunity, either via qualification or invite, I would highly recommend it. It’s 6 days of high class racing, the chance to race on clay which you rarely get in the UK, and most significantly, lots of opportunities for team bonding as you spend a lot more time with guys that you maybe only admire on track and never actually speak to.

When you’re at a euros, yes there is the division of sponsor teams still, but whilst there you’re an integral part of Team GB and as such you receive all the help and support you will need, whether it is at the trackside or making your way back to the hotel after said piss up.
It’s a great social event as well as a sporting one, but I won’t lie to you, the timetable is quite intense, the expenses are high, the rules are somewhat strict and the competition is extremely tough. But this is one of the pinnacles of RC racing, second only to the worlds so I would hope you would expect nothing less.
But trust me, the pro’s far outweigh the cons, you can say you were there to see Neil Cragg win his (insert high number here) title, or maybe when someone else lifted their first and began their own run of European dominance. You get to see how racing works on the continent and pit your skills against their finest offerings.
So to all those in attendance, make us proud, do your best and of course, enjoy it to the full. Remember you are representing one of the strongest nations in the sport and be proud of that whatever happens.

If this is your first attempt, be realistic in your targets, listen carefully to your GB team manager and treat it as a valuable experience no matter what.

My apologies to those reading this who are not of British nationality, I do appreciate that the Internet is a global entity, but while I have the online stage, I intend to use it... all together now: RULE BRITANNIA! BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES...
 ‘til the start tone sounds...
 RCVoice ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=38 Ebay Calling? http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=37 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:46:28 GMT This week’s blog is derived from a question asked by woOdy. Sorry for the late response to this question, please in future could all questions be... This week’s blog is derived from a question asked by woOdy. Sorry for the late response to this question, please in future could all questions be sent to Mrs Oople to ensure a quicker response.

woOdy asks: Need help! I am at the point of my career where I have been racing for many years at the top half of the leader board and now I am at a cross road. Do I carry on and not really getting anywhere, or do I quit! Do I try something new? Please help.

It’s interesting how over the space of a few weeks, the blog has gone from each end of the racing career spectrum - from gaining new racers and encouraging beginners, to now the potentially more depressing subject of when it is time to hang up that transmitter and pay a visit to your good friend, Mr E. Bay.

Yours is an interesting predicament woOdy. From the sounds of it, it seems as though you have been to the top and are now not enjoying the view from mid table. Who would?
Most of us who take part in this sport do so to quench their competitive instincts, yes I can hear you all now saying “I only do it for the social side and the fun” but deep down, we all know that there is no better feeling than picking up that trophy or seeing your name aloft a leaderboard.

So is it time to call it a day? Well, you have to consider which aspect of racing you have become disenchanted with.
It feels hard to take, but you should remember that this is a highly competitive sport at the top level. Technology is developing all the time, there are more and more people now devoting large amounts of their time to racing across a range of classes in the UK and in general things are just that bit more sophisticated.

Just because you are not at the sharp end now, doesn’t mean that it is something to get down over. There are of course the special talents who can sustain their “powers” over a longer period but this isn’t all that common, sometimes the old guard has to move aside to let the new blood come through.
Personally, I think you are in quite a privileged position- at least you’ve been at the top at some point! Plus this is a potentially exciting time for you and those watching as you pit your “more seasoned” wits against the new generation of stars, or are able to help others with your experience gained.

But to talk of quitting says to me that there must be some other underlying issue (wow I should have become an agony aunt shouldn’t I?) take a lye down on my couch for a minute.
Let me ask a few questions, and you can all play this one.

-How do you feel on race day? What is the first thing that goes through your mind as your alarm goes off at 5:30am?
Choose one of the following-
a/ You bound out of bed anxious to get the car loaded and head to the track.
b/ You look out of the window and consider rolling over?

-When you are at the track, how do you feel when you sit down at your pit table?
a/ Keen to get the car prepped and proud at the immaculate appearance of my vehicle
b/ Here we go again... there seems like there’s more to do eve... OH WHERE’S THAT SODDIN’ SPANNER GONE?

-When you are at the foot of the rostrum stairs, what goes through your mind?
a/ Right, smooth and clean, let me out there!
b/ O god, o god, o god... I’m up next... what if I lose or It breaks?

