Ideas to keep memberw interested at club nights..

[markwilliamson2001]

I havent been doing much Sunday racing of late, and maybe like some others, am finding club nights just a bit repetitive.

What do other clubs do to keep members coming along regularly? Vintage nights? Competitions, championships?

Ideas PLEASE!

[c0sie]

Atmosphere.
It wont matter what you do, if the atmosphere is shit then people will get disheartened.

Efficiency.
If it takes ages to put the track out/book in/get heats sorted/yada yada then people will resent having to wait so long.

Get the building blocks sorted first before trying to branch outward and upward.

Just my opinion of course..

[Apricot Slice]

We are doing a 4 hour enduro tomorrow at the GRCC. it usually attracts folks from further afield and is more track time than most usual racing.

we have also started doing a Mardave class (Up until this year it has just been TC) and an off road class.

The off road involves a bit of running about with jumps etc but for me at least it is the highlight of the meeting. There is no motor limit and run on foam tires. they are as quick as the touring cars.

[reg]

total agree with c0sie

[c0sie]

Originally Posted by reg

total agree with c0sie

Thanks

I really need to start my own club oneday, would be a great project

[mrspeedy]

I'm assuming it's for off-road so ....

Fun tracks with big jumps, wall-rides and always different layouts with anything goes type attitude seems popular with members and helps promote a good fun atmos ....

We always run a summer and a winter championship, 5 meetings over 5 months, with 4 to count. And each heat with a "bump up" Its surprising how competative peeps can be and won't want to miss championship rounds.

Our summer series is usually run as "drift" racing with cut up inner tubes for tyres. Its cheap, very different and VERY popular.

I would also say don't worry about trying to include all classes, peeps will generally go and buy whatever class you race ....

HTH

[rondoolaa]

our weekly track is held on a friday night and we race sharks and blaze's,

we get between 15 and 20 people race a week, i dont think we get bored because the guys that set up the track set it up different from week to week,

also we all enjoy racing,

i would never get bored of it, i've been racing rc since i was about 14 when i got my first car, think it was a tamiya frog or something like that,

i'm 42 this year and still enjoy racing as much as when i first started

[markwilliamson2001]

Maybe i have been doing this too long...just seeing the same old things over and over again....i think the worst thing is at our club, its not treated as a club, just the same old few laying the track out, and setting everything up, whilst others just stand and watch....starting to get a little wearing to be honest

[Apricot Slice]

Originally Posted by markwilliamson2001

Maybe i have been doing this too long...just seeing the same old things over and over again....i think the worst thing is at our club, its not treated as a club, just the same old few laying the track out, and setting everything up, whilst others just stand and watch....starting to get a little wearing to be honest

maybe a new club rule could help?
*Anyone who dose not help setting up/ tidying away has to use yellow wheels.

[jukeboxman]

Mark's hit the nail on the head with that comment - always been the same since I started racing, same few faces doing all the labouring, everyone else standing moaning they're having to wait........then that few stop working at it and the club goes to rack and ruin.

Change the track direction once in a while too, layouts differ but going the other way usually throws a few.

[sparrow.2]

Topless trophy girls would help draw entries too...

Hooray for boobies

[terry.sc]

Originally Posted by markwilliamson2001

Maybe i have been doing this too long...just seeing the same old things over and over again....i think the worst thing is at our club, its not treated as a club, just the same old few laying the track out, and setting everything up, whilst others just stand and watch....starting to get a little wearing to be honest

The solution:

Originally Posted by c0sie

Atmosphere.
It wont matter what you do, if the atmosphere is shit then people will get disheartened.

I bet the ones who stand and watch don't mix with the ones setting out the track either. The problem is the people standing round don't see themselves being part of a club, but just a track they are paying to race at.

Been running my club for 18 years now and it's as popular as ever, which I believe is down to the friendly atmosphere caused by making sure people don't go off in their own little groups, making sure everyone mixes together, making sure everyone treats each other as an equal and making sure no one takes weekly club racing seriously. If everyone feels part of one large group then they are more likely to support that group by helping out. We even have racers turn up when they aren't racing just to socialise with everyone.