-You are on track and you get taken out when on a good run, the run finished 15 minutes ago, how do you feel?
a/ OK, that was rough, but I’ve got another run to go, it happens, now let me back out there!
b/ Oh he is so dead... nobody speak to me, I just wanna go home now!

If you answered A to most of these than no, now is certainly not the time to quit; racing is a blast for you and you’re enjoying yourself out there, with a positive attitude and a commitment, you will soon find yourself working your way up the leaderboard again.
If you have answered B to most of these then your problem is deeper than you thought, you clearly are not enjoying racing anymore, you are either putting too much pressure on yourself or you have just had enough.
The examples I have given are extreme, but they are certainly examples of a racer who has fallen out of interest with racing and when this happens. It is probably not worth spending your hard earned money on or, as said in the last column, wasting your sponsors time.
What I am getting at is your personal enjoyment is most important and when this stops then yes, maybe you should call it a day.

But there is a middle ground here, you may well enjoy every aspect of racing and the only thing niggling away at you is disappointment at defeat. The solution I would offer to this, is to take a break from racing at the higher level. Maybe take a year out from national competition, devote time to regional events or if you’re lucky enough, club racing.
If you still feel the same after this, then it is the sport, and not the competition that is getting to you, as highlighted previously.

How can you regain enthusiasm for racing? Well, maybe a new challenge, new team, new car or a new class. Do something to refresh your interest but look again at the questionnaire noted above, if you keep on noting B’s, this probably isn’t a suitable option and your best bet is to get away from it.
Maybe take a year out from racing completely, how are Sundays without it? Do you miss it? This will be the clearest indication of whether you want to extend that aerial again or keep the tranny in its case.

I hope I have given you some food for thought, I am sorry if it’s all a bit dreary and if you feel as though I don’t understand where you are coming from, it is a feeling I have never really experienced as I love the sport so much- let’s face it, I write about it once a fortnight!
Speak to those around you, your pit buddies (they may have been in a similar position), your family, and I hope you make the correct decision for you.

I will leave you with a topical quote from Aaron Waldron, a former pro racer and now editor of RC Car magazine in the USA:
  • “A bad day in R/C is better than a good day without it”.

‘til the start tone sounds,

RCVoice


P.S. Thanks for all the positive comments regarding some of the entries so far. This topic is a particularly interesting one, and one I am not an expert on as you could probably tell in the blog! Please feel free to offer any of your experiences to woOdy to aid him in his decision in the forum. ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=37 A big Re-sponsor-bility! http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=36 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:32:16 GMT *A big Re-sponsor-bility!* Signing your name on a contract, strategically placing your sponsors logos/decals onto your cars, receiving heavily... A big Re-sponsor-bility!

 Signing your name on a contract, strategically placing your sponsors logos/decals onto your cars, receiving heavily discounted or even free products... ah, the joys of being a sponsored driver. Sounds great doesn’t it?

Sponsorship is a privilege, it’s something to be proud of if you get the honour bestowed upon you, but to define the role in the way I have previously is rather inaccurate, it carries with it great responsibility and becomes a more complex role the higher up the sponsor ladder you become.

 In this week’s blog, I’d like to cover the topic of sponsorship in 3 stages. Firstly, I would like to cover some of the myths attached to sponsorship in RC racing or some of the common misconceptions that those hoping to be sponsored, and those that are already, have about it.
Then I will offer you some tips from my own experience on how to display yourself as a potential sponsors target or how to go about selecting a company to approach and how to do it, before finally giving you some information regarding how to become a model sponsoree.

The common misconceptions

 1. “If I make the A final I deserve to be sponsored”

 This is a pretty poor attitude to have about sponsorship, as I stated previously, getting sponsored is a privilege and certainly not a right, it should not be demanded or expected.
Simply having the results helps you construct an effective racing CV (as will be touched upon in a later section), but it doesn’t automatically make you a good sponsor candidate, there are certain other qualities that sponsors look for in their drivers, and that’s why the following is also a myth...

 2. “Sponsorship is just for the most successful drivers”

 Now, to be fully sponsored by a huge RC brand will often demand a certain level of talent with the tranny, but there are a range of sponsorship levels and without exception, the main objective for any RC company when sponsoring a driver is to promote their products and make them desirable to customers.
Of course, if their product is seen out on track tearing up lap records and sitting on pole or in the winner’s circle, then their promotional objectives are met most efficiently.
But it is often the case that, particularly fellow racers at said event where the product has performed well, will want to take a closer look at the particular product, gain some more information on it and have an understanding of where they can go for advice if they decide to make a purchase.
 It is at this time, when a fellow competitor or beginner may approach the said successful racer and ask to have a look at the products they use. Now this driver may be a star on the sticks, but if their people skills are abysmal, and they have no time for people who wish to approach them, or doesn’t have suitable knowledge to tell those who approach him/her about what technological advantages or special features of the gear they use and are sponsored for, they are failing as a successful promotional tool and acting as an inefficient sponsored driver despite their on track performance.

As stated in the title of this piece, there is a greater responsibility of being a sponsored driver and it doesn’t begin and end on the driver’s rostrum. As a sponsored driver, you are a company representative and you don’t necessarily have to be a champion or regular race winner to be one of these.
Of course the total package is someone that has all of these features: successful, experienced, sound technical knowledge and a pleasant person but I would bet that when a company are looking to broaden their team size, the latter features are given greater priority then race results.
If you conduct yourself well at meetings, have a decent knowledge of RC equipment, are always willing to help others and give or direct them to effective advice then you are still an effective sponsor candidate, whether you’re a regular in the A main or not.

3. “It’s all about who you know...”

 Ah that bitterest of statements. Yes ok, there are the odd exceptions around to the sponsored driver format as detailed in the previous point.
In some cases, it may just be that this person invests a lot of money into their racing, have a lot of experience, or their cars are neatly presented but the person might still be a bit of a a*se.
But I often think it is wrong to simply say that getting sponsored is all about who you know and not what you know, if the sponsored company rep knows you or one of their other sponsored drivers knows you, then they also know your faults.
If they still choose to sponsor you, you must be doing something right, afterall, this is an industry and sponsored drivers play a key role in it, we’re not talking some exclusive golf club.

 4. “Being sponsored just means you get cheaper stuff”

 As said, there are a range of sponsorship structures, from a full factory driver at one extreme, to the young kid who gets 10% knocked off at his local model shop. But as stated previously, sponsorship is more than a financial relationship. You adopt a role as a company representative; you are promoting your supporters as payback to the trust and respect they have shown to you.
 It’s about keeping your head when things are going badly, helping your fellow competitors and potential customers. Sponsorship is very much a two way street, and the key thing to always remember is that you are promoting your sponsor, and they are not promoting you, so you must do what is expected of you at all times.

5. “I’ll never get sponsored because I don’t attend the nationals”

 This is probably the most common myth associated with sponsorship and it ties in well with point 2 in this section. What you should ask yourself is, who make up the customer base that is the primary target for large racing companies to sell their goods to? The answer is often the club racer.
Club racers form a large percentage of sales of RC equipment, clubs are not often laden with fully sponsored racers granted, but if you can get a sponsored racer at club level it can be a real asset to a company.

Think of it like this. Driver X is a fully sponsored driver for a company, for the sake of the example let’s say Losi. On a Sunday, he goes out and wins a national, brilliant. Who knows he won the national? All those in attendance at the national event, or those that keep up to date with results online.
Are sales enhanced at club level? It is unlikely, particularly in the short term, many club racers may not know of driver X or of the nat series, those that do know of driver X may feel that just because someone of his talent wins with it doesn’t make the car good.
Driver Y used to race for Schumacher and had used to come in the top 5 at the local club on a Thursday night until one week he turns up with a Losi and wipes the floor with everyone. What happens over the next few weeks? It is more likely that more and more people will start turning up with Losi’s at the local club because racer Y has demonstrated the effectiveness of the vehicle first hand.

Hopefully this example has demonstrated that sponsored drivers at a range of competitive levels are equally as vital to the companies concerned when in pursuit of sales. As I said, this ties in with point 2 as someone of a more average racing ability is still a great asset to a racing team as they can demonstrate the effectiveness of their equipment in terms of improving their performance and there is no greater promotion than that!

So how do you go about getting sponsored?

 My first and most vital piece of advice is to not be in a hurry to get sponsored. At the end of the day, it is not the be all and end all of RC racing. As said throughout, being sponsored is a huge responsibility, there are lots of things expected of you and getting a lot of good results won’t necessarily open the door for you.