I've found the final solution to people not helping was to get the regular helpers to stop and then shouted at the others that they can't race if there's no track. All it needs is to get one or two of the non helpers to join in setting out and the rest get the hint that it's not 'cool' to stand by and watch others work. Shouldn't take too long before everyone helps set the track out and clear it away.

[markwilliamson2001]

I think maybe some of the regulars just need to stop for a bit, then the others would HAVE to lay the track out

I wasnt really hoping to turn it into a slagging match, and was just trying to get some more regulars coming, we only had 15 on friday (and made a loss on the hall rent) and the problem seems to be that we get a lot of non-locals coming from miles around, so they leave earlier to get home in time (which is understandable really).

Setting up some sort of mini-championship to keep people coming seems a simple start, with a cheap prize at the end!! The other option is to try and find a better and cheaper hall for rent, which is more local to Hereford itself. This is a risky option though, as I would say that half of all racers are guests in effect not members, so would we get more racers coming locally to keep the costs covered? Tricky decision.

I agree with your comments about groups of racers Terry, this is exactly what is happening. I dont like shouting at people to get involved, its not my style, but the 'take no s**t' attitude of John Robson at stafford always works!!

[afun1979]

Hi mark, we've had the same problems in Telford for 20 years that i know of. Unfortunately the regulars who get their first and do all the work - ARE the club, so standing back and letting everyone else set the track up etc will just cause the night to get running late and running over.

Years ago we use to penalise any club member who didn't help set the track out by losing them 1 lap from qualifying - as long as you stick to the rule it's certainly an incentive to help!

Incentives. Your track is the reason i've travelled the hour journey to race at Hereford the few times. It's a good size with some excellent jumps, a well organised night certainly helps.A+
Championships always work, we're all racers and we all want to win. So as long as you've got some competition you should get some good racing.
Endurance team races are always good fun but you need a certain amount of people to make the teams big enough and have enough people on track.
Pairs nights? names selected at random and combine your laps at the end of the night, it should help people mix a little more.



Moving venue. You've currently got a perfect venue so finding a cheaper one would probably result in a smaller hall or one with no/less storage.
Also, if you move venue yes may lose non-members but i imagine the club members will follow - they are the club.

[markwilliamson2001]

Thanks for the comments afun...i recognise your shell, but cant put a name to the shell

The other thing is lack of youngsters...very few young people starting up...i csnt believe this is just cost? What are parents doing with young kids in the area?? I remember most of the people racing when i was growing up were kids, with parents/dads running alongside them. Are RC cars not cool anymore?

[afun1979]

Andrew funge. 2nd to you last sunday!
I don't know what's happened to youngsters starting out. Maybe it's a generation thing, PS3's and computers seem to be more popular nowadays. They're more realistic and involving and so maybe more entertaining?

It's certainly the case at our club that the people who i raced with 20 years ago are still the main part of the club there's just not reall any "new" young members.
What will happen when we all retire????? rc obsolete

Maybe take a look at putting on a race day at school summer fete's (we're going to look into it) this is the age group you're after and perhaps they just don't know that the club or sport exists.

[markwilliamson2001]

Good idea...i work in a school, and my mother in law works in Hereford sixth form college...guess they could do some free publicity of some kind for me??

[gaffer]

TIME is a huge factor for me but I would imagine for a lot of people also. People are having to work alot more hours, alot more unsociable hours to keep the money coming in. Unfortunately hobbies have to take a back seat when the mortgage needs paying.

I would love to help put the track up and take it down again and i do get embarrassed packing up my gear and walking out leaving you guys to pack up but the 1 and 20 minute drive plus getting back to close the pub really hinders me from helping - but thats just my story as you know.

Hereford is a great club and I will always try my best to make it down to race, I do hope others old and new to the rc scene will come and support the club.

Game on friends.

[markwilliamson2001]

Yes its more a factor of relying on long distance racers such as yourself, andy, sleigh, bish etc, which cannot be good in the long run.
How about doing a local league of some kind, joining forces with ludlow, and say telford to keep all if them going??

[markwilliamson2001]

Originally Posted by Apricot Slice

maybe a new club rule could help?
*Anyone who dose not help setting up/ tidying away has to use yellow wheels.

How about no helping, no practice?