ENJOY YOUR RACING and don’t be in a rush to make a sponsor commitment too soon, as I said previously, the discounts are nice and the “prestige” but in addition the pressure increases, you have to do a good job of being a sponsoree to maintain or enhance your deal.
Build up your racing experience, your knowledge of equipment, be sociable at events and helpful to others and then, when you feel as though you could be a useful asset to a team, begin your approach...

 1. I’m ready... how do I know who I should approach?

 My advice is to approach a model shop first. Perhaps one you have a lot of experience with or one that is local to you. The reason for this is that sponsorship from a shop is far more flexible than if you target a distributor or manufacturer who will require you to use their specific products.
With a shop, they will likely give you a small discount from their range of stock. BUT the other reason why a shop is a good port of call, is because they will offer just a small sponsor package, not put a lot of pressure on you, just to be a good rep of the shop and its service.
REMEMBER the shop owner is running his/her business, they will not have a high sponsorship budget like a distributor/manufacturer will, so you should be immensely grateful for any deal they can offer you no matter how small it is likely to be.
In addition, if you later decide to move on to targeting a distributor, it is a great idea to be associated with a shop as the distributor in the early stages of your relationship will like to deliver to you via a reputable outlet rather than direct.

2. How do I make contact?

 My view is that keeping it formal is the best approach. Often the use of a letter or email is more effective than a phone call or face to face chat. It is also far more respectful and compassionate to the person you are in contact with, rather than putting them in an uncomfortable position on the phone by making such a request.
So, create yourself a racing CV. Sell yourself, make yourself appear a worthy sponsor candidate. You should follow a similar structure to this:

 Name
 Contact details
 A little racing history
 Most recent/proud achievements in RC
 The equipment you currently use
 Your local club/region
 Your racing agenda for the following season
 Why you think you should be considered

 Be gracious, polite and whatever you do, DO NOT MAKE DEMANDS! Remember, you are promoting them, they are not promoting you, you are in no position to demand a discount rate or to make any offers, it is entirely up to the sponsor to decide what they wish to offer you... if anything at all.

3. Ok, I’ve had a reply, what do I do?

 If you are told that at this time you are not offered anything, than accept it, don’t let it get you down, it’s no big deal as I said before, continue to love racing, gaining more knowledge and experience and try again the following season or target someone different.

 If you are presented with an offer, don’t be in a rush to accept. Think about it, think about how this will enhance your racing life, look at the offer carefully and think about some of the things you’ve been told in this blog, if you are happy and ready to become a sponsored driver, go ahead and good luck, show your gratitude and commit.

I’m a team driver, what now?

 Congrats! Put those decals in strategic positions on your new shell, wear your new sponsor T-shirt with pride and remember what you now signify.
Once you are associated with a team, by wearing their clothes or displaying their logo, you are now a representative of them, and your conduct will now reflect the team you belong to. Here are some tips on how to be a good team driver:

 1. Be sociable at all times... including on the forums!
 Now that you’re sponsored, and you have the logo on your person at race meetings, or the brand name in your signature on oOple, everyone sees you as an ambassador of the company.
The internet has now meant that this position is even more focal than ever, so do online as you do trackside, be helpful, answer questions BUT ONLY WHEN YOU ARE CERTAIN OF THE CORRECT ANSWER, try and stay out of spats that are taking place and most of all, promote the brand that you represent at all times.

 2. Keep your feet on the ground
 Be proud to be a sponsoree, but don’t shove it in people’s faces. It all comes back to that statement “you are promoting them, they are not promoting you” repeat it! And again!
Sponsorship is not a badge of honour that automatically elevates your status over privateers, you are not necessarily a better driver or person than them, remember that.

3. Remember to treat everyone with respect
 Any potential customer of the brand may look to you for advice or a chat, be nice to them, after all they could be, or soon could be making it possible for you to get the discount you get by purchasing products at full price from your sponsor.

 4. Don’t be surprised if you become a target
 Especially at club level, everyone will likely be out to beat you now that you’re sponsored, lots of people want it, so enjoy the competition and keep your head even if things don’t go to plan!

 I hope that this has given you some useful information regarding the myths of sponsorship and how you can go about gaining it. Remember, do not rush to get into that position, I am sure there are many factory guys who some days wish they were in the flexible and happy position of a privateer who can enjoy their racing fully without the added pressure or scrutiny they get from competitors or “employers”.
Continue to enjoy your racing, and even if you’re paying fully for all of your gear, don’t forget to take full advantages of the added value... FUN!

 ‘til the start tone sounds,

 RCVoice ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=36 My seed http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=35 Thu, 22 May 2008 14:54:01 GMT I sew some of my seed a week last Monday and the effects so far are quite cool. I'll get a pic tonight.

G ]]> Northy http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=35 RCVoice answers your questions - Why are we still running 5 minute heats? http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=34 Fri, 16 May 2008 21:44:39 GMT This weeks blog entry is an answer to a question submitted by one of our fans. *1. Why are we still running 5 minutes heats? I mean... 15 years... This weeks blog entry is an answer to a question submitted by one of our fans.

1. Why are we still running 5 minutes heats? I mean... 15 years ago cells only had 1700mAh, nowadays cells have more than twice that, but we're still running 5 minutes heats.
Why don't we run 10 or even 15 minutes heats? Looking even further, lipo batteries allow even more run time, so we could run 15 minutes heats with 30 minutes finals with one battery change.

a/ A few years ago, I recall reading an interview with an American pro racer in a magazine, he was asked the question whether he preferred racing back home in the USA where at the time, electric qualifiers and finals were 4 minutes in length, or whether indeed he preferred racing in Europe or at world championships where races were 5 minutes long- his response was this, “I don’t care how long I have... it never feels as though I am out there long enough anyway...”.

The thrill of the sweet qualifier, the heat of battle in a tough main or final, the fun of driving your car around and seeing how you do against competitors, its what we all do this for.
And I am sure many of us believe we want to be out there as long as possible, maximising the pleasure from the money we have paid to compete that day, and undoubtedly, as mentioned in this question, new technology means that this is possible. BUT, there are many arguments for maintaining the 5 minute structure in electric buggy racing, and I will look at this from a national event perspective to demonstrate this arguments clearly...

1. Logistics: The average electric off road national day runs from 8am to roughly 6:30pm, I’m talking of the time from the first heat of practice begins, to the last leg of the A is finished. From 6:30pm, it is then necessary for competitors to either get packed away, and take the long drive home, or for them to get back to a hotel, or get some dinner sorted in any way as well as a wash.
In addition, the organisers must pack away the computer gear, get the site sorted as well as getting fed and washed etc. be it Saturday or Sunday.

If qualifiers become tripled in length from where they are now, plus the finals, that’s the length of the day dramatically heightened and the only way to prevent this is to negatively impact upon the entry level or the event structure.

Of course, this is in the national case- it could of course be tried at your regionals or club races, but from a BRCA rule point of view, this is just one reason why it is unlikely to be feasible.

2. The skill of the 5 minute run: OK, ok, so I can hear you shouting at you PC screen “BUT LONGER QUALIFIERS AND FINALS ARE EMPLOYED IN NITRO RACING!” and yes they are, but to me, and I’m sure to many other electric racers, the true art, if you like, of electric racing, is the difficulty of the perfect 5 minute run with a 35mph car.

Let’s consider gas racing off road- bigger cars, higher top speeds, engines, noise, pit stops, yeah yeah yeah, but do you know what else? Bigger, more cumbersome machines, with a slower cornering speed than a 1/10th electric car, a wider track and a virtually bullet proof structure.
Consider 1/10th electric off-road... more twitchy, faster lap times, higher average speeds per lap, tighter tracks and, this is the killer, the necessity for accuracy.

Think about it, a 15 minute qualifier in nitro means that you can score well with a quick pit stop, you can afford to make some errors and do well, and that’s with a car that is, in comparison, undoubtedly easier to drive! (yeah... I went there! Though will concede they are still very difficult to drive well of course!).
Transfer this to an electric 15 min run, you could again afford to crash 3, 4 maybe 5 times, as you see in many gas races and still score well in a round... a 5 minute qualifier, 3 to 4 mistakes and you are going to be lucky to get anywhere near the top 25, maybe 30 (again looking at this in national terms).
You must go perfect for 5 mins, as a shorter run time won’t allow you to make up the time you’ve lost in a heavy error. In addition the car is more fragile, so you must stay clean, you are driving around a small car that could kick like a mule in a deep rut, not blast through it like it isn’t there.

To me, the shorter run time and the extra difficulty of driving a 10th scale off road electric car combined, is the true skill of electric racing and the reward, and this would only be diminished with longer race times.

3. Think of the added costs of tyres: it is often the case in 10th scale off road, that tyre freshness can have a big impact on handling. Tyres of course, are not a cheap commodity, and at times just from a 5 min run, it is difficult to make the tyres last more than 2 races at a time.
With a 15 min qualifier you will undoubtedly, in 10th scale, have no choice but to go new set per run, you’re asking the tyres to do the equivalent of 3 races per round. Without changes being made to the construction/design of 10th scale tyres, the costs are being driven up.

And finally... think of the spectators! The intensity of a 5 min run, the speed the cars circulate at for the 5 mins, the drivers cannot make a heavy mistake, facilitating metronomic precision each lap.
They are not seeing the same car do 40 laps of a small 10th scale track in 15 mins, potentially making 5 errors, still possibly winning. What would look more impressive to you?
Would you not get bored of watching for 15 minutes? No pit stops or flame outs... None of anything that maintains the interest in a 45min gas race- the noise, smells etc.
Would Brian Harris (national commentator) be able to get so excited and talk a racer through their TQ run over 15 mins with the same energy and purpose? I would doubt it, although he’d give it a go!

There are lots of things to be considered... don’t get me wrong, your question is valid, and there is the potential to do 15 minute races, however my view is that at this time, there would be no real benefits to electric RC events as a spectacle for racers or spectators.

On the racing scene, the brushless/lipo 15 minutes demo class, as seen in the states, should for the time being remain just that, a demo class.
The longer run times offered by new technology in electric racing, more than anything, should be utilised to the full during your free practice, to help make sure, that your next 5 minute qualifier or final, is as perfect as it can be... speed identifies a racer, consistency defines a racer.

‘til the start tone sounds,

RCVoice. ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=34 Young guns that need reloading... http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=33 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:26:32 GMT *Young guns that need reloading...* “It’s a young man’s game...” a familiar sounding phrase isn’t it? You hear it said a lot about sport, and... Young guns that need reloading...

“It’s a young man’s game...” a familiar sounding phrase isn’t it? You hear it said a lot about sport, and motorsports are not exempt. RC Racing of course is different, there are not the physical demands of full scale motor racing and the age limitation isn’t so obvious there but some may argue that some of the mental aspects are still similar, at the top end of each discipline, pressure still exists.

Can RC racing be described as a young man’s game? It’s an interesting debate, if we base this solely on success then this is perhaps not the case. Let’s consider for a moment some of the most successful competitors operating in RC today: the first group I would like to consider are the names such as Ellis Stafford, Craig Drescher, and Andy Moore. All of which are over or close to the age of 30 and are still performing at an exceptionally high standard across the range of classes from Off-road to on, all still well capable of making European and World A finals and of course in Andy’s case, winning them!

Conversely, let us consider a slightly different group, consisting of Neil Cragg, Darren Bloomfield, Paul Bradby, Tom Yardy, Lee Martin etc. etc. all still well below the age of 30, nearly all of which much closer to 20 and yet all of these drivers are also capable of “getting ‘er done” at the big events, nationally and internationally.

There is of course a point being made (trust me, it is coming). There is one thing that links both of these groups of drivers mentioned above, despite them being separated by an age variable. This is, they each started their racing careers at an early age, and by early age in this case, I am talking sub 13. Messer’s Drescher and Cragg have set records within the UK for their remarkable achievements at an early age- Craig Drescher was at the tender age of around 9 or 10 when he made his first National A final and Cragg was not much older on his top 10 debut, by their teens they were each winning national events and soon later titles at national and European level. Darren Bloomfield made his first National A final at around the age of 13 and mid teens is a common age for many national A final debutants, particularly in the 1/10 off road category.

The very successful competitors who are able to sustain their pace at a more mature age are often those who “cut their teeth” at a much younger age, of course I am sure throughout the years there have been those who have started much later in life and have sustained strong results, though on average, it is fair to say that the young starters are often the more successful in the long term. In addition, it is also interesting to note that more and more racers who began when they were younger are now returning to racing at a later time in their life, and the return is working out better for some than others.

Let us for a moment turn our attention to the next generation of potential RC racing superstars in the UK... ahh... erm... how about?... can he really be classed as young?... this is where I have a difficulty, which highlights a worrying issue for the future of RC racing. Though as stated, the achievements of Drescher and Cragg pre-teen is remarkable, and of course, natural talent and backing are a crucial factor to achieving such success- the worrying aspect is that their achievements are never likely to be bettered predominantly because there is a distinct lack of drivers competing at a pre-teen age, if any at all, across the board of competition, from club races to regionals, let alone national level.

Now please don’t misunderstand my point, I am fully aware that there are some very promising young drivers around, I was delighted to hear recently of the young man, Ben Jemison from the North East who took his first regional victory at 15. I know of some other young drivers who are coming through the ranks and it’s great to see, the worry is the depth and the shift towards mid teen young guns, from the pre teen and early teen stars. Getting young drivers into the sport is a serious problem, one that is of primary concern to the BRCA who in the past have done all they can to nurture the young talents of the UK.

Let us turn the clock back a decade or so for a moment. In the early to mid 90’s, the BRCA Junior national championships began, with 2 categories, under 13 and under 16. To qualify for this event, as a junior, you had to finish as 1 of the top 5 u13’s or u16’s in your region, sounds tough huh? And there was no leniency, there couldn’t be, the meetings were full, and only those who qualified could attend! From success at these events, often national and international success followed, Taylor, Doughty, Cragg, Bloomfield, Martin, Yardy etc. All building the foundations for further success from successful appearances at such events, from competing at regionals to an event which of course gave some experience to the young stars of the future at what national events were like, the referees, the structure, etc. etc.
Let us turn the clock forward again now to Silverstone 2007- the venue for the modern day junior national championships, and quite a deflating contrast. No longer are there 12 heats, no longer are there A finals with the top 10 cars separated by a hand full of seconds. Instead there is a small gaggle of cars with sometimes 2 laps or more separating the top 10 cars if there are 10 cars at all. Again, do not get me wrong, the winners of each title thoroughly deserved their names on the trophies, they still must put on a show of fast consistent racing and stave off the attentions of the other racers, but the worrying part, is that each winner in the under 13 and under 16 categories beat approximately only 9 and 17 other drivers respectively.

So here we are with the issue of searching for the drivers who are going to be the next generation of British national, European and world’s contenders. Heck, we are striving to find the drivers who will mean that RC racing as an industry and as a sport exists at any level in a decade’s time. “So tell us Voice... what can be done?” I hear you asking. Well, the simple answer is, like the officials at the head of the section are undoubtedly thinking, the answer is unclear. I do not have any official stats to confirm this, but I would strongly believe that the average age of a national A final has increased over the past few years. Undoubtedly as shown, the numbers at the national junior championships are fast diminishing and in a few years time, you wonder if a championship will even exist.

Is RC a young man’s game- not really, it would seem now. As stated, the reason for the shift is unclear, of course expense is a potential limitation, though there is a lack of young racers even at club level so this shouldn’t be a limiting factor. The limitation possibly is the clubs themselves, particularly for the 1/10 off road section as buggy racing is simply not on offer.

There are probably many contributing factors, but what can we, as racers ourselves do about this? Well, in my view, there are many simple things that you could all do, to promote RC racing as the most family friendly, enjoyable hobby around. And it starts, with personal conduct.

I’m talking about how you experienced guys can respond to new racers or potential racers at track side regardless of meeting level. How do you respond when you see a young father and son watching trackside, who may choose to come and look at your pitting table and ooh and ahh at your neatly laid out work station (yeah right!). Do you ignore them, and hope they’ll go away? Do you sit in silence until they venture to ask you something. Or do you say “hello there... would you like a closer look?” and pass your car over? I would doubt it. Do you talk to them about the ins and outs of the hobby, when the next race is on- may be wise to gloss over the costs early on (lol) but do you direct them to the BRCA website, their local shop or even the forums?

The forum of course is another area where conduct is vital... do you offer information useful for beginners, do you show the hobby in a friendly light? Do you sometimes when in public or on the forums, show the overly serious side of the sport, have public spats with your parent/mechanic, with the ref or another racer... all of these factors surely contribute at some level.

Do you also, in addition, have younger relatives who you could perhaps take along to your next regional... let them look at your cars, encourage them to tell their mates at school about this cool sport that goes on IN THEIR AREA, or even on extreme occasions, hand your old and unwanted gear down to them to have a learn with?

OK, ok, I’ve droned on and on, but this is a serious issue for the future of this sport, and for the future of British success in the sport. The kids are the future (was that a song?) and we should try to do all we can to help them progress, some of the things that can be done have been indicated above, and hopefully you will think that these can be put into practice.

In summary, history has indicated that long term success in this sport begins with plying your trade at an early age. In addition, without new blood coming into the sport, there are no future events, no competitors, no officials and in the extreme case, no manufacturers.

There are things we can all do to help this, don’t think it is not your problem... next time a young person comes over at a meeting, or is stood against the catch fencing laughing at the way your car barrel rolls past them or smacks heavily into another, or cries out for “the purple one... go the purple one!” tell them about the fun of racing, you never know, you may just be speaking to the next British, European or World champ.

‘Til the start tone sounds...

RCVoice

Feel free to discuss the issues raised in this blog here or send your questions or topics to Mrs oOple’s PM inbox.

Disclaimer: It should be noted that any views expressed in the RCVoice blog, are purely the views of RCVoice, they are not intended to offend or cause any harm. They are of no association to the oOple owners or the BRCA who of course, if you have a vitally important query with your sport, should be your first point of contact. ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=33 afsdfasd http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=32 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:20:09 GMT dasdgasd adsf asdf as fasf asdf asdf asdf dasdgasd adsf asdf as fasf asdf asdf asdf ]]> jimmy http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=32 The view from aloft my soap box... http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=31 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:11:16 GMT *The view from aloft my soap box...* Good day RC racing fans, and welcome to, what I hope you will find, is a positive new addition to your... The view from aloft my soap box...
Good day RC racing fans, and welcome to, what I hope you will find, is a positive new addition to your oOple.com visit.
Allow me to introduce myself, I am the RCVoice, your all new oOple RC Blogger. Every fortnight I will be posting a new blog, it will often vary in length but hopefully will never wane in entertainment or interest.
The idea behind this combined venture between myself and the fantastically innovative and original oOple team, is to give you an insight into my own personal RC driver experience (of which there are many, many years worth at all levels), useful advice, my views on where the sport is heading over the next few years, my take on any controversy or industry details and hopefully, and perhaps most importantly, this will be a useful base for you to visit and enjoy on occasion, the sometimes lighter, and the not so serious side of RC racing in the UK. So that on occasion, when things are perhaps not going so well in your RC life, you’re unhappy with an aspect of the sport/hobby or you’ve had a particularly frustrating day trackside or even had a disagreement with a shop owner, referee or whatever, you can read the blog, which will hopefully entice your “INTLT” factor- “I’d Never Thought of it Like That!” and remind you why you invest such time and money into your racing- FUN!

In addition, you can send in any questions you may have or topics for blogs that you wish, and the best ones will be responded to in my “column” every fortnight. It is preferred that you stick to RC based questions but that is your only limitation- be imaginative, perhaps don’t always go with “how often should I clean my bearings?” or “which car is best for me?” There are answers to this sort of thing all over the internet, the idea of this blog is to give you something new to think about in what is such a fun and interesting sport. So go ahead, ask a burning question or ask for a write up of opinion on a more diverse aspect of the sport and send them via PM to Mrs oOple who will direct them to me.

The blog is for all types of RC enthusiast from beginner to pro, and I really hope you all like it. My first blog entry will be online by the end of this week and you can of course discuss what is posted in the forum, though I will not personally post to the forum direct.
‘til the start tone sounds...
RCVoice

Disclaimer: It should be noted that any views expressed in the RCVoice blog, are purely the views of RCVoice, they are not intended to offend or cause any harm. They are of no association to the oOple owners or the BRCA who of course, if you have a vitally important query with your sport, should be your first point of contact. ]]> RCVoice http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=31 Progress http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=30 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:34:24 GMT Image: http://www.northernracer.com/posted/9.JPG Image: http://www.northernracer.com/posted/10.JPG Image:...


Still work to do.
Some of the grouting needs tidying up 'cos it's crap.
Papering, painting, and the carpet needes putting down. ]]> Stu http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=30 All business today http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=29 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:15:24 GMT Today is all about business, serious stuff today. BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS But then I might have a bit of... Today is all about business, serious stuff today.

BUSINESS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS

But then I might have a bit of something to eat at lunch time too.

G ]]> Northy http://www.oople.com/forums/blog.php?b=29